Chapter 1

My body was found in an abandoned building.

The construction workers, struggling to hold back their nausea, called the police.

My parents rushed from my brother Matthew Lambert's celebration banquet to the crime scene.

The crime scene investigator, Chester Ford, frowned and motioned for them to put on masks.

My dad, David Lambert, was one of the top investigators the police brought in for special cases, and my mom, Stella Zimmer, was the leading forensic pathologist in Jasper City. Even though they had seen countless crime scenes, they still flinched when they saw my body.

In the sweltering summer heat, my corpse had bloated significantly. My face was smashed beyond recognition, a bloody mess with no identifiable features. My entire body was covered in wounds, and only a sliver of skin still connected my head to my neck. The overwhelming stench of decay filled the air.

Mom closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and put on her gloves to begin a preliminary examination. Her gaze held a rare trace of compassion as she looked at my body.

In life, I had never been treated so gently by her.

I watched nervously as she removed the blood-stained ring from my hand.

I had made identical rings for my family, but when Matthew's did not fit, my parents scolded me harshly.

"You're always up to no good, deliberately trying to hurt your brother!"

"Ethan, even though you're our biological son, Matthew has been part of this family for eighteen years. He will always be more important than you!"

Their angry voices still echoed in my ears, but I believed my parents loved me. Surely, they would recognize the gift I gave them!

But Mom's expression did not change. She simply instructed her assistant, Ruby Gomez, to put the ring into an evidence bag.

I should not have hoped. In their hearts, I never existed, even though I was their biological son.

My Sister, Amy Lambert, once told me that Mom and Dad adopted Matthew because they could not find me after I was kidnapped. She said I was always their favorite son.

But when I returned home, there was no place left for me. I felt like an intruder in my own family.

After surveying the scene, Dad sighed and asked Mom, "What's the situation with this body?"

Mom removed her gloves and massaged her furrowed brows. "The victim appears to be around 20 years old. Preliminary cause of death looks like a throat slit. He was likely tortured for a long time before he died."

"The method is brutal, and the public impact will be severe. We need to solve this case quickly before it blows up in the media." Dad lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. He had a troubled expression.

Even after death, I was still causing my parents problems.

Chester reminded them, "The killer hasn't been caught yet, so you should be extra careful at home. You have two sons. Don't let them go out at night."

Mom's voice was impatient. "Matthew is always obedient. It's Ethan I can't control."

Chester, being an old friend of my parents, knew all about our family situation.

Dad rubbed his right shoulder. Chester noticed and asked, "David, is your shoulder acting up again?"

Dad waved him off. "It's fine. I put on one of those pain relief patches Ethan bought..."

He stopped mid-sentence.

The son they called rebellious still cared about their health.

Chester patted Dad on the back. "You should treat Ethan better. After all, He’s your real son."

Dad shook his head. "A couple of days ago, Matthew had a tennis match, and he kept asking for Ethan to come watch. But Ethan, he picked up the phone and then ghosted us. Matthew was so worried about his brother, he only got third place.

"Ethan hasn't been home in days. Who knows if he’s dead out there somewhere. Kids you didn't raise yourself just never turn out right."

Hearing my parents' complaints and accusations, I felt a chill in my heart.

Mom, Dad, it was not that I did not want to come home.

I just... couldn't anymore.

The ungrateful son you talked about, died the day you were at Matthew's tennis match.

My body was now right in front of you.