Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Chapter 253 Conflict

Emily couldn't fight off her sleepiness and headed upstairs to crash first. We kept the drinks flowing for a good while after that. From what I remember, Jason had always been the straight-laced type.

Back when we were in the band, Jason was all about the music. He never got mixed up in the bad stuff like fighting or gambling. Then he went abroad for school, so it was pretty rare for him to invite someone out for drinks like this. Jason and I clinked glasses again. He knocked his drink back in one go, set the glass down, and leaned back in his chair.

He was not much of a drinker; his face turned red after just a few drinks, and even his neck started to change color.

It was in this tipsy state that Jason started to open up to me.

Jason said, "Ethan, you know I grew up in the same neighborhood as Emily. I liked her even back then. You might think I was too young to understand what liking someone meant, but those feelings were pure. I just liked her. And I've liked her ever since."

He gave a bitter smile, like he found himself a bit ridiculous.

Then he tilted his head slightly, staring blankly at a spot as if lost in memories.

"Emily was always small and thin, but her eyes were big, her eyelashes long, and her voice sweet. Back then, I couldn't tell what kind of feelings I had for her. I just instinctively wanted to protect her. I would miss her when I couldn't see her. If I hadn't moved away, if I hadn't studied abroad, if her family hadn't gone through that major upheaval, I think I would have proposed to her at the right time. But there are no ifs," Jason added.

Jason gave a wry smile, biting his lip, unable to hide a trace of sadness in his expression.

I didn't interrupt him; I just picked up the bottle and refilled our glasses.

What Jason was saying was something we both understood without ever discussing it openly.

Jason said, "All my life, I've been too cautious, too afraid to do many things. Ever since Emily's family had that incident, I didn't even dare to go back and see her because I was so afraid she would see a trace of pity in my eyes. When someone is at their lowest, the last thing they want is a look of pity from others."

Jason continued, "Your relationship was the biggest surprise for me when I returned. Maybe at first, I felt a bit unwilling, but when I saw the way she looked at you, I knew I never had a chance. Ethan, she loves you. Be good to her. If you let her down, I'll take her away from you."

I laughed. Jason hiccuped, looking at me a bit dazed.

Jason asked in confusion, "Why are you laughing? Do you think I don't dare?"

I shook my head, raised my glass to clink with his, and after taking a swig, I said, "Don't worry, I'll treat her right for life."

That night, we polished off all the booze. Jason was completely hammered, and I was about seventy or eighty percent there.

The next day, I headed out on a business trip as planned. Even though Jason had spilled his guts to me the night before, I still believed he was a stand-up guy.

During those days on the trip, I really missed Emily. She was on my mind constantly.

I was falling

longer it went on, the more I felt like

when I was hospitalized with a stomach illness, I had Emily by my side. She gave me the

meticulously. The soup she made was a

didn't have a drinking habit; I only wanted to get drunk when I was either very happy or very sad. After I was

back eight years, when Fiona

couldn't answer that question. How could I tell Emily that if I went back eight years, I would still choose Fiona? Because back then, I felt I wasn't worthy of being close to Emily,

lie to her, so I

didn't know at the time that she had seen Faye's text message. It was much later, when we were reminiscing, that she

out, walked to the staircase, and saw the villa door open, with faint music coming from the

in through the open

I could clearly hear

downstairs. I went back to the room, took out my

"Jason, is

downstairs. We're chatting," Jason

while, I heard

trusted them, for some reason, I felt a bit uneasy. I held her tightly and kissed her

more a man loved, the

moving out. I got what he meant

later, Jason

When I went to pick her up, she wasn't there. Bella told me she had just left. As soon as I left

danger started because of me, and

owed the Melville family, so I knew at the time that rescuing Yanis wasn't Faris's real goal; he wanted the land next to Silent

Emily asked about it, I didn't dare tell

felt a

father back then. His appearance made me uneasy, and I worried that the

was the beginning of the rift between

passed away, Faye had been using her phone number. For all these years, the number hadn't changed, and it was still saved in my phone under

call me before she came, so I was indeed

affect my relationship with

better than I had been to Fiona. I put all my efforts into making it up

now a young woman, but in my eyes,

us, and I agreed.

I didn't expect that all the conflicts would start from that

Faye was a bit two-faced and sometimes played little tricks. I wasn't unaware of this. But I didn't think it was a big deal. Faye had grown up in a special environment and wasn't as innocent as she should have been at