The underground parking lot of the apartment building. Celine parked the car steadily in the reserved spot.
After getting out, she immediately saw the young man leaning against a brand new white van, wearing a rental company uniform.
He seemed to have been waiting for a while, looking down at his phone.
Hearing the engine turn off, the young man looked up and showed a professional smile. "Are you Miss Celine? The car is ready for you."
"Yes."
Celine nodded without extra small talk.
Time was tight; she just wanted to finish the paperwork quickly.
The young man was clearly efficient. He quickly took out the rental agreement and the car keys he had prepared in advance.
"Miss Celine, please check the contract, and if there's no problem, sign here."
"These are copies of the vehicle registration and insurance papers. Here are two keys. Please keep them safe."
Celine took the documents, quickly scanning the important terms and vehicle details. After confirming everything was correct, she picked up the pen and signed her name swiftly.
Taking the keys, she walked around the van to check it briefly—tires, lights, and the inside of the cargo area.
"Thank you."
Finally, Celine nodded at the young man as a sign of thanks.
"My pleasure, Miss Celine. Wish you a pleasant driving experience! Contact us anytime if you have any issues."
The young man put away the contract and replied politely.
Celine didn't stay any longer. She turned and hurried toward the elevator.
The cold metal doors reflected her slightly hurried figure.
"Ding—"
The elevator arrived, and the doors slid open slowly.
Stepping out, she reached the apartment door. Habitually, Celine reached into her pocket for her keys, only to find them missing.
She suddenly realized she had left her keys behind in her rush.
With no choice, she raised her hand and knocked on the door.
"Knock knock knock—"
After a few seconds, there was a clicking sound, and the door lock turned. The door was opened from the inside.
But the person appearing at the door was not the big brother she expected, who sat in a wheelchair.
Instead, it was a tall young man wearing a neat deep green military uniform, standing straight and proud.
His skin was dark from training long hours under the sun, with strong features, a defined jawline, and sharp, bright black eyes.
It was Mateo, the fourth brother.
Celine's eyes widened suddenly.
Memories from her past life flooded back like cold waves drowning her.
She clearly remembered that in her past life at this time, the fourth brother was still in the military.
Because of his special status, he was the only one among the brothers whom Vanissa had not targeted directly at first.
Until Celine's mother, Mother Zhou, called him in despair and told him everything that had happened at home.
Mateo was the most upright of all the brothers. He had the strongest sense of justice and the heart of a soldier.
He had attended military school and was a nationally trained expert with a bright future ahead.
But after he learned that the eldest brother was dead, the second brother was framed, the third was in a car crash, and the youngest had gone insane, and when all clues pointed to the Zhou family, he couldn't stay silent.
He used all his connections and resources to investigate, but every lead was erased by an invisible hand. The trail always disappeared at the most critical moment.
It felt like someone with power was quietly stopping everything.
Mateo realized that the Zhou family had a powerful protector. Someone like him, just an ordinary officer, couldn't touch them.
But the sense of justice in his heart and his love for his family wouldn't let him stop.
The turning point came when he found out his mother had been forced to drink pesticide and take her own life.
At that moment, everything he believed in collapsed. Being a soldier, being a national scientist, all of it lost meaning.
He no longer believed in fairness or the law. He no longer waited for justice that never came.
He made a clear decision. Some people might say it was impulsive. He left the military. He gave up the future he had worked so hard to build.
He used his skills to secretly make a gun and went to the Zhou family to take revenge.
But fate played a cruel joke on him.
In that desperate moment, the bullets didn't hit Vanissa or Lorenzo.
By mistake, he killed the driver who was helping Zhou's mother escape. He also killed Layla, the woman who had been extremely cruel.
The most tragic part was that Mateo didn't know the full truth.
He thought he had punished the real villains. He thought he had avenged his family.
After that, he calmly turned himself in. He was ready to accept whatever punishment came.
He thought he would be judged by the law.
But the Zhou family didn't want to give him that chance.
In the cold prison, before the trial even started, Mateo was killed.
One night, while the other inmates were sleeping, a man in his cell who had already been paid off used a sharpened toothbrush to cut his throat.
Mateo died with his eyes wide open. He couldn't rest in peace.
Celine said softly, "Mateo"
Just saying his name used all the strength she had. Her voice trembled.
The next second, she jumped into his arms. Her arms wrapped around his neck. Her legs locked tightly around his waist.
"Mateo Mateo"
She buried her face into his shoulder. His body still carried the smell of a soldier. She held him tightly.
She wouldn't let go. She couldn't let go.