Chapter 2
665words
But being dead felt surprisingly light.
Once I became a corpse, my soul drifted upward, untethered.
On the other side of the city, my three brothers and Lorenzo were escorting Isabella back to the estate.
Isabella was draped in Lorenzo’s suit jacket, a look of pure innocence on her face.
"The sun isn't even up yet. If it weren't for Elena’s wedding today, I wouldn't let you guys leave me so soon."
The man who was supposed to swear his life to me in a church just a few hours from now was currently stroking Isabella’s hair, his eyes full of affection.
"Alright, alright, we’re the ones at fault. After the wedding is over, I’ll take you to Sicily for a vacation, okay? Anywhere you want to go."
Watching this, I felt as if an invisible hand had violently crushed my heart.
Even as a ghost, the sharp pain of being discarded was terrifyingly real.
The luxury cars rolled slowly through the iron gates of the Falcone compound.
As soon as they entered the grand foyer, the brothers saw the house was packed with people.
The family’s personal stylists, wedding dress designers flown in from Paris, and the bridesmaids were all there, waiting.
Everyone was looking at each other in confusion—because the bride was missing.
Luca, the eldest, frowned. His face, a mask of command and authority, tightened with irritation.
"Where the hell is Elena? Look at the time. Why hasn't she started her makeup yet?"
The old butler stepped forward, trembling as he removed his hat.
"Master Luca... the young mistress didn't return last night. We haven't been able to reach her, and—"
Lorenzo’s face darkened instantly. He pulled out his phone and dialed my number.
The ringtone echoed through the void over and over.
It rang until it timed out. No answer.
After several failed attempts, Lorenzo slammed his phone onto the sofa, his jaw clenched in rage.
Isabella’s eyes welled up immediately, her tears falling like broken pearls.
"It’s all my fault. Elena must be angry with me. She blames me for taking up your time last night..."
Dante, the third brother and the family’s most hot-headed enforcer, gently patted Isabella’s back.
"It’s not your fault. Elena is just being a brat."
Dante turned, roaring at Luca and Lorenzo:
"We’ve spoiled her too much! We’ve let her forget her place. This is a family alliance, a merger between two dynasties, and she just disappears?"
"We just took Isabella to see the ocean. It’s not like we ruined the wedding. Does she really need to pull a vanishing act over this? Isabella is her sister—can she really not stand to share the spotlight for one night?"
Lorenzo said nothing, his eyes fixed on his phone screen as if he wanted to burn a hole through it.
A moment later, his fingers flew across the screen as he sent me a text.
“Since you want to play games and don't give a damn about family interests, the wedding is canceled.”
After sending the message, Lorenzo looked up and spoke coldly to everyone in the hall.
"Everyone out. Tell the Caruso elders the wedding is postponed."
I hovered near the crystal chandelier, taking it all in.
I was "spoiled"? I "didn't care about family interests"?
What a sick joke.
Just then, Luca’s private encrypted cell phone rang. It was a number known only to high-ranking police officials and major business partners.
The moment he answered, Luca’s face went deathly pale. The hand holding the phone began to shake.
The voice of the NYPD Major Crimes Captain came through the receiver:
"Mr. Falcone, we found a female body in an abandoned meatpacking plant on the outskirts of the city."
"Based on items found at the scene and preliminary DNA, the victim is likely your sister, Miss Elena Falcone."
"The deceased suffered... extreme, brutal torture before she died. We need you to come to the morgue for identification immediately."
