In the end, Vivian got through to Jayden. He hit the gas and sped to my villa, frantic behind the wheel.

Everything in me knew his panic was for his colleagues, not me. But my heart? It fluttered anyway, clinging to the foolish hope that some small part of it was meant for me.

If Jayden hadn't been an undercover cop and I hadn't been a criminal boss' daughter, he would've walked away the moment he saw me. But in the end, the only thing that made him stay was my last name.

That idiot actually thought he was hiding his identity well, but I saw right through him the second I laid eyes on him. I always had the feeling his superior must've hated him. Why else would they have sent him undercover?

Nobody had any clue how much time I wasted back then covering for him and running his messages.

Jayden's car pulled up to my villa before long. He stepped out and opened the front gate without missing a beat. Just like I'd expected, the place was empty, with nothing but a spread of cold dishes on the dining table.

Jayden had called me a dozen times on his way over, but I didn't answer once. Now, he was a breath away from losing it.

He swallowed his rage and dialed Hank Walker. "Find Katherine."

Hank's voice oozed amusement over the phone. "Well, well, Jay. Didn't you say that you'd be with Ms. Vivian for her birthday?

"And now you're chasing after Katherine instead? Still think she'd make a better wife, huh?"

"Shut your trap!" Jayden snapped. "How many times do I have to say it? Stop calling her that.

"She's trouble. Anyone who gets close to her ends up screwed. Are you trying to get me killed or what?"

"Chill out, Jay. It's just… I feel like Katherine's always had your back. No matter how badly you screwed up, she covered for you, year after year. Vivian's not like that. She smiles at your face and then stabs—"

"That's enough!" Jayden snarled. "Don't you dare compare Vivi to her! Someone as rotten as Katherine doesn't even deserve to breathe the same air. Say that again, and I swear I'll rip your tongue out."

Jayden hung up and, without thinking twice, flipped the dining table. Plates, silverware, and wine glasses crashed to the floor with a sharp, shattering noise.

Some of the creamy spinach soup had splattered onto the couch, wilted spinach clinging to the armrest in a slimy mess.

A pang of regret hit me. This was the last meal I'd ever make for Jayden. Even tossing it would've been better than this. Now, it was smeared all over the floor, making the whole place feel gross.

But Jayden wasn't done venting his anger. He grabbed the mahogany chair and slammed it into the wall. The concrete had only been applied that day, and the impact tore a chunk out.

A pale hand stuck out from the crumbling wall. One look from Jayden, and he'd see my corpse stuffed inside.

Jayden was about to turn toward the chair when his phone rang at the worst possible moment. Vivian's name lit up the screen, and before he knew it, a smile softened his face.

"Jay, did you find Kat?"

"No. I have no idea where she stormed off to throw her tantrum. Forget about her. Vivi, you're in no shape to be up. Go get some rest."

"Okay, I'll listen to you, Jay. But you should really look harder for her. Who knows? Maybe she's been beside you this whole time, and you just didn't notice."

Vivian's voice sounded even spookier in the dead of night. But Jayden—thick as ever—didn't notice a thing. He murmured "goodnight" and hung up.

I let out a bitter laugh. I used to think Jayden was such a fool. He was too dense to pick up on what Vivian really meant and would never figure out that she was the one who'd killed me.

She really was just like Alan Sommer—my so-called father. That twisted man had made a twisted daughter.

When most people killed someone, they'd do anything to cover it up. But Vivian? She wanted Jayden to dig me out of the wall with his own hands, all to feed her sick obsession.

Jayden stayed all night, sleeping on the couch while I sat beside him, watching him the whole time.

Just sitting there with him in perfect quiet would've been unthinkable before. We used to fight every time we were together. Who'd have guessed he could be this calm now?

I counted his eyelashes out of boredom—132 on the left, 128 on the right. I had to admit that he was handsome. Even his lashes were unfairly pretty.

Jayden woke to Hank's phone call.

"Jay, I've been searching all night. Ms. Katherine left the office yesterday evening and hasn't been heard from since. You think something's wrong?"

"No news means she's not out causing trouble. And no trouble's good enough. Leave it," Jayden muttered.

His brow had furrowed at being suddenly woken, but it eased slightly at Hank's words. The operation was entering its final phase. That was why Jayden was afraid I'd screw up their plans.

But Hank was still uneasy. "Things have been tense lately. Nadia from the casino was dumped in the river and left to drown just two days ago. They still haven't found who did it. And Ms. Katherine… She's just a woman. What if—"

"There's no 'what if.'" Jayden scoffed. "Honestly, I wish she were the one who drowned. But no—good people die young, while snakes like her just keep slithering on. How does a curse like her even stay alive?"

My heart clenched painfully, a dull ache spreading through my chest. I'd heard enough cruel words to last a lifetime and thought nothing could hurt me anymore.

But hearing him say it—wishing I were dead—left me drowning in grief, my very soul trembling. It was only now that I realized I wasn't as strong as I'd believed.

At that moment, a vicious wish surged through me. I wanted Jayden to turn around so badly to see my corpse. What kind of face would he make if he knew I was buried in the wall behind him?

But I was just a spirit now, invisible and untouchable. All I could do was watch as he drove to the graveyard. Then, it hit me—today was Evan Austen's death anniversary.

Evan had been an exceptional undercover cop and was Jayden's mentor. To Jayden, Evan was like a father in everything but blood.

Still, I couldn't help wondering if Jayden was actually an idiot. Visiting Evan's grave right now was reckless. Their whole operation would collapse if Jayden slipped up and revealed his identity.

He paused in front of a gravestone and nodded solemnly. "We're almost there, Officer Austen. I'll make sure Katherine stands trial and faces the firing squad. This vengeance is for you."

The photo on the tombstone showed Evan in his police uniform—handsome and righteous, his eyes burning with conviction. But that light had gone out forever two years ago because of me.

A phone call snapped me out of my thoughts and pulled Jayden out of his grief.

"Jay, get over here now. I found a corpse at Ms. Katherine's place."

Hank sounded rattled like he was still trying to wrap his head around what he'd seen. The only thing I knew was that everything would spiral out of control if Jayden found out I was dead right now.

His grip on the phone tightened. "What corpse? Speak clearly!"

Hank's voice cracked like he was about to cry. "Jay, just get over here."

Jayden hung up and headed for the car, nearly tripping twice. He took off without a second thought, his face unreadable, but his knuckles were white against the wheel.

Was he worried about me, too?

The car screeched to a stop at the villa, crashing straight into the flowerbed by the gate with a heavy thud. Jayden's forehead slammed into the windshield. Blood streamed down his face, fast and thick.

I tried to wipe it away, but my hand went right through him. A sharp wave of frustration rose in my chest. Why was he always so reckless?

Jayden ignored the gash on his forehead. He flung the car door open and marched straight into the villa.

Hank froze for a moment when he saw him. "Jay, your head—"

"I'm fine. Where's the corpse?"

"Just up ahead." Hank opened his mouth like he wanted to say more, then hesitated. "You should brace yourself, Jay."

My corpse lay sprawled across the living room floor, already starting to rot. It gave off a stench so vile it was beyond words.

Chunks of dried concrete still clung to me. My exposed skin was blotched with livor mortis, and my face held just enough to hint at who I used to be.

Jayden stood frozen, eyes locked on my corpse like someone had hit pause and left him stuck in that moment.

"No way… No way…" Jayden muttered, his expression twisting into something unreadable, his voice barely a whisper.

Hank gave his shoulder a gentle pat. "What's done is done, Jay. You've got to let it go."

"Let it go?" The words hit Jayden like a spark to dry tinder. He seized Hank by the collar. "Let what go? That can't be Katherine. How does someone that ruthless just die like that?"