Chapter 2

"Julian, I miss you. You've been away from home for days." My soul hovered in the back of the police car, and Harper's coy voice made me sick.

That tenderness that once belonged only to me was now all hers.

Alex glanced at Julian through the rearview mirror and focused on driving without saying a word.

"I'll be back to Chicago when the case is over. I'll make it up to you," Julian's voice took on that coaxing tone.

I remembered when I was little, when I woke up crying from nightmares, Julian would comfort me with that same gentle voice: "It's okay, Ivy. Your brother's here."

Back then, I thought our bond would never change. I thought Julian would always protect me.

But now, all that tenderness belonged to Harper.

"Oh, Julian," Harper suddenly sounded hurt, "your sister sent me more nasty texts again, saying I'm not good enough for you."

I froze. How was that possible? I'd never sent her any texts. I didn't even have her contact information.

Alex frowned, as if he wanted to say something, but Julian's tone turned ice-cold instantly: "She's harassing you again?"

"She even said she'd cause a scene at our engagement party... I'm really scared of her." Harper played the innocent victim perfectly.

I desperately wanted to scream at Julian, to tell him it was all lies, but I couldn't make a sound.

I could only watch helplessly as Julian said angrily, "Don't worry, Harper. I'll make her pay for this. If she dares to hurt you, I won't forgive her."

Alex finally couldn't hold back: "Julian, maybe you should hear Ivy's side of the story..."

"Alex, stay out of my family business." Julian cut him off coldly.

My world began to crumble. Julian believed her lies completely, never questioning them... So this was what I was to him.

"Honey, I'm so excited about our engagement party in a few days. Just thinking about it keeps me up at night." Harper's voice turned sickeningly sweet again.

Suddenly, a wave of intense unease washed over me. I frantically screamed at Julian: "No! Julian! Don't go! Harper... there's something wrong with her!"

But Julian couldn't hear my warning at all. He only responded tenderly: "I know, me too. Once this case is over, we can start our new life."

A new life? Was a future without me perfect for him?

The car stopped in front of the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office. Julian hung up and got out. Alex watched his retreating figure with a furrowed brow.

I followed Julian into the medical examiner's office, watching him put on protective gear.

Just then, Alex hurried in, looking anxious: "Julian, I can't reach your sister Ivy. Her phone's been off for two days."

Seeing Alex's concern, warmth stirred in my heart. At least someone cared about me, at least Alex would speak up for me...

But Julian just responded impatiently: "Alex, she's probably holed up in some crack house again. Don't waste time looking for her."

"But even the street people say they haven't seen her in days. This isn't like her," Alex persisted.

But Julian had already pushed open the autopsy room door, clearly not wanting to hear anything more about me.

I followed him, desperately trying to touch his shoulder, but my hand passed right through him. That's when I truly realized—I was dead, and Julian was about to perform an autopsy on my body.

"Julian, it's me... it's your little sister Ivy. Please look at me..." I cried silently in my heart.

In the autopsy room, Julian began examining my body. When he grabbed my right arm, he suddenly stopped all movement.

His fingers gently traced over that faint line of an old fracture, his brow furrowing deeply.

In that instant, my soul nearly exploded! I was so excited I wanted to scream, wanted to shake his shoulders, wanted desperately to tell him—Julian! Look closer! It's me!

Julian slowly rotated my arm, carefully observing the mark from different angles. His breathing became somewhat labored, his lips parted slightly as if to speak, then stopped.

"Remember! Please remember!" I screamed frantically in my mind, my entire existence trembling. This was my only chance, my only hope of him recognizing me!

"This fracture pattern..." he murmured to himself.

My heart felt like it would burst from my chest, I was so excited I nearly lost all reason. Julian, remember! That's from when I was ten and broke my arm protecting you from a drunk attacker! You cried harder than I did that day, kept saying it was your fault, kept apologizing... How could you forget!

I saw the confusion flickering in his eyes, saw him struggling to remember, and I trembled with excitement. He was almost there! I knew he was almost there!

Just as Julian's fingers paused again on that familiar mark, just as I could almost see the light of salvation—

The phone rang shrilly.

"Dr. Thorne? This is Sarah from the Chicago Rescue Center." An anxious woman's voice came through the phone. "Sorry to bother you, but I'm worried about Ivy. She hasn't shown up for volunteer work in two days, and her phone's unreachable. This is really unusual—she never misses a shift, and she recently told me she wanted to change, wanted to repair her relationship with family..."

For the first time in days, my heart felt a flicker of warmth. At least someone remembered me, someone cared.

But Julian's tone grew impatient: "She's probably off causing trouble somewhere."

"But Doctor, she's really serious about this work. I've never seen her disappear without notice like this..." Sarah tried to defend me.

Julian angrily interrupted: "Don't mention that troublemaker's name to me again!"

He slammed down the phone and stepped back from my body, that old fracture line haunting his thoughts.

"I need five minutes," he said hoarsely to his assistant. "Document the external features first. I'll be right back."

He quickly left the autopsy room, as if fleeing from something.

I stared at the empty doorway, my heart completely shattered: "Even the people at the rescue center are worried about me, but you... only you, my beloved brother, can't bear to stay with me for even five more minutes."

In the hallway, Julian noticed a young boy sitting outside the morgue entrance.

He clutched his knees tightly, his eyes red and swollen from crying, his body shaking with sobs. A nurse gently urged him: "Honey, you've been sitting here all night. Go home and rest..."

"No! I can't leave my sister!" the boy refused hoarsely. "She protected me since we were little. Now it's my turn to watch over her... I can't leave her alone in there..."

A police officer walked by and said quietly to his colleague: "Yesterday's car accident victim—this is her brother. From last night till now, he won't leave no matter how we try to convince him."

"Those two were really close," another officer sighed. "I heard they've depended on each other since childhood. Seeing him cry like that, it's getting to me too."

I watched that boy sitting vigil outside the morgue, my heart breaking. His sister was dead, and he stayed through the night, refusing to leave her side.

While my body lay on the autopsy table, Julian walked away without looking back.

I floated alone in the hallway, a final question rising in my heart: "If Julian knew I was really dead... what would he do? Would he cry for me like he did when we were children?"

The answer terrified me—maybe he really did want me gone forever. Maybe my death would be complete liberation for him.

But even in the depths of despair, I still clung to one last, humble hope.

Hope that Julian would discover the truth, that he'd remember the version of himself who once loved me.

Even if it was already too late.