Chapter 1

1

My sister and Logan had been rivals for over a decade. Every time they met, they would snap at each other's throats.

He was the Battalion Chief at the fire station, and she was the PR officer for the same department. I was the only one who could make either of them back down.

Our friends used to joke about it. They called me the only person capable of taming the two lions.

When I was six months pregnant, I was tidying up Logan's gear in our apartment. I happened to find a locked wooden box hidden in the back of the closet.

When I finally pried it open, I found a stack of letters. They were farewell letters he wrote before every dangerous mission.

I picked up the one on top. The handwriting was rushed and messy, and my heart ached just looking at it.

But the moment I read the opening line, my blood turned to ice. The name wasn't mine.

【Lindsey, seeing these words is like seeing you.】

I froze, my fingers trembling as my eyes locked onto the final paragraph.

【If I don't make it back, please take care of my final arrangements. Bury my ashes in the spot we agreed upon, so we can be together for eternity.】

【As for Linnea, please look after her. If she asks… tell her I never loved her. Tell her I just wanted peace in death. Don't let her hate you. Even in death, I want to protect you.】

I felt like a madwoman as I tore open every single letter in that box. Six hundred and seventeen letters in total.

Every single one began with 「Lindsey」 and ended with 「Lindsey.」 And Lindsey was my biological sister, my own flesh and blood.

I sat on the floor, surrounded by those six hundred and seventeen letters. My hands wouldn't stop shaking, but the tears wouldn't come.

The letter in my hand was filled with a deep, agonizing devotion that had never been directed at me.

【Lindsey, don't be sad. Death isn't just a badge of honor for me; it's a release. I can finally love you with my whole heart without having to think about anyone else.】

【Lindsey, if I hadn't agreed to her confession ten years ago just to spite you, could we have been together?】

【Lindsey, please don't forget me.】

I suddenly remembered something from when we were eighteen. A neighbor had died in a tragic accident, leaving behind a grieving widow.

The poor woman had nearly fainted from heartbreak at the funeral. At that time, Logan and I were already together.

Logan told me then that if he ever passed away first, he wanted me to forget him. I could still see the way the sunlight hit his handsome face as he said it.

He told me with such sincerity, "Memories are painful things. I don't want to be selfish and make you live in the agony of losing me."

But to Lindsey, he said something completely different. He begged her never to forget him.

Then I thought back to ten years ago, when I first confessed my feelings to him. I remembered the shock on his face and an emotion I couldn't quite name at the time.

Now, looking back, it all made sense. It was a mix of resentment and the reckless desperation of a gambler.

But back then, I was too blinded by joy to see it.

【Lindsey, I wish you weren't my sister-in-law.】

That same year, our school held a fair. I had my heart set on a giant stuffed animal from one of the contests.

Lindsey entered a long-distance race just to win it for me. She was covered in sweat when she handed it over, her smile soft and tired.

I saw the scrapes on her legs from where she had fallen and started crying. She just shrugged it off and said, "Linnea, I'm the big sister. It's my job to take care of you."

"Anything you want, I'll get it for you."

Lindsey, Logan, and I had been inseparable since we were kids. They had always taken such good care of me.

Even their birthday wishes were always about me being happy, safe, and healthy. Suddenly, the baby in my belly kicked, as if sensing my internal collapse.

I instinctively covered my stomach, but my fingers were like ice. The weather forecast said there would be a storm tonight.

The air was stifling, like a steamer. Even in the heat, I was breaking out in a cold sweat.

I numbly stuffed the six hundred and seventeen letters back into the box. Each piece of paper felt like it weighed a ton.

Six hundred and seventeen declarations of love for Lindsey. They felt like hungry shadows, ready to swallow me whole.

When I tried to stand up, my legs gave out. I collapsed back onto the floor, powerless.

A sharp, throbbing pain started in my abdomen. Finally, the tears fell, splashing onto the hardwood floor and forming a small puddle.

I don't know how much time passed before I heard familiar voices outside the door.

"Logan, be careful! That's the cooling soup I made for Linnea. She can't stand the heat in the summer, especially now that she's pregnant."

It was Lindsey's voice, sharp and full of her usual feigned annoyance.

Then came Logan's impatient reply. "Stop bragging about your soup. I made some for her too. Let's see whose she likes better!"

"Mine, obviously! I'm her sister. Move over, you big lug!"

The two of them were bickering as they walked through the door. Their playfulness died the moment they saw me on the floor.

They dropped everything and rushed to my side to help me up. "Why are you on the floor? It's hot out, but your health isn't great. You can't just sit on the cold ground!"

Lindsey saw the tears on my face and her breath hitched. "Linnea, what's wrong? Are you hurting? Did Logan do something to you?"

She glared at Logan with genuine fury.

Logan snapped back at her. "Stop talking nonsense. How could I ever hurt her? If I even looked at her wrong, you'd tear me limb from limb."

He turned back to me, gently wiping away my tears. His touch was so tender it made my skin crawl. "Honey, what happened?"

"Are you in pain? Tell me, and I'll take you to the hospital right now."