The Tycoon's Odyssey

After an entire day of fun and excitement, it was finally time to focus on the real reason for their visit. Evan and Suri's carefree exploration came to an abrupt halt as the guards were finally allowed to stay close in around them.

The guards, who had been sweating buckets worrying about their safety, could finally breathe in relief. They had been on edge the entire day while Evan and Suri roamed freely, showing little to no concern at all. But then again, the two of them weren't ordinary—they were top-tier superhumans who could handle almost anything. Still, their duty demanded vigilance, and the guards couldn't afford to be careless.

Before long, they arrived at their destination.

The moment Suri laid her eyes on the place, her expression shifted. Her usual light-hearted demeanor vanished, replaced by a sharp, unmistakable look of disapproval as she took in the condition of the castle.

"What! Did you really scrap this place?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Evan glanced at her, confused. "What?"

Suri didn't answer immediately. Her gaze remained fixed on the castle, taking in its current state. Once grand and majestic, the castle now lay in ruins and was in shambles. Cracks ran through its once-pristine walls and some could even be seen crumbled. Bullet marks scarred the stone, and sections of the structure bore the blackened marks of explosions. Entire sections of the wall were missing, likely taken down by RPGs and heavy weaponry.

The air still carried a faint smell of smoke and debris—a lingering reminder of the intense battle between the Rajputs and Evan's soldiers.

"This is… I mean, it was a historic place," Suri finally said, her voice cold and sharp. "And you turned it into this. Couldn't you have shown some respect?"

Evan looked away, unsure of how to respond. He didn't feel like explaining them. Instead, he shook his head and ignored her words.

"Let's just go inside," he said firmly.

As they stepped into the castle, they were greeted by Roman, the man in charge of the operation. Roman was one of Evan's most trusted subordinates, ranked just below Mac in authority.

Roman gave a slight bow. "Welcome, Boss. Welcome, Ma'am," he said, addressing Evan and Suri with respect.

Evan nodded. "How are the Rajputs faring?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

Roman stood tall and gave a brief report. "The Rajputs have sustained significant losses but are holding on. They've agreed to your terms, and most of their forces are disbanded. The leaders are ready to meet you, Boss."

Evan nodded again, satisfied with the update. "Good. Keep it that way."

Turning to Suri, he said, "You can look around if you want. I'll handle things here."

Suri didn't reply immediately. She cast one last lingering glance at the damaged interior, her disapproval still evident, before walking off to explore what remained of the castle on her own.

Evan turned back to Roman, ready to get to work. "Let's go."

With that, Roman led the way deeper into the castle.

_____

In the basement lay a prison.

The space was a desolate expanse of cold stone and iron bars, its oppressive silence amplifying the despair of those confined within.

The once-mighty Rajput family, known for their wealth and power, now sat chained against the damp, crumbling walls. The air was thick with the stench of decay, and the dim flicker of a single bulb cast long, eerie distorted shadows across their faces.

Pratap sat closest to the wall, his back hunched with fatigue, but his robust physique betrayed the strength of a man who had spent years maintaining his health.

His face, while aged, lacked the deep wrinkles one might expect, as if his pride had preserved him even in these dire circumstances. Beside him sat his sons Rudra and Arjun, their stern appearances marred by traces of unease.

Jagesh sat near Vishal, his youthful features now hardened by the grim reality of their predicament.

The stale food provided to them was barely edible—a piece of dry bread and a bowl of thin gruel that smelled of rot—remained untouched. Their pride refused to let them accept even the basic sustenance in such conditions. Although hunger gnawed at them, it was the loss of their status and power that cut the deepest. They had ruled like kings, and now they sat in the filth of the forgotten, stripped of their dignity.

Pratap's heavy breathing broke the silence, his anger bubbling over until he let out a sharp, guttural scream. "I should have killed him! We should have taken him down early before he rose to power. It was a mistake…a grave mistake!"

His voice reverberated through the cell, raw with frustration and regret.

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With his suppressed fury, Rudra snapped at him. "Can't you just shut up? You've been saying the same thing over and over. It's already done. Wasting your breath won't change anything."

Pratap turned toward his son, his eyes blazing, but before he could respond, Rudra continued, his voice lowering to a harsh whisper. "Instead of screaming about the past, save your energy. We need a plan— not complaints."

Sitting on the cold floor, Arjun nodded in agreement. "The guards mentioned that Evan would be coming to meet us soon. Maybe we can negotiate, and find a way out of this mess."

Jagesh leaned forward, his expression grim. "Negotiating with someone like him isn't going to be easy. But maybe we can use something to our advantage. If he sees us as useful…" His words trailed off, leaving the unspoken truth hanging in the air.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

In the corner, Vishal remained silent, his gaze distant as he replayed his last encounter with Evan. That moment had cemented their inevitable downfall. Evan wasn't just ruthless—he was calculating, so they might still have a chance.

Every move they had made to stop him had been anticipated, countered, or outrightly ignored by him.

Vishal exhaled heavily, his voice cutting through the tension. "If only we hadn't been so adamant. By the time we recognized him as a threat, he was already leagues ahead of us. Someone like him—someone who can prepare for every possibility… they're not easy to suppress. Maybe impossible."

The weight of his words sank into the group like a leaden anchor, pulling them deeper into their shared despair. As the silence reclaimed the room, the distant clang of iron doors echoed through the corridor, each step sharper and drawing closer.

The prison gates creaked open, their rusted hinges groaning in protest. In the dim light, the imposing silhouette of the man they had been dreading appeared, his presence suffocating and undeniable.

Evan stepped into the cell, his sharp gaze sweeping over the Rajputs, his expression calm yet terrifyingly unreadable.