Chapter 2

Mom's hands trembled, not daring to approach.

My brother stood to the side, gasping for breath, clutching his chest tightly.

Just then, a group of smiling reporters carrying cameras arrived at the villa entrance.

Seeing this scene, they looked confused at first, then asked cautiously,

"Is Miss Keira Hayes here?"

Hearing this, Mom looked up in a daze. When she saw the joy on his face, she was instantly triggered and shouted.

"What are you smiling about? Are you happy my daughter Keira is dead!"

The reporter quickly waved his hands.

"You misunderstand, we didn't mean that... What did you say? Miss Keira Hayes... she's dead?"

Celeste suddenly stood up excitedly and shoved the reporter.

"My sister is dead! Even if she did something else to trend on social media, can't you just leave her alone?"

Mom heard her words and first frowned irritably by instinct, then closed her eyes.

"Yes, when someone dies, the past dies with them. I'll apologize on her behalf..."

"You misunderstand!" The reporter interrupted her. "Miss Hayes won second place in the International Art Painting Awards!"

"She even received praise from a professor at the Florence Academy---she brought honor to the country!"

"What?" Mom shot to her feet, looking at him in disbelief.

"She won second place in a painting competition? How is that possible?"

The reporter looked at her with a complicated expression.

"You're Mrs. Hayes, right? That's a strange thing to say. The contestants all painted on site in front of everyone---of course it's real!"

"Besides, as a mother, shouldn't you feel proud when your daughter achieves such an honor?"

At this, tears began welling up in Mom's eyes. She turned, looking at Celeste with suspicion.

In my memory, this was the first time Mom had chosen to question her instead of me.

Celeste wrung her fingers together and spoke softly.

"I heard from Keira's classmate that she wanted to hire him as a ghost painter..."

The reporter looked at her mockingly.

"Don't tell me this classmate of yours just happens to be the first-place winner of that painting competition?"

"Otherwise, why would Miss Hayes hire someone less skilled than herself to paint for her?"

Celeste tried to argue back, but my brother patted her shoulder, his voice hoarse.

"Forget it. Now's not the time for this. Let's just let our sister... rest in peace."

She bit her lip, pouting unwillingly.

But just then, another woman with a stern expression walked up to them.

She scanned the surroundings and lowered her head in silence for a moment.

With reddened eyes, she pulled a bottle of medicine and a USB drive from her bag, speaking calmly.

"Keira didn't come to pick up her medication last week. I wanted to bring it to her today, but now I see there's no need."

Mom and my brother froze.

Seeing the confused expressions on their faces, the woman's voice turned mocking.

"You mean you don't know?"

"The tumor in Keira's brain has been severely compressing her nerves. She was sick."

Mom looked at her in shock, mouth open, not knowing what to say.

The woman glanced at her and continued.

"She had already started forgetting many things. Afraid she might completely forget you all one day, she participated in my lab's new project---the Memory Fragment Preservation Program."

"This USB drive stores her life memories."

"You suspect she hired a ghost painter? Just watch and find out!"

Her last sentence was deliberately loaded with meaning.

Celeste seemed to realize something, her face turning deathly pale in an instant.

She rushed forward, trying to stop the woman from inserting the USB drive and making my memories public.

But she was firmly blocked by the two bodyguards the woman had brought.

She shouted anxiously at Mom.

"Aunt, stop them! How can we just watch Keira's privacy be exposed to everyone!"

Mom seemed to finally react, stepping forward and grabbing the woman's hand firmly.

Her attitude was resolute. "I won't allow anyone to hurt my daughter anymore. Please stop!"

The woman laughed softly, her voice still calm and detached.

"Don't you want to know the truth about your husband's death?"

"Haven't you hated Keira for over ten years because of this?"

I saw Mom's expression change rapidly in that moment.

Finally, she released the woman's hand as if in a trance.