Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

I spun around, instantly freezing at the sound of that familiar voice. Striding towards me in a baseball jacket and cap, holding a bat, was none other than Faris.

Two guys in suits trailed behind him, one of them being the assistant I'd talked to earlier. Someone in the crowd called him Mr. Melville, while a few women squealed "Faris" like they were with girlish fantasies.

He walked right up to me, gave a faint smile as I stood there, totally stunned, and then glanced at the crowd.

"Showing up to a beauty promo without makeup? That takes guts. It shows you really believe in your products and techniques. Traditional treatments are natural and healthy, no makeup tricks needed. If it's safe for pregnant women, it's definitely healthy." Faris just elevated medical beauty to a whole new level, and the crowd burst into applause.

The woman who had been giving me a hard time earlier now looked super embarrassed.

After the applause died down, she walked towards Faris. "Faris, I..."

"Stop." Faris raised his bat, pointing it at her, stopping her in her tracks.

Ignoring her blushing and awkwardness, he suddenly turned his head towards me.

"Do you take male clients?"

"Of course," I said, swallowing nervously.

"Mr. Melville is already so handsome and charming. Do you still need beauty treatments?" someone joked.

Faris licked his lips, showing just the tip of his tongue, and smiled faintly. "I've signed up for three hundred sessions, which will be given as year-end bonuses to the top employees."

Gasps of surprise rippled through the crowd.

"Mr. Melville is already planning year-end bonuses before the year's even halfway over. The employees at the club are really lucky; this is an awesome perk."

Faris casually put one hand in his pocket and swung the bat with the other, smiling like it was no big deal.

"Everyone's used to all kinds of gifts, so let's mix it up. Who doesn't love beauty? Giving health and beauty together is pretty meaningful."

Someone clapped in agreement. "That's a great idea. I want to follow your lead and give each of my employees a registration too."

With Faris leading the charge, everyone followed, and I felt overwhelmed. My tiny shop seemed way too small. But I couldn't turn away business, so I decided to roll with it and figure it out later.

The woman who had been against me earlier stood there fuming. I later found out she was in the same beauty business, and my success was a threat to her.

As the party started winding down, Wren noticed I knew Faris and didn't wait for me. I sat at a table, sorting through client registrations. The big spenders were generous, opting for gold cards, and some even upgraded to diamond. Personal transactions were settled on the spot, while corporate funds would be transferred tomorrow.

I calculated nearly $2.5 million in total. It felt like a dream.

Faris placed a glass of milk in front of me and sat down, looking at me with interest.

"Emily, those ten minutes on stage really surprised me."

I looked up at him and gestured around the now-empty club. "Is this yours? Are you the owner of this club?"

Faris raised one side of his lips mischievously. "What? Doesn't it look like it?"

I propped one hand against my cheek, pretending to think. "No, I'm just equally surprised. Weren't you always in Starlight City? How do you have such a big club in Seabreeze Harbor, and judging by tonight's turnout, it couldn't have been built up in a short time."

Faris crossed his legs and tapped the table with his fingers, teasing. "Your IQ has improved; you know how to analyze problems now."

I rolled my eyes at him.

He laughed and said, "Weren't you always in Starlight City too? How did you end up doing beauty treatments here?"

I guessed he knew why I left Starlight City, so I didn't answer him. He suddenly leaned in closer, holding my chin and staring at me intently.

"But seriously, who taught you that? You were nothing like the timid and cowardly woman you used to be on stage just now. Who guided you?"

He made me laugh, but only for a few seconds before I restrained my smile.

"There's a saying that goes, 'When you have no way out, you become strong and fearless.""

Speaking of fearlessness, I remembered something Ethan once told me.

"The strongest person in the world isn't Superman, but the one who gets knocked down a hundred times and gets up a hundred and one times to face the world again. Because the former is just strong, but the latter is fearless."

I admitted that even though we had separated, some of the ideas and beliefs he instilled in me still deeply influenced me.

Looking at tonight's results, I said, "I think you can cancel those three hundred sessions. You've already helped me a lot."

Faris frowned. "No. I said it in front of so many people, and many employees heard it too. Do you want me to break my promise in front of them?"

I shrugged. "Alright, you're rich and willful; I have nothing to say."

Later, Faris drove me home.

On the way, seeing that I wasn't saying much, he asked, "What's up? You made a killing tonight. Aren't you happy?"

I glanced at him and said with a worried look, "What I'm stressing about now is how my tiny shop can handle these big clients. Honestly, I just wanted to promote tonight; I never thought I'd sell so many VIP memberships."

Faris smirked. "What's there to worry about? You should use the funds you got to expand your business and upgrade your venue. These folks spend money to reflect their status; they don't want to be in a shabby place. They don't lack money; they care about their reputation."

He made a lot of sense.

When we arrived, I was about to get out of the car when he stopped me and pointed to Aron's clinic.

"As a boss, you should have your own place. What's the point of living in someone else's house?"

I had thought about this too. It was not that I needed to live in a fancy house just because I became a boss. But I wasn't working for Aron anymore, and it felt awkward to keep living in his place. Even though they hadn't said anything, I couldn't be so inconsiderate.

I nodded. "You're right. I need to find a place and move out."

Faris said, "Actually, what I wanted to say was..."

"Alright, it's late. Thanks for the ride. You should head back." I cut him off.

Faris gave me a helpless look before driving away.

Since Aron had trusted me with a set of keys, I didn't need to disturb them when I came home late. I quietly returned to my room and, lying in bed, eagerly shared tonight's success with Seagull on Facebook.

He quickly replied: [Congrats, you're one step closer to your dream. Keep it up! Tomorrow will be even better!]

I thought, 'Yeah, tomorrow will definitely be better!'

The next morning, as soon as I stepped out, I saw Faris's car parked at the door.

If I hadn't seen him drive away last night, I would have thought he never left.

Sitting in the driver's seat, Faris took off his sunglasses and looked at me.

"Those clients yesterday were influenced by me. I don't want them coming back to complain that your place is too shabby. It just so happens that I'm free these days. For the sake of an old friend, I'll be your driver and planner for free. How does that sound? Do you feel honored?"

I walked around to the passenger side, got in and smiled at him. "Yes, I feel very honored. Sir, let's go!"

Faris cheerfully whistled, and the car sped off.

In the following days, Faris was by my side, helping me find a location, renovate, and even mobilize his club's staff to assist.

"Emily, a person's energy is limited. As a boss, you should delegate rather than do everything yourself. You need to learn to leverage your team."

With the business expanding, I definitely needed to hire more staff. I personally trained all the beauticians, focusing on both techniques and service concepts.

With Faris's team assisting and his personal oversight, a luxurious beauty center in the city center was soon ready.

I spent a long time thinking about the brand name. I wanted to honor Aurora and Aron, my benefactors on this entrepreneurial journey, but I couldn't come up with a fitting name.

Faris suddenly said, "Just use your own name."

After some consideration, his eyes lit up. "Let's call it Emberlyn Beauty Retreat. It sounds interesting."

I thought the name was good too, so we decided on it.

Although I was busy like a machine these days, I was happily exhausted.

One day, I was standing outside the beauty center, looking up at the sign being hung.

As I watched, I suddenly felt dizzy and almost lost my balance.

Luckily, Faris, who was standing beside me, caught me in time. "What's wrong?"

After regaining my composure, I waved my hand. "It's nothing. I think I've just been too tired lately."

He insisted on taking me to the hospital.

I realized that since I got pregnant, I hadn't had a prenatal checkup, so it was a good idea to get checked.

After the ultrasound, the doctor smiled and said, "Congratulations, you're having twins."

I was stunned for a long time.

Walking out of the ultrasound room, Faris probably noticed my pale face and snatched the ultrasound report from me.

"Twins!" he exclaimed, unable to hide his excitement.

After his initial joy, he seemed to realize he was overly happy and immediately slapped himself. "They're not even mine. Why am I so happy?"

I couldn't help but laugh. He eventually laughed too.

This was the best news since my business success.

Busy with work, I rarely thought of Ethan, but the ultrasound report brought back all my thoughts of him.

At home, I stared at the ultrasound report, sleepless, wondering what Ethan was doing and if he thought of me.

If he knew about the twins, would he be happy?

I wanted to hear his voice but didn't want to reveal my location. I used the internet phone on my computer and dialed his number. As it rang, my heart raced. His deep, familiar voice soon came through. "Hello."