Even though I was dead, justice would not be denied.

No one knew where I had hidden the evidence I'd collected.

Halle turned every place I might have gone upside down but came up empty-handed.

She had no choice but to repeatedly grill Matthew for answers, but he remained tight-lipped.

Desperate, Halle turned her attention to Amy Lawrance.

Under the guise of celebrating Matthew's birthday, she invited Amy over.

Amy had been a close friend of my mother's, someone who had watched us grow up.

Matthew, who worked long hours and came home late, was genuinely pleased to see Amy. A rare smile softened his usually stern face. After a few drinks, Amy sighed and asked, "Matthew, after all these years, you still haven't forgiven Cate?

"She's been feeling guilty all this time. The accident wasn't her fault." As Amy spoke, her eyes welled up. "If your parents were still here, they would never have wanted Cate to suffer like this."

Matthew braced his forehead with his hands, his tone cold. "Amy, please don't talk about her."

Amy hesitated for a moment but continued, "We had planned to visit your parents' memorial together, but Cate's been unreachable.

"It's been days. Do you think something could have happened to her? She's just a girl, after all."

Matthew scoffed, "What could happen to her? Death would be a relief."

Halle, ever perceptive, chimed in, "Amy, it's getting late. Let me take you home."

Hearing this made me anxious. The evidence was indeed hidden with Amy.

Halle and Amy chatted for a while, and eventually, Halle even insisted on staying the night at Amy's place.

With no other choice, Amy let her stay in the spare room next door.

Halle, with her keen observational skills and high emotional intelligence, noticed items in the room that belonged to a girl. She circled around, asking, "Does Cate stay here too? Would my staying here upset her?"

Amy shook her head. "She just keeps some seldom-used things here. Her own place is too small."

Halle seemed thoughtful. Once Amy left, she began rummaging through the house.

I saw her excitement when she pulled out the flower seal from the drawer—something I cherished deeply.

Fortunately, after just a quick glance, she tossed it aside.

My spirit drifted back to Matthew.

He sat on the balcony, chain-smoking.

The doorbell rang, and he frowned as he went to answer it.

At the door was a young girl with a doll-like face, holding a large cake. "Hi, I'm from Fracake Bakery. Ms. Marsden ordered a cake to pick up personally, but she hasn't come.

"I checked the address and brought it to you. Could you please sign for it?"

Matthew's face was expressionless. "Just throw it away."

He slammed the door shut. I saw him smirk with a trace of mockery. "Trouble doesn't just go away so easily."

His words pierced my heart. I'm sorry. This time, I let you down. The trouble, indeed, has come to pass.