A Family That Crimes Together Stays Together

I was the zero-loss, top-tier attorney in my field.

Then, I transmigrated. The System ordered me to defend a celebrity serial killeran idol, no lessand, by highlighting his redeemable qualities, get him a reduced sentence.

Watching the defendant openly provoke the victims families in court, I did the only logical thing: I pulled a complete heel turn right there, submitting a key piece of overlooked evidence that sealed his conviction.

Before the judge could drop the gavel, that mass of brainwashed fans was still outside, chanting "He's innocent!" Fine. If they wanted to stand by him so badly, I filed a motion to investigate the fan club for campaign finance fraud and wire fraud, ensuring they'd be sewing prison uniforms for the next decade.

Just as I was about to dismantle the entire legal team and ancillary accomplices, the System shrieked and shoved me into the body of the neglected older brother in a saccharine "Golden Child" novel.

[WARNING! This time, you are the biological brother of the villain! Blood is thicker than water! You absolutely cannot betray your family!]

[SECOND WARNING! You are forbidden from using the law to send the main antagonist to prison!]

The System was still shrieking its rules when I turned and made an appointment to take my "golden child" little brother in for a prefrontal lobotomy.

If I couldn't jail him, I'd commit him. A life sentence in a high-security psychiatric ward is still a sentence.

A slightly simple brother is quite endearing, as long as hes not a threat to society.

I stood outside the high-security ward, watching Cameron Stone through the one-way glass. He was strapped down in professional restraints, screaming hoarsely into a rubber mouth-guard designed to keep him from biting his own tongue.

The doctor stood beside me, holding the surgical consent form. "Mr. Stone, you understand this is a lobotomy? A prefrontal lobotomy is irreversible..."

I pushed my glasses up my nose, my tone calm and measured. "Doctor, my brother has been in agony his whole life because he's too smarttoo focused on harming others. As his older brother, I can't just stand by and watch him walk into a criminal future. Just a small resection. It will turn him into a worry-free little angel, always happy and always with us. Isn't that the greatest act of love I can give him?"

The System's voice was a sharp, high-pitched alarm in my head. [Atticus Reed! Are you a demon?!]

[The original plot required him to frame you, smear your name until you were completely blacklisted, and leave you to die alone in the street!]

[I told you to redeem him with love and turn him to the good side, not turn him into a vegetable!]

I slowly capped my fountain pen and replied mentally. [System, you need to broaden your perspective.]

[Cameron is the antagonist because he has the capacity for high-level, intelligent crime.]

[I'm performing a complete root-cause analysis, addressing the source of the problem. A physical reboot is still a reformation.]

[Furthermore, I'm not killing him, I'm not sending him to prison, and I'm paying a premium for his treatment. What more could a dedicated older brother do?]

My warped logic caused the System to short-circuit for a full two seconds. [But... but the rest of the Stone family is on their way!]

[The eldest sister is a CEO, the second is a genius doctor, the third is a superstar, and your parents worship him.]

[If they find out youre having their precious golden child lobotomized, they will literally tear you limb from limb!]

As if on cue, a sudden flurry of urgent high-heeled footsteps and an enraged shout echoed down the corridor. "Atticus Reed! What in God's name are you doing!"

I turned to see a formidable crew storming toward me. At the head was Veronica Stone, the matriarch, her face a contorted mask of rage barely concealed by her makeup. Following her closely was Kendall Stone, the eldest, in a tailored power suit, and Dr. Jocelyn Stone, the second sister, in a lab coat over her scrubs.

Veronica lunged, her hand raised to strike. "How could you be so wicked! Release Cam, now!"

I didn't flinch from the blow. Instead, just as her hand was about to connect with my cheek, I calmly pulled a leather-bound copy of the Model Penal Code from my briefcase.

Her palm slammed into the hard leather cover, and she cried out, clutching her hand in pain.

I pocketed the book with a slight smile. "Assaulting an officer of the court doesn't always lead to incarceration, but I will file a civil suit for intentional battery and request punitive damages. Considering how expensive this ward is, your settlement could cover his medical bills."

Kendall stepped forward, supporting her mother who was now wincing and breathing through her teeth. Her eyes were cold and predatory. "Atticus, have you lost your mind?"

"Cam was a little unruly, and you commit him to an asylum? Stop the surgery immediately, or I promise I will make sure you never practice law in this city again!"

I looked at the CEOa woman whose only talent was in mergers and acquisitionsand shook my head with feigned disappointment. "Kendall, how can you call it merely 'unruly'?"

"He's not willful; he's fundamentally broken."

I pulled a stack of printed chat logs and security stills from my bag and gently tossed them at her chest. "Last month, he put Paraquat weed killer in my coffee, claiming he was 'helping with the toxins.' Last week, he cut your brake lines, saying he was 'testing the vehicle's integrity.' And yesterday, he boiled all of Jocelyn's lab rats for soup, saying he was 'making her a tonic.'"

I sighed, managing to redden my eyes just enough for the performance. "Sister, does a normal person do these things? This is textbook Severe Antisocial Personality Disorder."

"If I don't get him treated now, he might decide to boil you or me next. It will be too late then."

Kendall glanced down at the evidence. They knew about these incidents, but every time Cam cried or threw a tantrum, they dismissed it as "our little brother's playful genius."

Jocelyn picked up the materials, her brow deeply furrowed. "Even if that's true, you cannot authorize a lobotomy! It's an archaic, barbaric procedure! I'm a physician; I have the right to intervene in a patient's treatment plan."

She moved to enter the ward. I stepped to the left, blocking the door. "Jocelyn, this is a psychiatric facility, not your sterile surgical theater."

"I am Cameron's designated statutory guardian. I have the authority to decide his treatment." I pushed up my glasses, the lenses flashing with cold light. "Furthermore, under the law regarding patients who pose an immediate, severe threat to themselves or others, a guardian can seek involuntary commitment."

"I have a court-ordered Writ of Involuntary Commitment. The law is on my side. If you forcibly enter this room, I will charge you with Obstruction of Justice and report you to the Medical Board for practicing medicine outside your specialized domain."

Jocelyn froze. She had never seen Atticus like this. The usual compliant, family-pleasing doormat was gone, replaced by a razor-sharp antagonist who gave no quarter.

She was the designated "genius" of the family, but she was stunned into silence. She quickly recovered. "Guardian? Mother and Father are here. Since when do you get priority?"

Walter Stone, the patriarch, stepped forward, his face dark with disapproval. "Atticus, you have no authority in this house. I am Cameron's father. I order you to stop this farce immediately."

"Otherwise, I will publish a notice in every major paper, disowning you and retracting everything you currently possess."

The original Atticus would have immediately crumbled, desperate for their approval. But I am not the original. I am a cold-blooded killer of legal proceedings.

I looked at Walter with an air of genuine confusion. "Father, are you suffering from a legal delusion? American law does not allow for the 'disownment' of biological kin."

"You sound legally illiterate, sir. I suggest you go read a book."

Walter sputtered, his face purpling. "You... you insolent snake!"

"And as for retracting 'everything I possess'?"

I looked around at the well-dressed, morally bankrupt family and let out a light laugh. "The condo I live in? I bought it with my own mortgage. The car I drive? Firm-issued. The clothes on my back? Purchased with money I earned."

"Since I turned eighteen, you haven't given me a single dollar, claiming you were 'teaching me independence.' Meanwhile, you bought Cameron a fifty-million-dollar yacht."

"So, Mr. Stone, what exactly are you planning to retract? The nonexistent fatherly love? If so, please do. I consider it contaminated."

The rapid-fire attack of facts hit Walter like a physical blow; he grabbed his chest, swaying slightly. Kendall quickly supported him, rounding on me. "Atticus! Are you trying to kill Dad! Where is your conscience?!"

"My conscience is alive and well. It's your brains, however, that might need a consultation with Cameron's surgeon."

I checked my watch. "The procedure should have started. The anesthetic is already in the line. Since you're all here, why not sit down and admire Cameron's rebirth?"

Just then, the ward door burst open. A nurse scrambled out, eyes wide with panic. "Code Red! The patientthe patient broke out of the restraints!"

I frowned. Those were specialized maximum-security restraints. Cameron couldn't possibly possess that much strength unless he was truly fueled by pure, unadulterated evil.

The next second, Cameron burst from the room, a scalpel in his hand. He was in a hospital gown, his eyes filled with stark, naked murder. "Atticus! I'm going to kill you!"

He screamed, charging straight at me.

The System shrieked: [Host, watch out! This is the Villain Aura! He gets a power boost in moments of desperation!]

The Stone family, incredibly, looked relieved, even joyful.

Veronica yelled, "Cam! Come to Mommy!"

Kendall cried, "Don't be scared, Cam! Sister is here!"

They saw their darling boy, traumatized, seeking comfort. But Cameron didn't even look at them; he was truly trying to murder me.

Facing the flashing surgical steel, I didn't step back. I adjusted my stance, ensuring I was perfectly centered in the ceiling-mounted security camera's view. "Cameron, put the knife down. It's dangerous."

"Big brother knows you hate me for bringing you here, but I did it for your own good!"

"Die! You bastard!" Cameron roared, lunging the scalpel straight toward my throat.

When the tip was five inches from my carotid artery, I moved.

I didn't use a theatrical martial arts move. I just precisely sidestepped and extended my foot, tripping him.

Cameron flew, inertia carrying him forward. He landed hard, face-first, on the polished floor.

The scalpel spun out of his hand, flying across the tile floor. By chance, it landed point-first, embedding itself in the toe of Kendall's four-figure Manolos.

Two screams ripped through the corridor.

One from Cameron, who had likely broken his nose, his face immediately slick with blood. The second from Kendall, whose foot was now pinned to the floor by the blade.

The corridor erupted in chaos.

I calmly brushed off my trousers, addressing the stunned doctor and security guards. "You all saw that. The patient exhibited extreme aggression and assault with a deadly weapon."

"Had that blade hit me, I would be a corpse. This is severe, homicidal violence. It meets the threshold for maximum-level statutory restraint."

I pointed at Cameron, who was twitching on the floor, then at Kendall, whose foot was bleeding profusely. "Look. He even stabbed his own sister. His condition is clearly extreme."

"Doctor, I believe the initial lobotomy plan was perhaps too conservative."

"I recommend we add Electroconvulsive Therapy. If we can't cut the water out of his brain, maybe we can shock it out."

Jocelyn, who was frantically trying to stop the bleeding in Kendall's foot, looked up. For the first time, her eyes held real fear. "Atticus, are you a demon?"

I smiled, looking down at her. Behind my glasses, my eyes were utterly devoid of warmth. "No, Jocelyn. I am an attorney. A specialist in handling the incorrigible."

Cameron never made it to surgery.

The face-first fall gave him a mild concussion and a fractured nasal bone.

The Stone family used the emergency room visit as a pretense to forcefully remove him from the psychiatric hospital.

I didn't try to stop them. The System was screaming: [Cannot kill the villain! Cannot use the law to jail him yet! If you had been any rougher, he would have died!]

I stood at the hospital entrance, watching the Stone family's luxury SUV speed away, a slight, cold smile curving my lips. "Don't worry, System. I'm going to be a model, law-abiding citizen."

I returned to my firm. I hadn't been back for long when my phone exploded.

It was Stella Stone, the third sibling and the A-list celebrity.

She was shrieking on the other end. "Atticus! You hurt Cam and Kendall? I'm going to destroy your life!"

"I already posted on my social media! Wait until my tens of millions of followers tear you to shreds!"

I opened my news feed. Sure enough, the top trending topic was #AtticusTheEvilBrother.

Stella had posted a tearful, long-form accusation, claiming I was jealous and, to seize the family fortune, tried to have my perfectly healthy brother lobotomized. The post included photos of a bloodied, pathetic-looking Cameron in the hospital bed, and a picture of Kendall's bandaged, "brutalized" foot.

There was also a clipped audio file, containing only my line: "Just a small resection... it will turn him into a worry-free little angel."

The comment section exploded:

[OMG! What kind of monster is this brother! A lobotomy? That's attempted murder!]

[Rich people drama is terrifying. Poor Cam and Kendall!]

[Dox him! Make him pay! This man should be disbarred!]

My DMs were instantly full of venom and death threats. Even the firm's main line was overwhelmed. My assistant ran into my office, crying. "Mr. Reed, so many people are calling to scream at you! Someone sent a funeral wreath to the lobby!"

The System was panicked. [Its happening! This is the original plot!]

[You get net-doomed to death, and Cameron will walk over your corpse to victory!]

I calmly sipped my coffee and opened my laptop. "System, do you know the best way to fight a public smear campaign?"

[Apologize? Shut down your accounts?]

"Wrong."

My fingers flew across the keyboard, typing code and legal documents. "It's to make them realize that I can reach through the network and send them all to federal prison."

"Since Stella wants a war of public opinion, I'll teach her what a society governed by the rule of law looks like."

I didn't respond to the online vitriol. Instead, I quietly did three things:

First, I compiled the full surveillance video of Cameron's armed assault in the hospital, along with the evidence of his attempted murder at home (the brake lines and the weed killer).

Second, I initiated a deep dive into Stella's tax records. She's a top-tier influencer, earning a massive income. Did she pay all her taxes? Any off-the-books deals? Any suspicious shell companies? I knew no one in that industry had clean hands.

"System, scan Stella Stone's financial transactions for the last five years."

The System complained but complied. [Beep! Scan complete! Discovered tax evasion totaling 0-0.2 million, along with multiple instances of off-the-books wire transfers.]

I looked at the dense data on the screen and smiled like a supervillain. "Stella, you brought this on yourself."

"Since you used your 'illegal fundraising' productyour fan baseto attack me, I'll send your fan base into mourning."

Just as I prepared my counter-attack, Mr. Stevens, the firm's managing partner, walked in, his face grim. "Reed, your personal drama has severely compromised the firm's reputation."

"The Stone Group just filed a formal letter, demanding we terminate all their corporate advisory contracts unless we fire you."

He threw a termination letter on my desk. "You need to leave. Don't take the whole firm down with you."

Kendall, the corporate shark, had already started her economic blockade.

I picked up the termination letter and shredded it without a glance. "Mr. Stevens, under the terms of the labor agreement, unilateral termination without just cause requires you to pay me two years' severance."

"Furthermore, the Stone Group's termination constitutes a breach of contract. Their penalty is significant. Are you sure you don't want to pursue that?"

Stevens was stunned. "You're worried about money right now?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

I stood up and adjusted my tie. "I'm worried about money, and I'm worried about justice."

"Let me borrow the firm's private streaming room."

"I'm going to hold a live legal seminar. The topic? The Inevitable Prison Sentence of a High-Profile Celebrity and Her Legally Illiterate Family."