Chapter 1

My mother was violated by a vagrant while she was rushing me to the hospital for a high fever. Devastated and ashamed, she threw herself into the river and ended her life.

My father and brother turned their grief into a sharp blade, aiming it at me. For years, they forced me to kneel by that same riverbank every single day to beg for her forgiveness.

Then, history repeated itself in the worst way. I was targeted by drifters and endured hours of unspeakable agony before being dragged into the deep mountains.

I searched for any chance to escape, finally finding a moment to call my brother before my phone died. It was my last lifeline.

Quinn just laughed into the phone. "Keep acting, Chloe! Even if you really were kidnapped, you'd deserve it. You're the one who should have been violated back then, not Mom!"

Hope died in that moment. I was caught by the villagers and ritualistically broken apart under the excuse of "infidelity."

Later, my mother returned home safely after finishing a top-secret mission.

When she realized that the pile of bones she had brought back as evidence included mine, she lost her mind.

1

My brother, Quinn, was called to the precinct in the middle of the night. The footage of the victim's face hadn't been restored yet.

Between the blind spots and the deep shadows of the night, it was hard to see clearly. The detective looked at Quinn with a sharp, heavy gaze.

He placed a watch on the table. It was scratched and worn, but the evidence was clear.

"This was found at the crime scene," the officer said. "It has your fingerprints on it, and it's a custom order under your name."

Quinn frowned, his eyes landing on the broken watch. The glass face was shattered.

The strap had been sliced by something sharp. He flipped it over and saw the initials engraved on the back.

"I bought it," he said, his voice turning icy. He must have remembered me.

A look of disgust crossed his face. "But this watch was thrown away by my sister, Chloe. If she's in trouble, go find her. Her life has nothing to do with me."

He stood up abruptly, ready to walk out. But his eyes were caught by the screen nearby.

The station was playing a loop of the vagrant attack. It showed the moment I was being brutally handled in the shadows.

Blood smeared across the pavement, leaving a trail that seemed to go on forever. Quinn slammed his fist onto the table.

His eyes turned bloodshot, and he looked like he was on the verge of tears. He was shaking with pure rage.

"Animals! These absolute scumbags!" he yelled. "How could so many of them gang up on one woman?"

I felt a strange sense of joy watching him. Was he finally crying for me?

Ever since Mom "died," I hadn't seen him act like this. I had forgotten what his care felt like.

The footage continued to play. After those men were finished, they broke my legs and dragged me into a dark corner.

The sounds of my muffled screams and their low, guttural laughter filled the room. The pain and despair felt like they were swallowing me whole again.

Right before the screen went black, a small, blurry part of my face was visible. The officers in the room looked pained and patted Quinn on the shoulder.

"This is a new case of drifter attacks. Many women have gone missing lately. You have a sister, right? Make sure you protect her."

"Don't let her end up like this girl. She's been dead for two days, and no one has even reported her missing. We can't even identify her yet."

Quinn didn't say a word. He just stared at the screen with a stubborn intensity.

I looked down at my own broken, ghostly soul and let out a bitter laugh. He hated me. Why would he ever protect me?

If he had cared, it wouldn't have taken two days for them to realize I was gone. It still hurts so much.

After a long silence, he spoke in a raspy, mocking tone. "The watch belonged to her. It's likely the victim is someone my sister knows. I'll ask her when I get home."

"Both cases are connected to her. There's no way she doesn't know something about this!"

"As for protecting her? She doesn't deserve it."

The sympathy in the room vanished. It became hauntingly quiet until Quinn offered to lead the police to find me for questioning.

"Quinn, does your sister like fishing at night? Why would she be down by the river?"

"Look, I get it. Sisters can be a headache. Mine is a brat too! But she's your blood. Just swallow your pride and make up with her."

"I told you, she doesn't deserve it! She'd be better off dead!" Quinn snapped.

It was like they had touched a raw nerve. He slammed his phone onto the floor, his chest heaving with anger.

The officers looked at him with concern, unable to understand his sudden outburst.