Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

I flung the door open, and there was Bella, soaked to the bone.

She croaked out, "Emily!"

I yanked her inside and slammed the door shut.

Seeing her like that, all I could think about was that wanted poster. I had a bad feeling.

"Bella, what happened?"

She wiped her face and said, "Zachary got caught."

Even though I kinda expected it, hearing her say it still hit me hard. I had no idea how to comfort her.

She glanced at Ethan, who was standing at the top of the stairs, and said, "Emily, I'm sorry for barging in so late."

I grabbed her hand. "Don't be silly. Let's get you out of those wet clothes first."

I took her to the guest room, ran a bath, and grabbed some of my pajamas for her.

"Bella, take a hot bath. You must be freezing." I led her to the bathroom and turned on the heater.

She forced a smile. "I'm okay. I ran all the way here, so I'm actually pretty warm."

She got undressed and slipped into the tub. I grabbed a towel and helped her wash.

"Bella, what exactly happened?"

She sank lower into the water, her hair floating around her, the necklace on her neck barely visible. She tilted her head back, thinking.

"We never left Starlight City. I was scared we wouldn't be able to come back. Zachary said at least my dad was still here."

I was stunned. "Where were you?"

"Zachary found a spot in the mountains. It seemed safe, and I thought we could stay hidden forever. But tonight, the cops surrounded us. I don't know how they found us."

The law finally caught up. I knew this day would come, but not so soon.

Bella splashed water on her face, letting it drip from her chin.

"Tonight, a bunch of cars showed up at the mountain's base. Zachary sensed trouble and told me to take a different route. I hesitated, but he was serious. I followed his advice. From a distance, I saw them put Zachary in a car. I wanted to run to him but held back, knowing it would ruin everything. I watched the police car drive away and then ran here." She told me all this calmly, but I could see her hands trembling.

After her bath, I stayed with her as she tried to sleep.

Bella lay there, staring at the ceiling.

"I still can't figure out how they knew we were there. It's such a remote place, usually deserted."

I tried to comfort her. "Don't overthink it. Even if he's in custody, he hasn't been sentenced yet. If he behaves, his sentence could be reduced."

She shook her head. "Zachary told me if he ever got caught, it would be the end for him."

The word "end" was so final; I didn't know what to say.

"He mentioned a few times that I should get rid of the baby, worried I'd struggle if he got caught. He even suggested I could remarry. But I never considered it. If he hadn't gotten involved with my dad, things would be different. Zachary said he hadn't done anything illegal for years and just wanted a good life with me."

Everyone made mistakes, but some were harder to erase. Sometimes, one wrong step made it tough to turn back.

"Bella, are you still going to have this baby?" I asked, struggling with the words.

"Of course, why wouldn't I? Emily, you know, I wasn't afraid of anything while I was running. The only thing I feared was losing the baby," she answered without hesitation.

Bella was stronger than I thought. She wasn't devastated; she was calm, like she and Zachary were just temporarily apart and would be together again soon.

The next morning, when I woke up, Bella was still staring at the ceiling. I couldn't tell if she had woken up early or hadn't slept at all.

As I left the bedroom, Ethan was coming out of his room. I glanced at him. He was wearing a loose jacket, and anyone who didn't know wouldn't be able to tell he was injured, though his face was still pale.

I made breakfast, and the three of us ate in silence. Bella seemed to sense something was off and pulled me out to the balcony after breakfast.

"Emily, what's going on with you and Ethan? Something seems off."

Of course, I wasn't going to tell her about that night. She had enough to deal with.

"It's nothing," I said, brushing it off.

Bella sighed. "Emily, finding a good man is tough. Even if you do, there's no guarantee you'll grow old together. You have to cherish it; it's not easy."

To everyone else, Ethan and I seemed like the perfect couple. But only we knew the cracks in our relationship, some of which even we couldn't fully understand. "Enough about me. What are you going to do about Zachary?" I asked.

Bella replied, "I can't visit him before the sentencing. I need to go to a law firm and hire a reliable lawyer. Only the lawyer has the right to see him."

Bella left soon after arriving, her words still echoing in my mind. Ethan quietly placed his hand on my shoulder.

"I've been investigating the grave desecration these past few days. I have results," Ethan said.

I turned to look at him. "Who did it?"

Could it be that it wasn't Victor?

"Come with me," he said, keeping it mysterious.

I changed my clothes and went with him. He drove with one hand, skillfully navigating the streets. I leaned against the car window, watching the world go by.

The car finally stopped in front of Starlight City Psychiatric Hospital.

I was surprised and had a bad feeling.

After getting out of the car, Ethan naturally held my hand and led me inside.

It was my first time in such a place, and the eerie environment made me cling to the sense of security his hand provided.

Inside, besides a few buildings, there was a large activity area surrounded by barbed wire. Many people were playing inside, all looking mentally unstable. Soon, two people started pulling at each other, and doctors and nurses immediately stepped in to separate them.

Seeing strangers approach, some of them laughed foolishly, while others made various strange expressions and movements.

I knew they were just patients, and as a healthcare worker, I shouldn't discriminate against them. But the environment made me uncomfortable.

Suddenly, my gaze fixed on one spot. The person leaning against the barbed wire, staring at me, was Arthur. He looked much more normal than the other patients, standing quietly by himself.

But recalling his series of actions since his return, I knew he wasn't normal. He smiled at me, a particularly eerie smile that sent chills down my spine.

Suddenly, Arthur let go of the barbed wire and made gestures in the air, as if tracing my curves or touching me, all while making disgusting faces and sticking out his tongue.

I was so disgusted that I got goosebumps all over and turned to run.

Back in the car, Ethan said to me, "He's the one who desecrated the grave."

Given Arthur's current perversion, he was capable of such an act. He was truly insane.

But compared to other lunatics, he was smart. He must have secretly investigated and known about the conflict between the Melville family and the Windsor family, deliberately desecrating the grave to escalate the conflict. "Then why were you there that night?" I asked him.

Ethan didn't answer, instead taking out a cigarette and lighting it.

"Can you not smoke?" I said.

He paused, looking at me in surprise, as I had never stopped him before. But he eventually put out the cigarette.

"That night, Arthur texted me, saying he had something of yours, luring me there," he said slowly.

This was Arthur's usual trick, but something still felt off.

"If he texted you, you should have known it was him. Why didn't you tell Faris at the time?"

Ethan patiently explained, "Just because he sent the text doesn't mean he did it. He was just a prime suspect. Everything needs evidence, and I didn't have any at the time to convince anyone."

He held my hand. "Honey, please don't be mad at me, okay?"

I pulled my hand away and turned my face to the side.

Ethan explained everything clearly, but I couldn't get over the fact that he chose Faye in a life-and-death situation. I didn't ask about it, and he didn't offer any explanation.

I just told myself to give us one last chance. But in reality, I couldn't find the same resolve as before.

He drove back to the villa, and the door was open.

As soon as I stepped inside, I saw a familiar pair of women's boots on the doormat. Ethan saw them too, and his face darkened.

There was noise from the kitchen, and soon, Faye came out wearing an apron.

When she saw me, her expression was as if she had seen a ghost.

She stammered, saying insincere words, "Emily, you're okay! That's great!"

I walked in step by step, looking at her coldly.

Faye was a good actress; the Oscars owed her a statuette.

But I no longer had the energy to play along with her.