All Chapters of Back to Zero: Saving My Doomed Family: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

I bolted upright. My knees slammed hard against the conference table.I had been reborn.In my past life, I had only been a few minutes late to get home from this exact meeting, just in time to see my wife, Lisa Irwin, jump to her death.But not this time. I had to move fast.My boss, Oliver Garrison, glared at me with a heavy scowl. "Winston Conner, what the hell are you doing? We're in the middle of a meeting!"Every eye in the room turned toward me.I grabbed my phone off the table, my eyes burning as I shouted back, "I'm sorry, Mr. Garrison! There's a massive emergency at home! I have to leave right now!"Without giving anyone a chance to stop me, I barged through the glass doors and bolted down the hall like a man possessed.The wind whipped past my ears.I burst out of the office building. My hands shook violently as I pulled up the app and grabbed a ticket for the earliest train back.There were 20 minutes left until departure.I ran as fast as my legs could carry m

Could it really be Caitlin? But why?She was Lisa's aunt!My chest constricted violently. A surge of pure panic mixed with blinding rage went straight to my head.The moment I sprinted out of the train station, I threw myself into a cab and tossed several hundred-dollar bills at the driver."Step on it! Get me to Sunshine Gardens as fast as you can. I'll cover all the traffic fines!"I gripped my phone tight and spoke in a soothing tone. "Honey, listen to me carefully. Don't make a sound. Just wait until I get back."Lisa peeked through the peephole once more and let out a long sigh of relief. "I think it's just our neighbor. He probably came out to see what the noise was about."Hearing that it was just a neighbor eased the tension in my chest slightly.Thank goodness. It looked like I was overthinking things.Even so, I warned her firmly, "No matter what happens out there, do not open that door. I'm almost home."Lisa nodded hard. "I don't know what's going on, but if you'r

"Winston!"That voice was unmistakable—deep, raspy, and laced with frantic fear.It was Leon Stafford.A second voice cut through right after, even more urgent. "Winston! Over here!"That was Shaun Burks.Two towering figures burst into my sight almost simultaneously.Leon rushed to my side and dropped to one knee to grab me by the shoulders. "What the hell happened? Look at you!"I grabbed his sleeve. My lips twitched, but only a broken whisper forced its way out of my throat. "Inside… Lisa…"Shaun didn't need me to finish.He took one glance inside the apartment, his eyes turning bloodshot. Then he rushed in, charging straight toward the commotion in the bedroom.He kicked the bedroom door wide open.Shaun's roar cut through the intruder's enraged cursing. The crisp shatter of a glass, the heavy thud of furniture overturning, and the ragged gasps of two men fighting blurred into a chaotic mess.I managed to prop myself half up against the doorframe. My gaze drifted past L

The next day, Caitlin woke up.The police officer contacted me to ask if I wanted to go inside with them.I followed the officer into the small private room in the ICU.Caitlin was huddled under the white bedsheet, her lips cracked with fine bleeding cuts.She had suffered two stab wounds—one in the left abdomen and another grazing her shoulder blade. The doctor said it was less than an inch away from puncturing her lung.When Caitlin saw me, she turned her face away, staring fixedly at the wall.The young officer spoke up from beside the bed. "Ms. Caitlin Booth, you are currently a criminal suspect, and you have a legal obligation to tell the truth. Cooperating with the investigation can help you get a lenient sentence. Who was that man yesterday, and what is your relationship with him?"Caitlin's throat twitched, but she didn't utter a word."You've already done enough for him," the officer said calmly.Caitlin's fingers tightened slightly, clutching a corner of the bedsheet

Caitlin finally talked.The moment she gave up Braden's name, her lips trembled nonstop, and tears fell in an endless stream. It was as if she were dumping out years of buried baggage all at once. She looked lighter, yet entirely hollowed out.The police compiled the information and searched the orphanage archives overnight.The case moved forward much faster than I had anticipated.With a clear image of him from the hidden cameras and a solid lead on his identity, the airtight chain of evidence began to unravel.The officers said Braden had never been caught before because he always sent Caitlin to do the work in advance, never leaving a trace of himself at the scene.Caitlin was responsible for scouting the location, opening the door, and handling backup. Braden was only responsible for going in, getting the loot, and vanishing.That was why even when victims reported past break-ins, following the trail to the end only led back to Caitlin and never to him.But this time was d