Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Charles saw Richard's face darken and quickly jumped up, shaking. He grabbed his briefcase and awkwardly said to Sophie, "Ms. Harrison, let's just pretend we never met. I'm outta here."

Ever since Skyline International Corporation got a new president, people loved to compare the two. Everyone said the old president was strict but fair. The new guy, Richard, was a whole different story. When he was in a good mood, he was like one of the gang. But when he was pissed, he was like a ticking time bomb, ready to blow any second.

Just now, Charles saw that Richard was about to blow, so if he didn't leave now, when would he?

After Charles left, Richard stormed over to Sophie, his face still dark.

Sophie was worried he'd scare Abby, so she quickly whispered in Abby's ear, "Abby, be a good girl and go play with Aunt Emily. I'll come get you later."

Abby looked at Richard, then at Sophie, and obediently slid off Sophie's lap and walked away.

As soon as Sophie stood up, Richard grabbed her wrist so hard it felt like he was gonna break it, making her cry out in pain.

"Are you really in such a rush to find Abby a stepdad?" Richard's voice was furious. "No."

Sophie wanted to explain but saw Emily coming down from the deck.

Emily gave her a look, like she was trying to give her some courage.

Sophie took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and looked Richard straight in the eye.

Sophie said, "Aren't you afraid I'll cling to you? Finding a man would solve that problem for you."

This was the first time Sophie had ever talked back to him!

Richard's eyes widened, almost exploding with anger.

In the past, she had always been submissive in front of him, never daring to defy him. Now she even dared to talk back?

Richard pulled her closer with a yank of her wrist.

Richard said seriously, "Let me tell you, not just anyone can be Abby's stepdad. Do you want Abby to be mistreated?"

Sophie was really scared, but she couldn't back down.

"I'm still evaluating! For Abby's sake, I'll choose a good man."

She didn't know how she managed to say these words. She felt both brave and reckless, fearing that if she really angered Richard, he would never speak to her again.

But Emily had told her that the reason Richard didn't like her no matter how much she gave was because she was too compliant and eager. Men were strange creatures; they liked challenges. It was only the challenging women who sparked their desire to conquer.

At that moment, Richard's phone suddenly rang.

Richard glared at her, letting it ring once. When it rang a second time, he finally let go of her wrist to answer it.

Sophie clutched her aching wrist and heard a sweet voice from the other end of the line.

"Mr. Windsor, I miss you. Will you come keep me company tonight?"

Sophie wished she hadn't heard anything, but the restaurant was so quiet, the flirtatious female voice pierced her heart.

Richard's gaze brushed over Sophie's face nonchalantly, and he spoke in a teasing tone, "Wait for me!"noveldrama

The woman responded coyly on the other end, "You're so bad!"

Richard hung up without looking at Sophie again and strode out of the cabin.

As he turned, Sophie saw that his anger hadn't yet dissipated. Watching Richard's hurried departure, she felt devastated, her heart heavy, and she collapsed into a chair. Emily, who had been watching from a distance, finally walked over and sat in the seat Charles had occupied, looking at Sophie's pale face.

Emily said, "Sophie, don't be sad. I actually think you made some progress today." Sophie held back her tears and looked at her in confusion.

Emily said with a gentle smile, "A friend once told me that love is like sand in your hand; the tighter you hold it, the faster it slips away. I used to think there was no hope for you two, but tonight, I see a turning point."

Sophie was still confused. A turning point? But she felt Richard hated her even more. Could it backfire?

Emily arranged for someone to take Sophie and Abby home.

The rest of the people also left one after another, except for Ethan and Emily, who had been staying on the yacht for several days.

In the luxuriously decorated room, the windows were open, and the sound of the waves was clearly audible.

Emily stood by the window, enjoying the unique tranquility.

Ethan gently hugged Emily's waist from behind, his lips close to her ear, and asked in a

deep voice, "Who told you that line you said to Sophie earlier?"

His breath tickled her ear, making Emily shrink her neck sensitively. It took her a while to realize which line he was referring to.

She smiled mysteriously, refusing to answer him.

Ethan didn't press her for an answer; instead, he kissed from her ear down to her neck, his voice growing huskier.

"So, do you use tactics on me too?"

Emily burst into laughter and turned to look at him.

Time had really been kind to Ethan. From the moment she first met him until now, it seemed like the years hadn't touched his face. He was always so handsome and charming.

Emily said with a playful smile, "What tactics could possibly work on someone as cunning as you? I rely entirely on improvisation, okay?"

Ethan laughed heartily, then scooped her up and placed her on the bed. His tall frame pressed down on her, and he lifted her chin with one hand.

Ethan said, "Come on, improvise something!"

"You're terrible!"

Emily gently pushed his hand away, but the next second, she wrapped her arms around

his neck, every movement so natural. She felt happy, but there was a slight tinge of sadness in her heart.

Emily said, "Honey, I miss the kids."

Ever since they got back from the island, they had sent the kids to a top-notch early education center. The school had a closed education system, and they could only bring the kids home once a month.

Ethan kissed her nose affectionately, saying, "Then let's go pick them up tomorrow and have them stay with us for a few days?"

This was exactly what she had been waiting to hear. Emily gave him a rewarding kiss on the cheek, but it was quickly followed by a deeper kiss from him.

Sophie sat in the car on the way home, with Abby quietly nestled in her arms. Although Abby was very well-behaved and didn't make a fuss, she had many questions.

Abby asked, "Mommy, why doesn't Daddy live with us? Other kids' mommies and daddies are together."

This was a heartbreaking question.

Sophie hugged her tighter and gently stroked her head.

Sophie said, "Sweetie, isn't it enough that you have me? I'll always be with you."

Back home, Sophie first put Abby to sleep, then sat at her desk, turned on the lamp, opened her diary, and began to write.

[I should have known better. I know I'll never get into his heart. I'm so greedy; I shouldn't have hoped for anything, should I...]

Richard drove away, feeling inexplicably irritable. In the end, he didn't go anywhere and went straight home.

As soon as he opened the door, the phone rang again.

"Mr. Windsor, why haven't you come yet?"

"I'm not in the mood today!"

Richard hung up the phone, tossed it onto the sofa, and walked into the bathroom to

take a shower.

After his shower, he lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

Why did he feel so angry and agitated when he saw her on a date? He had never cared about Sophie, had he? But today, he couldn't stop thinking about her innocent face. He even remembered the first time they met.

The first time he saw her was in a small diner. Back then, he and his friends liked to hang out at that diner. She worked there.

There were several waitresses in the diner, and Sophie was just one of them. At first, he didn't notice her.

Until one time, a buddy pointed at the pork rib pasta on his plate.

"Damn, good-looking guys get special treatment. You got way more ribs than we did!"

Another friend said in a teasing tone, "Looks like that girl has a crush on you and gave you extra."

After they said that, he remembered that it was always her who brought his orders.

He instinctively looked over at her. Sophie was clearing dishes from another table. Their eyes met briefly, and she quickly looked down, her face turning red to the ears. She was skinny back then, dressed plainly. Her family probably wasn't well-off; otherwise, she wouldn't be working there.

His friends started teasing him.

"Richard, you got a thing for her?"

Richard said firmly, "No way."

He grabbed a beer bottle, bit off the cap, and continued drinking with his friends.

The diner owner was a man in his forties. From their conversations, Richard learned that the owner's wife had died of cancer a few years ago, and he now ran the diner alone.

After noticing Sophie, Richard realized that the owner often made inappropriate advances towards her.

Sophie seemed timid and didn't dare to resist, always looking like she was being bullied and swallowing her anger.

That night, after Richard and his friends finished eating, it was already eleven. When they left the diner, only the owner and Sophie were left, and Sophie was still washing

dishes.

Richard rode his motorcycle a short distance before realizing he had left his phone at the diner, so he turned back.

The diner's shutter was half-closed. As Richard approached the door, he heard crying inside.

Sophie stood in front of a pile of broken dishes, crying timidly, "Boss, I didn't mean to break all these dishes. You startled me, and I stepped back and knocked them over. I'll pay for them."

The owner chuckled, saying with a sinister smile, "I'm just running a small business. You broke so many dishes at once; deducting from your salary won't cover it. How will you

pay?"

As he spoke, he approached her with ill intentions.

The owner said, "If you listen to me, I won't deduct your salary. I'll even give you good

food and clothes..."

"No, please let me go."

Sophie shrank into a corner, crying in fear.

With a loud crash, the shutter was suddenly pulled up.