Six years ago, I was accused of kidnapping Fiona Carter’s adopted younger brother, Ryker Carter.

The kidnapper insisted I was behind it. I begged Fiona for help, but she looked at me with pure disgust. "Xavier, you broke Ryker’s leg. This is the punishment you deserve!"

Six years later, Fiona came to the prison to take me home, only to be handed a death certificate. She refused to believe it. "Xavier, even if you run to the ends of the earth, I’ll find you!"

Later, she knelt in front of my grave and personally severed Ryker’s tendons.

I developed acute myocarditis just one year into my sentence.

After I died, my soul lingered inside the prison.

On the day I was supposed to be released, I saw Fiona Carter.

Six years had passed, yet she still carried that same quiet, untouchable elegance. She stood there holding my death certificate, her eyes bloodshot. "How could he be dead?"

Beside her, Ryker Carter pursed his lips. "Fiona, do you think Xavier Blake just doesn’t want to see me? Maybe he faked the death certificate. Forget it. I should just head back first. I don’t want to upset him if he sees me."

"Don’t go!" Fiona’s expression darkened. "Xavier’s always been good at pulling tricks like this. I don’t believe he won’t come back! Let’s go!"

She turned and walked off. Behind her, Officer Reece Davis shook his head at her retreating figure. "She looks perfectly normal. How does she not have a brain? Who fakes a death certificate?"

I was forced to follow Fiona, a bitter smile tugging at my lips. "Fiona, since you hate me that much, shouldn’t you be setting off fireworks to celebrate now that I’m dead?"

Bang!

She slammed her fist against the seat. Ryker clung to her arm. "Fiona, don’t be mad. I’m fine."

"Ryker, this is what he owes you. Six years in prison clearly taught him nothing! He thinks he can run from responsibility? I won’t let him! Take us to Southridge Apartments!"

My heart lurched.

"Fiona, I’m already dead. Why are you going to bother my family? Stop the car. Don’t go there!"

Panic surged through me. I grabbed at her arm and even rushed toward the driver, trying to stop him. However, it was useless.

As the neighborhood drew closer, my heart sank bit by bit.

The luxury car pulled up in front of a rundown apartment building. Fiona stepped out and went straight upstairs, knocking on the door.

"What are you doing here?!"

The moment my sister, Alannah Blake, saw her, her temper flared. She clenched her fists, pointing toward the door. "We have nothing to do with each other anymore. Get out!"

Fiona shoved past her and walked straight inside. "Where’s Xavier?"

In the cramped living room, her gaze landed immediately on the memorial altar. My portrait sat there, framed beneath a thin curl of incense smoke. She froze.

I followed behind her and let out a quiet sigh. "Fiona, I told you. I’m dead. Why won’t you believe it?"

"Fiona, Xavier is dead. He’s been dead for five years! Haven't you had enough? You had him wrongfully imprisoned, and he died in there. What else do you want now?!"

Fiona stared at my portrait for a long time before speaking coldly, "Xavier loves his little tricks. Tell him to come see me within three days. If he doesn’t, he’ll face the consequences."

Alannah was furious. "Then go tell him yourself! Evergreen Memorial Park. Plot 46, Row C in Section 3! Go say it to him in person!"

Fiona only warned her, "Xavier needs to atone. If he doesn’t show up, I have plenty of ways to make you regret it."

"You monster! Get out! The biggest mistake my brother ever made was meeting a venomous woman like you! Get out!" Alannah broke down, screaming hysterically.

Fiona said nothing, turning to leave. The door slammed shut behind her, cutting off Alannah’s choked sobs.

My soul was dragged along after Fiona. Even then, I could still hear Alannah crying, trying to hold it in. She was the closest family I had left in this world.

"Fiona, if you dare hurt her, I won’t let you go, even as a ghost!" I bared my teeth at her, but I couldn’t do a thing.

Fiona climbed back into the car to head home, dragging me along to a place I hadn’t set foot in for years—a place I once called "home". It was the villa where she and I had lived together for three years. Yet, even in a house built for two, a third person had always occupied the space between us.

Despite its vast size, the villa had always felt like it was closing in on me.

Fiona shoved Ryker in, and I trailed after them.

Six years had passed. So much had changed.

The sea of roses at the villa entrance had long been torn out. Most of the furnishings inside had been replaced, and everything now belonged to Ryker. There wasn’t a single trace of me left in the entire house.

"Fiona, if he never shows up, maybe don’t make things harder on yourself."

"No!" Fiona cut him off immediately. "This is what Xavier owes you! Why should he get to hide in there for six years while you ended up crippled?! Xavier will spend the rest of his life making this up to you!"

I watched the flicker of satisfaction and something more complicated flash across Ryker’s face, and I couldn’t help taking a deep breath.

"Fiona, you’re unbelievable."

I’ve been dead for five years. Ryker’s injury had nothing to do with me. I was innocent.

However, Fiona couldn’t hear me.

Just like back then, when we finally found Ryker, he had thrown himself into Fiona’s arms, crying as he accused me of being the one behind everything.

I hadn’t slept for two days and nights, running around with Fiona searching for him. When we finally found him, Ryker dealt me a fatal blow.

Those two kidnappers also insisted I was the one who hired them.

I screamed that I was innocent, but I couldn’t explain why $2 million had been transferred from my bank account into theirs.

Or why there were chat records—clear as day—showing me instructing them to kidnap Ryker, when there was nothing like that on my phone.

Faced with evidence like that, I couldn’t defend myself at all.

I remember it clearly. The moment Fiona saw everything, she slapped me hard across the face. She had grabbed me by the throat, her eyes red. "Xavier, why? I told you, he’s just my brother. Why can’t you accept him?!"

The pain twisted my features. I could only force out one sentence. "He’s the one who can’t accept me!"

Thinking back on everything Ryker had done to me, no man would have tolerated him.

Back when Fiona and I were together, Ryker followed us around like a shadow. Every date, he had to be there. A relationship meant for two people, forced to fit a third.

I’d complained about it, but Fiona would always snap coldly, "Ryker is my brother. Don’t project your filthy thoughts onto him!"

If I hadn’t seen Ryker sneak a kiss on her while she was drunk, I might have believed her.

During the worst fight we ever had, I brought up breaking up and went abroad alone.

The very next day, Fiona showed up at my hotel room door, holding a bouquet. I forgave her that time.

When we got back, Ryker watched us holding hands, his eyes filled with venom. I felt uneasy, but Fiona said he was just being childish. What kind of child calls you afterward just to curse you out?

I told her about it over and over, but she never believed me, until the day I finally decided to end things for good.

Fiona drowned her sorrows in alcohol, and I got a call asking me to pick her up from a bar. When I got there, she clung to me and wouldn’t let go.

One of her friends handed me a glass of milk. My throat was dry from trying to calm her down, so I drank it.

After that, I blacked out, and when I woke up, I was at home. Ryker had been attacked.

Right after that, I was arrested and sentenced to six years.

I looked at Fiona as she escorted Ryker back to his room, then headed alone into the study. She looked restless.

"Fiona, you’re getting anxious because you can’t find me, aren’t you? Why don’t you think about it? With your power, how could you possibly not find me? Unless someone doesn’t want you to find me."

I leaned back on the couch, watching her expression darken as she pulled out her phone and began giving orders.

"Search everywhere. I don’t care what it takes. Find him.

"As for Ryker’s leg, when is Dr. Simon Hayes returning? The moment he’s back, bring him here. We can’t delay this any longer.

"Keep a close eye on Alannah. Let her company know who she’s dealing with."

Hearing that, I snapped.

"Fiona, you’re unbelievable! You hate me, so why are you dragging Alannah into this?! If anything happens to her, I swear I’ll make sure you never know a moment of peace!"

I blew at her like a madman, trying to vent my fury.

Fiona only pinched the bridge of her nose, leaned back in her chair, and lit a cigarette.

I froze.

She hadn’t smoked in a long time. That faint red glow between her fingers made me pause for a long moment.

"Fiona, don’t take it out on my family. I’ve already paid the price. Isn’t one life enough to make you stop?!"

She couldn’t hear me at all, still issuing orders through her phone. It only made my anger burn hotter.

"Fiona, the biggest mistake I ever made was meeting you! You and that so-called brother of yours were never innocent!

"Now that I’m dead, you still won’t let me go? Why did you even chase after me back then? You two could’ve just stayed twisted together!

"You idiot! I was abused in prison. One bout of fever was enough to kill me! Don’t tell me you didn’t know! If you dare touch my sister, I won’t let you off!" I screamed until I had no strength left, collapsing onto the floor, tears pouring down my face.

"Xavier." Fiona’s voice suddenly rang out, startling me.

I looked at her, only to realize her gaze was empty. She wasn’t looking at me. Strangely, there was a flicker of tears in her eyes.

"Fiona, are you crying?"

The next second, she opened a drawer. Inside was a photo of us from years ago. She stared at it for a long time, then tore it apart.

My heart sank with it.

Ridiculous. I actually thought she still cared. Even as a ghost, I was still so naive.

The entire night, her phone never stopped ringing.

Finally, close to dawn, footsteps sounded outside the door.

"Ms. Carter, we found him!"

I jolted upright.

Found me? Was Fiona about to have my grave dug up?

I was already dead. Who could she possibly have found?

"Come in."

The door opened. Luca James, her assistant, walked in. "Ms. Carter, we found him, but…"

He hesitated.

Fiona stared straight at him. "But what?!"

"But… he’s already dead. Ms. Carter, these are the crematorium records from five years ago. He died of myocarditis at around 10 p.m. that night. Because of this, Alannah went to the prison to cause a scene. She was detained for seven days."

At those words, Fiona’s expression changed drastically. She was about to speak when the door opened again.

It was Ryker.

"Fiona, I heard everything. Did you find Xavier?"

"He… he’s dead," Fiona said with difficulty.

Ryker covered his mouth in shock. "Dead?! That’s impossible!" The words slipped out too quickly. There was a flicker of panic in his eyes.

Fiona looked at him.

Ryker hurried to explain, "If someone dies, the prison has to notify the family. Even if you weren’t married, when you sent him in, you specifically told them to contact you if anything happened!"

Fiona let out a breath. "You’re right. A man as cunning as Xavier wouldn’t just die like that. He must be lying to me. The cemetery is fake, and so are the ashes."

I let out a cold laugh beside her. "Fiona, the prison did call you. Do you remember what you said?"

When I died, they had panicked. They contacted Fiona immediately, but before they could finish, Ryker started making a scene, crying about his leg hurting, then Fiona hung up impatiently.

With no other choice, they contacted Alannah.

"Fiona, when it comes to Ryker, your judgment disappears completely. There’s no point looking for me anymore. Just let it go."

Fiona took a deep breath. "Go. Bring Alannah to the back garden."

My heart jolted violently.

"No! You can’t do this!"