Chapter 1
Julian left, and my spirit was forced to follow him to Blair’s birthday party.
“Blair, I’m so jealous of you. Your brother is so handsome and thoughtful.”
Julian smiled dotingly, and amidst everyone’s admiring glances, he pulled out a gift for Blair.
“Bro, any news on Willow?” Blair whispered. “Is she still upset with me?”
I scoffed. “Don’t pretend to be innocent. Didn’t you cause my death?!”
Julian frowned. “She deserved to marry him. She has no right to be upset with you.”
“Bro, she’s still your sister, even if her parents back then…”
“Sister?” He scoffed. “Her whole family messed up our lives for eighteen years, and you’re still defending her? You’re just too kind.”
Blair hugged Julian, pouting playfully. “It’s all in the past.”
I stood in front of Julian, frantically trying to explain. “I really didn’t hurt you! I’ve found evidence that my parents weren’t kidnappers!”
“Julian! It was her! She killed me!”
But Julian couldn’t hear me.
I shouted desperately, explaining over and over, until suddenly, I was just too tired.
Julian had never trusted me.
“Did you hear? The guy Willow married is a domestic abuser. His last wife almost lost half her life from his beatings.”
“No wonder. I tell you, I saw Willow downstairs in her apartment building a few days ago. She was covered in bruises! Tsk… Serves her right. A kidnapper’s kid with an abuser, hahahaha!”
“Exactly! That kind of person shamelessly tried to hook up with Blair’s brother. She used to be such a pathetic simp, clinging to Julian all day. And then she marries a guy just like that? What a cold-blooded opportunist.”
“I think she should be here today, groveling and celebrating Blair’s birthday.”
“Enough! Why even bring her up?” Julian was clearly annoyed. He lit a cigarette, but his gaze kept darting towards the door.
Then, his phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Hello, this is the Coastal City Police Department. What is your relation to Willow Miller?”
Julian’s heart clenched. “My sister. What’s wrong?”
I looked at him and suddenly laughed. He still acknowledged me as his sister.
“We received a report of a break-in at Willow Miller’s residence. We found some items at the scene and need you to come down.”
Julian’s face was grim. I floated in front of him, pleading desperately, “Please, don’t go. Don’t go to my apartment.”
After a long pause, Julian spoke. “I’ll be there soon.”
Even though I was extremely reluctant, I still followed Julian all the way to Tangyu Manor.
“Mr. Hamilton, we suspect Ms. Miller has been illegally abused.”
The police led Julian to identify whips, handcuffs, ropes, and gag balls—unidentified tools of torture—at the scene. There was also a long trail of blood on the floor leading to the bathroom.
The moment I saw those tools, I shrunk into a corner, trembling uncontrollably. It was a fear etched into my soul. Every single one of those tools had been used on me by that abuser. Back then, I was tied with ropes, my mouth gagged with a towel, and beaten bloody and bruised in despair.
Julian’s face was dark. After a long silence, he finally spoke. “Where is she?”
“We apologize, Mr. Hamilton. We haven’t been able to contact Ms. Miller or her husband yet. We suspect Ms. Miller may have been killed.”
“No need to investigate further. Maybe she likes being abused.” Julian sneered. “That kind of low-life, she’d crawl all over any man she sees. These things are probably just props she set up to get our attention.”
Julian simply didn’t believe I could be a victim.
In his eyes, I was just a promiscuous simp, and he wished I’d drop dead.