1 To earn merit, the city’s wealthiest Sterling family adopted me. A year later, my new mother bore Benjamin. Everyone predicted my downfall, but Benjamin treated me as kin. At age five, we both qualified for the National Junior Dance Finals. Backstage, our instructor Mr. Davis told Benjamin his crown was crooked and led him away to fix his makeup. In the crowd, Benjamin was snatched by traffickers. For three years, ransom calls tormented my parents. The kidnappers lied, claiming I’d handed him over out of jealousy. Believing them, my parents locked me in the basement and beat me to death. When I opened my eyes, I was five again. The stage music thundered. Mr. Davis crouched before us, smiling gently. “Benjamin, come. Let’s fix your lipstick. Your crown is tilted.” He reached for my brother. Trembling, I threw my arms around Benjamin, clinging with all my strength. “Don’t touch him! You’ll steal my brother!” Mr. Davis was the most popular instructor at our junior dance academy. He smoothed out the hem of Benjamin’s pants and patted his head affectionately. “Benjamin looks so handsome. You’re going to be the brightest star on stage today.” Benjamin shyly hid behind my back. “My big brother is handsome too.” Mr. Davis chuckled softly and looked up at my mother. “Mrs. Sterling, Benjamin’s lipstick is a little faded, and his crown needs adjusting. I’ll take him to touch it up, we’ll be right back.” My mother was just about to nod. My heart felt like it was being crushed by a giant fist. In my past life, this was exactly how he took Benjamin away. I hugged my little brother fiercely and screamed, “No!” The backstage area fell dead silent for a few seconds. Mr. Davis’s hand froze in mid-air. He looked at me, still maintaining his smile. “Is Leo just feeling a little stage fright before the competition? I’m just taking Benjamin to fix his makeup.” I held onto Benjamin with a death grip. “You’re a liar!” “You’re a bad teacher!” “You’re going to steal my brother!” Benjamin was startled by my screaming. He wrapped his little arms around my neck and whispered, “Brother…” People around us started to stare. A few parents frowned. “Why is that kid saying such awful things?” “Mr. Davis has been teaching for years, he’s so responsible with the kids.” “Do you think the adopted kid is just scared the real son is going to dance better than him?” Adopted kid. Real son. Those words felt like rusted nails driving straight into my brain. They said the exact same things in my past life. They said I wasn’t a real Sterling, so I had a wicked heart. They said Benjamin was the true young master, and I couldn’t stand to see him shine. But I had never, ever been jealous of Benjamin. He was my little brother. He was the very first person in this house to hug me and say, “My big brother is a baby too.” I was crying so hard I couldn’t breathe. “Dad, Mom, please don’t let him take my brother away.” “Please.” My father, Richard Sterling, had been talking to the event coordinator nearby. Hearing my hysterical crying, he strode over, his brow heavily furrowed. “What’s going on?” My mother knelt down and wrapped her arms around me. “Leo, breathe. Tell me slowly, does something hurt?” I couldn’t say anything more. I only had the body of a five-year-old. The kidnappers, the ransom money, the audio tapes, the blood-soaked reality of my past life—I couldn’t explain any of it. Even if I did, no one would believe a child. All I could do was hold onto Benjamin and repeat frantically: “Don’t let him take my brother.” “No one is allowed to take him away alone.” Mr. Davis’s eyes turned red, looking deeply hurt. “Mr. Sterling, Mrs. Sterling, I really don’t understand why Leo is suddenly so terrified of me.” “I was only worried that Benjamin’s makeup would affect his stage score.” “If I did something to upset him, I’m truly sorry.” 2 He played the victim flawlessly. Immediately, people nearby began to defend him. “Poor Mr. Davis.” “Being falsely accused by a kid like that, who could handle that?” My father looked down at me. His eyes held confusion. But also a deep sense of protectiveness. I was shaking from head to toe, gripping the cuff of his suit jacket like a lifeline. “Dad, please don’t let Benjamin out of your sight.” “I’m begging you.” My father stayed silent for two seconds. When he looked up, his voice had turned ice-cold. “He can get his makeup touched up.” “Have the makeup artist come over here. They can do it right in front of us.” Mr. Davis’s face twitched slightly. “But the waiting area is so crowded, and the lighting is terrible…” My father cut him off sharply. “Then bring over two more ring lights.” “My son is terrified. Today, absolutely no one takes either of them away alone.” My mother hugged Benjamin tighter and said softly, “Mr. Davis, please try to understand. The boys might just be really overwhelmed right now.” Mr. Davis’s fingers curled inward for a fraction of a second. But quickly, the gentle smile returned to his face. “Of course. The children’s emotional well-being is the most important thing.” He turned around to fetch a makeup artist. I stared at his retreating back. In that moment, I thought I had successfully grabbed the steering wheel of fate. But I forgot. If he had the nerve to execute a kidnapping at a national competition, there was no way he only had a Plan A. The makeup artist was brought over quickly. She reapplied Benjamin’s lipstick and pinned his little crown securely in place right there in the waiting area. Throughout the entire process, my mother held Benjamin in her lap. I sat right beside her, both of my hands gripping the hem of my little brother’s stage outfit. Four-year-old Benjamin whispered to me, “Brother, are you scared of the teacher?” I looked into his clear, innocent eyes and felt my throat burn. “Yeah.” “Then I’m scared too.” He shook his wrist, making the little silver bell on his bracelet jingle. “Listen, brother. If the bell is here, I’m here.” I almost broke down crying. In my past life, in the very last audio tape they sent us, his little voice was completely hoarse. He just kept repeating: “Mommy, I want to go home.” “Brother, I want a piece of cake.” But none of us could reach him. This time, I absolutely could not let go. The competition schedule moved forward rapidly. The loudspeakers began to announce our dance academy’s name. Director Evans was sweating profusely. She was the head of the dance academy. She was usually very kind to us, but she cared deeply about competition rankings. This was the first time she had led a team to the national finals, and the Sterling family was the academy’s biggest financial sponsor. She desperately needed everything to go perfectly. She hurried over, lowering her voice. “Mr. Sterling, the kids are all lined up. It’s time for them to head to the wing to wait for their cue.” My father glanced down at me. I immediately pulled Benjamin closer. “I have to go too.” Mr. Davis stood a few feet away, smiling warmly. “Of course! Leo and Benjamin are performing a duet, they absolutely have to go to the wing together.” He looked completely flawless. But the more perfect he acted, the more terrified I became. My father eventually assigned two massive bodyguards to follow right behind our line of children. That hadn’t happened in my past life. I let out a tiny breath of relief. But just as we stepped into the backstage corridor, the overhead lights went out with a loud crack. The darkness crashed down on us like a heavy, suffocating blanket. The children started screaming in terror. Someone knocked over a heavy metal makeup case. Kids were crying out for their mothers. My first instinct was to grab Benjamin. His little hand was still securely in my palm. Small, and so soft. “Brother…” He called out to me, terrified. I was just about to pull him into my arms when someone slammed violently into my back. I crashed hard onto the floor. My elbows hit the concrete, sending a sharp spike of pain up my arms. In the pitch black, a large hand clamped down hard over my mouth. I instantly smelled the sharp, chemical stench of fresh paint, mixed with the distinct cedarwood cologne Mr. Davis always wore. I thrashed and fought with everything I had. But I was only five years old. A second later, someone violently ripped Benjamin’s hand out of my grip. The sound of his silver bell jingled wildly for a chaotic second. Jingle. Jingle. And then it faded into the distance. “Brother!” Benjamin screamed exactly once before his voice was completely cut off. When the emergency backup lights finally flickered on, the corridor was absolute pandemonium. I was lying on the cold floor, the skin scraped raw off my knees. My hands were empty. Benjamin was gone. 3 My brain buzzed like I had just been thrown off a building. “Benjamin!” I screamed hysterically and scrambled to my feet. Hearing my voice, my mother spun around frantically. “Where is Benjamin?” All the color instantly drained from her face, leaving her ghost-white. “Where is my baby?!” My father sprinted over, his voice tight with rising panic. “Where is he?” The two bodyguards looked horrified. During the blackout, they had been blocked by panicked parents and a massive prop cart. They had lost sight of us for barely fifteen seconds. And my brother was gone. In that moment, the nightmare of my past life came crashing down on me entirely. My father’s eyes were filled with explosive rage and absolute terror. The people around us were panicking too. Voices began to overlap: “Did the kid just run off in the dark?” “It’s so crowded backstage, he probably just hid somewhere.” “Let’s not call the police yet, the competition is being broadcast live.” Director Evans was pale and sweating, but she was still trying to do damage control for the event. “Mr. Sterling, please, the child was probably just scared of the dark and ran to hide. We will find him right now.” My head snapped up. This was exactly what happened in my past life. At first, everyone told us not to make a scene. They said Benjamin was probably just lost. They said we couldn’t cause chaos at a live national broadcast. It was exactly that window of wasted time that allowed them to smuggle Benjamin completely out of the arena. I lunged forward, grabbing my father’s pant leg, crying hysterically. “Call the police!” “Lock down the doors!” “Mr. Davis is trying to take him out the side exit!” Mr. Davis was standing at the edge of the crowd. His hair was slightly messy, and his eyes were rimmed with red, looking just as traumatized as the rest of us. “Leo, please don’t say things like that.” “When the lights went out, everyone was right here. I was right here.” “Benjamin probably just got separated in the panic.” The moment he spoke, a few other teachers immediately backed him up. “That’s true, Mr. Davis was standing right next to me.” “I saw him helping a kid who fell over.” “He never left the area.” They were all providing him with an alibi. I knew he had planned for this. But I couldn’t afford to be scared. Benjamin had already been taken. This time, I had to bring him back. My father instantly ordered his security team to lock down every single exit in the backstage area. He pulled out his phone and dialed 911 himself. “My son has gone missing in the backstage area of the arena.” “I suspect a coordinated kidnapping.” “Send units immediately.” Director Evans panicked, her voice cracking. “Mr. Sterling, please don’t say kidnapping! The negative press will ruin the academy!” My father snapped his head toward her. “My son is missing.” “And you are talking to me about press?” Director Evans shrank back, completely silenced. My mother was on the verge of total collapse. She was screaming Benjamin’s name, trying to physically push her way into the chaotic crowd to search for him. My father grabbed her and held her tight. “Sarah, you have to stay calm.” “He is still inside the building.” “I will find him.” My mother gripped his suit jacket, sobbing. “But what if we don’t?” Those words felt like a knife to my heart. In my past life, we didn’t find him. And then everything slowly began to rot. I ignored the searing pain in my knees and ran straight up to Mr. Davis. I pointed my little finger right at him and screamed: “It’s him!” “He took my brother!” Tears immediately spilled out of Mr. Davis’s eyes. “Leo, why are you targeting me like this?” “I wasn’t anywhere near Benjamin when the lights went out.” “All these teachers can vouch for me.” A female instructor murmured quietly, “It’s true, he was right next to me the whole time.” Another parent chimed in, “I saw him helping a kid up.” Mr. Davis cried, looking completely victimized. “Mr. Sterling, I know your son is precious, but I am an innocent man.” “Leo has been calling me a bad teacher since we got here.” “And now that Benjamin is missing, he’s instantly pointing the finger at me.” “Is this because I’m a little stricter with Leo during practice, so he doesn’t like me?” 4 People in the crowd started whispering. “Why is the adopted kid biting down so hard on Mr. Davis?” “His brother is missing, and he’s just busy trying to frame the teacher.” “Do you think there’s actually something wrong with him?” “Did you see him earlier? He was holding his brother hostage, refusing to let him go on stage.” Those whispers merged perfectly with the anonymous hate mail from my past life. My blood ran freezing cold. Mr. Davis was the one who stole Benjamin. But the second he shed a few tears, everyone immediately turned their suspicion onto me. Hearing the words “adopted kid,” my mother’s face grew even paler. Her head snapped toward me. In that split second, my heart stopped beating. Was my mother going to doubt me too? Was she going to think I hurt Benjamin, just like she did in my past life? I opened my mouth, tears spilling over my cheeks. “Mom, I didn’t.” “I didn’t hurt him.” My mother froze. A second later, she lunged forward and pulled me fiercely into her arms. “I know you didn’t.” “My brave boy was just scared too.” “Don’t listen to those people.” I went completely stiff in her embrace. The tears broke through like a dam. She believed me. In this life, even though my brother was already gone, she still chose to believe me. My father walked over and scooped me up from my mother’s arms. “Leo, look at me.” “You said Mr. Davis did this. What exactly did you see?” I was sobbing so hard I was hiccuping. But my brain was spinning at light speed. Right before the lights went out. The red string bracelet on Mr. Davis’s wrist. The stench of fresh paint on his clothes. The heavy cedarwood cologne on the hand that covered my mouth in the dark. And when Benjamin was dragged away, the sound of the silver bell moved toward the right. The right side. The side exit. The prop corridor. In my past life, the police eventually discovered that a massive peacock prop box had been moved out of the arena early. But by the time they found out, the box had already been incinerated. This time, the blackout just happened. Benjamin was likely just shoved into that box. I threw my arm out, pointing desperately toward the corridor on the right. “The big bird box!” “He put him in the big bird box!” “Go to the side door!” Mr. Davis’s face hardened for a fraction of a second. He immediately said, “Leo, there are hundreds of props backstage. How can you just make wild guesses out of thin air?” “The most important thing right now is finding Benjamin, not throwing a tantrum and making things up.” My father didn’t even look at him. He held me tight and began striding toward the right corridor. My mother followed right behind us. Mr. Davis suddenly stepped in front of us, blocking the path. “Mr. Sterling, the event organizers just announced that the right corridor is being used for heavy prop storage. Unauthorized personnel aren’t allowed back there.” My father stared him down with eyes like ice. “Move.” “I—” My father’s voice dropped to a lethal register. “If you try to stop me again, I will consider you an accomplice to kidnapping.” All the color drained from Mr. Davis’s face, and he slowly backed away. We burst into the right corridor. The lighting here was incredibly dim, and the air was thick with the smell of wet paint and heavy dust. Scattered on the concrete floor was a tiny trail of silver sequins. They were from the hem of Benjamin’s stage outfit. I scrambled out of my father’s arms, picked up one of the sequins, and cried, “He was here.” My mother’s knees buckled, and she nearly collapsed. My father caught her, his eyes burning with terrifying intensity. “Search it.” “Tear open every single box.” The bodyguards immediately fanned out. Right at that moment, the distinct sound of heavy rubber wheels rolling across concrete echoed from the end of the corridor. Someone was pushing something heavy toward the side exit. My head snapped up. “He’s right there!”
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