Chapter 1

In an abandoned warehouse, my mother was tied up in the middle of the open floor, her body covered in bloody slash marks.

She looked up at the woman before her, her face twisted in pain. "Adeline... I'm your mother-in-law. How could you do this to me?"

Adeline Malone paused mid-motion while touching up her makeup. A cold smirk curved her red lips, her beautiful face dripping with contempt.

"Then tell your selfish son to crawl out of hiding. Do that, and I'll let the rest of you go."

At the mention of my name, my mother's body swayed. She seemed to age ten years in an instant. Her voice cracked as she whispered, "Samuel... can't come see you."

Adeline's expression hardened. She let out a bitter, knowing laugh.

"So Samuel's been hiding ever since he found out I was coming back for revenge? Is that it?

"If Nicky weren't sick right now, I wouldn't even bother looking for him. Just the thought of Samuel's name makes me sick."

Her eyes burned with undisguised hatred and disgust.

Watching this, a wave of bitterness flooded my mouth.

Nicky Bennet was Adeline's first love—the man she now treasured above all else. If he weren't sick, and if I weren't the only one who could perform his surgery, she probably would never have thought of me again.

"I'm giving you one last chance," Adeline said coldly.

But my mother just shook her head, refusing to break her silence.

Adeline's face went dark. She muttered something to one of her men. Seconds later, a speeding car came roaring out of nowhere and slammed straight into my mother.

My mother's frail body flew through the air like a broken kite before crashing to the ground. Blood pooled beneath her as she lay there, eyes slowly closing.

I watched it all unfold, frozen, my heart shattering into pieces. Regret and anguish tore through my chest, crashing against each other like waves.

I curled up, trembling, tears spilling from my eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mom. This is my fault.

"All of this is my fault. I shouldn't have made you keep that secret. I shouldn't have fallen in love with Adeline..."

From a distance, Adeline stared at my mother's motionless body, her face twisted with rage.

She kicked the side of her expensive car and let out a guttural snarl. "Damn it. Samuel, you can hide for the rest of your life if you want. But your mother's about to die—I know you'll show up."

Her words jolted me back to reality. I pressed a hand to my chest, where my heart ached with a dull, numbing pain.

How I wished I could tell her myself.

That I've been here all along.

It's just that... I've been dead for four years.