Semua Bab Back to the Day of His Fake Death: Bab 1 - Bab 9

...Beth protested immediately, "Absolutely not. Hank deserves a proper send-off. I'll throw a grand funeral for him so that everyone can pay their respects and say goodbye."She clung to Hank's hand, her sobs echoing through the plaza.But delaying the cremation would give Hank a chance to escape. I couldn't let that happen.I racked my brain for a way to sway her when Evelyn Cook's call came through, questioning Laura about the hold-up.Laura relayed the situation, and Evelyn unleashed a torrent of venom at Beth.Beth finally caved, her shoulders slumping in defeat.En route, her tears flowed unchecked. "Elena, touch his hand. It's still warm, like there's life in him yet."I obliged, my fingers brushing his skin, and furrowed my brow in mock confusion. "It's cold already. Maybe it's just from you holding it so tightly?"Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Laura exhaling in relief.The "star" secretary had been a fixture in our lives since I was a kid, but I'd never suspe

...Evelyn's and Laura's faces contorted in horror. They fumbled for their phones, screens illuminating their dread.12:25 glared back. Yet the crematorium's wall clock ticked at 12:48.Panic ignited, and they whirled toward the furnace. I fixed my gaze too, a grim satisfaction bubbling inside.Perhaps the anesthesia was fading. I saw him twitch, struggling to rise, but his arms flailed weakly for salvation amid the inferno.Pressed against the reinforced glass, Evelyn and Laura beheld the truth.No swap had occurred. Hank was truly burning.Their screams pierced the sterile air, jolting the staff into wide-eyed alarm.Evelyn hammered the furnace door with frantic fists. Laura latched onto a worker's sleeve. "Shut it down, for God's sake!"The staff member blinked, assuming overwhelming grief. "Ladies, he's at peace now. Please, compose yourselves. This uproar won't bring him comfort in the beyond."Evelyn lunged for the control panel, jabbing buttons futilely. When nothing b

The scheduler continued, "As for this body-swap nonsense they're peddling... Our systems are state-of-the-art and fully integrated. Families watch via the viewing window; there's no sneaky backdoor for swaps. Feel free to inspect the setup. We're an open book."The police did just that, dispatching techs to examine the incinerator.As the scheduler said, there was only one entry.There were no compartments or tricks. Evelyn's story crumbled like dry leaves.The police then turned to me. "Elena Cook, records show no school holiday today. What brought you home unannounced?"I remained steady. "Call it intuition. I had a nightmare and woke up in a panic, convinced something was wrong with my mom. Rushing back, I found the crisis had hit my dad instead. The call from Laura came in, announcing his heart attack and death, urging us to the hospital."The detective leaned forward. "Laura claims she never specified which hospital before you hung up."I replied quickly, "It's our go-to sp

...Three days later, the police summoned us back and announced the results of their investigation.Laura and Hank had masterminded the embezzlement, draining corporate coffers and amassing loans under pretenses.But a timing glitch with their crematorium insider sealed his doom.Laura faced intentional murder charges, the verdict looming like a guillotine.Evelyn, clocking in over 75 and deemed an accessory rather than the architect, escaped prison with a slap-on-the-wrist fine.The doctor who forged the files awaited her fate in holding.The officer turned to Beth sympathetically. "Mrs. Cook, there is one curveball. Laura has a son, and she claims it's Hank's seed. Were you aware?"Beth shook her head numbly.I frowned. "A secret son? How do we verify that it's his kid?"The officer mirrored my skepticism.Beth murmured, "No way Hank strayed like that. I demand a paternity test."I pivoted to her. "Dad is ashes now. How do we test against that?"She blinked vacantly. "No