Chapter 4Delivery on New Year's Eve

I recoiled in shock, but forced myself to stay calm. "I already dropped it off at the front desk. The clerk is bringing it up to you right now."

"Bullsh*t!"

The voice on the line sounded ready to explode. "I haven't received a damn thing! And you didn't even follow the rules by wearing that black outfit and coming up here yourself!

"I'm filing a complaint against you right now! Just wait until you get stuck paying that hundred-thousand-dollar penalty fee, you scammer!"

"Beep... beep…" The call cut off.

I stood frozen in the center of the lobby, completely dumbfounded, as an ice-cold panic shot straight from my feet up to my spine.

The front desk guy had literally just gone upstairs, and the elevator had stopped on the second floor. How could they not have received it?

And more importantly... how did the caller know I hadn't gone up myself?

Did they have a security camera on the door? Or was the customer watching me from inside the lobby?

Instinctively, I scanned my surroundings. The vast lobby was completely empty, with no one else in sight except for me.

That feeling of being watched made my skin crawl, as if countless ants were marching up my spine.

Having learned my painful lesson in my previous life, I didn't dare go upstairs to check, even under the threat of that massive fine.

That hundred grand penalty was a nightmare, sure, but it was still a hell of a lot better than dying.

Right on cue, Dominic's phone call slammed in like a death warrant.

"Elliot! What the hell are you doing?! The customer is blowing up the station's phone lines! They filed a direct complaint to corporate, claiming you did a fake delivery and had a terrible attitude!

"Get your ass back up there and fix this right now! You're paying that fine, no matter what!"

I faked a vague response. "Dominic, something isn't right here. I called 911, and the cops are coming."

"You called the cops?! Why the hell would you call the cops? Have you lost your damn mind?!" Dominic screamed in a frenzy on the other end.

I hung up on him immediately because the wail of sirens was already echoing in the distance.

Flashing lights sliced through the darkness as three police cruisers pulled up, rapidly surrounding the resort entrance.

Several fully armed officers rushed inside, led by a sharp-eyed, middle-aged detective.

"Who called 911?"

"I did!" I raised my hand and hurried forward. "Officer, I reported a potential murder happening in Room 206!"

The detective sized me up from head to toe, frowning slightly at my bizarre, all-black clothing. Still, he didn't question it further and just waved his hand. "Lead the way! Let's go check it out!"

A few officers escorted me straight up to the second floor.

When the elevator doors slid open, the carpeted hallway greeted us with a suffocating silence that made my pulse spike.

We arrived right in front of Room 206.

I held my breath, my heart hammering viciously against my ribs. In my past life, this exact spot was the gateway to hell.

The lead detective knocked firmly on the door. "Police! Open up!"

Inside, it went silent for a few seconds before a man's impatient voice called out, "Who is it? It's the middle of the night!"

The door swung open.

A heavyset, middle-aged guy in a bathrobe glared at us, his face twisted in annoyance. The room behind him was brightly lit, clean, and organized, with a TV broadcasting a live New Year's countdown special.

There was no blood, nor was there a corpse.

Seeing a group of police officers standing at his door, the man blinked in confusion. "What's going on here? Is this some kind of raid?"

I stood completely frozen on the spot, my mind buzzing with deafening static.

How was this even possible?

In my past life, it was without a doubt right here that a woman in a red dress had been brutally murdered!