Chapter 3

I closed my laptop and walked out of the cafe.

I didn't go back to the office or head home.

Instead, I hailed a cab.

"Rivera Heights, please."

Halfway there, Tanya called.

"Mike, I found it."

Her voice was unusually serious.

"A minute after you hung up, Karina called Harry.

"They talked for fifteen minutes!

"And they've been calling each other almost every day for the past three months. Most of those calls were late at night."

My face remained emotionless. "Got it."

"Mike, what's going on? Do you need me to come over?"

"No. Get some sleep."

I hung up and stared out at the scenery outside.

The neon lights and bustling streets were painfully harsh on my eyes.

I recalled how Harry had 'cared' about me in my previous life.

He had once patted me on the shoulder and said, "Mike, stop working overtime all the time. Spend more time with Karina. She's a woman all alone at home. She gets lonely."

At another drinking party, he had jokingly said, "If you keep neglecting Karina, I might just start feeling sorry for her."

Back then, I thought it was just a joke between friends.

Now that I thought about it, every word had been a test and a boast.

The cab soon arrived at Harry's neighborhood.

Rivera Heights was an upscale development. Someone only three years out of college should never have been able to afford a place there.

Now I understood that part of this had been paid for with my 'financial assistance.'

I didn't go upstairs immediately.

Instead, I walked into the property management office.

"Hello, I'm looking for Harry in Unit 1503. I'm his brother."

The property manager glanced at me. "Do you have an appointment?"

I deliberately looked anxious. "He got drunk. He called me from a bar and asked me to come help him, but I don't have his key.

"I've been calling him, but he won't answer.

"I'm worried something happened to him. Could you send a security guard upstairs with me? If he really is drunk and starts acting up, at least there'll be someone there to witness it."

Seeing my earnest expression, the property manager nodded and called over a security guard.

"Take this gentleman upstairs and have a look."

The guard and I stepped into the elevator.

"What's he like when he's drunk?" the guard casually asked.

"Not very well. He tends to get rowdy." I casually made it up.

We reached the door of Unit 1503.

The guard was about to knock, but I stopped him.

"Wait. Let me try the code first. He once told me there was a backup password."

I walked over to the keypad.

In my previous life, Karina had accidentally let it slip once that Harry's backup password was her birthday.

'0815.'

I entered the numbers.

Beep.

The lock clicked open.

The security guard didn't suspect a thing.

I didn't rush to open the door.

I retrieved my phone and sent Karina a message.

[Honey, I'm done with work. I bought your favorite late-night snacks. I'll be home soon.]

Karina replied instantly.

[Okay! Honey, thanks for being so considerate.]

She thought I was still the same fool I'd been in my previous life.

I put away my phone and started recording.

I made sure both the audio and video were clear.

Then I said to the security guard, "Sir, do me a favor and come inside with me. If he's really drunk, I won't be able to carry him by myself."

The guard nodded. "Sure."

I pushed open the door.

The living room was empty.

The bedroom door was tightly shut. From inside came faint, disgusting sounds.

I gave the security guard a look.

He understood. Apparently, he thought I was planning to catch my brother in the act.

He suddenly pushed the bedroom door open.