Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph
Chapter 90 Birthday Gift

So, about Richard, all I knew was that Victor had a soft spot for him. I finally asked, "Why'd he end up in the slammer?" I'd been dying to ask that for ages.

Ethan popped a fresh cig in his mouth but didn't light it. He just sat there, staring off into space.

I figured maybe I'd crossed a line. I was about to change the subject when the car screeched to a halt.

We'd pulled up outside a mall. I asked, "What are we here for?"

Ethan flicked his lighter, took a drag, and grinned. "We're getting you some new threads."

"Again?" I couldn't wrap my head around the splurging.

"Seasons are changing."

I wanted to argue, but Ethan cut me off with a firm, "Get out."

I was totally along for the ride as he dragged me into the mall.

Usually, it's the ladies who shop 'til they drop while the guys get bored. But with us, it was flipped. He kept buying, and I kept trying to stop him, no luck. We finally left, loaded with bags.

On the way back, I silently kicked myself for the splurge.

"Emily," Ethan suddenly said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I looked at him, surprised. He adjusted his seat, cleared his throat, and said seriously, "Making sure his wife lives well is a man's basic duty."

His words hit me hard, filling me with a warm, cared-for feeling, just like when he showed up at Windsor Villa today, saving me from a mess. He looked so damn handsome at that moment, like, extra handsome.

I thought, 'If Ethan hadn't shown up today, Mary would've made a scene in front of Victor, and I'd have been totally humiliated.'

I asked, "Why'd you come today, anyway?"

Even though Victor lived there, Ethan rarely dropped by without a reason.

"Lacey called me," he said.

I was stunned and felt a wave of gratitude towards Lacey. She was sharp and got the situation instantly.

When we got home, Jason had dinner ready. I felt off and headed to my room after a few bites.

Half-asleep, I felt a weight on me. I opened my eyes to see Ethan leaning over, kissing my forehead, eyes, nose, and finally my lips.

I wasn't in the mood and weakly pushed him away. "Stop it."

He ignored me. I got anxious and pushed harder. "Seriously, stop. I can't."

I coughed lightly, feeling awkward. "I'm on my period."

Ethan froze, looking skeptical. "Really?"

"Would I joke about that?"

He climbed off, scratching his head in frustration. "Guess I'll take a cold shower."

I grabbed his arm. "You'll catch a cold."

He glanced at me, helpless. "Cold showers work."

Soon, I heard the water running and stared at his silhouette behind the bathroom door.

When Ethan came out, I was still awake, my stomach discomfort keeping me up.

In the dim light, I watched his well-built body, my eyes landing on the scar on his waist.

He lifted the blanket and lay down, keeping some distance. His upper body, fresh from the shower, glistened.

Under the blanket, my hand slowly reached for his stomach.

"Stop it." He grabbed my hand, his voice low and restrained.

Now it was his turn to tell me to stop. I ignored him and traced the scar with my fingers. "What happened here?"

He stared at the ceiling, his Adam's apple bobbing as if reminiscing. "Richard stabbed me."

I was shocked. "Why? Aren't you brothers? Even if you're half-brothers, you share blood."

Ethan grinned, showing his white teeth, but there was a hint of sadness. "Richard and I aren't what you think. No brotherly love here. When his mom brought him in, he was already 12. We were like oil and water."

I thought, 'If they were like oil and water, why does Ethan still take care of Richard's girlfriend and send him money? Doesn't that mean they have some brotherly affection?'

He continued, "We fought a lot back then. Guys are direct and violent, often using fists. A few days after my dad brought him home, we fought, and he stabbed me with a fruit knife. It wasn't deep or fatal, but the scar's probably forever. Because of that, my grandpa didn't trust leaving me with my dad and insisted I live with him."

'At 12, Richard was a hothead and a rebel, but could he really be so nuts as to stab his own family? Was it just impulsiveness, ignorance, or straight-up cold-bloodedness?' I thought back to how Richard looked when I saw him in prison. Richard wasn't that rebellious kid anymore, but that arrogance and defiance were still all over him.

"Did he go to jail for fighting or even murder?" I asked. Ethan had dodged this question earlier.

Ethan held me, gently sniffing my hair, and after a while, he finally answered, "When they nabbed him, they found drugs on him. An accomplice ratted him out for drug trafficking."

This hit close to home. "With witnesses and evidence, how could he appeal? It's a long shot," I said.

Ethan replied, "He claims he was just holding the drugs for someone else."

That sounded like a stretch. If Richard was just a mule, why wait until now to appeal?

Maybe Richard realized he was gonna be a dad and wanted to step up. But thinking back to that day in prison, his indifference made it hard to buy that.

I wondered, 'If Richard's appeal worked and he got out early, would he treat Sophie and her kid right?'

As we talked, I started feeling too weak to continue. My stomach pain was getting worse, and soon Ethan noticed my trembling.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

I shook my head lightly. "It's nothing, just some pain in my lower stomach."

"How bad is it? Don't tough it out; I'll take you to the hospital." He sounded genuinely worried, which moved me.

I said it wasn't necessary, but he got out of bed anyway. He came back shortly with Jason in tow.

Ethan said, "Doesn't matter if you don't want to bother; we have a doctor right here."

I was speechless.

The bedroom light flicked on, and Jason sat by the bed, frowning slightly as he looked at me. "Where do you feel uncomfortable? You look pale."

I blushed, glared at Ethan, and said softly, "My stomach hurts."

Jason studied me for a moment and asked, "Are you on your period?"

I didn't expect Jason to be so blunt and felt super embarrassed.

"How do you know?" Ethan asked.

Jason stood up from the bed and gave Ethan a faint smile. "I'm a doctor."

With that, Jason left the room and returned shortly with a hot water bottle. "This might help."

When I took it, the hot water bottle felt very warm. "Thanks." I was incredibly shy.

That night, using the hot water bottle did make me feel much better, and I soon fell asleep. My periods were always intense, with symptoms that came on strong and disappeared just as quickly.

A few days later, it was Oliver's birthday, and he invited us to the Blue Ocean Bar for a bash.

Bella got there before us, along with Jason, Frank, and a few others.

Oliver was in a great mood. He grabbed the singer's mic on stage and announced that to celebrate his birthday, he'd give a beer to every private room and booth that night. The crowd went wild and sang him a birthday song. Tons of strangers. came over to toast him, and he accepted every one.

After many drinks, Oliver, slightly tipsy, grabbed Bella's hand. "You haven't given me a birthday present yet, have you?"

Bella raised her hand, and I thought she was gonna push Oliver's hand away, but she just gently moved it aside and looked at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "A birthday present? What do you want?" "Whatever I want, you'll give it to me?" Oliver's tone was excited, his eyes mischievous, like he was up to no good.

Bella was sharp and caught the hidden meaning in Oliver's words, but she didn't answer him.

"I want you." With that, Oliver suddenly grabbed Bella's head and kissed her.

Bella had never been in a relationship, let alone done something like this in public. She quickly pushed him away, wiping her mouth and threatening him fiercely, "Do that again, and I'll cut your tongue off." Oliver wasn't fazed by her threat. Instead, he grinned at her. "Getting a kiss from a beauty is worth losing my tongue."

I was secretly surprised. 'Normally, Bella would have decked him, right?' I thought, 'She must really be into Oliver.'

"Oliver." Suddenly, a clear voice interrupted.

I immediately looked towards the source of the voice and saw a young woman, Giselle Clarke, standing not far away.

She must have seen what happened just now and was now staring at Oliver with a look of resentment. When Oliver saw her, the smile on his face instantly vanished.