Ryu Tanaka glanced out over the shimmering skyline from his sleek corner office, the city sprawling beneath him like a glittering expanse of opportunity and ambition. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows through the floor-to-ceiling windows, creating a play of light that felt both comforting and haunting. He allowed himself a moment's reprieve from the relentless demands of his successful business, the noise of ringing phones and clacking keyboards fading into a dull hum in the background.

With a sigh, Ryu leaned back in his leather chair, rubbing the bridge of his nose as memories surged like a tidal wave. Fifteen years had passed since that fateful night, but it might as well have been yesterday. The warmth of the setting sun contrasted sharply with the chilling images seared into his mind—his parents, vibrant and full of life, reduced to mere shadows in the flickering candlelight of a dimly lit room.

He could still hear their voices, laughter filling the air like a sweet melody, only to be shattered by the brutality of violence. The images came flooding back uninvited: the sound of shattering glass, the desperate pleas of his mother, and the ruthlessness in Hayama Hiroshi’s eyes as he extracted vengeance for a debt he had no qualms about collecting. Ryu's heart raced as bile rose in his throat, each recollection a sharp dagger piercing through the façade he’d carefully constructed over the years.

Closing his eyes tightly, Ryu tried to suppress the memories—the way they had looked at him, terror etched on their faces, as he stood frozen in a corner, helpless to intervene. The weight of that night anchored him, a relentless reminder that revenge was the only path left untraveled. It became the driving force behind every move he made, every deal he struck, as he climbed to the top of the corporate world.

But as he opened his eyes, a sudden flicker of doubt washed over him. Was he truly any closer to avenging his parents’ deaths, or was he merely grasping at shadows—fueling a fire that threatened to consume him? He shifted in his chair, the leather creaking beneath him as if echoing the tension in his mind. In this life he had built, polished to a sheen, could there still be space for compassion or love?

The cell phone on his desk buzzed, snapping him from his thoughts. Ryu took a deep breath, banishing the ghosts of the past for now. He had a plan—a long game that was just beginning. But as he picked up the call, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the lines between vengeance and love were more blurred than ever, intertwining in ways he had yet to comprehend.

In that moment, the sun dipped below the horizon, and Ryu Tanaka set his jaw. Tomorrow, he would take a step closer to the revenge that haunted him. But tonight, the darkness lingered, demanding to be acknowledged, waiting for resolution.