In the chaos that followed, Ryan’s mother fainted and was rushed to the hospital. Later that night, Ryan contacted the police. The coroner had signed the official documents, and the body had been released to the funeral home. But now, Arnold’s remains were missing—and the coroner had resigned just days earlier, leaving no immediate replacement.
Searching for answers, Ryan visited the morgue. A staff member refused to share records, but with a discreet payment, Ryan was able to search the coroner’s office himself. His father’s file had vanished.
Then, Ryan got a call from Arnold’s attorney: he had just inherited his father’s position as CEO.
At the office, he discovered Arnold’s computer had been wiped clean. Two rare figurines that had always been displayed on Arnold’s desk were missing. They were part of a prized collection Arnold had spent years building. The lawyer claimed Arnold had taken them home, but Ryan knew that wasn’t true. They were nowhere to be found.
Worse yet, the company was on the brink of collapse, and much of the turmoil had begun after the hiring of a new executive assistant, Miss Pearson. There were rumors of a close personal relationship between her and Arnold.
Suspicious, Ryan followed Miss Pearson after work and waited until she left her home. Inside her garage, he found a framed photo of her and Arnold, arms around each other. More shocking was the discovery of Arnold’s life insurance policy—naming Miss Pearson as the sole beneficiary.
Ryan took the documents to Detective Bradshaw. Further investigation revealed Miss Pearson had booked a one-way flight to a country with no extradition treaty. Authorities rushed to intercept her at the airport, but the woman detained was a decoy. She had already slipped away.
Still, Ryan believed his father might be alive. He remembered the missing figurines—and the third and final one, still owned by a private collector named Mr. Frederick. Ryan contacted him and offered to buy the piece.
“The price is $750,000,” the man said.
Determined, Ryan sold part of his company shares, even at the cost of his leadership. Once the funds cleared, he bought the figurine and arranged for it to be auctioned publicly. He made sure the auction was widely advertised, hoping it would draw out one specific person.
At the event, bidders placed offers. Just as the final gavel was about to fall, a voice called out, “One million dollars.”
Ryan turned. He knew that voice.
It was Arnold.
As Arnold tried to leave, Ryan confronted him—and Detective Bradshaw stepped forward to arrest him. In the face of undeniable evidence, Arnold confessed. He had orchestrated the entire plan, hoping to escape the pressures of his life and start over. He had worked with the former coroner to fake his death and disappear with Miss Pearson.
“You didn’t just fake your death,” Ryan said quietly. “You abandoned everyone who cared about you.”
As police led Arnold away, Ryan finally felt a sense of peace. Justice had been served—not out of revenge, but to protect the truth.
Ryan remembered something his father used to say: “A man should do what’s right, not what’s easy.” It was a lesson Arnold had forgotten—but Ryan had not.
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