The moment Emily spoke, Sophia froze in her seat. Grace glanced at her, confused, as if trying to figure out who this woman was. Emily smiled faintly. Regardless of who they thought she was, this time, neither Grace nor Sophia would walk away easily. The officer nodded at Emily. “You may proceed.” “Thank you,” Emily replied. She stepped further into the room, standing tall while Grace and Sophia sat, forced to look up at her. In stark contrast to their shabby appearance, Emily was well-dressed, poised, and composed, her elegance immediately intimidating Grace into silence. Grace, with a guilty smile, tried to play nice. “Miss, are you the one who reported us?” “That’s right,” Emily said calmly. Grace squinted, studying Emily’s face closely. Her brow furrowed deeply. This woman didn’t ring any bells. Her appearance, her voice—none of it matched anyone Grace remembered. Feeling a little more relaxed, Grace attempted a smile. “May I ask your name?” “Call me Miranda,” Emily said simply. “Alright, Miranda,” Grace nodded quickly. “I assure you, I had nothing to do with this fire. Since you’re the one who reported it, did you see the fire start?” Emily didn’t respond. Her eyes briefly scanned Grace’s face. Grace was no longer the glamorous Mrs. Morgan. The years of hardship had taken their toll, her face lined with deep wrinkles. She spoke while hunched over, unable to stand straight anymore. In a cool, detached voice, Emily finally spoke. “Grace, do you not recognize me?” Grace blinked, clearly puzzled. “Have we met before? Was it at the nightclub? Or somewhere else?” “Plenty of places,” Emily answered. “Bert and William’s house, Logan Morgan’s mansion, Nathan’s living room…” Grace’s face turned ghostly white as she gasped. “Who are you?!” “I am exactly who you think I am,” Emily sneered.“Are you… Emily?” Grace stammered, then quickly shook her head. “No, that’s impossible. Emily has been dead for three years! Besides, you don’t even look like her, and your voice is different. Who are you? Stop trying to scare me—I’m not afraid!” Emily didn’t confirm or deny anything. “Who I am is something you already know deep down, but that doesn’t matter. Today, we’re here to talk about the fire. I have a few questions for you, and I hope, in front of the police, you’ll be honest.” Grace quickly shook her head. “I don’t care if you’re human or a ghost, but I had nothing to do with that fire!” “Oh, really?” Emily smirked. “Then why were you and Sophia seen near Bert’s house last night?” Grace’s face turned even paler. “I wasn’t there!” “We’ve got you on surveillance footage. Do you still want to lie?” “Surveillance? The cameras there have been broken for ages…” Grace trailed off. “The footage was from a shop at the corner. The store owner installed the camera to prevent theft, and it just so happened to catch you two setting the fire. What do you have to say now?” Grace, panicking, began to ramble. “That shop is over a hundred meters from Bert’s house! I was just passing by. That doesn’t prove I went to his house!” “And what were you doing there in the middle of the night, in the dead of winter?” “Why does it matter? Am I not allowed to walk down that street? Walking there isn’t a crime!” Emily smiled. “Of course not. The road is public, after all. You can walk wherever you please. But you’ve just admitted to being near Bert’s house last night.” “So what if I did? I was just passing by! Even if there’s footage, it doesn’t prove I did anything,” Grace snapped. Emily nodded. “Fair enough.” Grace gritted her teeth. “Miranda, this is slander. I can take you to court for this.” “I’d love that,” Emily said coolly. “I know quite a bit about your past. We can settle this in court. Worst case, I pay a fine or issue a public apology for defamation. But you, Grace? Do you really think your skeletons will stay hidden once we’re there?” Grace’s defiance began to wane as she stammered, “I’m just a cleaning lady now. What could I possibly have done?” “Let’s see,” Emily listed, “stealing, embezzlement, bigamy. You married Logan while still legally married to William and even had a son with him. Bigamy is a serious crime. If the judge investigates, it won’t take long to prove. And they can ask Logan—after all, he was directly involved. His testimony would be very convincing, don’t you think?” Grace’s chest heaved with anxiety. Logan would love nothing more than to see her go down. He would surely testify against her if the police questioned him. Her arrogance collapsed. The fire in her eyes extinguished. “What do you want from me?” she whispered. “It’s simple,” Emily said calmly. “Tell the truth. Did you start the fire?” Grace gave a bitter laugh. “If I tell the truth, will you let me go?” “Telling the truth is what every citizen should do,” Emily replied. Grace lowered her head, taking a deep breath. Unlike Grace’s calculated silence, Sophia was trembling with fear. She tugged on Grace’s sleeve, her voice shaky. “Mom, who is she? How does she know so much about us…” “Who is she?” Grace muttered bitterly, her voice hollow. “She’s a vengeful ghost, straight from the depths of hell, here to make us pay.” Sophia shuddered, her lips quivering. “I told you we shouldn’t have messed with Bert. We shouldn’t have gone to his house last night…” “Shut up!” Grace snapped, glaring at her. But it was too late. Sophia had already said enough, and the police officers’ expressions grew colder as they observed the exchange. Grace raised her head. “Fine. I’ll admit it. I set the fire.” “Why?” Emily asked. “Because I wanted revenge. I went from a wealthy socialite to a cleaning lady, and I couldn’t take it. But Emily is already dead. I thought I’d make her family suffer, too, just like me. No home. Nowhere to go.”