Chapter 15 15
Chapter 15
The police handed my final belongings to Shane.
It was that blood–stained dress.
The blood had already been cleaned off.
I drifted over and inspected closely; the bug remained undetected.
A sudden wave of disappointment washed over me.
It seemed that Irene and Carson’s actions had yet to be uncovered.
My brother staggered back to the family villa, clutching the dress tightly in a plastic bag.
I rushed to his ear and shouted, “Shane! Check the lining of the dress! Look now!”
He hunched over, numbly stepping up the stairs. He paused briefly at my bedroom door, then pushed it open and walked in.
My room was meticulously tidy. On the desk was a family photo of the four of us.
But half of it was missing.
Ever since I fell into the water, I had been utterly disappointed in my brother,
I tore off the parts with him and Dad, leaving only Mom and me.
Such family bonds were not worth keeping.
Now that I was dead and had obtained the evidence of Irene’s plot against the Nash family, I owed them nothing.
My brother stared blankly at the photo, then covered his sleeve and began to sob.
He pulled out a chair and sat down, tenderly stroking the photo frame.
“Caitlin, I’m sorry. It’s my fault. It’s all my
fault.”
“Mom! I’m sorry. I failed Caitlin. I let you down. I didn’t take good care of her.‘
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Suddenly, his gaze fell on the notebook on the desk.
My heart skipped a beat, and my throat felt dry.
That notebook recorded every time I had to serve clients and the things Irene forced me
to do.
My brother opened the first page.
“Today, I overheard Irene’s plan. She wants to steal the Nash family’s secrets. I can’t
let her succeed.”
“Brother and Dad hate me. It’s okay. Once I get the evidence, I’ll naturally stay away
from them.”
“These family ties are better off severed. This way, I owe them nothing.”
“Forget it. I’ll apologize to Brother first. I need to talk to Irene.”
The following pages detailed my plan.
My brother’s hands trembled as he turned page after page.
Until he reached the entry for his birthday.
“The evidence is almost complete. Tonight, I’ll get the crucial piece. This is my birthday gift for Shane.”
“After today, I’ll leave the Nash family as they wish.”
My brother pounded the desk in agony, over and over, until his hands bled.
He looked at the blinding sun and broke down in tears.
“Caitlin, I’m so sorry.”
Suddenly, he seemed to remember something. He frantically grabbed the dress and felt around the lining, finding the bug.
Then he opened the drawer and found the USB drive I had prepared.
My brother locked himself in his room.
He stared at the bug, hesitating to play it on the computer.
He picked up a lighter, flicking it over and over, but couldn’t get the cigarette in his mouth to light.
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With a bang, he threw the lighter against the wall.
He grabbed his hair, yanking it in despair.
Suddenly, he lifted his head and looked in my direction.
“Caitlín, I’m sorry. Brother will avenge you.”
My heart trembled. For a moment, I thought he could see me, but upon closer inspection, he was just looking through me at the painting on the wall.
Hanging there was a cherished family portrait of the four of us.
I had never been in my brother’s study before, and I never knew he would hang a photo
