Chapter 1The 24th Victim

Lillian Cowfer, a human trafficker who had been on the run for ten years, was finally caught.

On the day of her public trial, she listened to the charges against her.

Then she suddenly smiled. "I object. The indictment says I kidnapped 23 people, but that's not true. I kidnapped 24."

The entire courtroom fell silent.

Lillian's smile grew more mysterious. "You all say I destroyed 23 families and that I'm guilty of the worst crimes imaginable. But this 24th victim didn't have a family to begin with. I even found her a new family. Isn't that a good thing?"

The prosecutor leaned toward the judge and whispered, "Your Honor, there have only been 23 kidnapping cases over the years. She may be making this up on purpose to delay the trial and buy herself more time."

But just as the judge was about to bring down the gavel, Lillian suddenly shouted. "Your Honor, your daughter hasn't come home in three years. Don't you want to know where she is?"

* * *

Everyone in the gallery, including me, stared at my father, Mason Leighton, in shock.

But he stayed calm. "My daughter Claire is at home," he said. "Stop making up lies. Statements like these will only make your punishment more severe."

I had already guessed he would say that. But hearing it with my own ears still broke my heart.

Lillian Cowfer was just as shocked. "Your Honor, you're so heartless. Carol waited for you to come home and get her until the very end. And you didn't even report her missing."

Lillian stared straight into his eyes, as if trying to find even the smallest crack in his calm expression. "If that bitch hadn't secretly let them go, I never would have been caught. She was so stubborn. Even after being assaulted by 23 men, she still had the strength to curse at us. She kept saying that her father was a judge and that he would have us executed."

Mason's breathing grew heavy. "Enough! If you keep making these ridiculous claims, the court will consider it a refusal to confess and sentence you more harshly under the law!"

Just before the court was adjourned, Lillian suddenly said, "Carol is already dead. I'm doomed either way, but before I'm executed, I really want to see your reaction."

Mason said nothing for a long time.

I floated in front of him, hoping to see even the slightest trace of shock or pain on his face.

But there was nothing.

His fists were clenched so tightly that the veins on his hands bulged.

He was angry.

After a long silence, he finally forced himself to speak. "This case will be postponed and returned for further investigation."

As soon as he stepped down from the bench, he went straight to the head of the criminal investigation team, Alexander Lockwood.

"Carol may be one of their accomplices," he said. "Lillian's statement is most likely meant to buy Carol time to escape. Focus your search on Harmony Estates and Greenwood Cemetery."

I almost laughed until I cried blood.

For more than 1,000 days after I was kidnapped, I had imagined how heartbroken Mason would be when he finally learned what had happened to me.

I never imagined that he would think I was an accomplice of the kidnappers.

Worse, he believed that my old home and my mother Sofia Leighton's grave were places where I might be hiding.

Alexander said nothing. He simply patted Mason on the shoulder.

Because I was involved in the case, Mason had to recuse himself from the investigation.

As the court clerk handled the handover, he couldn't help whispering to another clerk. "Life is so unfair. Judge Leighton's career has gone so well, but his wife died when he was still young. Now his own daughter has become a criminal suspect. At least he has such an outstanding stepdaughter. She may even follow in his footsteps someday."

The new judge gave the clerk a warning look. The clerk immediately fell silent.

Mason never heard any of it.

He hurried out of the courthouse. Everyone thought he had been unable to handle the shock.

But only I knew the truth. He was rushing home to celebrate Claire's birthday.

Claire Leighton was the perfect stepdaughter everyone was talking about.

She was Mason's precious little girl.

And she was also the person who was truly responsible for my death.