Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph
Chapter 171 From Now On, We Are Strangers

His words threw the whole scene into an awkward mess.

Oliver must've had too much to drink. I was really worried he'd say something else and mess up the good vibes we had going.

Jason and Frank came over too. Frank glanced at Ethan, and Ethan gave him a look back.

Frank grabbed Oliver, trying to pull him away.

"Hey man, I was wondering where you went with your drink. Turns out you bumped into someone you know. You've had your toast. Let's get back and keep drinking."

Oliver yanked his arm out of Frank's grip, and his glass slammed onto the table, spilling his drink everywhere.

He glared at Leonard, who had already looked down, with eyes full of hate and a bit of pity. "Listen, if you weren't her dad, I would've stabbed you a long time ago. But since you are, if you die, she'll be heartbroken." "Stop it," Bella shouted.

Bella looked at Oliver, unable to bear his painful and unwilling expression, and turned her eyes away.

She stood up, filled her glass with wine, and picked it up, speaking slowly and clearly, "Oliver, I toast to you. Thanks for everything you've done for me. A real man knows when to let go. I hope you live like a man."

She seemed to choke up, paused, lowered her eyes, and added softly, "After this drink, we're strangers from now on, not even friends. I hope you never bother me again."

The atmosphere was so tense it was suffocating.

Zachary didn't stop Bella from doing this, nor did he say anything. I just saw him quietly hold Bella's hand, like he was comforting her.

Oliver seemed frozen, standing there for a long time.

Bella held her glass in the air, stubbornly waiting for his response.

It was like Bella was forcing him!

At that moment, Oliver looked at Bella with indescribable sorrow in his eyes, his slowly raised hand trembling slightly.

He finally picked up his glass and brought it close to Bella's.

The clinking of the two glasses sounded like something breaking, shattering without a trace.

Bella drank her glass of wine in one gulp, not leaving a drop.

Oliver, however, held his glass for a long time. Only when he saw Bella's empty glass did he give a bitter smile and down his drink.

After drinking, the glass in his hand slipped to the ground and shattered instantly.

His eyes were red, but he smiled pitifully and nodded, saying, "Fine, strangers from now on, very well."

"You're drunk!" Frank and Jason quickly dragged Oliver away.

As Oliver turned, a tear finally slid down his cheek.

I wasn't sure if Bella saw it, but from where I was, I saw it clearly.

Oliver really looked like a drunk mess, stumbling around, his despair written all over his face.

They didn't go back to their seats but helped him straight out of the restaurant.

Bella sat down, acting like nothing happened, and asked the waiter for the menu, ready to order more food.

But as she looked down at the menu, her pale face gave everything away.

I took the menu from her hand and said, "Don't order more. We've got enough. Any more would just go to waste."

At this point, probably everyone at the table had lost their appetite.

We didn't stick around much longer, and the dinner party wrapped up pretty quickly.

As we left, Zachary took off his coat and draped it over Bella's shoulders, holding her close.

Bella didn't look well, and even her wave goodbye to me was half-hearted.

I knew Bella was in a bad mood, so I didn't say much, just told her to go home and rest early.

After getting in the car, Ethan said we weren't going home yet. He was being all mysterious and didn't explain much.

Finally, he drove into the Skyline International Corporation's parking garage.

After parking, I looked at him. "Are you planning to work overtime on Valentine's Day? That's some serious dedication. You deserve an award for the most diligent CEO of the year!" Ethan smiled and lightly tapped my forehead with his finger. "Get out of the car."

He held my hand and walked into Skyline International Corporation.

Now, except for the security on duty, the company was on holiday, and the whole building seemed empty.

We took the elevator straight to the top floor and then climbed up to the rooftop.

"Skyline International Corporation is the tallest building in Starlight City. From here, you can see the entire city," Ethan said.

I walked to the edge of the rooftop, and just one glance down made my legs go weak.

I quickly stepped back several steps, waving my hands. "No way, it's too high. I'm afraid of heights. It's too scary."

Ethan laughed, grabbed my hand to stop me from retreating, and pulled me into his arms, his large hand gently rubbing my shoulder.

He leaned in closer and whispered, "What are you afraid of? I'm here."

Under his guidance, I walked to the edge again.

"Don't look down; look into the distance," he said.

I followed his words and looked into the distance, and couldn't help but be amazed.

I never knew that Starlight City could be so beautiful at night. The bright lights and neon signs outlined every building like simple and pure sketches drawn by a child. The flowing traffic added a lively touch to this picture. Starlight City might not be the busiest place, but it's definitely a great spot to live.

Before Valentine's Day officially ended, fireworks started popping off one after another.

"Wait here for a sec," Ethan suddenly said.

"Where are you going?" I asked, feeling a bit nervous.

Honestly, the rooftop was pitch black at night, and I was a bit scared to be left alone.

Ethan turned back after a few steps and smiled at me. "Just stay put and enjoy the view. I promise you won't fall."

With that, he turned and left the rooftop.

It was really dark up there, and the wind was strong.

To distract myself, I looked out at the city, trying to spot familiar places. I found the square, then the hospital, schools, and other spots around it.

Suddenly, a crescent moon necklace dangled in front of my eyes, crystal clear and dazzling against the city's neon lights.

"Do you like it?" Ethan's deep voice came close to my ear.

Feeling the warmth of his breath as he spoke, my ears instantly felt hot.

"Why are you suddenly giving me a gift?" I asked.

Ethan lifted my hair and helped me put on the necklace, then straightened my shoulders to face him.

He admired the necklace on my neck and smiled with satisfaction. "It looks good."

"Buying these flashy things is such a waste," I said.

Ethan smiled. "Spending money on you is never a waste."

I saw him place the jewelry box on the railing. Inside the box was another necklace, seemingly identical to the one I was wearing.

Noticing my gaze, he said, "These necklaces are a pair, just with the pendants facing different directions."

"Who are you planning to give the other one to?" I already had an answer in my heart when I asked this.

He lifted my chin with his finger, making me look at him.

"Who do you think I plan to give it to?" he asked, smiling like he could see right through me.

I moved my chin away, lowered my head, and mumbled, "How would I know?"

"The other one is for you to give to someone," he said.

I looked at him in surprise, "To whom?"

"To your best friend."

He must have meant Bella.

He turned around, leaning on the railing with both hands, looking at the night view of Starlight City.

"I know you don't have a big family or a lot of friends. She's the only one who truly cares about you. I feel sorry for not being able to help with her dad's situation this time, so consider this a gift to make amends."

I picked up the two pendants and put them together to form a circle.

This pair of pendants was meaningful and perfect for Bella and me.

I didn't expect Ethan to be so thoughtful, and I was really touched.

More and more fireworks were lighting up the sky, accompanied by the continuous sound of explosions.

The clock on the building across the street showed it was 11:55 p.m., almost the next day.

Ethan held me, and I naturally leaned on his shoulder.

On this Valentine's night, we stood at the highest point of Starlight City, feeling the excitement of the entire city.

We seemed to be part of the excitement, yet also just spectators enjoying the lively scene.

As Ethan's phone rang at midnight, he ignored it, lifted my chin, and kissed me with deep affection.

Cheers erupted, and fireworks lit up the night sky. Under the colorful display, we kissed passionately, lost in a dream, until the fireworks faded and he finally let go of me.

He cupped my face with both hands, his forehead against mine, his voice hoarse and emotional.

"Honey, this is the first Valentine's Day you've spent with me. Let's spend every Valentine's Day here from now on, okay?"

I answered, "Okay." Though I only said one word, my heart was already surging with emotions.

Our phones were both ringing, but neither of us paid any attention, just holding each other close.

I didn't know how he felt. But at that moment, he seemed like my entire world.

Later, we returned to his office. He turned on the heater, and we did what we both found most enjoyable and satisfying on that small sofa.

Then we held each other and fell asleep.

The sofa was small, and turning over could easily make us fall off. But that didn't affect the feeling of happiness.

Happiness never came from the environment or material things, but from the person I love.

I thought, 'Yes, I love him.'

That night, my heart beat so intensely with love for him that I could no longer deceive myself.

When the first ray of morning sunlight came in, I opened my eyes.

I found Ethan propping his head up, watching me intently.

"Honey, good morning!" he said affectionately.

"When did you wake up?"

Considering my ungraceful sleeping posture might have been fully seen by him, I felt quite embarrassed.

He ruffled my hair. "Actually, I just woke up too."

He kissed my forehead and then went to the bathroom to freshen up.

I took out my phone and saw the messages I hadn't checked from last night.