Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Yulia caught the scent of alcohol and tensed, fearing his drunken advances. She wanted to resist, but her position left her completely vulnerable.

Faris pressed against her, a lazy smile slowly spreading across his lips.

"Let me go," Yulia demanded, struggling fiercely until Faris finally released her.

"Still as strong as ever," he remarked with evident amusement.

Furiously adjusting her clothes, Yulia glared at him. "What do you think you're doing?"

She wanted to call him 'shameless' and 'creep,' but despite her anger, she swallowed her words, knowing he was her boss.

Faris crossed his arms, watching her with amusement. "This is my room. You're the one sneaking in here in the middle of the night. I should be asking what you're doing."

Realizing she was in the wrong, Yulia explained, "I lost my keys and thought they might be in one of the rooms I cleaned earlier. I came back to look for them."

"Fine," Faris replied, turning to pour himself a glass of water. "Did you drive to work?" "Yes," she answered, then quickly amended, "An electric scooter."

His light chuckle earned him a glare from Yulia.

Feeling insulted by his earlier behavior and now by his laughter, she forgot about his position. "Someone like me can't afford a fancy car like yours. If I could afford one, I wouldn't be working as a room attendant. Do you find it amusing that I ride an electric scooter to work?"

Faris admired her anger, his smile unwavering. "Not at all. Since you can't find your keys, it's my duty as your employer to help. Stay here once I'm sober, I'll drive you home." With that, he yawned and headed toward his bedroom.

"No need, I'll take a taxi," Yulia replied, turning to leave only to discover she couldn't. The electronic door was locked.

She tried to wake him to open the door, but he was already asleep, ignoring her calls. Realizing she was trapped for the night, Yulia resigned herself to sleeping on the sofa. Wary after his earlier behavior, she spent the night half-awake, drifting between consciousness until morning arrived.

When she opened her eyes, daylight was streaming through the windows. It was nearly eight o'clock.

She entered the bedroom to find Faris still sleeping. "Wake up and open the door. I'm going to be late," she said, shaking him.

"So what if you're late?" he mumbled, rolling over to continue sleeping.

Yulia was tempted to kick him. "Doesn't company policy say late arrivals get docked pay?"

"I'm the boss. I make the rules. Who would dare dock your pay?" Faris replied without opening his eyes, clutching his blanket.

Yulia was speechless with frustration.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Faris ignored it completely, and since Yulia couldn't open the door, she ignored it too.

But the ringing persisted, accompanied by a woman's voice, "Faris, it's Emily. Are you feeling better?"

Yulia glanced at the still-motionless Faris with a touch of schadenfreude. "Your girlfriend's here."

To her surprise, Faris told her to open the door and even gave her the code.

Since he was being so forthright, Yulia had nothing to fear-after all, nothing had happened between them.

When Yulia opened the door, Emily's face froze upon seeing her. Emily entered, noticed Faris still in bed, and immediately jumped to conclusions. She stood at the bedroom doorway holding a thermos, tears welling in her eyes, seemingly on the verge of breakdown.

Yulia briefly entertained the wicked thought of letting Emily misunderstand, teaching Faris a lesson, but seeing Emily's distress, she relented. "Don't get the wrong idea. Nothing happened between us. I need to get to work."

After Yulia left, Faris finally opened his eyes to see Emily standing rigidly at the bedroom doorway. She appeared afraid to enter yet unwilling to leave, biting her lip with quiet defiance.

Though upset, Emily reminded herself she had no right to be angry-their relationship was strictly transactional.

Faris watched her briefly without offering any explanation, then got up and went to shower.

Emily stared at the bathroom door, thinking he must be tired of her, which explained his indifference. Dejected, she set down the thermos and was about to leave when Faris asked her to find him some clothes.

She retrieved clothes from the wardrobe as Faris emerged from the bathroom wrapped

in a towel. Embarrassed by his near-nakedness, she placed the clothes on the bed without looking at him directly.

Faris noted her discomfort, a hint of amusement playing at his lips.

After putting on his pants and shirt, Faris stood before the mirror, extending his arms. Emily understood the gesture he wanted her to help with his buttons, something she often did for him.

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She approached him with downcast eyes, buttoning his shirt one by one. His scent overwhelmed her, making her heart race, forcing her to focus intently on each button. When she finished the last one, Faris pulled her close, lifting her chin to meet his gaze. Emily was flustered, unsure if she was showing confusion, infatuation, hurt, or maybe a mix of all three.

Faris kissed her cheek and asked with a smirk, "What's wrong? Are you angry?"

Emily lowered her eyes and shook her head. "What right do I have to be angry? I know my place." Though truthful, her words carried a hint of sadness.

Faris pinched her cheek playfully. "Nothing happened between us last night."

Emily looked up at him suddenly. Why would he explain himself? Did it mean he cared about her feelings?

She wanted him to elaborate, but Faris had already changed the subject, picking up the thermos she'd brought and asking what was inside. She told him it was honey water to help with his hangover.

The incident was swept aside, but it left a lingering doubt in Emily's heart.

Given Faris's inappropriate behavior that night, Yulia considered quitting her job at the club. However, she couldn't bring herself to give up such well-paying, relatively easy work. She decided to simply avoid him whenever possible.

That day at work, Yulia searched every suite meticulously again but still couldn't find her keys.

Heavy rain began in the afternoon and continued into the evening. Without her keys, Yulia prepared to take a taxi home.

As she stood at the curb with two coworkers waiting for a cab, a black car pulled up in front of them. The window lowered, revealing Faris.

"Mr. Melville," her coworkers greeted him, forcing Yulia to do the same despite her reluctance to show him any respect-in her mind, he was nothing but a hypocrite. "Get in. I'll give you... all a ride," Faris said, his eyes fixed on Yulia with subtle amusement.

Excited by the handsome boss's offer, especially on such a rainy evening when taxis were scarce, her coworkers pulled Yulia into the car. Though reluctant, she couldn't refuse without seeming odd, and the presence of her coworkers made her feel safer. All three sat in the back seat, and Faris asked for their addresses. Yulia relaxed, noting her place wasn't the farthest, meaning she would exit midway.

However, Faris deliberately took a route that dropped off the other two first, leaving Yulia alone in the car with him.

She knew he'd done it on purpose.

Faris caught her eye in the rearview mirror. "Are you afraid of me?"noveldrama

"It's normal for employees to fear their boss," Yulia replied coldly.

Faris laughed, turning on the car stereo. "You'd be hard-pressed to find a boss as approachable as me."

Yulia rolled her eyes and remained silent.

When they reached her home, the rain had lightened. Yulia immediately opened the door and stepped out, as if eager to escape.

Watching her hurry toward her house, Faris called after her, "I drove all this way to bring you home, and not even a thank you?"

At her doorstep, Yulia turned with a forced smile. "I never asked you for a ride. You

insisted because you're so 'approachable.' What could I do?"

Faris hadn't expected her to throw his words back at him.

As Yulia entered her home, he noted the house number and the lit window before driving away through the misty rain.

The following morning during work hours, Faris drove to Yulia's home. An older

woman, around fifty, answered the door.

"Who are you looking for?" she asked.

"I'm Yulia's employer," Faris replied.

Upon hearing this, the woman invited him in, offered him tea, and called for her husband.

"Please, have some grapes. I'm Yulia's mother. Have you come because Yulia did something wrong at work?" she asked anxiously.

Faris ignored the tea and fruit. "She hasn't done anything wrong. I'm not here about work."

The elderly couple looked puzzled.

Without further preamble, Faris asked directly, "Is Yulia really your daughter?"