Reborn: No Evidence for the True Young Master

My brother, Gavin Lancasterthe family heirtossed all evidence and witnesses to prove himself a legal prodigy. The opposing counsel buried him with their own proof, leaving him speechless.

I had made copies. Submitting them at the last minute, I testified for the victim and salvaged the win.

At home, he exploded. "Who asked you to play hero? I was about to break through! Now everyone sees me as a fool! What are you proving, you imposter?"

My parents turned on me; only my sister Serena defended me. She even married me against their will. But I was a fool. She only wed me to torture me more intimately.

She had countless affairs, rarely came home, and stood as opposing counsel in every case of mine. It peaked when one of her lovers ran me over, costing me my legs. In court, she defended him.

I broke. "Dont you have a conscience? Ive called you sister since I was four!"

"And you?" she sneered. "You stole Gavins life at four."

In despair, I jumped from the roof.

When I opened my eyes, I was backon the day of my brothers "evidence-free" defense.

...

When I opened my eyes again, I was sitting in the gallery of the courtroom.

The defense attorney was just as aggressive as he had been in my previous life.

"Mr. Lancaster has spent this entire trial lecturing us on legal statutes," the opposing counsel sneered, pacing the floor. "But where is the evidence to refute my client's claims? A courtroom is a place for facts, not fairy tales. Mr. Lancaster, you keep claiming my clients are lying. So, where is your proof?"

A single drop of cold sweat rolled down Gavin's temple.

In my past life, this was the exact moment he began to crumble. He had already thrown all the physical evidence into a dumpster before the trial began, arrogant enough to believe he could win on rhetoric alone.

Back then, after failing to talk sense into him, I had secretly gone to the sanitation site, dug through the filth, and retrieved every single piece of evidence. And at this precise moment in the last timeline, I had stood up from the gallery, holding the files high.

"I have the evidence!" I had shouted.

That one action saved Gavin's law license. But it also ruined his grand plan for an "evidence-free defense."

"Oh, the evidence... of course I have it..." Gavin's voice trembled now.

His eyes scanned the room and locked onto me in the gallery. He furrowed his brows, shooting me a vicious glare.

Gavin was arrogant. Ever since the Lancaster family found him and brought him home as their true biological son, he had been desperate to prove himself. But his arrogance was entirely built on the fact that I was always there, standing in his shadow, cleaning up his messes.

Right now, his gaze held that familiar, entitled threat.

But this time, I didn't move.

I turned my head and deliberately looked away.

I heard him suck in a sharp breath.

"Mr. Lancaster? We are waiting. Where is the evidence?" the opposing counsel pressed.

"The... the evidence..." Gavin stammered, another bead of sweat dripping from his chin. He was frantically winking and signaling at me now.

I stared blankly at the wall, completely blind to his panic.

The judge cleared his throat, his patience worn thin. "If the plaintiff cannot produce reliable evidence, the charges cannot be substantiated. Case dismissed."

"What..." Gavin's legs gave out, and he collapsed into his chair.

The family of the bullied girl erupted into a frenzy of grief.

"No! That's impossible! We gave you the evidence!" the mother screamed, lunging toward the defense table. "We gave you our daughter's clothes, her diary! Mr. Lancaster, bring them out! Please!"

Gavin's face was ashen. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Looking at the victims' heartbroken parents, I frowned. My fingers twitched, but in the end, I kept my hands in my lap.

I'm sorry, I thought. Just wait a little longer. Please, just wait.

Now was not the time to act. Just this once, I needed to be selfish.

I stood up to leave.

Suddenly, a heavy gaze fell upon me. My breath hitched in my throat.

Serena.

My adoptive sister. And in my past life, my wife.

Her eyes were dark with dissatisfaction and a hint of accusation. I let out a cold scoff. Instead of walking toward her like an obedient puppy as I used to, I bypassed her entirely and strode out of the courtroom.

But when I reached the corridor, she was already waiting for me.

I kept my face impassive and tried to brush past her, but her hand shot out and clamped around my wrist. She shoved me against the marble wall.

Her hazel eyes were a storm of cold fury. "You had the evidence. Why didn't you help him?"

My heart seized.

I hadn't told a single soul that I had secretly retrieved the evidence. The fact that she knew could only mean one thing.

She had been reborn, too.

Looking at that gaze, a gaze identical to the one from my past life, my eyes burned.

In my previous life, right before I died, I had screamed at her, begging for answers. She had looked at me with this exact same, indifferent gaze.

Back then, my legs had been amputated from the knees down. We had lost the lawsuit. I looked like a raving lunatic in my wheelchair.

"Did you marry me just so you could torture me better?" I had shrieked.

She had only smiled, a playful, cruel tilt of her lips. "You ruined Gavin's career. I ruined your life. Seems fair, doesn't it?"

She didn't know that by then, I was already consumed by severe depression.

Sitting on the windowsill, I had offered her a bitter smile and tipped backward. In my final moments, I saw her lunge toward me like a madwoman, reaching out to grab my hand.

She missed by an inch.

As I fell, I saw her hanging over the ledge, screaming my name.

Before I hit the ground, my first memory of her flashed before my eyes. In the orphanage, pointing a small finger at me. "I want him to be my brother."

At school, standing between me and the bullies. "He is my brother. Touch him and see what happens."

Growing up, introducing me to the titans of the legal world. "This is my brother. If he makes a mistake, it's my fault for not teaching him well. Please be patient with him."

For a fleeting moment, I used to believe she truly cared for me. But given a second chance, her eyes still held no place for me. I was just the outsider.

Slap.

The sound echoed in the hallway. Her face turned to the side, her eyes wide with shock.

My voice was dead, devoid of all emotion. "That slap is for my lost legs."

"Rowan?" she whispered, instinctively calling me by my childhood name.

I stepped around her and walked away without looking back.

When I returned to the Lancaster estate, Gavin was in the middle of one of his usual tantrums.

"Rowan is a lawyer too!" Gavin was shouting. "He was sitting right there in the gallery, watching me make a fool of myself! Now the entire legal community is laughing at me. Is that what he wants? That cuckoo in the nest, does he just get off on seeing the real son fail?"

It was almost impressive. Even when I did absolutely nothing, Gavin found a way to blame me.

But of course. In this house, Gavin could do no wrong. He was the biological son who had been lost to the world, the one who suffered while I enjoyed everything that was rightfully his. Therefore, I was the villain.

Right on cue, Mr. and Mrs. Lancaster turned their furious gazes on me.

"Why didn't you help him?" my mother demanded.

"He threw away all the evidence himself," I replied calmly. "I tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't listen. What could I do? I can't speak in court without proof."

"Excuses!" Mother slammed her hand on the table. "You have a perfect win record. You could have said something, anything! The whole city was watching Gavin's big debut. You just wanted him to look bad. You refused to help on purpose!"

My father gritted his teeth. "If you had just stepped up, your brother would have won this case. We raised you for twenty years, and this is how you repay us? You ungrateful wretch!"

I looked at them coldly. Unbidden, a sting of moisture gathered in my eyes.

There was a time when they proudly called themselves my parents. When I got into law school, they hung banners and bragged to anyone who would listen about their brilliant son. Mother's warm hands used to cup my face. Father always remembered to bring me my favorite cake on his way home from work.

I hadn't changed. Why was it that suddenly, my very existence was a crime?

Gavin stepped forward, a smug look in his eyes. "Brother, I'm going to file an appeal. This time, help me out. Just consider it repaying Mom and Dad for raising you. Fair?"

I looked at my parents. Then, I reached into my pocket, pulled out a bank card, and placed it on the mahogany table.

"Every cent you've spent on me over the past twenty years is in this account," I said quietly.

They froze. "What is the meaning of this?" my father asked.

I met their gaze without flinching. "From today onward, I, the cuckoo in the nest, will no longer intrude on your lives. I wish the four of you a very happy future."

My parents stood up in shock.

I turned on my heel and bumped into someone. Serena was standing behind me. She was frowning, her eyes searching my face.

I ignored her and walked straight to my bedroom.

I left behind every luxury item my parents and Serena had ever bought for me. I packed only the clothes and essentials I had purchased with my own salary.

When I emerged, holding a single cardboard box, Serena was blocking the doorway.

"Ms. Lancaster, excuse me," I said.

"Can you not leave?"

I thought I misheard her. There was a tremor of fear in her voice, something I had never heard from the iron-willed Serena.

When I didn't answer, her tone softened further. "I misspoke earlier. Don't be angry, okay? Rowan, you've been with us since you were four. In the past, we were even married for three years..."

She stopped, swallowing the rest of her words. Her eyes were red-rimmed as she looked at me. "You might be willing to walk away, but I can't bear to let you go."

I stared at her, my jaw clenched. "Have you forgotten everything you did to me during those three years of marriage?"

A tear spilled down her cheek. "Rowan..."

"Get out of my way."

I shoved past her, squeezing through the gap in the doorway.

She instinctively reached out to grab my sleeve. Just like the moment I fell from the building in my past life.

She missed by an inch.

With her desperate calls echoing behind me, I quickened my pace. Once I walked out of that door, I never looked back.

I contacted the victims. I presented them with the evidence Gavin had tossed away.

They nearly fell to their knees in gratitude and immediately hired me to represent them.

The retrial was scheduled, and once again, the public's eyes were fixed on the case. Could the adopted brother win the case the biological son had butchered?

Before the trial, I ran into a familiar face in the parking lot. Serena was standing near my car, watching me. Her eyes were filled with worry and longing.

"Are you still angry with me?" she asked, her voice as gentle as it used to be years ago.

I turned to leave.

She grabbed my wrist. "In our last life, it was my fault. I was wrong. Please, come home with me."

"Let go of me!" I shoved her.

She stumbled backward, barely keeping her balance. For a long moment, she stood there. Then, she smiled, a sad, red-eyed smile. "Rowan, do you hate me that much now?"

"Yes!" I spat, staring into her eyes without an ounce of hesitation.

Her eyes grew redder. Her voice was hoarse. "I'm sorry."

"What aremmmph!"

Before I could finish, a chemical-soaked cloth was clamped over my nose and mouth from behind. My limbs instantly turned to lead, and I collapsed into Serena's waiting arms.

"Rowan, I have to do this," she whispered.

In a haze, I felt her bodyguards dragging me into a car.

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on a plush, king-sized bed. I looked at the decor, and a violent shudder ran through my body.

This was the marital home Serena and I shared in our past life.

What was she doing? How had she renovated this place so quickly?

On the nightstand sat photos of me as a child, alongside pictures of the two of us together. What was Serena planning?

Panic set in. I looked at the clock.

Court day.

I had been unconscious for over twenty-four hours. Where was my evidence? Where was the folder?

Had I left it at my apartment?

There was no time to go back. I threw on my clothes and bolted out the door, calling a friend to search my place while I hailed a cab to the courthouse.

But when I arrived, panting and out of breath, I was too late.

Gavin was already standing at the defense table, right where I was supposed to be. And in his hand was my missing evidence folder.

When the judge declared a victory for the defense, the courtroom erupted in applause. Gavin wore a triumphant, smug smile. He turned, his eyes landing on me standing by the gallery doors, and his smile widened.

But my eyes bypassed him. They landed on the woman sitting in the gallery, clapping politely.

Serena turned her head. Our eyes met, and she froze.

"It was you," I whispered, the sound of my own voice dead and hollow.

Rowan, this trial is crucial for his career reputation. I have to do this.

Someone in the crowd pointed at me. "Hey? Isn't that the lawyer who was supposed to represent them today? What is he doing standing there?"

"Hah, I bet he got scared."

"Thank god Mr. Gavin Lancaster stepped up. This guy bailed at the last minute. He doesn't even deserve to call himself a lawyer. Pathetic!"

I turned to leave, but the courthouse entrance was already swarming with reporters. I didn't want to deal with them, so I hurried down the steps. A reporter grabbed my arm, yanking me so hard I fell to my knees on the concrete.

Pain shot up my legs. Cameras flashed in my face.

"You were the original attorney for the victims, weren't you? Why did Gavin Lancaster replace you at the last second?"

"Were you just using this case for clout, feeding off the victims' misery?"

I gritted my teeth. "No!"

"Then why are you late? If your brother hadn't stepped in, the victims would have suffered a huge injustice!"

"Are you fit to practice law? You're a coward!"

"Don't run! You're not going anywhere until you give us an answer!"

I was pinned to the ground, my knees scraping against the hard stone, my suit rumpled and dirty. It was humiliating.

A figure flashed on the steps above. I looked up and met Serena's eyes. A flicker of genuine heartache crossed her face.

But then, she looked at Gavin, who was beaming under the adoration of the crowd.

She looked back at me and mouthed a silent message.

Hold on just a little longer.

A camera lens bumped into my forehead. I stared at the aggressive reporters crowding around me.

"You want an answer?" I spat. "Fine."

I tapped my phone screen twice. A video began to play, projected on a tablet I held up to the cameras.

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

"Is... is that Gavin Lancaster?!"

"Why is he throwing the evidence into a trash compactor?"

Reporters scrambled to record the screen. I watched them with cold satisfaction.

After my rebirth, I wasn't taking any chances. To prevent being accused of withholding evidence, I had gone to the sanitation company after the first trial and bought their security footage. The video clearly showed Gavin destroying the files. It also showed me arriving minutes later, digging through the trash to save them before they hit the shredder.

I had originally kept it just to prove the chain of custody for the trial. I never expected to use it here.

The media swarm instantly pivoted. Gavin was surrounded.

"Mr. Lancaster, why did you destroy the evidence? Was it just for your ego?"

"How did you get the evidence back? Did your sister give it to you, or... did you steal it?"

Gavin panicked. "What? Steal? I didn't..."

"Then how did you get it?"

"I... I..."

"You piece of trash!" The victim's father roared, pushing through the crowd. He was watching the video of Gavin throwing his daughter's clothes into the garbage. "We trusted you with everything we had! You threw it away for your own vanity!"

"If it wasn't for Rowan Lancaster, our daughter's case would be dead!" the mother screamed. "You monster! Rot in hell!"

A fist connected with Gavin's face.

The girl's mother turned and dropped to her knees before me. "Thank you for finding the evidence! My daughter was going to kill herself. Thank you!"

Kill herself...

The image of my own fall from the building flashed before my eyes. I quickly reached out to help her up. "Please, don't. It's my job."

"Hold on." A familiar, authoritative voice cut through the chaos.