Ryan grows suspicious when his dog, Bella, rushes into the church and starts barking at his father’s coffin. Noticing Bella’s unusual behavior, Ryan opens the casket, only to discover that his father’s body is missing.
After stepping out of the car, Ryan stands outside the church, struggling to accept that he’s about to say goodbye to his father. “We couldn’t even give Dad a proper funeral,” he thinks to himself. Just then, Bella’s sharp bark snaps him out of his thoughts.
Turning toward his car, Ryan sees Bella acting restless, more agitated than usual. “Bella!” he calls, signaling her to lie down, which she obediently does. He pats her head through the window. “Stay, Bella.”
Ignoring her whine, Ryan walks into the church. His father’s casket is already in place, closed, and a funeral director has cordoned off the area due to Arnold’s infectious disease. Ryan sits beside his mother. Due to his father’s cause of death, Arnold is to be cremated rather than buried.
As the service nears its end and mourners rise to sing the final hymn, Bella’s loud bark echoes through the church. She jumps on top of the casket, knocking over the flower arrangement, and barks aggressively. When Bella takes her alert stance and stares at Ryan, something feels off.
“Open the casket!” Ryan demands.
A gasp spreads through the room, but Ryan ignores it and opens the casket—only to find it empty.
“Wh-Where’s my brother?” his uncle asks, bewildered, looking at the funeral director.
His mother, overwhelmed by the shock, collapses, but Ryan catches her just in time, preventing her from hitting the marble floor. He rushes her to the hospital.
At his mother’s house, Ryan calls the police.
“We’ve confirmed the cause of death, and the remains were released to the funeral home,” Detective Bradshaw informs him. “Was your father involved in any activities we should know about?”
Ryan hasn’t been involved in his father’s business since he started his own dog training center. Still, he knows Arnold would never risk his or the company’s reputation.
With no major leads, Detective Bradshaw promises to stay in touch but leaves. Ryan, unwilling to wait, decides to investigate further. He leaves Bella at home and heads to the morgue to find answers.
At the morgue, the nurse informs him that the coroner has resigned, and there’s no replacement yet. Ryan asks to see his father’s file, but the nurse refuses. After slipping her a \$1000 bribe, he manages to sneak into the coroner’s office. To his frustration, Arnold’s file is missing.
Just then, Ryan’s phone buzzes—it’s his father’s lawyer, Mr. Stevens, who informs him that he is now the new CEO of Arnold’s company and needs to see him urgently.
At Arnold’s office, Ryan opens his father’s Gmail but finds it empty—someone has deleted all the emails. When Ryan notices two missing figurines from his father’s desk, Mr. Stevens explains that Arnold had tried, unsuccessfully, to buy the third figurine to complete a set.
Ryan, however, is sure Arnold never took them home. He’s searched the house thoroughly since arriving for the funeral. Mr. Stevens also tells Ryan that Arnold’s company is deep in debt and several investors are threatening to pull out because Arnold missed meetings for months before his death. Stevens hints that Arnold may have been romantically involved with his new secretary.
Angered by this, Ryan is about to confront the secretary, Miss Pearson, but Stevens stops him, advising against tarnishing Arnold’s reputation. Ryan spends the day resolving the company’s debt issues and sending gifts to investors. Afterward, he follows Miss Pearson to her home and waits outside. When she leaves, Ryan sneaks into her house and finds a photo of her kissing Arnold on her nightstand.
Searching further, Ryan discovers Arnold’s life insurance policy for \$7 million, with Miss Pearson listed as the sole beneficiary. He takes the document to the police.
“This is very interesting…” Detective Bradshaw comments, looking at the policy. “Let me see what I can find out about Miss Pearson.”
Just then, the police inform Ryan that Miss Pearson is about to board a flight to Morocco. They need to question her before she leaves, as the US has no extradition treaty with Morocco. Ryan insists on accompanying them, but Detective Bradshaw refuses. Undeterred, Ryan follows them to the airport.
At the boarding gate, Detective Bradshaw commands the officers to stop a dark-haired woman in a white shirt. However, it turns out to be the wrong person. Miss Pearson has managed to escape.
Frustrated but not defeated, Ryan tracks down the collector who owns the third figurine in the set Arnold had wanted. The collector, Mr. Frederick, demands \$750,000 for it, a price far above market value. Ryan agrees to the price, then calls Mr. Stevens to arrange the money by selling some of his shares in the company.
Despite Stevens’ concern about Ryan losing control of the company, Ryan insists the money is urgently needed. Stevens eventually agrees to provide the funds without asking too many questions.
After receiving the money, Ryan returns to the auction house, where the figurine is up for bid. As the price climbs, it seems like Ryan might lose his chance to find his father. But then, just before the auction closes, Ryan hears his father’s voice, bidding \$1 million for the figurine.
Arnold stands up, revealing himself to Ryan, and the auctioneer declares the figurine sold to him. Before Arnold can leave, Detective Bradshaw steps forward, handcuffing him.
“Ryan?” Arnold exclaims. “You tricked me! This is a trap!”
“You’re the one who faked your death and ran off with your mistress!” Ryan retorts. “How could you do this?”
Arnold admits that he wanted to escape his old life and start fresh with Miss Pearson. He had taken out a massive life insurance policy, bribed the coroner to falsify his death, and staged the entire funeral to make it look like he was gone for good.
Ryan, with a bitter tone, reminds his father of the lessons he taught him: “You always said a man should do what’s right, not follow his selfish interests. You’ve failed your own principles, Dad. This is your downfall.”
Detective Bradshaw reassures Ryan that Miss Pearson will be caught soon. Arnold is then taken away in a police car.