– The Ashford Family

There was one family whose name alone could silence boardrooms, shake the underworld, and make powerful nations think twice before making a move.

That family was...

The Ashford Family

The rulers of wealth, power, and fear.

To the world, they were untouchable business tycoons.

To the underworld, they were legends.

To their enemies...

They were nightmares.

---

Victor Ashford – The Master

Age: 59

Chairman of Ashford Global.

The undisputed patriarch of the Ashford Family.

Cold.

Ruthless.

Merciless.

His words alone could determine the rise or fall of multinational corporations.

Although his beloved wife had passed away years ago, Victor had devoted his life to protecting the family she had left behind.

He had raised three extraordinary sons and cherished his two grandsons above everything else.

Only his family had ever seen the gentle smile hidden beneath his icy exterior.

Appearance

Majestic dark black hair.

Crystal ruby-red eyes.

Youthful yet overwhelmingly dignified.

When truly enraged...

His ruby-red eyes transformed into brilliant golden eyes, making even the strongest mafia leaders lower their heads.

---

Dante Ashford

Age: 35

The eldest son of Victor.

CEO of Solar Corporation.

One of the Three Kings of the Mafia World.

Feared throughout both the business and criminal worlds, Dante never hesitated to eliminate anyone who threatened his family.

Despite his terrifying reputation...

At home he was a devoted husband to Elena and a caring father to Cassian and Valerian.

Only his family knew that side of him.

Appearance

Majestic black hair.

Crystal ruby-red eyes.

Exceptionally handsome.

---

Elena Ashford

Age: 34

CEO of Lunar Corporation.

The Queen of the Mafia World.

The only woman whose authority stood equal to the Three Kings.

Calm.

Elegant.

Brilliant.

Yet unimaginably ruthless.

Those who underestimated her because she was a woman rarely lived long enough to regret it.

To Victor, she was the daughter he never had.

To Cassian and Valerian...

She was the strongest mother they could ever ask for.

Appearance

Long brown hair.

Crystal green eyes.

---

Adrian Ashford

Age: 30

The second son of Victor.

CEO of Eclipse Corporation.

One of the legendary Three Kings of the Mafia World.

His name alone terrified countless organizations.

Emotionless.

Cruel.

Unforgiving.

He believed trust was the greatest weakness.

Among the Ashford brothers...

He was considered the coldest.

Only his family could occasionally soften the ice surrounding his heart.

Appearance

Majestic black hair.

Crystal ruby-red eyes.

He is the Male Lead of this story.

---

Leonarda Ashford

Age: 27

The youngest son of Victor.

Known publicly as another powerful businessman...

But secretly...

He was Asia's No. 1 Hacker, an identity known to almost no one.

Another of the legendary Three Kings of the Mafia World.

Only his family called him by his nickname—

"Leo."

No outsider had the right to use it.

He was intelligent, mysterious, and terrifyingly calm.

Appearance

Majestic black hair.

Crystal ruby-red eyes.

---

Cassian Ashford

Age: 20

Eldest son of Dante and Elena.

First grandson of Victor.

Second-year university student.

Even while studying...

He already assisted his family in managing multinational corporations.

Despite his young age, countless CEOs feared negotiating with him.

Only his family called him—

"Sian."

No one else dared.

Appearance

Majestic black hair.

Crystal ruby-red eyes.

---

Valerian Ashford

Age: 17

Youngest grandson of Victor.

A brilliant twelfth-grade student.

Secretly...

Asia's No. 2 Hacker.

Only Leonarda knew the full extent of his hacking abilities.

Unlike the rest of the Ashford men, Valerian inherited his mother's appearance.

Appearance

Brown hair.

Crystal green eyes.

Only his family called him—

"Rian."

---

Alen

The trusted personal assistant of Adrian.

More than an employee...

He was family.

He was the brother figure to Dante, Adrian, and Leonarda, the brother-in-law figure to Elena, and the beloved uncle of Cassian and Valerian.

His loyalty to the Ashford Family had never once wavered.

---

The Three Kings & The Queen

The underworld recognized only four rulers:

Dante Ashford – King of the Mafia World.

Adrian Ashford – King of the Mafia World.

Leonarda "Leo" Ashford – King of the Mafia World.

Elena Ashford – Queen of the Mafia World.

Together, they controlled an empire that no one dared challenge.

---

The Ashford Bloodline

Every male born into the Ashford Family on the day of a Solar Eclipse possessed a mysterious trait.

When they experienced overwhelming rage...

Their crystal ruby-red eyes would transform into glowing golden eyes.

It was considered the mark of the Ashford bloodline.

Very few people had ever witnessed it...

Because anyone who did was rarely left alive.

And among them all...

The coldest, most feared, and most dangerous was Adrian Ashford.

No one knew that fate was about to force him into a battle unlike any he had ever faced...

Against the one woman destined to become his greatest enemy.

Before sunrise...

The entire top floor of Eclipse Corporation was silent.

No employee dared to make unnecessary noise.

No one wanted to attract the attention of the man sitting behind the floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

Adrian Ashford.

At just thirty years old, he had built Eclipse Corporation into one of the three most powerful business empires in the world.

His expression remained indifferent as he read through a stack of acquisition reports.

Knock... Knock...

Alen entered after receiving permission.

"Young Master."

Adrian didn't look up.

"Speak."

Alen placed a black file on the desk.

"The negotiations with the Westhaven Consortium are complete."

"They accepted?"

"Yes."

"They had no choice."

Adrian signed the final page without even reading it.

Another company had fallen under the Ashford Empire.

For him...

It was just another ordinary morning.

---

Meanwhile...

At Ashford Manor...

Victor Ashford sat at the head of the enormous dining table.

Dante and Elena had already arrived with Cassian and Valerian.

A few moments later...

Leonarda walked in lazily, carrying a laptop under one arm.

"Morning, Father."

Victor nodded.

"Where's Adrian?"

Before anyone could answer...

Footsteps echoed through the hallway.

Adrian entered the dining room in a perfectly tailored black suit.

Everyone began eating.

Although the atmosphere was quiet...

It wasn't uncomfortable.

This was simply how the Ashford family interacted.

Cassian broke the silence.

"Uncle Adrian."

Adrian looked at him.

"The university is holding an international business competition next month."

"Hm."

"I'll represent the university."

Adrian calmly replied,

"Win."

Cassian smiled faintly.

"I wasn't planning to lose."

Victor looked at his eldest grandson with approval.

"That's the spirit of an Ashford."

Valerian grinned.

"If Brother loses, I'll hack the scoreboard."

Everyone turned to look at him.

Elena raised an eyebrow.

"Rian."

"...I was joking."

Leonarda smirked.

"Were you?"

Valerian coughed awkwardly while everyone else continued eating as if nothing had happened.

---

At that moment...

Alen's phone vibrated.

His relaxed expression instantly disappeared.

He answered the call.

"...What?"

Silence filled the dining room.

His face became unusually serious.

"I understand."

He ended the call before looking at Victor.

"Master..."

"The Black Serpent Syndicate has been attacked."

Dante frowned.

"They're one of the strongest organizations in Europe."

Alen nodded.

"They were destroyed overnight."

Everyone became silent.

Adrian finally spoke.

"Who did it?"

Alen slowly opened the tablet in his hands.

"There was only one symbol left at every destroyed base."

He placed the tablet on the table.

Everyone looked at the screen.

It showed a crimson emblem.

A blooming red spider lily stained with blood.

Underneath it were four words.

"From the Crimson Phantom."

Leonarda's playful expression disappeared.

"I've never seen this emblem before."

Dante folded his arms.

"Neither have I."

Even Victor's eyes narrowed.

For the first time in years...

An unknown force had appeared.

One powerful enough to erase an entire syndicate in a single night.

Adrian stared silently at the crimson emblem.

His ruby-red eyes grew colder.

"Find them."

Alen nodded immediately.

"Yes, Young Master."

No one in the room realized...

Far away, in another city...

A woman with long dark black hair and crystal - Ocean Voilet eyes stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of a luxurious office.

On the screen behind her was the same crimson spider lily emblem.

She watched the sunrise without a trace of emotion.

A woman in a black suit entered quietly.

"Boss."

"The Ashford Family has begun investigating us."

The woman smiled ever so slightly.

"Good."

"It seems..."

"The Ashfords are finally paying attention."

Her cold voilet eyes reflected the rising sun.

"The game begins now."

Three days later...

The headquarters of Ashford Global stood like an emperor overlooking the city.

On the top floor...

Victor Ashford presided over a private family meeting.

Dante, Elena, Adrian, Leonarda, Cassian, Valerian, and Alen were all present.

The atmosphere was unusually serious.

Leonarda closed his laptop before speaking.

"I searched every hidden network in Asia, Europe, and North America."

"There isn't a single trace of the person using the Crimson Spider Lily."

Valerian frowned.

"I searched the dark web too."

"Nothing."

"Whoever erased their tracks is better than almost everyone alive."

Leonarda glanced at his nephew.

"Or they had someone equal to me erase them."

Silence filled the room.

Victor tapped the table once.

"What about the destroyed Black Serpent Syndicate?"

Dante slid a file across the table.

"Over three hundred elite members."

"Every warehouse."

"Every account."

"Every weapon depot."

"Destroyed within six hours."

Elena calmly added,

"The operation was perfectly coordinated."

"There wasn't a single survivor capable of giving information."

Even Adrian's expression became colder.

"This wasn't revenge."

"It was an execution."

---

Meanwhile...

On the top floor of another skyscraper...

A woman sat in a black leather chair.

Her long dark black hair rested over her shoulders.

Her crystal ruby-like ocean violet eyes calmly studied dozens of files projected onto a transparent screen.

Without looking away, she spoke.

"Status."

A man dressed in black respectfully lowered his head.

"The Black Serpent Syndicate has been completely erased."

"Our people have returned safely."

She nodded.

"Our losses?"

"None."

Another woman entered hurriedly.

"Boss."

"The Ashford Family has begun tracing our financial routes."

A faint smile appeared on her face.

"Faster than expected."

She stood and walked toward the window overlooking the city.

"So..."

"Adrian Ashford."

"The second son of Victor Ashford."

"The King of Eclipse."

"I wonder..."

"...whether you're worthy of being called my enemy."

---

That evening...

An invitation arrived simultaneously at every major corporation in the world.

The Global Business Summit.

The most prestigious gathering of CEOs, investors, royalty, and influential families.

Attendance was by invitation only.

Victor looked at the invitation before handing it to Adrian.

"You'll represent the Ashford Family."

Adrian accepted it without hesitation.

"As you wish."

Victor looked at Dante.

"You and Elena will attend as well."

Both nodded.

"Cassian."

"Yes, Grandfather."

"You'll accompany your parents."

Cassian answered firmly,

"I won't disappoint you."

Victor's gaze shifted to Leonarda.

"And you."

Leonarda sighed dramatically.

"I knew you'd say that."

"I'm coming."

Valerian smiled.

"What about me?"

Victor looked at his youngest grandson.

"You have school."

Valerian let out an exaggerated sigh.

"That's unfair."

Everyone ignored his complaint.

---

Elsewhere...

The mysterious woman also received the same invitation.

Her assistant asked respectfully,

"Boss..."

"Will you attend?"

She picked up the elegant black invitation.

Her violet eyes reflected its golden seal.

"Of course."

"The Ashfords will be there."

She closed the invitation with a soft click.

"It's time to see them with my own eyes."

A cold smile appeared on her lips.

"But not as a friend."

"As an opponent."

---

Far away...

Neither Adrian nor the mysterious woman realized...

That the upcoming Global Business Summit would be the first time the King of Eclipse and the Crimson Spider Lily stood under the same roof.

The moment their eyes met...

The balance of both the business world and the mafia world would begin to change.