Chapter 1

I was pulled from my dazed state after hearing the piercing wails of my grandmother, Madeline Smith. I could still feel the sensation of my bones being ground to nothing under the weight of that truck throbbing through me as I lifted my gaze to see three corpses draped in white cloth, laid out precisely within the mourning hall.Grandma Madeline dissolved into a fit of inconsolable shrieking at my side. "How could you pass away at such a young age, Matthias? How could you leave me, your mother, behind?"I almost burst into laughter at Grandma's ridiculous claim about Mom, Dad, and my sister, Jesse Cooper, being dead—they were still alive and kicking. I couldn't help but be amazed at how impressive Grandma Madeline's acting was, despite her years."You should stop crying. You ought to let Matthias and the others go in peace, Mom," Jacklyn Cooper, my aunt, murmured, casting me a glance as she tried to calm Grandma Madeline.Aunt Jacklyn worked as a doctor in the hospital, so she wa

Chapter 2

"You've misunderstood me, Lorraine!" Aunt Jacklyn protested. She had no idea what excuse to offer under everyone's gaze, so she could only pace around anxiously.They had planned it all long ago. They had recruited a team to pose as workers from the crematorium, who were supposed to pretend to take them away for cremation. In reality, they were actually going to whisk the three of them to the airport for their flight.I had effectively sabotaged their entire operation.Aunt Jacklyn and Grandma Madeline were incredibly anxious. After all, they couldn't just stand there and watch as the actual crematorium workers arrived to haul off three living people and burn them alive.I watched them turn a deep, frustrated crimson, struggling to find a single sentence that wouldn't blow their cover. I was howling with laughter inside while outwardly maintaining a mask of profound sorrow."You can rest assured that I'm not a naive girl anymore, Aunt Jacklyn. I'm all grown up and capable of handl

Chapter 3

It was 1.5 million dollars—money that a regular person wouldn't see in a lifetime, even if they didn't spend a single cent on food or water.Those present in the mourning hall initially looked at me with sympathy, worried about how a new orphan like me would manage. But they quickly changed the way they looked at me. Their expressions were now filled with greed.Handing 1.5 million dollars to a lone orphan woman was no different from dangling fresh meat in front of a pack of wolves.I knew they were already scheming to get some of it—I knew them all too well.I rubbed my eyes until they were bloodshot and raw, then took a few steps forward and looked at Gregory. "You should go ahead with the procedure if Dad's heart can save a life. He loved doing good deeds more than anything when he was alive, and he donated to charity all the time. He would have been overjoyed to know his passing could bring life to another."I then turned to my relatives and said, "You've all helped so much

Chapter 4

In the end, the relatives, with a bit of gentle urging, managed to usher Grandma Madeline back to her room. They pulled up some chairs and made themselves comfortable once she was gone, passing the time by gossiping right there in the mourning hall."I'm truly sorry for troubling you tonight, so please, have some coffee," I said, pouring a cup for each of them. I wanted to make sure they stayed caffeinated and alert so they could guard the mourning hall well—just in case anything untoward appeared during the night.I cast a brief glance at the two figures in the refrigerated caskets and smiled imperceptibly. I was aware the internet was saturated with news of the tycoon spending 1.5 million dollars to secure a heart for his son, so I was genuinely curious to see what kind of "miracle" Aunt Jacklyn thought she could pull off to get Dad out of this alive.Time seemed to pass quickly as they chatted the night away. It was still early morning when the people at the crematorium sent a

Chapter 5

Upon hearing that, Mom's expression immediately turned grim. She began rushing toward the hospital in a panic, but Grandma Madeline suddenly whispered something to her, after which her expression softened slightly."Mom, let's get to the hospital and check on Dad!"I felt my own anxiety rising, while Mom's and Jesse's expressions improved significantly.In that instant, a wave of confusion swept through the crowd as they watched this strange exchange.Upon arriving at the hospital, Grandma Madeline noticed Aunt Jacklyn standing in front of the operating room. She hurried over and grabbed her. "How did it go? How's Matthias right now?"Aunt Jacklyn looked at Mom and Jesse—who had seemingly returned from the dead—without the slightest hint of surprise. She calmly replied, "He went through with the procedure, and the heart has been successfully transplanted into the patient, who has been moved to the VIP ward for intensive care.""W-What?" Grandma Madeline nearly fainted upon hear

Chapter 6

I stayed holed up in my room, refusing to get involved. I left Mom and Grandma Madeline to deal with the mob of debt collectors on their own, settling each debt one at a time. I only stepped out once everyone had left. They had been sitting in silence on the couch, but Grandma Madeline suddenly snapped, erupting and hitting Mom with a massive backhand."You brought this on us, you wicked woman! You lured my son into faking his death! You're the reason Matthias is dead now. You've made me lose my son!"Mom bellowed, "You'd better watch what you're saying, you old hag! Do you actually think I acted on this alone, huh? You didn't raise a single objection when Matthias proposed the idea! How dare you pin the whole thing on me now that he's dead?""You'd better bring Matthias back to me! You should have been the one who died back then! Give me Matthias back!""You've got some nerve putting your hands on me, you old hag!"Mom and Grandma Madeline descended into a full-on brawl, clawin