Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph
Chapter 128 I'm Just Taking Back What's Mine

I looked at him, my mind buzzing with a million questions. They were all jammed up in my throat, and I had no clue where to even start.

I pulled my gaze away and said, "I couldn't reach you, so I got worried. Faris said he knew where you were, so I tagged along."

Ethan stared ahead, and after a beat, he said, "Turning off the phone is the rule when you hit an underground casino."

I filled him in on today's court session, and he just shrugged, "I know."

How he knew from that deep, hidden spot on the third basement level was beyond me.

Taking a deep breath, I finally asked, "Did you really only promise Faris $150,000?"

Ethan pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and let the smoke drift out the window.

"What else?" he said.

I couldn't figure it out. I had a hunch that what he promised Faris wasn't just $150,000, but I couldn't crack it. After all these days, I still had no clue. He forgot that I felt safest when he told me everything.

Since he didn't wanna talk, I dropped it.

I was curious about that last hand of cards.

"I think you got super lucky, winning back everything in the last hand," I said, feeling relieved.

Ethan suddenly laughed, glanced at me, and said, "You're adorably naive."

I looked at him, confused.

He smiled mysteriously, and with a flick of his hand, three Aces appeared in front of me like magic.

"Are you kidding me?" I was so shocked my jaw almost hit the floor.

He smiled coolly. "At the gambling table, who can guarantee they'll always win? I was just taking back what was mine. My conscience is clear."

I still couldn't believe it, feeling a bit freaked out in hindsight.

"But I was right next to you. How did I not notice anything? And Simon seemed like a pro. Weren't you scared he'd catch on?"

Mentioning Simon made Ethan's face darken.

"Weren't you the closest to me? Did you notice anything? As for Simon, he was so full of himself after winning so many rounds. He never saw it coming." So, Ethan had been losing on purpose to make Simon drop his guard.

Ethan flicked the cigarette butt out the window and snorted. "Simon's methods weren't clean either. I was just giving him a taste of his own medicine."

I never asked what was on that USB drive. But I knew it had to be something big, worth risking his hard-earned Skyline International Corporation.

"I'm starving." He suddenly changed the subject and asked, "Have you eaten?"

Feeling guilty, I avoided his eyes and shook my head. "No."

"Perfect, let's grab a bite before heading back," he said.

I hadn't eaten much earlier with Faris, 'cause I was worried about Ethan. Now, I was definitely hungry.

"Can you tell me where you're going next time? I'll worry about you."

While eating, I looked down at my plate and couldn't help but mumble.

Ethan talked about the gamble like it was no big deal, but I knew it was like betting his life. One wrong move and he could lose everything, including his honor and pride. Ethan paused for a few seconds with a piece of pork rib in his fork, then put it in my bowl and looked at me.

"Sorry, I didn't have time to tell you then. And I thought telling you would make you worry more. I didn't want that."

"If you lost everything, how would you tell me?" I stared at him, unblinking.

He smiled slightly. "I wouldn't find it hard to say, and I think you'd welcome that version of me more. Haven't you always felt a distance between us?"

That was true, but I never wanted him to lose everything just to close that gap.

When we got home after dinner, it was already 9 p.m. After getting out of the car, he suddenly pulled something out of the trunk and tossed it on the ground. It moved, and I took a step back, freaked out, before realizing it was a cat.

The cat's fur color was similar to Scruffy's, and I instantly got what he was trying to do.

Ethan bent down to pick up the cat, stroking its fur to calm it down in the new place.

I stared at him, feeling like his gentle way of holding the cat was like cradling a baby. A guy's soft side with animals can be really touching.

"It just got here. It's not used to the place and is a bit scared, but it'll warm up over time."

But I felt I couldn't get close to it for a while.

I suddenly realized that cats, like people, couldn't just be replaced. But I was touched that he remembered I had lost my cat.

Ethan walked in with the cat and suddenly said, "Oh, it doesn't have a name yet. Wanna name it?"

When it came to names, I thought of Scruffy again. I named Scruffy not 'cause it was scruffy, but 'cause the name was easy to call.

But for a similar cat, I couldn't call it Scruffy. It would never be Scruffy.

Ethan put it on the ground, and it rolled around a few times, staying far from us, looking at us with those timid eyes.

I found it funny and laughed. "It likes to roll around. How about we call it Rollie?"

Ethan turned to look at me, his eyes narrowing slightly, and he moved closer.

He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulled us closer, and gently kissed my lips, his voice low and magnetic.

"If it likes to roll, call it Rollie. By your logic, what would you call someone who likes to make love?"

He asked so seriously, and I wanted to answer seriously too. But I couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.

"Call them a rascal," I said, almost laughing to the point of tears.

Ethan's eyes widened for a moment, but I couldn't stop laughing. Soon, he smiled.

"Is that the new name you've given me? It's very fitting. Let me show you what it means to live up to a name."

We tangled on the sofa for quite a while before he finally let me go, both of us panting.

Rollie had been sitting in the corner watching us with those innocent eyes, and I couldn't help but imagine what it was thinking

'Hey, can you guys get a room? I'm still young.'

After settling Rollie in Scruffy's old bed, we went upstairs.

Ethan went to the bathroom to take a shower, and I changed into a clean set of sheets and covers.

After changing, I suddenly saw the suit jacket on the small sofa.

When I thought of the USB drive, I felt a strong urge to find it and see what was on it.

Looking towards the bathroom door, Ethan's well-built body was silhouetted against the warm light from the bathroom, and the sound of water continued.

After some hesitation, just as I was about to get out of bed, the water stopped, and the bathroom door suddenly opened.

I froze as Ethan walked out, completely naked, water droplets clinging to his chest. Blushing, I lowered my head and walked past him to the bathroom.

When I came out, he was already asleep, his breathing steady, with a hint of fatigue on his face. Not wanting to disturb him, I quietly got into bed and snuggled under the covers. Staring at his sleeping face, I moved closer to him and gently wrapped my arm around his waist, feeling much more at ease. Only then did I close my eyes peacefully. The next day, I got a call from Leonard, saying he wanted to invite me to dinner.

I was surprised. Leonard said Bella would be there too. Because their father-daughter relationship had always been strained, my presence might help ease things, so I went. Leonard mentioned that the restaurant was right above the Blue Ocean Bar.

I didn't expect that Oliver was also there.

Bella was different today, seeming much quieter than usual. When she saw me, she waved and asked me to sit next to her, while Oliver sat on her other side.

Leonard's attitude was also different today. He wasn't as confrontational with Oliver as he was the first time they met; he had a more amiable demeanor.

After listening to Leonard's series of opening remarks, I understood that Leonard had agreed to Bella and Oliver's relationship.

Actually, after Bella and Oliver fell and were hospitalized together, Leonard came to see them. After I spoke to him downstairs at the hospital, I noticed Leonard was moved.

It's a good thing he came around. I think Leonard did this to somewhat bridge the gap between him and Bella.

Oliver was both surprised and delighted, toasting Leonard repeatedly and promising to take good care of Bella in the future.

At that moment, I felt that Bella and Leonard were truly happy. I thought if my dad were still around, he would also look out for my marriage.

The dinner was secondary; Leonard's main purpose was to express his stance.

After saying what he wanted to say, Leonard left first, not having eaten much.

After Leonard left, I said, "Belle, I can tell that Leonard still loves you."

Bella snorted. "He knows I won't listen to him. Whether he agrees or not, the result is the same, so he might as well agree."

I didn't believe Bella wasn't moved at all.

Knowing Bella for so long, I knew she wasn't cold-hearted. Only a heart of stone wouldn't be moved, and she wasn't like that. I think she was touched today, just too stubborn to admit it. We left the restaurant and went straight to the Blue Ocean Bar.

The bar area seemed lively, with many people gathered there.

As we walked over, I immediately saw a drunken woman slumped over the bar.