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!"

The back garden was where Fiona punished people. It was filled with private torture tools, practically a black site.

"Fiona, if you hurt Alannah, I swear I won’t let you get away with it!"

Tragically, no one cared about the breakdown of a soul.

When Alannah was dragged in, I watched her, panic rising uncontrollably.

Fiona held up a video. "Still refusing to talk? Alannah, where is Xavier?"

The moment she saw the video, Alannah was visibly shaken. "Where did you see him? Where is he?! That’s impossible! I watched them cremate him and bury him myself. How could he still be alive?!"

Alannah broke free of her restraints and lunged at Fiona, only to be knocked to the ground with a punch.

"Still not repenting, even now?" Fiona snapped her fingers, and Luca brought over my memorial portrait.

Alannah’s eyes instantly reddened. "You think you can touch my brother and get away with it?! I’ll kill you!"

She rushed forward to grab it, but the bodyguards slammed her to the ground. "Fiona, give it back! You animal! You killed my brother and still put on this act! Give it back!"

Fiona’s voice turned cold. "Still not telling the truth?"

When she lifted her chin, Luca snatched Alannah’s phone and handed it to her.

"Let’s see how you’ve been contacting Xavier."

Suddenly, Alannah stopped struggling. A mocking smile appeared on her bloodied face. "Fiona, if I could really contact Xavier, I’d die happy. You and your precious brother killed him. What are you pretending for now?"

Fiona ignored her and began scrolling through the phone.

I stepped closer, my eyes burning.

In Alannah’s messages with me, the last text had been sent just yesterday.

[Xavier, that monster came looking for you. She said you’re still alive. How ridiculous. I watched them carve your headstone myself. I carried your ashes home with my own hands. You dated Fiona for three years and lost your life for it. Do you regret it?]

Fiona’s face darkened as she scrolled up. There was nothing else. She even checked the call logs. The only thing she could confirm was that there had been no contact between Alannah and me.

"I’ll ask you one last time. Where is Xavier?"

"In the ground. He’s dead. If you want to find him, go ahead to hell! You’ll see him once you’re dead!" Alannah burst out laughing. "Fiona, why don’t you just die already! Even if you die, Xavier wouldn’t want to see you! Someone like you deserves to be alone forever!"

Smack!

A bodyguard slapped her hard across the face.

Fiona’s expression turned cold. "Hit her. Let’s see how tough she really is."

My rage exploded. "Fiona! Don’t touch her! You’re not allowed to touch her!"

My screams meant nothing.

The bodyguards rained blows down on Alannah. I couldn’t take it anymore and let out a piercing scream.

Maybe my resentment had grown too strong. A decorative piece on the table suddenly crashed to the floor and shattered.

I clutched my chest, collapsing weakly against the wall.

Only then did Fiona signal for them to stop. She crouched down, grabbing Alannah by the chin. "Still not talking?"

Alannah’s face was covered in blood, her eyes filled with hatred. "I already told you, his grave is at Evergreen Memorial Park. Are you too afraid to go?

"Fiona, do you even know how he died? In the dead of winter, they shoved him into a bathroom and drenched him with cold water. When he got sick, they forced him to hide it. In the end, myocarditis killed him.

"The prison said they contacted you. But you found it annoying and hung up. Later, you even blocked them. Do you remember now?"

Fiona immediately snapped, "That’s impossible! People like him don’t die that easily!"

Her entire body began to tremble. As if something had suddenly clicked, her face turned deathly pale.