The ghost inside lifted its head. Seeing the face so close, it stared at her blankly.
Jane Sterling sighed. 'Maybe it doesn't remember.'
"Of course, I remember...."
Just as Jane Sterling was tying the soul-binding bag shut, a wizened voice sounded in her ear.
Jane Sterling's expression froze for a moment, then her eyes lit up.
"Really? Grandma, you remember me?!"
Tanya Townsend's loving gaze softened into a slow smile, and the blood in her eyes gradually faded.
"Of course. How could Grandma ever forget you? If it weren't for that bitch Sharon Shelby, I might still be by your side right now."
'What's going on?!'
Jane Sterling's face turned deathly pale in an instant.
Tanya Townsend gnashed her teeth and said resentfully.
"It's true that I had cancer back then, but the doctors all said it wasn't terminal at all. There was a high chance it could be cured."
"As long as I was hospitalized for chemotherapy in time, even if it couldn't be completely cured, clinging to life for another five or six years wouldn't have been a problem."
"But that bitch Sharon Shelby didn't want to take care of a burden like me. Not only did she control all the family's money and refuse to let me go to the hospital, she even replaced the medicine I was taking with sugar pills."
"That's what caused my condition to worsen until I kicked the bucket not long after."
Jane Sterling's entire body tensed up.
'So that's how it was. So that's what happened!'
'I knew it! How could my always-healthy grandmother just pass away so suddenly?'
At the time, Jane Sterling was living in a dorm at school. Aside from weekends, she had no time to come home.
And Charles Sterling was at a critical period for his business back then. He was away from home for at least half the year.
Sharon Shelby was the one running the entire household. She never, ever would have imagined that this was the truth of the matter.
"And another thing..." Tanya Townsend continued.
"Besides me, the other ghosts in here are all people who died on his construction sites, thanks to Charles Sterling."
"What?! What's this about?"
Surprised, Jane Sterling glanced at Charles Sterling, who wasn't far away.
"That bastard son of mine, Charles Sterling, doesn't walk a straight path. He specializes in crooked dealings. The construction projects he took on ran into problems, and a lot of workers died."
"But to avoid paying for their burials, he just found some random places and buried them all."
"Those workers were powerless people, and some didn't even have families. By doing this, as long as the police couldn't find any fault, Charles Sterling saved himself a fortune in burial fees."
"Truly a black-hearted couple. I hate them so much. How could I have given birth to a son like that?! If I had known, I should have strangled him the moment he was born."
In an instant, black energy erupted from Tanya Townsend's entire being.
The soul-binding bag showed signs of bulging. Startled, Jane Sterling quickly tightened it shut.
"I understand, Grandma. Leave the rest to me. You just stay put in there for now."
With that, she held the soul-binding bag upright and stuffed it into her pocket.
She looked coldly at Sharon Shelby, who was squatting on the floor.
Sharon Shelby had always been meticulous about her appearance, but now she looked like a madwoman. Her hair was a mess as she squatted in a corner, looking completely terrified.
Off to the side, Charles Sterling was on the landline, talking to someone.
"Yes, yes, my daughter has gone crazy. That's right... hurry up and take her away!"
Hearing Charles Sterling's words, Jane Sterling's eyes hardened. She walked right up and yanked the landline cord from the wall.
BEEP BEEP BEEP—
The call was cut off. Seeing Jane Sterling's hostile expression, Charles Sterling flinched.
"You... What do you think you're doing? Are you trying to murder your own father? Put down that fruit knife!"
Jane Sterling still held the fruit knife, her presence radiating a chilling aura.
"Hmph. Don't worry. Killing you would just dirty my hands. I'm not willing to ruin the rest of my life for someone like you."
With that, Jane Sterling took a few steps back and pointed at the dazed Sharon Shelby on the floor.
"Grandma was so good to you. Why did you harm her?"
Charles Sterling was completely bewildered by Jane Sterling's out-of-the-blue accusation.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
Jane Sterling looked at him coldly.
"Am I spouting nonsense? Why don't you ask her! Grandma could have lived a healthy life, but it was all her! She's the one who harmed Grandma!"
Now that Jane Sterling knew the whole truth, she looked at Charles Sterling as if deliberately seeking revenge.
She repeated everything Tanya Townsend had told her.
The color drained from Charles Sterling's face, his expression one of disbelief.
"Stop your nonsense. You might not know what kind of person your mother is, but I do! How could she possibly harm my mom?"
But as he said this, a flicker of doubt crossed Charles Sterling's face.
'Could it really be as Jane Sterling said?'
Jane Sterling offered no explanation.
'If a person is only willing to believe what he wants to believe, then words are useless.'
"If you don't believe me, why don't you go ask the hospital where Grandma had her check-up back then? They must still have the records, right? See for yourself if it was because this woman here didn't want to get Grandma treated that she missed the best window for recovery!"
Then, Jane Sterling looked coldly at Charles Sterling again.
"And another thing—the things you've done. Grandma is very disappointed in you. How could you, for your own selfish gain, disguise the deaths of workers on your construction site as accidents? You... you're truly rotten to the core!"
With that, Jane Sterling pulled out her phone and quickly called the police.
"Hello, I'd like to report a crime... Yes, at People's Hospital."
By the time Charles Sterling reacted, Jane Sterling had already hung up the phone.
He exploded with rage, strode forward, and snatched the phone from Jane Sterling's hand.
But Jane Sterling had already ended the call.
"It's no use grabbing my phone. I already reported it!"
"FUCK—"
Her phone was violently smashed onto the ground by Charles Sterling.
"You bitch! If I had known you weren't our biological daughter, I should have strangled you to death!"
Jane Sterling glared fiercely at him.
"You should be thinking about how you're going to explain yourselves at the police station. The two of you ought to pay the price for what you've done!"
The words had barely left her lips when the sound of frantic footsteps came from outside.
CRASH! The main door was thrown open, and a group of people in police uniforms walked right in.
"We're the police. We just received a call."
Now forced into a corner, Charles Sterling's eyes fell on Jane Sterling, who was closest to him. His gaze shifted, and he lunged, snatching the fruit knife from her hand.
Seeing that the jig was up, he planned to take Jane Sterling hostage.
But Jane Sterling was clearly a step faster than him.
As Charles Sterling lunged at her, she had already bolted towards the police.
"Officers, help me!"