Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

That night they had all drunk quite a lot. Faris offered them guest rooms to rest, but they declined, saying they planned to go somewhere else to continue the evening. Seeing their minds were made up, he didn't insist.

Faris personally escorted them out of the club and watched them hail a taxi. After they left, he casually lit a cigarette by the roadside.

Emily walked up behind him. "My dad talks nonsense when he's had too much to drink. Don't take it personally."

Faris turned around, the smoke from his cigarette quickly scattered by the wind.

He smiled. "I don't mind at all. Didn't you notice? He seems quite pleased with me as his son-in-law."noveldrama

The word "son-in-law" made Emily freeze, staring at him dumbfounded.

Faris smiled with the cigarette between his lips, put his arm around her shoulder, and guided her back toward the club. They happened to run into Yulia, who was leaving work with her colleagues.

Their eyes met briefly, but neither spoke as they passed each other.

Emily looked up at Faris and noticed he showed no reaction. He didn't turn to look back, just kept his cigarette in his mouth, head slightly tilted back, his expression calm. This put her somewhat at ease.

That night, Faris invited her to stay at the club but still didn't touch her, only holding her as they fell asleep.

The amber light filtering through the frosted glass lamp shade cast a soft glow over the entire bed.

"Emily, are you falling in love with me?" Faris asked suddenly, making Emily's heart skip a beat.

Without overthinking, she nestled in his arms and answered honestly, "Yes, I have fallen in love with you."

Faris remained silent for a long time. Emily, her face pressed against his chest, could hear every heartbeat, every breath.

His silence made her uneasy.

"Don't love me. I'm not worth it," he finally said.

Those few words seemed to contain complex emotions she couldn't fully comprehend.

"No, you are worth it," she insisted, holding his waist firmly.

Faris caressed her face and chuckled softly. "Silly girl."

A few days later, Faris arranged a team-building exercise at the club's shooting range, mandatory for all employees.

Rafael was surprised; in all his years working for Faris, he'd never seen him organize anything like this.

Seeming to read Rafael's thoughts, Faris explained, "Management philosophies need to evolve. Get it?"

Rafael nodded, somewhat bewildered. "Got it."

Not only did Faris arrange the training, but he personally supervised at the shooting range. The results were, predictably, dismal.

These employees, focused on their regular duties, had never handled firearms before. Just hitting the target at all was considered an achievement, and most couldn't even manage that.

As one group left, another entered the housekeeping staff.

Yulia immediately spotted Faris sitting in the lounge area, and he was watching her intently.

She quickly looked away, pretending he didn't exist.

One by one, they stood at their assigned positions with guns already placed before them.

Following the instructor's commands, they picked up their weapons, released the safety, and aimed.

Yulia had a strange sensation. Though this was supposedly her first time handling a gun, the movements felt oddly familiar, almost second nature.

At the command, shots rang out in succession.

After examining all the results, the instructor stared at Yulia in astonishment. "Have you done this before, miss?"

Yulia shook her head. "No, this is my first time shooting."

The instructor was even more surprised. "First time and you hit the bullseye?"

"Did I?" Yulia stared at the distant target, hardly believing it herself. "I hit the bullseye?"

The instructor nodded. "Yes, out of everyone here, you're the only one who hit it dead center."

"Is there a prize for that?" she asked.

The instructor, caught off guard by her practical question, didn't know how to respond. "Yes, there is," came a voice from behind.

Yulia turned to see Faris striding toward them from the lounge area.

He stopped in front of her, took the gun from her hand, released the safety, raised it, and fired.

"Mr. Melville, bullseye!" the instructor exclaimed excitedly.

Faris narrowed his eyes at the target, then skillfully twirled the gun in his palm before handing it back to the instructor.

Yulia was reluctant to admit it, but his shooting stance had been impressively stylish.

"It seems only the two of us will be enjoying the prize," he said.

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Yulia, hearing his words, asked, "What prize?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Faris replied mysteriously.

Yulia hadn't expected the so-called prize to be tickets to a boxing match-just for her and Faris.

Although not particularly interested, during the match she experienced a strange feeling that everything was both foreign and familiar.

She knew she had lost a segment of her memories. Could she have been exposed to this before?

"Well? Did you enjoy it?" Faris asked as they left.

Yulia pursed her lips. "Boring."

She walked ahead while Faris remained standing in place. When she looked back, she found him staring at her, his usual carefree smile replaced by a solemn expression tinged with defeat and subtle melancholy.

"Boring' is honest. Can't Mr. Melville handle the truth?" Yulia teased.

Faris shook off his complex thoughts, curled his lips into a smile, and walked up to her.

"I can handle it. I hope everything you tell me is the truth."

"I always tell the truth. I don't mislead people."

Faris responded with a casual "Well," then asked with a smile, "So, am I handsome?"

"Mr. Melville, you should ask your girlfriend that question. If she thinks you're handsome, that's all that matters. Other opinions are irrelevant."

Yulia's clever response left Faris speechless, and she couldn't help but laugh.

Suddenly, a car pulled up beside them. The window rolled down to reveal Mason's face.

Faris stepped forward to greet him, while Mason gave Yulia a meaningful look. "Who is she?" he asked.

Faris answered candidly, "She's a service staff member at our club."

Mason nodded. "The opportunity I mentioned to you is coming up day after tomorrow. It's Mr. Hughes' 50th birthday celebration. You should bring Emily along. I'll introduce you. Mr. Hughes is fond of antiques, so prepare accordingly."

After Mason left, Faris offered to drive Yulia home, but she declined, saying she would take a taxi. He didn't insist.

Mason had specifically mentioned Aaron Hughes' interest in antiques, and Faris understood his meaning perfectly.

That evening, he took Emily to the antique district and selected a Roman coin.

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Aaron was a prominent figure in Seabreeze Harbor. He began in the ceramics business, later developed an interest in ancient coins, and eventually diversified his enterprises. With connections in both legitimate and shadowy circles, his 50th birthday celebration was a major event in Seabreeze Harbor.

On the day of the party, Faris and Emily met Mason at the hotel entrance.

Faris addressed him as "Mr. Glover," and in this public setting, Emily had no choice but to do the same.

Mason eyed the box in Faris's hand and asked what he had purchased. Faris opened it

to show him, and Mason nodded with satisfaction. "You never disappoint me."

With Mason leading the way, they entered without any issues.

The hotel lobby was already filled with guests. Aaron, dressed in a suit, sat on a gilded chair, conversing with guests around him. Despite turning fifty, he appeared remarkably youthful, with only a slight receding hairline.

Mason led Faris and Emily directly to Aaron. Those surrounding Aaron recognized Mason and greeted him warmly.

After exchanging pleasantries, Mason wished Aaron a happy birthday and long life, then introduced Faris.

However, from the moment they approached, Aaron's gaze had been fixed on Emily.

She was wearing an evening gown specially commissioned by Faris for this occasion, embroidered with roses-striking yet elegant-accentuating her figure. Her long, slender legs occasionally glimpsed through the fabric as she walked. With her youth, beauty, and flowing hair, she stood out among the female guests.

Faris presented the Roman coin.

Genuine Roman coins were rare, and as a connoisseur, Aaron immediately recognized its authenticity. Combined with Faris's well-crafted birthday wishes, this earned hearty laughter from Aaron, who now regarded the young man with newfound respect. They began discussing antiques.

Faris had done his homework and handled the conversation effortlessly. Their brief exchange was extremely pleasant, with Aaron expressing regret at not having met Faris

sooner.

Before the birthday celebration began, everyone took their seats. Aaron gave a speech summarizing the past, looking toward the future, and thanking the guests.

When Aaron finished speaking, the room erupted in applause, filled with voices praising him.

As the banquet began, guests eagerly approached to toast him.

Today, Aaron was the star, enjoying his moment in the spotlight at his birthday

celebration.

But just as the hall was filled with the clink of glasses and joyful conversation, a group

of armed police officers suddenly burst through the main doors.

The guests, seeing this, grew restless.

Some, fearing collateral damage, attempted to leave, but the hotel's entrances and exits had been sealed. No one could escape.

Aaron, a man who had weathered many storms, showed no panic at this unexpected

turn of events. He rose from his seat, brushed off his suit, and calmly faced the lead officer.

He said calmly, "Officer, have you and your many colleagues burst in to wish me a happy birthday? I'm not a stingy man-feel free to enjoy the food and drink. If not, I must ask for an explanation."

The officer dispensed with pleasantries, stating directly that they had received a tip about illegal transactions taking place at the birthday celebration and needed to search the entire hotel.