Author's Note: That's right, a new story from me. :) I'm really excited about it, so I hope you enjoy. It's another one based on a Japanese dorama, with some minor changes of my own of course.

Thanks to Adair7 for beta-ing and cheerleading.

Characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer and no copywrite infringement is intended.

Prologue

"She's dead?'

"Yes."

There was a long, shocked moment of silence before it was broken by a single question.

"How?"

"Car accident. Some college kid in a Porsche was driving too fast on the ice and plowed into her. Paramedics say she was killed instantly."

"So she felt no pain?" The hope in his voice was heartbreaking.

"Probably didn't even see it coming. Her radio was still blasting Britney when help arrived."

"Didi always loved listening to that old CD when she drove," her fiancé said fondly, with the trace of a sad smile on his lips. Bit it died quickly as he realized he was speaking of the love of his life in the past tense. "Aro, what do I do now? Why didn't anyone call me?"

"I'll take care of everything," his closest friend and business partner, Aro Napolitano, assured him. "You know they contacted me because I'm her only family, and I wanted you to hear the news in person. I know you loved my sister very much, Marcus."

"Love." Marcus corrected sharply. "Love. That will never change."

"Of course. I misspoke. I'm still a bit shocked myself." He sounded too calm to be called shocked, but Marcus was too distraught to comment.

"She didn't even have her ring. It's still at the jewelers being re-sized." He stared distracted out the window of his spacious office, not seeing the spread of the city below him.

"Perhaps," Aro began slowly, "Perhaps you should take some time off. I can handle things while you're gone. Take as much time as you need. "

"I need to pick up her ring."

"I can do that, too, or send an assistant. You can just go on home."

"No." He was adamant about this. "I'll do it. I need to do it."

"Alright, it was only a suggestion," Aro held his hands out in defense. "Go do that and go home. The company won't fall apart without its CEO as long as I'm covering. Besides, you might want to leave before the press gets wind of this. You know they have no respect for the dead, not when a big name like Marcus Bianchi or the company are involved."

"You're right, you're right." Marcus roused himself and gathered his things. "Thank you for being such a friend right now. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Take your time," Aro urged. "I'll be here."

Marcus did not return after a few days or even a few weeks. Two full months passed and he still cloistered himself away in his mansion, pouring over old pictures and letters, unable to pull himself from his grief. He saw no reason to do so. He certainly didn't need to work for the money; the company already made him a multi-millionaire, which also meant he didn't need to leave the house for anything. Personal assistants brought him food that sat mostly untouched, and took care of anything else he might need.

One evening, he was sitting by the large bay window where he and Didi had spent many sweet nights together. He reminisced and stared out the window into the blackness of the night.

When Aro came by to drop off his weekly expense report, he placed it in Marcus's office on top of half a dozen untouched identical folders before seeking Marcus out.

"It pains me to see you like this," he said once he discovered his grieving friend.

"I cannot vouch for your pain," Marcus answered in a dull tone, "But I can assure you that I feel it just as keenly."

"Marcus," Aro rebuked him gently, "It's been over two months. Do you intend to stay like this forever?"

"I don't see why I can't. Or shouldn't, for that matter. I have no desire to return to work. Business will be the same as usual – one corrupted soul after another, each crawling over the other and stabbing each other in the back at the chance to make a buck."

Aro was struck by inspiration. "What if I could prove otherwise?"

"What do you mean?" Marcus sounded bored.

"I think I have a way to prove that not everyone will surrender to the siren's call of cold hard cash, that not all good died with my sister."

His face pained at the words, but Marcus said, "Go on."

"It's a game of sorts. I can work out the details later, but let me try to show you that just because Didi is gone, hope is not lost."

Marcus thought for a long moment, but reluctantly agreed to Aro's proposal, and granted him access to whatever he needed.

"Thank you, my friend."

But even before he left the room, the wheels in Aro's head were turning. As much as he loved a happy ending, he was not so naïve to believe that the cold hard truth was anything but the fact that anyone had a price. Throw enough money, spin enough lies, and everyone will surrender.

The point of the game was only to further enforce that in Marcus's mind and keep him distracted and out of the office. Aro found he quite liked his new position as sole acting president of V Corps, and wasn't going to give that up so easily, nor so soon.

And now, with full access to Marcus's wealth and resources, his power was only growing.

Let the games begin.