Chapter 1

The Carter estate blazed with light, filled with the city's elite.

Today was Raymond Carter's twentieth birthday celebration and his first public appearance since the success of his heart transplant surgery.

Reynold Carter, the head of the Carter family, and his wife, Wendy Lowe, moved through the crowd with radiant smiles, accepting congratulations from every direction.

"Mr. Carter, congratulations! It's wonderful to see your son fully recovered!"

"Absolutely! Raymond's a lucky young man. I heard the donor heart was a perfect match, and there hasn't been a single sign of rejection."

Wendy smiled gracefully, her voice overflowing with motherly affection.

"We've truly been blessed. Raymond suffered for so many years. At last, those difficult days are behind him."

Surrounded by the crowd at the center of the ballroom stood the guest of honor himself, Raymond.

He wore a perfectly tailored white designer suit, his chest rising and falling steadily with each breath.

Inside it beat the heart that should have belonged to the boy I raised.

Raymond's twentieth birthday banquet was arranged with extravagant luxury.

As the celebration reached its peak, the emcee announced enthusiastically,

"Next comes the gift presentation! Let's witness the heartfelt blessings our distinguished guests have prepared for Mr. Raymond Carter!"

In a booming voice, he began reading out the gifts one by one.

"A gift from the Fall family—a limited-edition Patek Phillipe timepiece!"

"A gift from the Lee family—a rare Victorian-era porcelain vase!"

On the massive screen, images of the lavish gifts scrolled past.

Limited-edition supercars, masterpieces by renowned artists, rare antiques...

Each item drew gasps of admiration from the guests.

A proud, satisfied smile spread across Raymond's face as he basked in the attention.

Then a heavy black wooden chest, bearing no sender's name, was carried onto the stage.

"Hm? Which guest sent this? That's certainly an unusual gift box," the emcee remarked, puzzled.

The Carter couple exchanged confused looks.

At their signal, a servant stepped forward and opened the chest in full view of everyone.

The moment the lid lifted, the entire ballroom fell silent.

Every smile froze.

Inside were neatly arranged funeral wreaths, memorial candles, black ribbons of condolence, and a stack of sympathy cards...

And at the center sat a black ebony urn.

A chilling sense of dread swept through the ballroom, instantly stripping away its glamour and celebration.

"Damn it!"

Raymond's face turned deathly pale as he let out a furious, startled shout and stumbled backward.

"Who did this?!"

"WHO DID THIS?!"

Reynold flew into a rage, his entire body trembling with fury. Pointing at the chest, his voice rose into a strained shout.

"Security! Lock down the venue! Until the person who sent this is found, no one is leaving!"