With tired eyes, Kyungsoo watched as more guests in black clothing came and went. They silently greeted him and his mother, paid their respects to the deceased, and quietly departed, voices whispering. His gaze hardened, glaring at the floor as broken bits of hushed conversation reached his ears. 

"My, my... that poor child..." 

"What horrible fate this family has..."

"How terrible, who knew they were having such financial problems."

"From what I heard, the mother and child had no idea."

"Still, who would have thought he would fall so ill."

"Well after being fired from his job like that....." 

"The poor woman could hardly bear the shock."

"Why, now he's left them behind. What is to become of them?" 

"I suppose they'll be living with a relative from now on."

"But who will want them? Oh poor dear, he's hardly fourteen."

He clenched his fists as the bitter gossip of the women registered in his mind. It was true. Once the funeral was over, they were to be sent away to live with his uncle, his mother's little brother, as currently, no one else was willing or able to take them in. Taking care of two extra mouths to feed was nothing anyone else wanted, despite the fact that they were their own flesh and blood.

Kyungsoo's blood boiled every time he thought of his family, what his father had to endure. He and his mother had no idea until the very end, before it was too late. But once his father had been pronounced dead, the family had learned of his job loss. How his father had been humiliated and kicked out of the company he was working in by the President himself.

President Byun. The name of the man made Kyungsoo fidget with anger. That ruthlessly calculative and merciless man who had brought about his father's death and had ruined Kyungsoo's life. Kyungsoo could never forget the empty and broken look in his mother's eyes as she registered the news of his father's death, the way she had sunk to the floor in a fit of tears. He himself could hardly come to terms with the situation, let alone comfort his mother. Even now, he glanced to the side at his mother sitting beside him, dressed in black clothing with an emotionless face. Her eyes, however, conveyed the pain she felt inside.   

In his heart, he swore, he would exact revenge from this President Byun. He would rise to the top of the food chain and enter the circle of elites. He would make sure to get into President Byun's good graces before destroying the man completely. 

~Ten Years Later~

His chauffeur opened his door and bowed as he stepped out. Dressed in a crisp suit, outfit complete with shades, leather shoes, and a glittering watch, he stepped out into the brilliant sunlight of Seoul. He strode to the looming skycraper with his company's logo on the doors. Shoes tapping on the smooth floor, he nodded at his receptionist as she bowed at him. Other wandering employees had already begun their whispering. 

"It's President Do. Oh my God, he's back from his trip to Germany!" 

"I thought he was coming back next week, what happened?"

"I'm not sure, but I heard the higher ups celebrating so maybe the negotiations finished early?" 

"Whatever it is, it must be in our favor."

"He's a genius." 

This praise was something he was now accustomed to, having earned it years ago as he quickly climbed through the ranks. It felt like an eternity but no longer was Do Kyungsoo a pitiful orphan being passed around his distant relatives. Now, he was the President of D.O. Enterprise, a company specializing in various products and services. 

He calmly walked to the glass elevator, entering and rising to the highest floor, where his office was located. He had hardly sat down in his chair before the doors were repoened without a knock. He looked up just in time to see his best friend strut in, hands in shoved into his pockets. 

"Hey~ You didn't even tell me you came back from Germany. How come I had to find out from other people?" Jongin pouted. 

"I just came back. Didn't realize I was supposed to report to you," Kyungsoo replied. 

"Ouch~ So cold, Soo. It breaks my heart." He leaned onto Kyungsoo with a broad grin on his face before promptly being shoved off. Still, a smile was on Kyungsoo's face, who playfully punched Jongin's arm. "So how'd the trip to Germany go?"

"Why do you think I'm back? Of course it went well," Kyungsoo replied absentmindedly, returning to shuffling his papers on the desk with a stoic face. 

"Really? So that's the reason you came back?" 

"Why else would I come back?" 

"I don't know. When I heard you came back, I thought it would have something to