Chapter 2

Zachery's face went white, but he forced a calm front.

"I can't give it to you."

"There's a surprise inside for our third wedding anniversary. If you see it now, the whole thing is ruined."

He put on a look of deep affection.

"Come on, honey, you can't listen to an outsider. Four years dating, three years married. Your parents said they wanted you to marry a live-in son-in-law, and I agreed on the spot. You can't start doubting me over some outsider. It really hurts me."

Something in his wife's eyes softened, as if she was remembering their years together.

My chest tightened, like a battle line about to be crossed.

I never expected a woman so sharp and decisive in business to be this blind when it came to love.

Just as I was thinking that maybe, even given a second chance, I still couldn't get back at this family or shake off the frame-up, I heard her speak again.

"Zach, you know the thing I hate most is being lied to."

"I'll let the phone go for now. But if I find out later that you lied to me, the consequences will be serious."

There wasn't much warmth in her eyes when she said it.

Sweat beaded on Zachery's forehead, but he stiffened his neck and patted his chest.

"Of course, honey. When have I ever lied to you?"

"She's the one you should be watching."

Something seemed to occur to him, and his wavering voice suddenly turned firm.

"She says she knows where the locket is. Does she really know?"

"I say she's lying."

"Maybe she's just holding a grudge because Mom and Dad wouldn't give her living money for college, and used the money to buy me a phone and a car instead. So now she's throwing dirt on me for no reason!"

In that instant I understood where his certainty came from.

When he took the locket, he'd been the only one in the room.

He must have checked with our eldest sister that during the same window I was with the rest of them, so there was no way I could have seen him take it.

He thought I was bluffing, making it all up.

By the original timeline, it was true—I hadn't known where he'd hidden the locket.

But what he didn't know was that I'd been reborn, carrying a full lifetime of memories.

And I had him to thank for it. In my past life, when I was being torn apart online, he was the one who let slip where he'd hidden the locket.

Seeing me stay silent, Zachery assumed he'd hit the mark.

He straightened his back even more and pressed me.

"Katherine, why aren't you talking now? Because I nailed it, right? You have no idea where the locket is. You made the whole thing up, just to smear me, didn't you?"

I ignored him and walked to the door of the banquet hall.

Zachery grew more worked up, jabbing a finger at my back and shouting.

"See? She's guilty, she's about to run!"

The banquet hall erupted again.

"She really is trying to run. No shame at all. She doesn't even know where it is, and she still jumped out to frame her own brother."

"They're one family. What's the grudge, that she'd go this far to destroy him?"

But they fell quiet fast.

Because once I reached the door, I stopped and turned around.

"You're all so curious whether I really know where the locket is or not. I'll take you there right now!"

At that, everyone followed, curious.

The face of the brother who'd been so smug a moment ago went pale.

But after our eldest sister said a few words to him, he settled again.

"That's right. She's definitely lying."

Lying?

Once they saw it with their own eyes, they'd know just how ridiculous they looked.

When we reached the storage room, I stopped.

The color drained from Zachery's lips.

I glanced over him, then let my gaze settle on his wife.

"You go in first."

"The locket is on the second shelf, fifth level."

Before she could say a word, Zachery moved to rush in first.

I'd expected it, and grabbed him by the collar.

"Zach, I said your wife goes first. What's the rush?"

"So eager to run in there—want to sneak the locket out of sight and destroy the evidence, is that it?"

Realizing his behavior really was too far out of line, he hurried to explain.

"I—I'm not—I just wanted to scout it out for my wife."

She was no fool. She said nothing, but the look she gave him had gone cold.

She pushed him aside and went in first.

Right behind her, everyone else filed in too.