Chapter 1

Chapter 1

When I was kidnapped, my mother, the Chief Negotiator, did something unthinkable. To help my intern sister become a qualified professional, she let her handle my case.

I begged my mother over the radio. I told her the kidnapper was unstable and that my sister was too green to handle this.

But my mother only growled back at me with pure disgust. "Are you really that desperate to look down on your sister? I'll prove to you today that she's more capable than you'll ever be!"

Later, the negotiation failed. The kidnapper killed me.

Then, my mother cried and said she was wrong.

But it was far too late.

When the kidnapper was literally tearing me apart, my mother was only thirty feet away. She was busy hugging my sister and walking away from the scene.

As my blood pooled on the floor, I cried out in agony. I pleaded for her to come back.

I wanted her to turn around and save me. I didn't want to die.

The kidnapper's angry face froze for a second. Then, he burst into a loud, mocking laugh.

"Still looking for Mommy? Your own mother gave up on you. That's why you're in this mess."

He leaned in close, his breath smelling of stale cigarettes. "You poor little thing. You're about to die, and your mom won't even look at you. She's too busy comforting that idiot sister of yours."

My heart sank into a dark void. As my breath left me, my soul drifted away and followed my mother.

Lyla Miller was leaning into Eleanor's arms. Her eyes were red and swollen, and she was wailing.

"Mom, I didn't mean to. Is Lennox going to be okay? I heard her screaming. Let me go back and trade places with her! It's all my fault!"

She made a move to turn back, but Eleanor quickly held her down. She gently rubbed Lyla's back to soothe her.

"What could possibly happen? Your sister is just a drama queen. She's trying to scare you to make you feel guilty. If you go back in there, you're just playing into her hand."

My mother's contemptuous tone sliced through my ghostly chest. It left a bitter ache where my heart used to be.

Lyla's eyes flashed with a hint of triumph, but she quickly covered her face again.

"Mom, don't talk about Lennox like that. Kidnappers are dangerous. I got hurt after just a few words. It's normal for her to be scared!"

Lyla's injury was a tiny scratch from a piece of broken glass. If they waited any longer, it would have healed on its own.

But in Eleanor's eyes, her precious younger daughter was wounded. Nothing was more important than that.

"Let's go. I'm taking you to the hospital. Since that ungrateful brat refuses to cooperate, let her stay there. It'll build some character. I'm tired of looking at her anyway."

A nearby police officer tried to intervene, but Eleanor's face turned red with rage.

"Lyla is hurt and she can't wait! Since Lennox is still healthy enough to put on an act, she's fine. Why should I be afraid? She's my daughter and I'm not worried. She won't die. Just leave it."

Her attitude was so casual. It was as if I were just away on a weekend trip.

As a top-tier Chief Negotiator, she knew exactly how cruel kidnappers could be. But she wouldn't save me. Simply because I was the child she hated, I was left to rot.

Ghostly tears fell from my eyes. I shook as I whispered a response she couldn't hear.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Mom. I'm not acting. I'm dead. And I died a hideous death."

Maybe she would be happy. After all, she couldn't wait for me to stop being an eyesore.

Lyla huddled in Eleanor's arms, hiding her face.

Her negotiation had been a total disaster. If Eleanor hadn't been protecting her, the other cops would have questioned her long ago.

But Lyla was smart. She knew how to play the victim and shift the blame onto me.

"Mom, I heard Lennox screaming in pain. It made me panic and my mind went blank. What do we do now? If she isn't saved, everyone will blame me."

She sobbed softly. Eleanor's eyes hardened as she glanced back toward the warehouse where I lay dead.

"I knew that girl was up to no good. She's so jealous of you that she'd ruin your first big negotiation. She deserves whatever happens to her. If she doesn't want to be saved, she can stay there forever!"

"Don't worry, Lyla. No one will dare blame you."

When she spoke about me, her face was full of impatience and disgust. But when she looked at Lyla, it softened into pure motherly love.

She could change her face faster than someone flipping a book.

But Mom, I'm really dead now. Are you satisfied? The person you hate most will never bother you again.