Prologue
“Mom? Itsuki? No! No! No!” Yukiya cried in disbelief as he watched the car his mother and younger brother were in engulfed by flames, his father, flanked by his assistant, stood by and observed from behind him.
“Damn you Yuriko, damn you...” Yukiya’s father, Carlos whispered under his breath, his fist clenched. His assistant Maya took her phone out to report the accident.
“All you had to do was listen! Damn it, Yuriko! You didn’t have to involve Yukiya and Itsuki in all of this!” Carlos continued as his anger seeped through his voice.
“This is your fault... This is all your fault!” Yukiya raised his voice as he looked at his father, still on his knees as he closed both his fists, his tears dropping on the pavement.
“This is all your mother’s fault! Her stubbornness caused all of this!” Carlos responded in a raised and stern voice as he glared at his son.
“You killed mother and Itsuki! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!” Yukiya screamed at the top of his lungs before lunging towards his father, intending to land a blow.
His father, who was 182cm tall, and somewhat medium-built, easily stopped his 9-year-old son’s attempted punch. Carlos easily blocked his son’s fist with his left hand and grabbed Yukiya by the collar with his right.
“You’re a weak, ungrateful child!” Carlos responded as he effortlessly lifted his eldest son with his right hand, his eyes filled with anger.
“Your mother’s defiance and stubbornness runs in your veins! I’ll personally see to it that you’re taught how to be a proper member of the Labrador family!” Carlos continued before throwing his son down on the pavement as Maya gave a worried and concerned look as she talked with the dispatcher on her phone.
Yukiya was on the pavement, blood dripping from his forehead, his arms and legs scratched from the impact. The 9-year-old slowly tried to stand back up, his legs and arms shaking due to the anger he was feeling, and his injuries.
“Sir, the police, the fire department, and ambulance are heading this way” Maya reported as she pocketed her phone, looking at her boss, then towards the helpless boy on the ground.
“Let’s get out of here, the press will have a field day if they find out that we’re here, let the driver know we’re heading back” Carlos ordered as he turned his back from his son.
“That family name be damned!” Yukiya cried, wiping the blood dripping from his forehead as he stood back up. “I’m done being your heir! I’m done being your pawn for the sake of your damned company! That’s the only thing you ever cared about! Not Mom, Itsuki, nor I!”
“Master Yukiya, please calm down” Maya called out as she tried to placate the young master. Carlos turned around and gave his son a darted look.
“Let’s go Yukiya!” he called out, anger still evident with the tone of his voice.
“No” Yukiya responded with defiance, shaking his head.
“Please, Master Yukiya, we need to get you to safety and tend to your wounds. I’m sorry about Lady Yuriko and Master Itsuki, truly, I’ am, but we really need to get you out of here, you’ll be safe back at the Mansion” Maya pleaded in a soft, compassionate tone.
“I’m not going back there. I won’t. There’s nothing left for me at the place!” Yukiya responded with steeled defiance, tears rolling down his cheeks.
“Yukiya! Get in the damn car!” Carlos commanded, his patience finally ran out as he snapped at his oldest son.
“Please Master Yukiya…” Maya again pleaded, tears rolling down her cheeks as she extended her hand towards the young master, “Please listen to your father and come with us now”.
“I’m sorry Ate Maya; I wish you a happy and long life - Goodbye” Yukiya replied as tears rolled down his eyes before making a run towards the burning car wreck.
(T/N: “Ate” is an honorific used for one’s older sister in the Philippines. It’ also used for female relatives, friends, co-workers, or strangers who is older than you as a sign of respect)
“Master Yukiya, no! Please don’t!” Maya called out as the young master ran off.
“Yukiya!!!” Carlos called out on the top of his lungs, “Damn it!”
“Maya! Hurry! Go after him!” Carlos ordered as Maya promptly complied and gave chase to the younger boy. It proved difficult for Maya however, as she was wearing heels and an almost fitted business suit.
“Master Yukiya, please come back!” Maya called out as she tried chasing after him.
Maya’s tearful pleas fell on deaf ears as Yukiya ignored her and kept running towards the burning wreckage where his brother and mother are. The myriads of mixed emotions consuming him from the inside – sadness, sorrow, regret, and helplessness.
“Gomenasai. Okasan, Itsuki. Hontou ni Gomen (I’m sorry. Mom, Itsuki. I’m really sorry)” Yukiya whispered as he ran past the burning wreckage, tears rolling down his eyes.
As Yukiya ran past the wreckage, the car suddenly exploded and the young boy’s silhouette disappeared, engulfed by the flames from the explosion. Maya who was a couple meters away, was thrown backwards as Carlos watched in complete horror from the distance.
