Ryan felt a crushing weight of loss and grief pressing down on his chest. It was suffocating. First, his father had been taken from him in a cruel and senseless way… and now, his mother was gone too.
It was too much.
The pain was overwhelming—so heavy that he could barely think, barely breathe. His heart ached in a way he had never known before. Everything felt unreal, like a nightmare he desperately wanted to wake up from… but couldn't.
The thought of growing up without his parents shattered him.
They had been his world—his safety, his comfort, his everything. With them, he had always felt protected. But now, that warmth was gone, replaced by a cold emptiness that swallowed him whole.
Riaan's knees gave way, and he collapsed to the ground, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face. He cried until his body trembled, until his voice broke, until there was nothing left but silence and pain.
Days later, when the police investigation came to a standstill—with no sign of Alex or William's body—decisions were made.
Riaan had no one left.
His uncle, Zavian, who lived in Italy, arrived in New York to take him away. At just eleven years old, Riaan was forced to leave behind the only home he had ever known… along with the memories of the people he loved.
Italy was nothing like home.
As they arrived, a chubby woman with curly hair and large, watchful eyes stood outside the house, waiting.
"Welcome home, darling," she said warmly, stepping forward to kiss Zavian.
"Thank you, sweetheart," he replied, pulling her into a hug.
Zavian turned slightly. "This is Riaan—my older brother William's son."
The woman's gaze shifted to him, scanning him in a way that made him uncomfortable.
"Hmm… he's cute," she said, reaching out to touch his chin.
Riaan stiffened.
"This is my wife—your Aunt Ingrid," Zavian added.
"Good day, Aunt Ingrid," Riaan said quietly.
"Good day, Riaan. Come in, come in! I've made something delicious," she said with forced cheerfulness.
"Thank you, Aunt Ingrid," he replied softly, his voice barely audible.
But deep inside… he wasn't grateful.
He wasn't happy.
A heavy feeling settled in his chest as he stepped into the unfamiliar house. He didn't want to be here.
And then… he remembered.
His mother.
She had warned him.
She had forbidden him from coming to this house—because of how they treated him… because of Ingrid. There had always been tension, unspoken hatred. Ingrid had looked at his father in ways that made his mother uncomfortable. The fights between her and Sarah had been constant, bitter, unforgettable.
Riaan understood now.
This wasn't a home.
This was a place he had been sent to endure.
His chest tightened as the realization sank in—his life would never be the same again.
From this moment on… everything would change.
Tears blurred his vision as he clenched his fists.
"What about my dreams…?" he whispered to himself, his voice breaking.
He had always dreamed of becoming a successful businessman… just like his father.
But now—
Would those dreams fade away?
Or would they be buried along with the life he had lost?
At that moment, Riaan made a silent promise to himself—
No matter how dark his world became…
He would survive.
He would rise.
And one day… he would become something greater than the pain that tried to destroy him.