Chapter 2

So that is his intention all along!

It all started last week.

One day, I received a call from a lawyer saying that my aunt had passed away.

Childless, she bequeathed all her assets to me, her only family.

Over the years, my aunt had made a fortune from her business, leaving behind an inheritance worth over ten million dollars!

The lawyer came over to hand me my aunt's bank card and a letter, saying that only I can use the money and I mustn't let anyone else know about it, including Nathan.

Unfortunately, Nick saw all this and told Nathan and Natalie about it.

The two brothers fought over it every day from then on.

Nathan holds the opinion that my aunt's inheritance belongs to the common property of husband and wife. Nick and Natalie have no right to it.

However, Nick argues that since I'm a family member, my aunt's inheritance should be divided equally among the whole family.

I'm badly frightened seeing Nick, as introverted as always, argue vehemently with Nathan for several days and thus try to mediate between them.

"Stop! I'll take 10 million dollars and you three split the remaining half equally. How about that?"

Nick looked at me sardonically. "There is no way to evenly divide 10 million among three people!"

From that day, the atmosphere at home completely changed.

Nathan and Nicked quarreled every day and almost came to blows several times.

I caught the three siblings ransacking my room multiple times, trying to find out my bank card PIN.

In case they would find it someday, I hid my bank card and kept the PIN a secret.

Eventually, overcome by Nathan's pleading, I agreed to let them accompany me when I withdrew the money.

Wait a minute!

A thought suddenly flashes across my mind.

Nathan and Nick are twins with the same looks and voice.

Could the person in front of me be... Nick?

That must be it!

Nathan must have had an accident. That explains why my future self can text my present self!

For now, I have no choice but to pretend not to notice anything.

"The PIN is 930... Ah!"

I grab my head and pretend to writhe in agony on the bed.

Nick jumps back in fright, accidentally knocking over and smashing the glass on the bedside table.

Feeling I have put on a convincing enough act, I stop wailing and lay on the bed, panting heavily.

"What medicine is that? Why did I get a sharp headache after taking it?"

Slightly panicked, he claims it's a specific medicine recommended by one of his friends.

"Medicine introduced by a layperson can't be reliable!" I sneer to myself.

Didn't he say just now it was a new medicine prescribed by a doctor?

What a lame liar!

With a tray in his left hand, Nick bows to pick up the pieces of broken glass with his right silently.

After cleaning up, he says he still has work to do in the study room.

I smile with a nod, pretending to rest with my eyes closed.

Only after making sure I didn't notice anything different does Nick finally leave.

I then quickly take out my phone with trembling hands and send a text. "Could you be my future self?"

This time, I get an answer at once.

"Yes." It's quite brief.

My mind goes blank.

In the dead of night, I tiptoe to Nick's bedroom in the basement.

As soon as I get to the door, a faint smell of blood strikes me.

I tentatively knock on the door a few times but there is no response. I use my spare key to cautiously open the door.

The shocking scene inside almost makes me scream. I hurriedly cover my mouth.

A man is lying motionless on the floor with a pair of scissors inserted into his back. The dry bloodstains cover the entire carpet.

His face is tilted towards the door. It's Nathan!

Nausea strikes me instantly. I begin retching.

Fortunately, I haven't eaten, otherwise, I would have vomited all over the floor.

After sitting against the wall for a long time, I pluck up the courage to slowly approach Nathan's corpse.

His body gives off a faint rotting smell, a sign that he must have been killed for quite some time.

The watch on his right wrist shows 10:35. In a fist, his left hand seems to be holding something tightly.

I pry it open, only to find a torn slip of paper with an "X" on it.

It looks like an English letter and, at the same time, a cross.

It must be Nick who did this!

Suddenly, I notice an ID badge next to the body. I pick it up and get shocked at the name on it.

It reads... Nick Lee!