The Tycoon's Odyssey

The presence of Evan's 'Parents' living on the Nicobar Islands with him wasn't exactly a secret since public sightings had been reported. And yet, here he was, sitting in this very room, looking nothing like someone commanding attention like a predator in his element.

Jason's thoughts raced, but his face betrayed nothing as he walked closer.

"Sit," Evan ordered, his voice slicing through the tense atmosphere.

Jason hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding and taking the seat opposite him. His sharp gaze locked onto Evan's, both men studying every detail of their opponent with quiet intensity.

"Mmmph! Mmmph!" Mithal thrashed weakly against the restraints, his head jerking side to side wildly as his pleading eyes locked onto Jason's. His body trembled, the ropes cutting cruelly into his swollen skin. Desperation burned in his gaze, a silent attempt to warm Jason who refused to falter.

Jason's expression remained calm, his sharp gaze scanning the scene before him. He stepped forward with measured precision, betraying no emotion. Yet the sight of Mithal's beaten and broken figure sent an undeniable jolt through him.

Evan's cold voice sliced through the silence, breaking Jason's focus. "Does it hurt, Jason?" he asked, his voice laced with mockery. Leaning back in his chair, Evan watched Jason like a predator sizing up its prey. "Does it hurt to see him like that? Beaten. Broken. Bleeding. Just like your parents were."

Jason froze, his composure cracking for the briefest moment as his eyes darted to Mithal, whose muffled screams grew louder, more frantic.

Mithal's panicked expression shifted to one of sheer horror as Evan's words sank in. Jason's sharp features hardened, though his widened eyes betrayed his shock.

Evan's sneer deepened as he slowly rose from his seat, his towering figure radiating menace as he spoke, his tone venomous. "Ah, so you do feel it," he said, his voice colder now, his mockery turning venom. "The sting, the helplessness, the anger. I don't know if you can feel this but that's how I felt, Jason."

Jason's jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides, but he remained silent, watching Evan intently.
Your journey continues with empire

"That's how I felt," Evan continued, stepping closer, his piercing eyes boring heavily into Jason's. "When I found out you were plotting to kill my family. To kill the people who raised me, the ones who gave me everything."

Jason's breath hitched as the pieces fell into place together. His eyes widened further, reflecting the weight of realization, while Mithal's muffled cries morphed into a low, guttural groan of despair.

Evan's lips curled into a cruel smile as he read Jason's face, his delight obvious. "Oh, yes," he said softly, his tone a lethal whisper. "It was my people who came that day. It was them who rescued Roy and Claire. Did you think you could hide that from me?"

Jason's composure faltered for a moment before he forced it back, his voice low and steady as he said, "I underestimated you."

Evan chuckled darkly, circling toward Mithal with a cruel smile as the bound man flinched at every movement. "Underestimated?" he echoed, shaking his head. "No, Jason. You didn't underestimate me. You forgot who I was."

He stopped abruptly, pointing toward Mithal, and gestured toward the battered man with a cruel smirk. "Take a good look," he said. "This is what happens when you all try to act too smart. A lesson to anyone who thinks they can do whatever they please."

Mithal groaned again, tears spilling from his swollen eyes as he gazed helplessly at Jason. The weight of Evan's words seemed to press down on them, and the air in the room grew heavier, making them feel suffocated.

"And now," Evan said, his voice like a blade cutting through the tension, "tell me, Jason…"

A heavy silence lingered between them, thick and stretching out uncomfortably until Evan broke it with a sneer.

"Don't you feel ashamed," Evan hissed, his tone low and biting, "for betraying the ones who fed you and cared for you all this long?"

Jason's jaw tightened, but he remained silent. Though his calm mask cracked slightly and his expression darkened, he refused to let his composure slip further.

Evan leaned forward slightly, his tone growing colder. "You even went so far as to plot the deaths of the very people who raised you. So…"

He stood, slowly closing the distance between them with slow, deliberate steps, his sharp eyes boring into Jason's.

"Tell me," Evan growled, his voice a simmering threat. "What should I do with you?"

Before Jason could respond, the atmosphere shifted abruptly. A sudden, overwhelming force bore down on him as Evan manipulated the cosmic energy around them. The air grew heavy, pressing against Jason's shoulders like an invisible weight.

SWOOSH!

The force exploded outward in a powerful blast, slamming Jason's guards to the floor.

The guards reacted and tried to step forward, intending to protect Jason, but a strong force seemed to yank them slamming them down to the ground.

Cries of pain echoed in the room as the guards struggled against the crushing energy, unable to rise, writhing as the crushing force pinned them to the ground.

"Arghh!" Jason groaned as the pressure intensified, forcing his chair to tremble beneath him. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead and streaked down his face as he clenched his fists. His muscles strained against the weight, and yet he managed to lift his head, locking eyes with Evan.

His gaze met Evan's, who stared back with eyes as cold as ice, unrelenting and merciless.

"You think you can maintain your composure?" Evan said softly, almost mocking. "Let's see how far that will take you."

"You…"

Jason's body screamed in protest, his breathing labored under the immense strain. Yet, even as his shoulders drooped and his posture faltered, he kept his gaze locked on Evan's, refusing to show any sign of surrender.

Evan's lips curled into a faint, ruthless smile. "What an arrogant man," he murmured, almost to himself.

Then, without warning, the pressure eased, the suffocating force pressing on them vanishing as suddenly as it had come.

Jason exhaled deeply, his chest heaving up and down as he fought to steady himself. His resolve was unbroken despite the storm he had faced.