"How're you feeling now?" The old man asked as soon as he saw the boy stirring.

The little boy lying on the bed moved slightly, mumbling, "Mom... Dad..."

The man came closer with a bowl in his hands. "Are you hungry, kid?" he asked, setting the bowl aside and sitting in a chair beside the bed.

"Where's my mom?" The boy questioned, trying to sit up.

The man gently held him back. "I don't know, kid," he replied.

The boy looked into the man's eyes, his own filling with tears. He started sobbing.

"What happened, kid?" asked the man, patting the boy's back.

"I... my mom... did she leave me?" he sobbed louder. "And my dad..."

The man's eyes softened at the boy's misery. Unsure of what to do or say, he grabbed the bowl and tried to feed the boy, who refused.

"If you don't eat, you'll get weak, boy."

"Where did you find me?" The boy asked, scanning his surroundings.

"You can say I saved your life. You would have drowned if I hadn't caught you in time," he replied, feeding the boy, who unconsciously opened his mouth to eat.

"But my mom and dad, they drowned," the boy said, sobbing again.

The man finally realized the gravity of the situation. He hugged the boy, who sobbed in his embrace.

"Was it an accident?" the man asked once the boy had calmed down a bit.

"No... he did it intentionally," the boy replied.

"Who?" The boy, when asked, finally recounted everything he saw hours ago.

Listening to him, the old man hugged the vulnerable boy again. "Don't worry, little guy. I'm sure he will suffer," he said, patting the boy's back.

"Will you take me to the police?" The boy asked, wiping his tears with the sleeve of his oversized shirt.

"I can, but I'm sure they won't be of much help," the man sighed. "What's your name, kid?"

"I'm Taesan," he replied, making the elderly man smile.

"You've got such a nice name, buddy."

"Mom told me it's the name she gave me," Taesan said, his eyes lighting up for a moment before turning glossy again as he remembered how his parents had ended up.

"Won't you ask who I am?" the man asked, trying to change the mood.

"My guardian angel," Taesan replied, almost serious. The man couldn't help but smile at the boy's innocence.

"Do you want ice cream, Taesan?" he asked. The boy nodded. "Which flavor?"

"Chocolate!" The little boy giggled, momentarily forgetting everything.

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years, but the old man's love for Taesan never wavered. He still treated him like the little child he once was.

That was until one day when the man fell severely ill. The doctors had given up on him. He knew his time was near. Before taking his last breath, he transferred all his property, even his business, to Taesan's name. He had no family of his own. He once spent an entire evening crying, hugging Taesan, remembering his late wife who had passed away years ago. She hadn't been able to give him an heir, but she had given him all her love.

"I miss you, Grandpa," Taesan mumbled, tracing the elderly man's photo.

He now had everything: power, money, authority, the skills his grandpa had taught him, and most importantly, the pawns he needed for his game. It was finally time to make everything work. He had waited so long for this moment, and now it was his time to act.