Revenge After Death

"You lied because you knew that Yasmin dropped the charges. Your lies won't affect the investigation. If the charges hadn't been dropped, you wouldn't have lied. Instead, you would've confessed," Steven said

softly.

He indeed knew me too well.

"It's human nature to protect oneself. It seems only natural for humans to act selfishly," I muttered. "Honestly, before I realized it, I was already lying just now."

My breath became heavier, my gaze trembling as I turned to Steven, who was also staring at me intensely.

Steven was aware that the past Stephanie Carlson lacked emotions. She was incapable of understanding feelings such as happiness, pain, despair, or heartbreak... even devoid of self-preservation. However, I understood all these... which made me somehow emotional.

The moment I learned that Michael had informed the police about my involvement in Yasmin's injury, I couldn't help but wonder about Yasmin's true intentions. Was she trying to threaten me? And could this indirectly harm Steven? Consequently, I chose not to engage with the officer despite his inquiries.

However, when he mentioned Steven, my instinct for self-preservation kicked in almost immediately.

"Stephie... You're fine just the way you are, always have been, and always will be... Don't push yourself too hard," Steven said as he pulled me tightly into his arms, his voice trembling with emotion.

It was clear that he understood the extent of my efforts to fit in... to become a normal person.

vulnerabilities. Yet, it was these complexities and varied

lying,

hands, then shifted my gaze to

my restored memory, the Stephanie Carlson before amnesia felt

a trial game by accident. I experienced pain and disappointment in what seemed like a normal life, forgetting

to Michael. Without his "episodic teaching", I wouldn't have become

long time,

were still many

thought was disrupted by a knock at the door. Glancing over, I saw a tall

man was

some resemblance to Steven,

much. He had

air of

the heir Martin had carefully cultivated in secret, the

a smile, his

this man's presence. Something told me that he was more

man said as he approached with a fruit basket, extending his