In the frigid dawn of the year's end, Ye Chen stood upon the precipice of his demise.

His breathe quivering, each inhalation was like a desperate plea for reprieve.

The hangman resolutely coiled the noose around his neck with a stool at his feet.

With a last glance of sorrow and resignation, the executioner tightened the nose before shot dropping him.

Ye Chen's trembling soul fought for air, legs trembling, muscles tightening and the voice suppressed. The departed souls pulled him toward the abyss of the unknown.

Ye Chen's final thoughts echoed through his suffocated mind.

'Is this the sum of my existence.'

'Had I taken the other road…'

His thoughts were cut shot by the silent darkness that permeated his mind.

Perhaps the heavens wept too, for they obscured the sun, casting a shadow over the grim tableau.

And with that my friend, the road he took in his earlier days brought him here. Death.

---

But was that it?

Buckle up, the roller coaster awaits! Answers lie in the twists and turns ahead.

Ye Chen had just been assigned a new client to provide her with security.

In the quiet hours, amidst security protocols , their connection deepened and emotions reignited the unfurled hidden petals.

Love blossomed and their hearts merged. In short they fell in love.

But fearing the judging eyes of the society, their relationship was a secret only known to them.

Otherwise, the streets might have whispered secrets of how a puny security man was in love with a goddess of many, they therefore did not dare to go public just to preserve her dignity and save her face.

But destiny at play had some more plot twists for them.

A life seed was created in their battle to conquer each other. A son that they would have to bring forth as they could nit bear to rid it.

Miss Ning, her belly swollen with life, cradled the promise of a child.

The poor boy was already kicking hard.

"Aaw," she cried out, "this child is already kicking, judt fierce like his father…"

Ye Chen chuckled while caressing her hair back.

"Hahaha, I bet this guy got all that from you. You're the fierce one you know!"

She leaned into his touch with a smile,"Mm-hmm, I admit that. But he takes some of your traits too. What should we name him?"

Ye Chen eyes softened, "Let him come first then we will think of something…"

---

That night Ye Chen ventured out to the local pub to have a few drinks with the long term friends of his.

But in the shadows, a grand scheme was unfolding, an orchestration of betrayal.

Some sinister looking burly men with covered faces sneakingly scaled the walls before they silenced everyone in the compound.

Miss Ning, expecting her lover's return opened the door with anticipation. Her heart leapt with joy thinking it was him but ob opening, she did not even get the chance to scream.

Two gunshots with the swing of a dagger ended her life.

In her last moments, she could only stare at the masked men. Their eyes were devoid of emotion and mercy.

'Why? Cou…'

 Her voice trailed off before she lost her life.

"Hahaha, she is gone now. Gone forever. Who shall dare stand against me… Ning Corporation shall be mine from now on."

A triumphant laughter filled the atmosphere.

"Hehehe," another voice chimed in, "boss is great indeed, I bet that Ye guy does not know what awaits him here."

The air crackled with malevolence as they gave each other high fives.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen stumbled through the empty dark streets with his liquor bottle.

Blissfully unaware of what awaited him ahead.

He stumbled as his legs swayed like a ship caught in a tempest.

The compound was strangely calm when he came in but in his drunken stupor, he failed to notice all this.

His trembling hands sought keys as the alcohol blurred his edges of reality.

But just then, he stumbled on something that jolted him awake.

Her body lay there with eyes wide open in horror, she was death.

'Is this some kind of hallucination, since when did I start seeing things?'

He questioned his mind as he rubbed his eyes to get a clear hold of the situation. But the reality proved the same, she was no more.

Fear and trepidation crept in as he tried to calm down but he couldn't hold his tears. Howling in pain and anger, he arose like a phoenix from ashes and went inside the house.

A moment later, he emerged with bloodshot eyes, a gun in his right hand.

'I'll kill however had enmity with you until I find the person who did this…'

But the click of triggers and the sound of gunshots jolted him out of his stupor.

Instinct prompted him to the ground, seeking cover.

Bullets whizzed past as the tasted the acrid of fear.

His veteran instincts kicked in as he returned fire in desperation.

The assailants faltered as they retreated into darkness.

How could he let them get away with this?

Following them relentlessly he gunned one down before he was out of bullets.

But before he could react a metal road descended before he was swallowed by darkness.

The next day, he woke to the vast expanse of water, he was in the sea on a small speed boat all alone.

By the time his grief-laden mind processed the truth, he was already taken in by border patrol and before he realized, he was already in prison.

Charges already stacked-murder, assault, violence. His fate was already sealed.