Chapter 6

Natalie's POV

This wasn't my first time at the old accident site.

In the first year after the accident, I didn't even dare approach this place. Sebastian died in this area after pushing Ethan and me to safety, then got trapped by a secondary collapse and never came out.

Back then, Ethan hadn't yet been crushed by the reopened investigation.

He stood here with me and placed Sebastian's name in the memorial area. He told me, "Your brother saved us. He deserves to be remembered."

I truly believed him then.

Later, when the investigation results changed and it was determined that my father had wrongly sealed the rescue passage, Melissa's death overshadowed everything. Ethan began avoiding this place, and avoiding the words he'd said years ago.

Now, Sebastian's materials were packed into an ordinary archive box.

Vivian looked at the empty space in the main memorial area and said softly, "Ethan, I want to add a new plaque for Melissa. She's waited so many years. Finally she won't have to be displayed alongside the name of someone from that family."

Ethan frowned. "The memorial hall has procedures. We can't make changes arbitrarily."

Vivian lowered her head and touched the old belongings in her hands. "Melissa was most afraid of being left behind alone. She's already been trapped in that accident for so long. Doesn't she even deserve a separate place?"

After a moment of silence, Ethan turned to the hall colleague. "Make a temporary plaque first. We'll complete the paperwork later."

I stood nearby, watching the staff place the new temporary plaque in the spot that had originally belonged to my brother.

I didn't speak.

I only walked to the archive box and, under the pretense of organizing materials, figured out where the materials were being stored. The backup authorization card was still in my pocket. This was my last chance to access my brother's materials.

In the evening, people from the memorial hall gradually left.

I said I wasn't feeling well and didn't go back with Ethan.

Ethan glanced at me, as if wanting to ask something.

Vivian suddenly pressed her hand to her chest. "Ethan, I stood too long today. I want to go back early."

Ethan withdrew his gaze and instructed the driver to take me back to the villa. He left first with Vivian.

I didn't get in the car.

After the car lights disappeared, I circled to the memorial hall's side entrance and used the backup authorization card to unlock the archive room door.

At the bottom of the ordinary archive shelf, Sebastian's materials were pressed there. A label on the file box read "Removed from Main Exhibition Area."

I took out the materials, photographed and recorded them, then took a backup copy.

I couldn't let Sebastian remain only in that ordinary archive box in Ethan's hands after I left.

Just as I closed the archive cabinet, footsteps sounded behind me.

Vivian stood in the doorway. Ethan wasn't with her.

She saw the document folder in my hands, and the weakness on her face instantly vanished. "You still want to get Sebastian back into the main exhibition area?"

I tightened my grip on the folder. "I'm only taking backup archives. I'm not touching the hall's original materials."

"What if you're lying to us?" Vivian took a step forward, her gaze sweeping the corner. "There are no security cameras here. If something happens to the materials, everyone will only know you snuck into the archive room after closing."

I looked at her, finally understanding she hadn't appeared by chance.

Vivian suddenly reached out to grab the folder.

I stepped back, protecting the materials. Vivian deliberately stumbled to the side, and file boxes from the shelf came crashing down. A box of old accident materials related to Melissa scattered across the floor.

The next second, Vivian fell to the ground, clutching her arm and crying out. "Natalie, why did you push me? Melissa's things were already destroyed once. Can't you leave her alone?"

Urgent footsteps echoed from the end of the hallway.

Ethan and hall personnel rushed over.

Ethan's first glance went to Vivian's bleeding arm. His face immediately changed.

Vivian gripped his sleeve, crying and trembling. "I found Natalie sneaking into the archive room and tried to convince her not to touch the materials. To grab back the folder, she pushed me into the shelf."

I held the folder. "She tried to grab Sebastian's materials first."Ethan looked at what I was holding. "Why were you here after closing?"

"I have a backup authorization card." I said, "I have the right to keep a copy of Sebastian's materials."

Ethan ignored that statement.

His gaze fell on Melissa's scattered materials. Vivian called out softly, "Ethan, I don't want to see Melissa's things trampled on the ground like this again."

Ethan's expression turned completely cold.

He stepped forward and took the folder from my hands.

I gripped it and wouldn't let go. My injured fingers ached as he pulled.

Then he took my access card from my pocket and handed it to the hall staff. "Cancel it."

The staff processed it right there.

I stood there, watching the cancellation confirmation flash on the screen.

The last door I had to access my brother's materials. Ethan shut it.