Chapter 1

1

I was called Shannon Jackson, and my twin sister was called Riley Jackson.

"Courageous and wise."

This was our parents' greatest expectation for us.

But not long after we were born, my father destroyed this expectation with his own hands.

He cheated.

In a fit of rage, my mother took me away and insisted on claiming that I had died abroad.

Meanwhile, my twin sister grew up to be a kind and gentle person in a home where our biological father didn't care for her and her stepmother made things difficult.

We had kept in close contact and were looking forward to reuniting.

But—

The dream was shattered now.

Who would have thought that our reunion 18 years later would be a permanent farewell.

She died on our 18th birthday.

Along with her, the 18-year-old me, Shannon, also died.

2

This is my first return to the country since I was taken away as a baby.

I followed the location my sister told me about and secretly found her.

I held the baby's breath she loved the most, hoping to secretly celebrate our 18th birthday together.

A scene we had dreamed of countless times.

Maybe we would embrace with excitement.

Maybe we would cry together in emotion.

But everything was shattered.

What I saw was a cold body.

Her clothes were torn apart, and her skin was exposed to the freezing night of Oceanwood.

And now, this face identical to mine was left pale.

Her eyes were wide open in panic and fear, staring up at the ceiling.

In the dark corner of the hotel, completely cut off from the noise,

I lost my dearest sister forever.

I kept silent because I knew the real culprit was not just the man who raped my sister.

I wanted to catch the real culprit behind all of this and make her pay with her blood.

And, from preliminary investigations, the time of death was after the raping, which undoubtedly increased the severity of the punishment for the criminal.

I sadly buried my sister in a flower field filled with baby's breath.

Everyone thought she was deliberately hiding after the birthday party, and no one truly cared about her.

Later, I removed the mole from my face, applied the gentle makeup that my sister loved, and appeared in front of everyone.

3

"Riley, why have you been missing for so many days? Do you know how anxious I was searching for you?"

Taking on my sister's identity, the first person I saw was her close friend, Joanne.

This was the person my sister always talked about the most when chatting with me.

"Shannon, do you know? Joanne is really pitiful. Her father drinks and hits people, but she still lives like a little sunshine. I was thinking of giving her some financial support for her birthday"

"Joanne said today that I wasn’t good with words. I feel the same way. I'll try not to talk much in the future."

"Shannon, Joanne said the 18th birthday cannot be taken lightly. She helped me find a very nice hotel..."

When I first heard Joanne's name, a trace of unease flashed in my heart.

It wasn't until later that my internal radar kept ringing that I decided to warn my sister.

"I think her behavior is like brainwashing you, why do you listen to everything she says?"

"Just helping her get by is enough. Riley, you're almost making her a rich woman."

But it was all in vain.

The woman in front of me with a face like a snake always found a way to make my sister obey her.

"I haven't been anywhere, just went through some bad things. I'm going out to clear my mind."

I also let a hint of nervousness and fear show on my face.

As expected, Joanne's lips curved slightly before she put on a concerned expression.

"Has someone bullied you, Riley? Tell me, and I'll deal with them for you."

I squeezed her shoulders tightly, pretending to recall something unpleasant.

"I'm fine, don't ask any more, okay?"

Deep down, I wished that I could rip her to pieces.

"It's you, the murderer. The last person to call my sister."