The morning sun cast golden rays across the manicured lawns of Ashford Manor, but there was no warmth in its light. Not today.
Kaito Ashford stood at the tall bay window of his bedroom, watching moving trucks line the cobblestone driveway like a funeral procession. Workers in plain uniforms carried out priceless oil paintings, carved mahogany furniture, and crates filled with his family's memories – all tagged with bright yellow labels that read PROPERTY OF ASHFORD CORPORATION CREDITORS.
Three generations of work, he thought, his hands clenching into fists. Gone in three days.
Behind him, his phone buzzed on the desk. The screen lit up with a photo – him and Aya, laughing as they fed koi fish in the manor's garden pond. Their two-year anniversary, just two weeks ago. Back then, the world had felt like it belonged to them.
He swiped to answer. "Aya? I was just about to call you –"
"Kaito, we need to talk." Her voice was flat, devoid of the warmth he'd grown so used to. "My parents and I have been discussing things. Your family's situation... it's not going to get better. The Ashford name is ruined now."
Kaito's heart sank. "Aya, please – we can get through this together. I'm already looking into transferring to a different university, getting a job –"
"There's no point." She cut him off sharply. "Ryota's family has offered me a position at their company. We're getting engaged next month. It's what's best for everyone."
Before he could respond, the line went dead. He stared at the black screen, the photo of their happy faces mocking him. Ryota – his own cousin, who'd spent years trying to one-up him at every family gathering. Now he'd taken everything else too.
A soft knock at the door made him turn. His younger sister Hana stood there, her dark hair tied back in a messy ponytail, her 15-year-old face pale with worry.
"Onii-chan... Mom and Dad are asking for you downstairs. The lawyers are here again."
He followed her down the grand staircase, his steps echoing through the emptying halls. In the study, his father sat behind the massive oak desk – the only piece of furniture they'd been allowed to keep, though it was stripped of all its decorations. His mother stood by the window, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief.
"Kaito." His father's voice was hoarse, worn thin by days of negotiations and sleepless nights. "The partners – Nakamura, Sato, and yes... Ryota's father, Tanaka – they've admitted to siphoning funds from the company for months. By the time we discovered the embezzlement, there was nothing left. No assets, no savings, no way to pay the debts."
"But why?" Kaito's voice cracked. "We trusted them – they were family friends for years!"
"Greed," his mother said quietly. "They wanted to take over Ashford Corp. lock, stock, and barrel. And they succeeded."
That evening, they packed what little they could carry into their old sedan – clothes, some photos, Hana's favorite stuffed bear. As they drove toward the small apartment they'd rented on the city's outskirts, Kaito stared out the window at the passing buildings, each one a reminder of everything they'd lost.
"It'll be okay," Hana said, reaching over to take his hand. "We still have each other, right?"
He squeezed her fingers, forcing a smile. "Right. Always."
A few minutes later, it happened.
A massive cargo truck came roaring out of a side street, its headlights blazing like twin suns. It swerved across the median directly into their lane – and even from a distance, Kaito could see the driver's face, slack with intoxication, his eyes glassy and unfocused.
There was no time to react.
The impact was deafening. Metal crumpled, glass shattered, and the world spun into darkness.
When Kaito came to, he was lying on the asphalt, his body screaming in pain. The sedan was twisted beyond recognition, smoke rising from the engine bay. A crowd had gathered, someone was calling for an ambulance, sirens wailed in the distance.
He pushed himself up, ignoring the sharp pain in his ribs, and stumbled toward the wreck. His father was still in the driver's seat, his eyes closed. His mother lay beside him, motionless.
"Mom! Dad!"
He heard a soft whimper from the back seat. Hana was there, her head bleeding heavily, her eyes fluttering weakly. "Onii-chan... it hurts..."
"Help! Please, someone help my sister!"
Three days later, Kaito sat in the hospital's waiting room, his clothes still stained with blood and glass shards. The doctor had come out an hour ago, his face grim.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Ashford. Your parents didn't make it. Your sister has severe traumatic brain injury – she's in a coma. We're doing everything we can, but... we don't know when she'll wake up."
Kaito had nodded numbly, unable to speak. He'd spent hours sitting by Hana's bedside, holding her cold hand, watching the monitors beep and flash with steady rhythm.
That's when he overheard two men talking in the hallway outside the ICU – men in expensive suits, standing just far enough away that they thought no one could hear.
"The driver's been paid off. He'll keep his mouth shut about who hired him."
"Good. With the Ashfords out of the way, Tanaka Corp can absorb what's left of their business without any problems. And the girl – if she wakes up, we'll deal with her too."
Kaito felt the blood drain from his face. Hired?
He'd gone straight to the police, but the officer had just looked at him with pity and shook his head. "Mr. Ashford, I understand you're grieving, but we have no evidence of foul play. The driver's blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit. This was an accident."
"But I heard them – they said they hired him!"
"He was drunk, sir. Witnesses saw him leaving a bar just before the crash. There's nothing we can do."
That night, Kaito walked to the edge of the city's suspension bridge. The rain fell in cold sheets, soaking through his thin jacket. Below, the river churned black and angry in the darkness.
He climbed over the railing, the wet metal cold against his skin. The wind whipped through his hair, carrying with it the weight of everything he'd lost – his family, his home, his love, his future.
It would be so easy, he thought, closing his eyes. Just one step... and the pain would be gone.
But then he heard Hana's voice in his head, soft and scared: "We still have each other, right?"
His eyes snapped open. If I die, who will take care of her? Who will make sure she's safe?
Slowly, carefully, he climbed back over the railing. His hands were shaking, his body trembling with sobs he'd held back for days.
"I won't let them win," he whispered to the rain-soaked night. "I'll find a way to save you, Hana. And I'll make everyone who did this pay."