The apartment was quiet except for the soft hum of an old radio playing forgotten songs.
Darren found his mother sitting at the worn-out dining table, hands folded tightly, eyes distant.
She looked years older than when he last saw her at the Hayes estate.
Memories flooded Darren's mind.
The night they were forced to leave.
His grandfather's harsh voice echoing through the halls.
"You are no longer part of this family."
The shame, the confusion.
But most of all, his mother's quiet dignity as she packed their few belongings with trembling hands.
A flashback took him there — the grand halls, the cold glances from relatives, and the whispered rumors that tore her down.
Her crime?
Loyalty to the wrong people, a failed business deal, and the suspicion of betrayal.
The family's fortune had turned against her overnight.
Back in the present, she looked up and met Darren's eyes.
"I never wanted you or Aria to suffer," she said softly.
"We lost everything, but not our will."
Darren sat beside her.
"How did you keep going?"
She smiled faintly.
"Because you two were my world. And because sometimes, losing everything is the first step to building something better."
Her hands trembled slightly as she pulled out an old, leather-bound book — their family ledger.
"Everything we had is here," she said. "Every debt, every asset… I kept track of it all."
Darren took the book carefully.
"This is where our empire begins."
That night, Darren stared at the ledger under the dim lamp.
The numbers were daunting.
But the system's voice echoed in his mind:
[Your empire is more than money. It's legacy.]
He clenched his fist.
No matter how far they'd fallen, they would rise.
Together.