Chapter 1 The Bodies

After receiving the case report, Sebastian Clarke, my brother, promptly rushed to the crime scene with his new assistant, Riley.

In addition to two heavy boulders, a curled-up human skeleton was found inside the dark red suitcase.

Sebastian's gaze hardened.

One look at the remains, and he knew the victim had been dead for at least two years. Moreover, the longer time passed, the fewer traces the murderer had left would exist.

As a result, solving this case would require exceptional technical skill.

Riley crouched beside the suitcase, picking up one of the boulders. His eyes caught on a small bone—a tibia, by the looks of it.

"This can't be a child's bone, can it?"

Sebastian expressed displeasure with Riley's jesting and scornful tone.

Glancing at Riley with a serious expression, Sebastian growled, "Stick to the facts, not baseless speculation."

Embarrassed, Riley flushed and quickly redirected his focus, carefully following Sebastian's lead.

My tense feeling also calmed down.

Even though I hadn't seen him for five years, Sebastian was still the same old dedicated and responsible forensic pathologist.

With his skill and determination, I knew he would be able to identify me—and, hopefully, uncover the truth behind my murder.

After a brief initial investigation, Sebastian approached Max Leonard, the detective in charge of investigating my grandmother's death and tracking me down.

"The elements have severely eroded the bones," Sebastian said. "We'll need to bring them back to the lab for a proper analysis. I'll have results for you within two days."

Max nodded. "Understood. I'm counting on you for this one. By the way, any news about Naomi, your sister? Has she reached out to you or your family?"

Shock instantly struck my chest, for I didn't expect that there was still someone who remembered me even after five years.

On the contrary, Sebastian's face instantly took on a grim expression when he heard Max's question.

"Contact us? She wouldn't dare. If I ever find out where she's hiding, I'll report her to the authorities immediately. Mark my words—no matter what, I will never let that murderer go free."

Meanwhile, I listened to their conversation with confusion. 'Murderer? Are they talking about me?'

Max frowned. "Naomi is just a suspect. Besides, there were plenty of inconsistencies in the case back then. She may not be the—"

Sebastian cut him off, his tone sharp and unwavering. "Who else could it be if it wasn't her? If only I'd seen her for who she really was—ruthless and manipulative. I never should have brought her home in the first place."

As I listened to Sebastian's decisive statement, I felt an immense prickling pain in my heart. Five years had passed, yet his hatred for me remained as raw as ever.

When I was five, I got separated from my family. It wasn't until ten years ago that they found me again. Sebastian was the one who brought me home.

If he looked closely, he would discover that the suitcase containing the drowned body had a broken wheel. It happened when he took me home.

He failed to hold the suitcase firmly as we walked upstairs. As a result, it fell down the stairs and had one of its wheels broken.

But he probably had long forgotten about all these.

When the forensic team transported my skeleton to the identification lab, I followed silently, my soul tethered to what remained of my body.

Through the results obtained from the initial investigation, Riley reported to Sebastian, "The body belongs to a female. Her skeletal development suggests that she is about 20 to 23 years old with a height of roughly between 5'4" and 5'6".

"Based on the degree of her body decomposition and the estimated underwater environment, she's been dead for at least three years. But I find something to be very strange."

Sebastian glanced up from the skeleton, his eyes narrowing. "What is it?"

"The skeleton is mostly intact, except for one missing part—the left hand. Judging by the cut marks on the wrist, it looks like someone used a tool to chop it off."

Sebastian nodded with satisfaction. Then, he examined my skeleton closely.

"The deceased was fatally injured on the parietal bone. There's a clear indentation—blunt force trauma. Also, judging from the wound surface and surrounding bone cracks, the murderer was obviously much taller than the deceased. Still, we can't rule out the possibility that the deceased was squatting or sitting at the time when the murderer attacked her from behind."

Sebastian then intentionally looked at Riley and teased, "Now, let's examine this 'child.' Shall we?"

Riley scratched his head, visibly embarrassed. "Mr. Clarke, please don't tease me."

Sebastian chuckled and dropped the teasing, turning his attention back to the small bone.

"This is a dog bone. Based on the initial analysis, it belonged to a Toy Poodle, likely around three years old."

At the mention of a Toy Poodle, a flicker of hesitation crossed Sebastian's eyes.

My chest tightened. Surely, he remembered. He was the one who gave me that Toy Poodle on my first birthday after I returned to the Clarke Residence.

"Sebastian!"

Suddenly, a call outside the door interrupted Sebastian's thoughts.

As the familiar voice reached my ears, I looked over stiffly.

Instantly, the scenes before my death flashed through my mind. It was Rebecca Clarke, the Clarke family's adopted daughter. She was the one who killed me!

Looking at Rebecca, who poked her head out from the crack in the door, Sebastian frowned, his tone sharp. "Where are your manners? Who let you in here?"

Rebecca stuck out her tongue. "Sebastian, you haven't been home for two whole days."

With a smile, Riley pushed Sebastian out of the room. "Mr. Clarke, just leave the rest to me. I will immediately inform you of the results once they're out."

Sebastian gave a few final instructions before stepping out of the forensic identification room.

After glancing at the inside of the room, Rebecca asked casually, "Are you working on another new case?"

Sebastian removed his protective gloves and coat, pressing his index finger to her forehead to push her back. "Don't pry into things that don't concern you."

Upon hearing that, Rebecca pouted in dissatisfaction. "Fine. Do you know what day it is today, then?"

Pinching her cheek fondly, Sebastian replied, "Of course. It's Grandma's death anniversary. You don't think I have forgotten about it, do you?"

""Hmph! At least you have a conscience. Since you've been holed up here for two days, I was afraid you'd forget. That's why I came to pick you up."

Sebastian shook his head. "Next time, text me first. Or wait in my office. The forensic identification room is off-limits to outsiders. That's the rule."

Rebecca rolled her eyes. "I know, I know. You've told me a thousand times."

"And yet, you never listen."

My soul followed them out. Despite being filled with resentment, I couldn't do anything.

My soul could only penetrate my enemy's flesh and blood but couldn't harm her at all.

As for the two figures in front of me, one was my brother, who I respected most, while another was my murderer.

In the five years since my absence, Sebastian and Rebecca had become closer than before.

I trembled as I recalled the last scene of Rebecca killing me.

She gripped my neck with a ferocious look on her face. "Naomi, why did you come back? Why are you trying to ruin my life? Why should I be sent back to the orphanage just because of you? I'm not going back to that hellhole!"