My parents died on an overseas mission—officially labeled traitors, bribed by the criminals they hunted. I begged my fiancé, the police captain, to clear their names. Instead, he married the "hostage" they rescued, in a lavish wedding. Crushed by online hate, I stood on a rooftop edge, ready to die for their innocence—until his brother, the medical examiner, pulled me back. He silenced the media. Swore to restore their honor. I married him, trusting him with the investigation. Five years passed. No leads. Then, pregnant, I overheard him: "Alistair, Luna’s parents were stabbed. They didn’t fall. Why stop investigating?" "Rosalind’s prints were on the dagger. Why let your brother marry her?" "She’s innocent. Self-defense. End of discussion." Ice flooded my veins. My parents’ death wasn’t unsolved. My husband had buried the truth. This marriage was a lie. And it was over. 1 “Are you out of your mind? It was bad enough you rescued Rosalind, but to let her live in your family home for five years? To make Luna live under the same roof as her parents’ killer, day in and day out? Do you have any idea how cruel that is? If she finds out, you’re finished!” Alistair’s face hardened, and he slammed his hand on the desk, rising to his feet. “I told you, Rosie is not the killer! She was a hostage, dragged there by the real culprits. What’s so strange about her being at the crime scene?” “The case is closed. Don’t bring it up again. As long as Rosie is happy, I’ll do whatever it takes. And as for Luna… she’ll never find out. As long as I’m here, Rosie will always be safe.” His colleague’s face was a mask of disappointment and fury. “You’re a fool, Alistair! You’re the most brilliant ME we’ve ever had, solved countless cases before you even hit thirty, and you’re falling for Rosalind’s lies? A hostage? What kind of hostage is decked out in designer clothes and jewelry?” “I think love has rotted your brain. You’ve forgotten who you are!” “You fell for a killer, Alistair. This won’t end well for you.” Rage boiled over in Alistair. He swept a hand across the table, sending files and equipment crashing to the floor. “Enough! I said Rosalind is not the killer, and I don’t need you to teach me how to conduct an autopsy!” “Drop it. If the truth comes out, I’ll do the time for her. It’s that simple.” “You’re a lost cause. Fine. Do whatever you want. I just hope you don’t live to regret it.” The blood in my veins was frozen solid. Footsteps were approaching, fast. I scrambled back to my room, a mess of silent, panicked sobs, pressing my hand to my mouth to stifle the sounds. Five years ago, after my parents’ deaths, Alistair’s brother, Aiden, had refused to let me see their bodies, claiming the shock would be too much for me. Everyone whispered that my parents had betrayed the force, that they were silenced by their criminal associates. The relentless online harassment shattered my sanity, pushing me to the edge. The day I climbed to that rooftop, ready to jump, it was Alistair who saved me. He held me in a crushing embrace. He told me he was a medical examiner, that he could make the dead speak. That he would prove my parents’ innocence. I believed him. I clung to him as the only light in my bleak, gray world. Even as five years passed with no progress, I never lost faith. I trusted he was working tirelessly, and my heart ached for the burden he carried. But it was all a lie. The love was a lie. The comfort was a lie. The only truths were the gut-wrenching betrayal and the carefully constructed deceit. Just as tears blurred my vision, Alistair appeared in the doorway. His eyes instantly reddened with concern. “What are you doing on the floor? Are you not feeling well? Let me take you to the hospital.” I pushed his helping hand away and staggered to my feet, struggling to find my balance. “Alistair, my parents’ case… still no leads?” He froze for a fraction of a second before answering, his voice smooth and certain. “I’m so sorry, Luna. I’m still chasing it, but… nothing new has surfaced. Don’t worry, I won’t give up. I promised you an answer, and I’ll get it for you. Just wait for me.” “Look at you, you’ve gotten so thin from the stress. Please, try not to think about it anymore. It breaks my heart to see you like this.” He pulled me into his arms, patting my back in a familiar, comforting rhythm. But I didn't miss the flicker of panic in his eyes. The last shred of hope died within me. I couldn’t stop the bitter smile that twisted my lips. Oh, Alistair. You played me for a fool for five long years. That night, I brought him his usual warm milk to help him sleep. Only this time, it was laced with a powerful sedative. He drank it without a second thought and was soon lost to a deep, artificial slumber. I slipped out of the room and walked to the one door he had forbidden me from ever opening: his study. The moment I stepped inside, I froze. The walls were a gruesome gallery of autopsy photos. And there, in the very center, were my parents. Their eyes were wide open in death, hollow sockets weeping tears of blood. They hadn't died in peace. The fall from the 28th floor had left their bodies mangled, but I could still clearly see the fatal wound on each of their chests. The clean, precise mark of a dagger that had pierced their hearts. The killer’s strike had been fast, sure, and brutal. This was not the work of an ordinary hostage. Alistair had meticulously noted every inconsistency in the autopsy, his red ink a bloody commentary on the lies. The case file was also on the wall. Ten full pages, and Rosalind's name was on every single one. Her background, her fabricated reason for being at the scene, the fact that her fingerprints—and only hers—were found on the dagger. All the evidence was right there, in stark black and white. But scrawled across the final page, in Alistair’s neat, decisive hand, were two words. COLD CASE. What a sick joke. I photographed every piece of evidence on that wall. I couldn’t bear to look any longer. I turned to the safe. I had seen Rosalind's file five years ago, a supposed hostage profile. I’d been suspicious even then, and I had memorized her details. I keyed in her date of birth. The safe clicked open. Inside was an album dedicated entirely to Rosalind. As I flipped through the pages, the truth unspooled before me. Rosalind had known the Blackwood brothers for over a decade. Thousands of photos documented their happy past together. The three of them were always together, Rosalind always nestled safely between the two brothers. There was even a photo of her in a wedding dress, perfectly preserved. Except there were three people in the picture. I let out a dry, self-mocking laugh and closed the album. I took out my phone and booked a one-way international flight for three days from now. I filed the applications to terminate all my domestic identification. I couldn’t spend another minute in this place, a place built on lies and betrayal. I didn’t sleep a wink. Memories of the past five years played on a torturous loop in my mind. At dawn, Alistair woke up as usual and made me breakfast himself. He sounded puzzled. “I slept so heavily last night. I feel completely drained, not sure why.” I took a bite of my sandwich and just smiled. “You’re probably just exhausted from the investigation, Alistair. My parents’ case… maybe we should just let it go.” “It’s been five years. I don’t want you to work yourself to death over it. Maybe… maybe it’s time to give up.” A flash of relief crossed his eyes, so quick I might have missed it if I weren't looking. He was visibly relieved. But he still put on his mask of pained sympathy. “Luna, don’t worry. I will finish what I promised you. It’s never a burden to do things for you.” “Thank you for being so understanding, my love.” He leaned in to kiss me, but a wave of nausea roiled in my stomach. I bolted for the bathroom, vomiting uncontrollably. Alistair rushed after me, his eyes lighting up with a sudden, dawning excitement. “Luna… are you… pregnant?” I froze. He was ecstatic, grabbing me and spinning me around three times. “This is wonderful! It’s wonderful! I’m going to be a father! We’re going to have our own child!” “Mom and Dad will be thrilled! We haven't been home in ages. Let's go see them in a day or two and tell them the good news, what do you say?” “We have to tell your parents, too. I’ll buy some offerings and come home to pick you up.” Before I could say a word, he was already on his phone, scrolling through baby products, ready to place an order. I noticed his shopping cart was already full of similar items, buried deep at the bottom of the list. He’d been preparing for this for a long time. My apparent agreement was all the permission he needed. He started placing the order. But for everything, he bought two. After paying, he remembered I was standing there. His expression turned awkward. He hesitated before speaking. “It’s just… we’ll probably run into Rosalind at home. It wouldn’t be right to show up empty-handed. How about I just buy her a little something, as a gift from you?” “Come on, honey. It’s been five years. Rosie was a victim too. You can’t still blame her for taking Aiden from you. We’re so happy now, it’s time to let the past go…” I splashed cold water on my face and numbly agreed. “Fine. You’re right. Rosalind was just a hostage. The fact that there are no leads after five years proves her innocence. Do what you think is best. Consider it my apology to her.” For the past five years, I had been haunted by my parents’ deaths. At every family dinner, I had met Rosalind’s friendly overtures with a stony silence. Alistair had fought with his family countless times over it. He’d even bought us a new house away from them, to “protect” me. I once thought that was a testament to his love. Now I knew it was just to shield his precious Rosalind from my inconvenient grief. He would do anything to protect her. This five-year charade was finally over. The moment he left, I left too. I went to a lawyer’s office and had a divorce agreement drawn up. I also asked about my parents' case. The lawyer said that with only photos of the evidence, overturning the case would be nearly impossible. And given the old media narrative, no one would believe the daughter of two traitors. I wandered the streets in a daze. When I came to my senses, I was standing outside Alistair's precinct. As I walked in, his colleagues were gathered in an excited huddle, gossiping. “Was that the ME’s wife just now? She’s gorgeous. And she looks so familiar… oh, right! The international case from five years ago! Wasn’t she the hostage?” “Now that you mention it, I remember! Dr. Blackwood never used to go to crime scenes, but that time he practically begged the chief to go with his brother’s task force. The first thing he did when he got there was ask where Rosalind was.” “They must have known each other before. To make both Blackwood brothers lose their minds like that… must be some connection. I’ve never seen the Captain or the ME so out of control. They nearly shot the suspect on the spot!” “Hey, shut up. When someone tried to point the finger at Miss Vance back then, the Blackwoods almost tore this place apart. Don’t talk about her.” My nails dug into my palms. I walked numbly to his office door. A familiar voice drifted out. “So, these past five years… have you been happy?” “You know your own brother, don’t you? Aiden would pluck the stars from the sky for me. The moment I agreed to try for a baby, he didn’t let me out of the bedroom for three days straight. I could barely walk.” Alistair’s voice was laced with a bitter sorrow. A wry smile touched his lips. “Yes. Aiden has always loved you. I should have known.” “Alistair… thank you. If you hadn't deliberately guided the media back then, leaking that story about the Su family’s betrayal, I’d probably be in prison right now.” “I just hope Luna doesn’t suspect anything. She hasn't found out, has she? If you two fight because of me, I could never forgive myself…” Alistair waved a dismissive hand, his tone contemptuous. “Don’t worry about her. The reputations of two dead people aren’t that important. As long as you’re safe, everything I did was worth it.” Something squeezed my heart, tight. I couldn’t breathe. I had thought Alistair was merely unwilling to solve the case, that he just wanted to protect Rosalind. I never imagined he was the one who had personally fabricated the lies that had branded my parents as traitors. They had dedicated their entire lives to justice. They had died trying to catch a killer. Why did they deserve this end? Before I could find an answer, Alistair was presenting Rosalind with a gift. “I heard you’re pregnant too. This little toy… consider it a welcome gift for the baby.” The divorce papers slipped from my hand, fluttering to the floor. The sound caught their attention. Alistair rushed out, his face pale. “Luna? When did you get here? Why didn’t you say anything?” I picked up the papers from the floor. When I stood up again, the storm of emotion inside me had completely subsided. “It’s nothing. I was just passing by. I just got here.” “Don’t get the wrong idea. Rosie was just here to see Aiden, but he’s out on a call, so we were just chatting.” Rosalind rose with a smile and waved at me. Not a hint of guilt on her face. “Hey, Luna. Fancy seeing you here.” I couldn’t stand to look at her. I turned to leave. But Alistair followed me, step for step. “Are you angry?” “Rosie is my sister-in-law. There’s nothing between us. Can you please not make a scene? She’s pregnant too. I was just asking her about things to expect, so I could take better care of you.” I glanced down at the hand gripping my arm. Suddenly, I smiled. To protect Rosalind, he had sent my entire family into a nosedive. He had destroyed my parents’ names and stolen five years of my life. Now that Rosalind was safe and sound, who was he putting on this act for?
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