Without thinking, Jaehyun signed and gave all the property papers to Hart. Hart and Carlee, his step-parents, took the papers and left without a word. Jaehyun stood there for a moment, his mind clouded with regret. Why had he been so impulsive? He knew the answer: desperation and fear. The moment they left, a fit of coughing overtook him. His chest tightened, and he struggled to breathe. The air felt thick, almost suffocating. He stumbled toward the balcony for fresh air.
As he reached the balcony, his eyes widened in horror. The house was engulfed in flames. Thick, black smoke billowed from the windows, and the heat was intense. Panic surged through him as he realized the fire was spreading rapidly. The flames danced and crackled, devouring everything in their path. He felt the suffocating grip of smoke in his lungs. The heat was unbearable, and his vision blurred. He knew he had little time left.
Jaehyun knew this was the work of his step-parents, Carlee and Hart. They had always been after his money, trying to find ways to strip him of his inheritance. Over the years, they had plotted and schemed, never missing an opportunity to make his life miserable. This time, they had taken it too far. They must have set the fire, thinking they could get rid of him once and for all and claim his property. But Jaehyun had outsmarted them, at least in part. He had given them fake property documents, knowing they would come for him eventually. The real documents, however, were hidden in the house.
As the flames roared and the smoke thickened, Jaehyun's strength waned. He struggled to stay conscious, the world around him fading into a smoky haze. His mind drifted to the real property documents hidden in the study. They were burning now, turning to ash along with his hopes and dreams. Despite his efforts to protect his inheritance, it was all slipping away.
The fire consumed the house with a fierce intensity, and Jaehyun knew he had little time left. He coughed violently, his body racked with pain. He could no longer see the flames, only darkness closing in around him. His thoughts turned to his step-parents. They had gotten what they wanted, but at a greater cost than they realized. With the real documents destroyed, they would find themselves with nothing. Jaehyun managed a faint, bitter smile at the irony of it all.
As the flames roared and the house crumbled, Jaehyun took his last breath. He died knowing that, in the end, his step-parents would be left with ashes, just as he was.
