As Ryan approached the church for his father’s funeral, he was overwhelmed with grief. He stood silently, reflecting on the loss, when his dog Bella’s urgent barking disrupted his thoughts. She was behaving oddly, more restless than usual.
“Stay, Bella,” Ryan commanded, signaling her to calm down. But even as he entered the church, Bella continued whining.
Inside, his father Arnold’s casket stood closed, sealed off due to the nature of his passing from a contagious illness. The family had opted for cremation. Ryan sat next to his mother, trying to hold it together.
As the service ended and hymns began, Bella burst into the church, leapt onto the casket, and barked uncontrollably. She then dropped into a focused stance, staring at Ryan.
That’s when instinct took over. “Open it,” Ryan demanded.
Gasps filled the room. As Ryan opened the casket, he froze in horror—it was empty.
Chaos followed. His uncle questioned the funeral director, his mother collapsed in shock, and Ryan rushed her to the hospital.
Later, at home, Ryan called the police. Detective Bradshaw informed him the coroner had verified the death and handed the body over to the funeral home. When asked if Arnold had been involved in anything questionable, Ryan could only say he had kept his distance after opening a dog training center.
But Ryan wasn’t willing to wait for updates. Leaving Bella at home, he went straight to the morgue—only to find out the coroner had recently resigned, and no replacement was appointed. Worse, Arnold’s file had mysteriously vanished.
Frustrated, Ryan’s phone buzzed. It was Mr. Stevens, his father’s lawyer. He informed Ryan he had inherited the CEO position and needed to meet. At the office, Ryan found his father’s email wiped clean and noticed figurines missing—ones Arnold had always kept there.
“Where are the dancers?” he asked.
“Arnold took them home. He always wanted the third figurine, but the collector asked for half a million,” Stevens replied.
Ryan was sure they weren’t at his parents’ home. Suspicion grew as Stevens revealed that Arnold had fallen into deep debt and had allegedly become romantically involved with his secretary, Miss Pearson.
Ryan, though furious, stayed calm. He worked all day to stabilize the company and then followed Miss Pearson home. When she left later that evening, he sneaked into her house. In her bedroom, he found a framed photo of her kissing Arnold—and more damning—a $7 million life insurance policy naming her as the sole beneficiary.
He took the document to the police. Detective Bradshaw was intrigued and soon discovered Miss Pearson was booked on a flight to Morocco. Officers rushed to the airport, but despite searching, she was nowhere to be found.
Determined, Ryan clung to one clue—the missing figurines. He contacted the collector of the third figurine, Mr. Frederick, and negotiated to buy it for $750,000, even if it meant selling his company shares. Mr. Stevens reluctantly agreed to the deal.
Ryan had the figurine auctioned, hoping his father would appear to complete the set. As bids climbed, Ryan feared his plan had failed—until a last-minute $1 million offer came from a man in the back. It was Arnold.
As Arnold tried to slip out, Ryan and the police blocked him. Arnold was arrested, and Ryan confronted him.
“You faked your death for a new life? Lied to everyone? For what?” he demanded.
Arnold admitted he wanted to escape his old life with Miss Pearson. He had paid off the coroner, staged his death, and planned to disappear with the insurance money.
“You taught me that a man should do what’s right,” Ryan told him. “But you didn’t. And now you’re paying the price.”
Detective Bradshaw assured Ryan that Miss Pearson wouldn’t be free for long. As Arnold was led away, Ryan finally found closure—not just for his father’s betrayal, but for the truth he uncovered on his own.