Arista's Code의 모든 챕터: 챕터 1 - 챕터 9

By the time the police burst into the banquet hall, I had my biological brother, Benji Collins, pinned with his face smashed firmly into a platter of lobster.The officer leading the team was clearly stunned, staring at my expensive evening gown and the disastrous mess covering the table."What's going on here?" he asked. "Filming a movie?"I didn't even turn my head. "Not a movie. A criminal case.""Officer, it's him!" I drove my knee into his back, keeping him completely immobilized. "The suspect, Benji, just publicly described in detail a plan to dismember a body and dispose of it by dumping it into the river. He has the means to carry it out. I formally request his immediate arrest!"The entire hall fell silent. Guests froze with wineglasses still raised, expressions locked in place.Benji struggled in the greasy sauce, letting out muffled, furious roars. "Are you insane, Arista? I was speaking figuratively! I was just trying to scare you! Let go of me!"I tightened my

I was driven out of the villa's annex and dumped into a storage room.The water was cut. The power was cut. In the dead of night, the entire city glittered with lights—except for my tiny room, sunk in total darkness.The air in the storage room reeked of dust.I lit a candle I'd dug out from a corner. The flame wavered.It was cold. I opened the copy of the Criminal Code I always carried and draped it over my legs to keep warm.Using what little battery my phone had left, I searched for the address of a nearby 24‑hour print shop.My phone vibrated. It was a message from Carmen.A photo followed. She was in a brightly lit private hospital VIP ward, flashing a peace sign at the camera.Carmen: [Arista, the doctor says my kidneys are failing and I need a relative to be matched.]Carmen: [Relatives have the highest compatibility, you know. Arista, you're my sister. You wouldn't just watch me die, would you? Hehe.]In the photo, she looked rosy and radiant, makeup flawless—nothing

I pointed to the brooch on my chest. "All conversations and footage were recorded by the micro-camera here," I said calmly. "They've already been backed up to the cloud in real time."Two special police officers immediately stepped forward, slammed the still-stunned Benji to the ground, and snapped cold handcuffs onto his wrists. Outside the door, my adoptive parents—identified as accomplices—were taken into custody as well. My adoptive father tried to shout, "This is a misunderstanding," but was instantly pinned against the wall by two officers.Carmen attempted to play dumb, collapsing onto the floor and wailing hysterically. A female officer showed no mercy, cuffed her, and dragged her away. The crying stopped abruptly. As for the fake doctor in the white coat, he was so terrified that he collapsed to the ground, his pants visibly soaked. I watched as the entire family was escorted en masse into police vehicles.The lead officer walked over and glanced at the red marks ar

My adoptive father lost his job. The Collins family's financial chain collapsed completely. Not only did they have to cover Benji's exorbitant legal fees, they could no longer afford the extravagant lifestyle they once took for granted.Arguments erupted at home. "This is all your fault! We never should've brought that jinx into this house!" my adoptive mother screamed at my adoptive father in the living room. "Now look at us—the company is gone, and our son is nearly gone too! How did I ever marry such a useless man!"My adoptive father's face was dark. He said nothing.Seeing the family's downfall was inevitable, Carmen began to scheme. Late at night, she tried to run away with the last of the cash and jewelry in the house. She was caught on the spot by my adoptive mother, who had gotten up in the middle of the night."You ungrateful bitch! I raised you for nothing!" my adoptive mother shrieked. "The moment something goes wrong, you try to run?!"She lunged at Carmen like a

The day of the trial, the courthouse was swarmed with reporters.I walked to the witness stand in black formal attire, as both victim and key witness.On the defendant's bench sat Benji, Carmen, and my adoptive parents, lined up in a row. They wore prison uniforms and handcuffs, their faces etched with exhaustion and despair.The prosecution began presenting evidence.Recording after recording, video after video, diaries, medical reports, tax records—all of it projected onto the big screen. Each piece formed a perfect chain, cementing every one of their crimes.The defense attorney broke into a cold sweat, speechless.When Benji's criminal video played, he lost control."You! You ruined our family! You—bitch!" he roared, lunging toward me, only to be restrained by two bailiffs.The judge struck the gavel and rebuked him."The defendant's outburst in court constitutes contempt and will be considered an aggravating factor during sentencing."When it was Carmen's turn to speak,