Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Hearing footsteps outside, Lacey jumped up from the couch and glanced at the door.

Jason appeared, led by the assistant, carrying a medical kit.

He was rocking a fitted white shirt and a light gray knit vest. His sleeves were half- rolled up, showing a bit of his arm. His hair was neatly parted, still damp.

A year had passed, but he looked the same, as fresh as a spring morning.

"Jason!" Richard got up from his chair too.

Saving a life was the priority. Jason gave them a quick nod and headed straight to the bed to check on Sophie.

Richard and Lacey stood quietly on the side.

"Mr. Windsor," the female assistant called softly from the doorway, like she didn't want to disturb anyone.

Richard walked over to her.

"Mr. Windsor, the little girl woke up. I tried to get her back to sleep, but she wouldn't have it. She's been crying, and I don't know what to do," the assistant said, looking apologetic.

Richard frowned and quickly left the room, walking through a fancy hallway to another room nearby.

He could hear the child crying from outside the door.

As he opened it, the crying got louder.

The child looked up tearfully. Seeing Richard, she jumped out of bed, ran barefoot to him, and hugged his leg. "Daddy, I'm scared."

Richard used to hate crying, especially from women; it just annoyed him for some

reason.

But Abby's crying didn't annoy him; it broke his heart.

This must be the father-daughter bond!

Richard bent down, picked her up, and carried her back to bed, trying to soothe her. "Be good, Abby. It's really late; you need to sleep."

But Abby wouldn't sleep, her eyes wide open as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Daddy, I'm scared. Will you stay with me?"

Who could say no to that?

So Richard kicked off his shoes, got into bed, and gently held her. "I'm here with you. Go to sleep."

It was the first time they'd slept so close, and Richard felt something strange, like a warm current flowing through his chest.

But Abby kept her eyes open, unable to sleep.

After a while, she asked, "Daddy, I miss Mommy. Where is she?"

"Be good. When you wake up, you'll see Mommy." Jason finished checking on Sophie and got her meds ready.

When the needle went in, Sophie frowned a bit but stayed asleep.

Jason noticed the scars on her hand and applied some ointment. "She probably caught

a cold, which caused the high fever and drowsiness. It looks serious, but it's not a big deal. Don't worry."

Lacey stood behind him, watching as he carefully applied the ointment. "Sorry to bother you in the middle of the night and make you come all this way."

Jason put the ointment back in the kit, stood up, and smiled at her. "Saving lives doesn't have a schedule."

Their conversation felt a bit distant and formal.

Then the room got quiet, and things felt a bit awkward.

"I'll make you a cup of coffee," Lacey said, turning to leave, trying to hide her feelings behind steady steps.

The open-air balcony faced Cloud Lake, a perfect spot for sightseeing.

Cloud Lake Valley Scenic Area was pretty natural. After the heavy rain, the air was fresh and pleasant.

Right now, the colorful lights around Cloud Lake were all lit up, making the lake look like a kaleidoscope.

When Lacey came back with the coffee, she didn't see anyone in the room. After looking around, she found Jason on the balcony, taking in the colorful night view.

"You know what makes this coffee special? It's the water - we get it from Cloud Lake's natural spring. Local legend says the spring never runs dry, and its water is super pure, full of minerals. Here, give it a try." Lacey gently placed the coffee cup on a round table on the balcony.

Jason turned around, walked to the table, sat down, and picked up the coffee cup. Lacey sat across from him, looking at him with some anticipation.

Jason took a sip, then put it down, lightly licking his lips as if savoring it.

After a moment, he smiled and said, "It does taste good! But honestly, when I drink coffee now, it's more about the vibe. Enjoying the night view of Cloud Lake Valley and breathing the fresh air is a real treat."

They chatted about their lives over the past year. The more they talked, the more relaxed they got, and the earlier awkwardness disappeared.

Time flew by. Jason checked his watch and got up to head back to the room.

Sophie's IV bag was almost empty.

He removed the needle and took another measurement; her fever had gone down a

bit. He left some oral meds and explained to Lacey how to give them.

He mentioned he had an early class the next morning and needed to get going.

Lacey saw him out, watching as Jason's car disappeared from view.

She thought she'd moved on after a year abroad, but seeing Jason made her realize she hadn't forgotten.

Richard tried to soothe Abby for a long time, but she stubbornly kept her eyes open, refusing to sleep.

He had no choice but to dress her and take her to the room where Sophie was.

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"Has Jason left?" he asked.

Lacey nodded, "He gave Sophie an injection and left some meds. Once she wakes up, we can give them to her."

Richard told Lacey to rest, assuring her he'd handle things.

Abby leaned over the bed, looking at the weak Sophie, and asked sadly, "Daddy, what's wrong with Mommy?"

Richard patted her head. "Mommy is sick, but she'll get better soon."

At two in the morning, Sophie woke up. Her first reaction was pain; her whole body ached.

Opening her eyes, the first person she saw was Abby.

She quickly closed her eyes and opened them again.

Was she dreaming?

"Abby, why are you here?" She cupped Abby's chubby little face, the warmth of her cheeks telling her this wasn't a dream.

"Mommy, Daddy said you were sick," Abby said.

Sophie looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings, not knowing where she was.

Richard, sitting on a nearby sofa, got up and walked over.

"When did you bring Abby here?" Sophie asked him.

Richard replied, "This afternoon, I picked her up from school and brought her over."

Sophie was inexplicably moved. "Thank you."noveldrama

Richard, probably not fond of such sentimentality, awkwardly said, "Why are you thanking me for picking up my own daughter?"

"Daddy, let's give Mommy her medicine?"

Abby, perhaps sensing Richard's tone, quickly tugged on his sleeve to change the subject, fearing he might be harsh with Sophie.

Abby mimicked the way Sophie usually coaxed her to take medicine, gently persuading her to take it.

Later, she climbed into bed, insisting on sleeping with Sophie, so Sophie pulled her into the covers.

Abby then insisted that Richard sleep with them too, so Richard had to lie down on the other side.

Earlier, she couldn't sleep because she was worried about Sophie, but now, in Sophie's arms, she quickly fell asleep.

However, Sophie was wide awake, aware of Richard's close proximity.

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The night was very quiet, so quiet she could even hear his breathing. She knew he wasn't asleep either.

The three of them had never lain together like this before, and the feeling made her both excited and nervous.

After a while, Richard got up and left.

A few minutes later, he returned, walked straight to Sophie's side of the bed, and lifted

her out of the covers.

"What are you doing?" Sophie clutched his shirt, startled by his sudden action.

Richard only said, "Treatment."

He carried her through a long hallway to an indoor hot spring pool.

The mist from the hot spring made the entire room several degrees warmer than

outside.

Richard placed her on a nearby lounge chair and said, "I had them add a medicinal bath formula. It will help with your cold."

He fetched a set of women's swimwear and reached out to undress her.

Sophie instinctively covered herself.

It was normal for her to feel shy in front of a man, especially one she had always liked.

"I've seen it all before, why are you hiding?" Richard's blunt words made Sophie's face

turn red, reminding her of the embarrassing night she got drunk.

"I'll do it myself," Sophie said softly, grabbing the swimsuit from his hand.

Fortunately, Richard didn't insist on helping her change.

But he shamelessly undressed in front of her.

Sophie turned her flushed face away.

Richard ignored her, changed, and got into the pool.

Sophie sat awkwardly on the chair, holding the swimsuit.

Richard leaned back comfortably in the pool, arms spread out, eyes closed, relaxing.

Sophie watched him, making sure he kept his eyes closed before quickly and quietly

changing.

When she finished and looked up, she found Richard staring at her with an amused

look.

Sophie was mortified, wanting to disappear.

"Aren't you coming in? Want me to carry you?" Richard's teasing words made her want

to crawl into a hole.

In extreme embarrassment, she wanted to slip into the water.

But she had forgotten about her sprained ankle. As soon as she stood up and took a

step, a sharp pain shot through her foot, and she fell towards the pool.