Ryan’s heart raced as he saw his dog, Bella, dart into the church and start barking wildly at his father’s casket. Bella’s intense barking and alert stance made Ryan’s instincts kick in. He couldn’t ignore the feeling that something was terribly wrong. With trembling hands, Ryan opened the casket, only to find it shockingly empty. His father’s body was gone.

It had been a tough day from the start. As Ryan stepped out of his car in front of the church, the weight of the moment hit him hard. “We couldn’t even give Dad a proper funeral,” he thought, feeling the sting of unpreparedness. Just as he was about to get lost in his grief, Bella’s frantic barking pulled him back to reality.

“Bella!” he called, trying to calm her with a hand signal. Bella obeyed but kept whining. Ryan patted her head through the open car window, saying softly, “Stay, Bella.”

With a heavy heart, Ryan went into the church, leaving Bella behind. Inside, the atmosphere was thick with sadness. His father Arnold’s casket was closed and tightly sealed, a precaution due to the infectious nature of Arnold’s illness.

Sitting beside his mother, Ryan felt the enormity of the moment. Arnold was supposed to be cremated, not buried, due to the nature of his death.

As the mass came to an end and the mourners stood to sing the final hymn, Bella’s barking suddenly shattered the quiet. She had leapt onto the casket, toppling the flower arrangement, and barked incessantly. Her intense gaze and alert posture made Ryan’s heart race.

“Open the casket!” Ryan demanded, his voice cutting through the shocked silence. The room gasped as he marched over to the casket and opened it—only to find it empty.

“Wh-Where’s my brother?” Ryan’s uncle stuttered, turning to the funeral director with disbelief.

Ryan’s mother, overwhelmed, fainted. He caught her just in time and rushed her to the hospital.

Later, at his mother’s house, Ryan called the police. Detective Bradshaw told him, “We know your father’s death was confirmed by the coroner, and the remains were released to the funeral home. Was your father involved in any activities I should know about?”

Ryan had distanced himself from his father’s business to focus on his dog training center, but he knew Arnold wouldn’t have risked his reputation.

With no new leads, Detective Bradshaw promised to keep Ryan updated and left. Not one to sit idly by, Ryan went to the morgue to get answers.

At the morgue, Ryan was stunned when the nurse told him, “The coroner resigned? And there’s no new coroner yet?” When he asked to see his father’s file, the nurse refused, citing hospital policy.

Determined, Ryan discreetly placed $1,000 on the counter. The nurse turned a blind eye as he sneaked into the coroner’s office. He searched every shelf for Arnold’s file but found nothing.

Frustrated, Ryan’s phone buzzed with a message from his father’s lawyer, Mr. Stevens, requesting an urgent meeting.

At the lawyer’s office, Ryan accessed Arnold’s email on the office computer but found the inbox empty—someone had deleted all the messages.

“Ryan! Good to see you,” Mr. Stevens greeted him, shutting the door behind him.

“Who’s been using this computer?” Ryan asked sharply.

“No one,” Mr. Stevens replied, puzzled.

Ryan’s eyes swept the room. “Where are the figurines?” he noticed that two were missing from his father’s collection.

“Oh, he took them home,” Mr. Stevens explained. “Poor Arnold… He was always trying to complete that set, but the man who owns the third figurine won’t sell it for anything less than half a million.”

Ryan was certain the figurines weren’t at his parents’ house; he had already searched every corner since arriving for the funeral.

Mr. Stevens then revealed that the company was in severe debt, with investors threatening to pull out due to Arnold’s erratic behavior. He hinted at a possible romantic affair between Arnold and his new secretary, Miss Pearson.

The thought of his father’s betrayal angered Ryan. He wanted to confront Miss Pearson immediately, but Mr. Stevens advised against it to avoid ruining Arnold’s reputation.

After spending the day managing the company’s financial mess and calming investors, Ryan decided to follow Miss Pearson. He trailed her to a modest suburban home and waited outside in his car.

Hours later, Ryan watched Miss Pearson leave her house. Instead of following her, he decided to investigate her home. He sneaked into her garage, found a doorway leading inside, and quietly searched every room. He found nothing until he noticed a slightly open drawer in the living room coffee table. Inside was a Manila envelope containing Arnold’s life insurance policy for $7 million, with Miss Pearson listed as the sole beneficiary.

Ryan took the document to the police.

“This is compelling evidence,” Detective Bradshaw acknowledged. “We’ll investigate further and bring Miss Pearson in for questioning.”

Just as Ryan was about to leave, Detective Bradshaw approached him with urgent news: Miss Pearson had booked a flight to Morocco, a country with no extradition treaty with the U.S., and the plane was set to depart in half an hour.

Despite Detective Bradshaw’s protests, Ryan insisted on joining the police at the airport. He followed them, slipping through security unnoticed.

At the boarding gate, Detective Bradshaw called out, “You there! The dark-haired woman in the white shirt! Step out of the line and raise your hands!”

Ryan felt a rush of relief—until the woman turned around. It wasn’t Miss Pearson. After hours of searching, it became clear that Miss Pearson had already vanished.

Frustrated but determined, Ryan knew his father was still alive. He recalled the missing figurines and decided to track down the collector who owned the third piece.

“So, how much will you take for it?” Ryan asked the collector, Mr. Frederick.

“$750,000,” Mr. Frederick replied firmly.

“That’s well above market value,” Ryan noted.

“Then don’t buy it. The price is non-negotiable,” Mr. Frederick retorted.

Determined, Ryan agreed to the price and quickly arranged the funds by selling $750,000 worth of his shares in his father’s company.

“Ryan,” Mr. Stevens cautioned, “you’ll lose your controlling stake in the company.”

“I’m aware,” Ryan replied. “But this is urgent.”

With the money in hand, Ryan secured the figurine. He then organized an auction, hoping to lure his father out of hiding.

On the day of the auction, Ryan watched from the back of the room as bidders competed for the figurine. Just as the bidding reached its peak, a voice called out, “One million dollars!”

Ryan froze—it was his father’s voice.

Arnold stood, removing his hat, and the room fell silent. The auctioneer declared the sale, and Arnold headed for the exit. But before he could leave, Ryan and Detective Bradshaw intercepted him.

“Ryan? You tricked me!” Arnold spat, realizing the setup.

“Don’t act like I’ve betrayed you, Dad. You faked your death, leaving us to mourn an empty casket, all for the sake of running off with your mistress!” Ryan confronted him, seething with anger.

Arnold hung his head, admitting that he wanted to escape his old life and start anew with Miss Pearson. He had bribed the coroner, faked his death, and taken out a massive life insurance policy to fund his new life.

“‘A man should do what is right, not follow his selfish desires.’ You taught me that, Dad. I’m sorry you couldn’t follow your own principles, but your betrayal led to your downfall,” Ryan said, his voice filled with disappointment.

Detective Bradshaw assured Ryan that Miss Pearson would be caught soon. As Arnold was led away in handcuffs, Ryan couldn’t help but feel a sense of bitter justice.