Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Chapter 72 I Won't Forget Her, But I've Let Go

I couldn't let this golden chance slip by. "So, what's the deal with the sale contract? And those photos? And today, you told the cop you had some big info-spill it. Why'd you go to the cops and then just drop it? Who called you?" I bombarded Ethan with all the questions I had, and he just chuckled. "One at a time, will ya?"

Yeah, I was freaking out. This stuff felt like a boulder on my chest, making it hard to breathe.

Ethan grabbed my hand, pulled me back a bit, and we plopped down on the dry sand. "I said I'd answer, and I will. Chill out and don't cut me off."

I took a deep breath, tried to calm my nerves, and nodded.

Ethan bent one leg, rested an arm on it, and stared at the moonlit sea. "This morning, I saw that gossip and thought about how you always cry. You'd definitely cry over this."

"I didn't cry!" I blurted out.

"Don't interrupt," he said.

I zipped my lips and kept listening.

"I knew you blocked me, but I still hoped you'd pick up. I thought maybe, just maybe, you'd unblock me to yell at me or something. But nope, still blocked."

He sounded pretty salty about me blocking him.

"Get to the point," I nudged.

Ethan shot me a look and smirked. "What's the rush?"

He pulled out a cigarette and lit it. The smoke quickly vanished in the sea breeze.

"I showed you the sale contract to expose Arthur. That day, he lost a million bucks, and when he couldn't pay up, I made him sign that contract. Yeah, I was out for revenge."

My heart sank. He must've noticed because he added, "Don't get all disappointed yet; I'm not done."

I sat cross-legged, back straight, every nerve on edge.

"I do have beef with Arthur, but I have my limits. I wouldn't drag you into it, so even with the contract, I didn't touch you. But I had to make him pay, right? So I took that photo and sent it to Arthur." I was floored. "So Arthur has the photo too? Did he do this?"

Ethan took a drag, the smoke quickly fading. "If not him, then who? You think he wouldn't pull something like this?"

it. "Why'd you stop chasing it? Was that call

"Arthur threatened me, said he had dirt on you and told me to

on me. "You got played," I

me, defeated. "It involves you,

out a cold laugh. "This ain't over. Let's see who wins

take a

laughed it off. "Don't sweat it, this little hiccup is

breeze blew in, salty and damp. Ethan's cigarette burned out, and he flicked the

before finally asking what I really wanted to know. "What's the beef between you and

went stiff. He seemed lost and quickly lit another cigarette. He was quiet for

was a sore spot, but I had to. We couldn't

when I thought he wouldn't answer, he said, "She was the

stung, but I appreciated his

even if it hurt,

about his past with Fiona, and suddenly, I got

back then. Jason said they met because they stood up for her. But Ethan's story was different; they knew each other before that. Their first meeting was on a mountain. Ethan had biked to the top alone and

was because of that first

both being

and mad skills at writing songs. She had her own vibe, but she could never sing her own stuff at the bar. She hated the songs the customers wanted, but she had to suck it up and sing

against it, making her feel even worse. From what I picked up from Victor's

so he didn't give a damn about Victor's disapproval and

either; her beauty and talent caught a lot of eyes, including Arthur's. Out of nowhere, one day, Fiona dumped Ethan. When he asked

want to

twist of fate, when Ethan took that girl to

told Arthur, "If you like my leftovers, have at

anger. Fiona looked

wasted and missed a bunch of calls and texts from Fiona. It wasn't until the middle of the night that he saw all the

meant to be. I love you, but there's too much between

[I just wanted to say goodbye. Let's end it where it all

was off and

top where they first met, but he couldn't

Fiona's body was found at the bottom