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"Consumed by grief and trapped in a suffocating home, Taylor Mathews flees her family's dark past, only to find herself on a journey of self-discovery and love in the unlikeliest of places - Tokyo, Japan. With the memory of her beloved twin brother Trevor haunting her every step, Taylor must confront the pain of her loss and the cruelty of her father's demands. Will she find solace or love in the arms of Kaito Ryūjin and Akira, or will the shadows of her family's tragedy forever define her?"
Synopsis
In the depths of their once-happy home, a suffocating sorrow reigns. Mr. and Mrs. Mathews sat in their dimly lit living room, the silence between them heavy with grief. The memory of their beloved twin son, Trevor, who had tragically passed away in a plane crash, still lingered in the air. His bright smile and infectious laughter, which had once brought so much joy to their lives, were now nothing more than a distant memory.
Taylor, their daughter, had been particularly close to Trevor, and his loss had left her shattered. She had always been the strong one, but the weight of her responsibilities as the third child had become crushing. Her older brother, the first son, lay in a coma, a victim of a tragic accident that had left him fighting for his life.
The tension between Taylor and her father is palpable, a fragile truce that threatens to shatter at any moment. His insistence that she marry his business partner, a man old enough to be her father, is a cruel reminder that he's willing to sacrifice her happiness to secure his own legacy. The pain of her brother's loss still fresh, Taylor is torn between her desire to escape and her need to hold on to the shattered remnants of her family.
The night she left, her younger brother Julian had caught her in the act. Taylor had hugged him tightly, whispering words of comfort to calm his fears before sending him back to bed. She knew she had to leave, not just for herself, but for the memory of Trevor, whose smile and laughter still echoed in her mind.
As she made her way to Tokyo, Japan, the grief and pain she had been carrying with her for so long threatened to consume her. Little did she know that her journey was just beginning, and that the encounters with Kaito Ryūjin and Akira would forever change the course of her life.
The night swallows her whole, the darkness a fitting shroud for the death of her dreams, her family, and her heart. The echoes of her mother's anguished cries still linger, the sound of her father's slap a harsh reminder of the fragility of their relationships. Trevor's name, a mere whisper, unleashes a torrent of grief, the pain of his loss threatening to consume her once more.
Trevor's name, whispered in the darkness, brought it all flooding back. Mrs. Mathews' anguished cry, "My son, my beautiful son!" still haunted Taylor's dreams. The pain of his loss, the grief that had torn their family apart, threatened to engulf her once more. But Taylor knew she had to keep moving forward, for Trevor's sake, and for her own.
In this sea of despair, Taylor's departure is a desperate attempt to stay afloat, to find a lifeline in a world that seems determined to drown her. Little does she know that her journey will lead her to Kaito Ryūjin and Akira, two men who will challenge everything she thought she knew about love, loss, and the true meaning of family.
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Chapter 1: The Argument
U.S.A, California
Matthews Villa
10:30pm...
Taylor's voice echoed through the mansion, her words hanging in the air like a challenge. "Dad, I won't marry that dirty old bastard!" she spat, her eyes blazing with defiance.
Mr. Matthews' face turned red with rage, his eyes bulging as he slammed his fist on the table. "Shut up, you will do as I say because I am your father!" he bellowed, his voice dripping with venom.
The argument had been brewing for weeks, but Taylor had finally reached her breaking point. She couldn't take the thought of being married off to some old man just to secure her father's business deals. "I won't do it!" she shouted back, her voice trembling with emotion. "I'm just 22, Dad! And even so, I won't marry someone I don't love!"
Mrs. Matthews tried to intervene, her voice soft and calming. "Please, stop this. You're both going to say something you'll regret." But her words fell on deaf ears.
Mr. Matthews was beyond reason. "You're an ungrateful, selfish brat, Taylor!" he snarled, his words cutting deep. "You'll do as I say, or you'll face the consequences!"
Taylor's eyes welled up with tears as she stood her ground. "How can you say that?" she asked, her voice cracking. "I've sacrificed everything for this family! I gave up my dream of becoming a Writer and pursued Business because of you and to took over the family business, just like you asked me to!"
The air was thick with tension as Mr. Matthews threw a vase at Taylor, missing her head by mere inches. "You're nothing but a disappointment, Taylor! Sometimes I just wished we never gave birth to such a useless girl!" he spat, his face twisted in anger.
Taylor's mother gasped, shocked by her husband's outburst. "How could you, dear?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Taylor's voice cracked as she spoke, "Da..dd, so you really regret having me," "I miss Trevor so much. If he were here, none of this would be happening! He wouldn't let you do this!!" The mention of Trevor's name sent Mrs. Matthews into a fit of sobs. "Tr...ev...or...my baby...is...gone."
Mr. Matthews tried to comfort his wife, but Taylor stood frozen, witnessing the devastation she had unwittingly unleashed. As the argument reached its boiling point, Taylor knew she had to escape. She couldn't stay in this toxic environment any longer. Under the cover of dawn, she packed her bags and slipped away through the secret tunnel, boarded on a taxi, leaving behind the only life she had ever known.
As she drove away from the mansion, Taylor felt a sense of relief wash over her. She was finally free from the toxic environment that had been suffocating her for so long, , but the journey ahead was uncertain.
But as she hit the open road, Taylor's thoughts turned to her family. She knew her parents would be furious when they discovered she was gone. They would probably try to track her down and drag her back home, but they couldn't even do that, because she had erased everything about her relating to the Mathews Family, almost as if there wasn't even Taylor to begin with.
Taylor shuddered at the thought. She couldn't let that happen. She had to make sure her tracks remain covered and stayed hidden.
As she drove, Taylor's mind wandered to her little brother, Julian. She had always been protective of him, and the thought of leaving him behind was hard to bear. She remembered the night before, when Julian had caught her packing her bags. "Are you really going to leave?" he had asked, his eyes wide with fear. Taylor had tried to reassure him, but she knew he was scared. "Don't worry, baby bro," she had said. "I'll be back soon. And I'll make sure you're safe."
Taylor had hugged Julian tightly, trying to comfort him. But as she looked into his eyes, she saw the fear and uncertainty there. She knew she had to get out of there, for her own sake, but also for Julian's. She couldn't let her parents' toxic behavior affect him too.
Her thoughts drifted to her elder brother, Liam, who had been in an inactive state for three years. The news of Trevor's passing had struck him down, literally, as he fell down the stairs and suffered a severe brain injury. Since then, he had been in a coma, a constant presence in the hospital. She had visited him often, holding vigil and hoping for a miracle. But now, as she prepared to leave, she couldn't shake off the sadness that had settled in her heart. Would she ever be able to visit him again? The uncertainty gnawed at her, filling her with a sense of loss and longing.
As she drove for hours, the scenery blurring together, Taylor eventually found herself at the city's Airport, she had bought her plan ticket and boarded a flight to Tokyo.
As the plane took off, Taylor felt a sense of excitement mixed with fear. She was finally taking control of her life , her OWN life and starting fresh in a new city, her DREAM city.
But as she looked out the window at the clouds below, Taylor couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She glanced around the plane, but everyone seemed engrossed in their own worlds.
Taylor sighed and closed her eyes, trying to relax. She knew she had a long journey ahead of her, but she was ready to face whatever came next.
Little did she know, Taylor's life was about to take a dramatic turn. She would soon find herself entangled in a web of love, lies, and deceit.
Stay tuned for Chapter 2!
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