The Tycoon's Odyssey

"Yawn''

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Suri woke slowly, her eyes fluttering open as the soft morning light streamed through the window. She shifted slightly, only to find herself held firmly in place by a pair of warm, wolfish paws.

Looking down at her waist, she saw Evan's arm wrapped snugly around her waist, his hand resting on her with a gentle possessiveness that made her heart skip.

Turning her gaze to look at his face, she felt a wave of warmth and contentment. For once, the usual intensity that shadowed his face had softened, replaced by a rare serenity as he slept.

The early rays of sunlight highlighted his features, casting a warm glow over his strong jaw and relaxed expression. She wished she could hold on to this moment, preserving the peacefulness on his face. It was rare to see Evan looking calm and at ease.

Reaching out, she gently brushed a hand through his hair.

A soft smile crossed her lips. "Hmm! Even in your sleep, you won't even let me go…" she murmured quietly.

Without opening his eyes, Evan replied in a low low, slightly teasing voice, "Why would I? Don't children cling to their favorite dolls when they sleep?"

Caught off guard, Suri blinked in surprise, her cheeks flushing while Evan finally opened his eyes, a glint of amusement in them.

"You were awake?" she asked, half disbelieving.

Evan shrugged, his expression softening, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "For a long time…but I didn't want to disturb you."

A warm flutter stirred in her chest, and Suri laughed softly. "The more time I spend with you, the more you remind me of those perfect, possessive CEOs in those stories—cold and untouchable to everyone else, yet so warm and understanding to their girls," she teased, her smile widening.

Evan's eyes sparked with mischief as he leaned closer, his devilish grin making her heart skip. "I can be even more possessive if that's what you are after…"

"Ugh, stop!" she scoffed, her cheeks burning red.

"That smile is too addictive…"

"And what will you do if I don't stop?" he challenged, raising an eyebrow.

She stared at him for a heartbeat, then playfully pounced, sending them both tumbling in a fit of laughter and wrestling across the bed. They playfully grappled back and forth, each trying to pin the other until a knock on the door finally pulled them back to the present.

Suri soon found herself outmatched by Evan's strength and couldn't help but wonder which superhuman serum the guy must have used to gain such an advantage.

"Okay, let's stop, it's getting late."

"Breakfast time," Evan murmured, a grin still playing on his lips.

In the dining room, a lavish breakfast spread awaited them. The table was overflowing with fresh fruit, pastries, scrambled eggs, and cups filled with steaming hot tea. Evan took a little of everything, filling Suri's plate to the brim and pushing it toward her.

"Eat all of this. You need proper nourishment—your stamina is lacking," he teased, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Suri flushed, feeling her face grow warm. "That's your fault, you know," she muttered, picking up her fork to hide her embarrassment. Despite her strength, it irked her that she would always be somehow on the losing end with him.

As she took a bite, she glanced at him, curiosity flickering in her eyes. She hesitated but decided to ask the question that had been weighing on her mind for a long.

"Evan, when are you going to meet your parents?" she asked softly.

Evan's spoon froze mid-air, his face growing visibly tense. For a moment, he became silent, his eyes distant, and Suri, who was right next to him, sensed the uneasiness welling up inside him.

With a forced smile, he set down his spoon. "It seems like I can't escape from that question," he murmured, his voice tinged with regret.

He leaned back, his gaze dropping as he struggled to put his thoughts into words. Though it had been five days since he'd brought his parents to Utkal, he couldn't bring himself to face them.

Despite everything he had accomplished so far and all the ways he'd grown stronger, the past still haunted him.

It wasn't that he doubted his parents' love, but the thought of reconnecting, of reopening old wounds, terrified him.

What if they looked at him differently? What if, after knowing everything about him and learning about him, as people sometimes say, suddenly grew distant, as people would discover each other's flaws only after living together?

And then, there was something else that terrified him even more.

He worried about their past and what they might have done to get to where they stood today.

He knew he could research the past deeply with Aurora's help, and maybe unearth each one of their secrets. But what if they had done unforgivable things? How could he reconcile that?

Certainly, he couldn't believe that they were innocent; people in big positions often had their hands washed in the blood of others. So, how much crime had they committed to reach where they were?

Lost in these thoughts, he hardly noticed Suri's movement until he felt her hand on his. He looked up, finding her beside him, her gaze filled with understanding and warmth. She knelt beside him, gently guiding his head to rest against her shoulder, her fingers lightly brushing his hair.

"Evan," she began, her voice gentle yet steady, "I know what you're going through. This decision isn't easy, but remember one thing."

She paused, allowing her words to sink in. "You don't need to compromise yourself. Just because they're your parents doesn't mean you have to do everything they expect. Respecting them doesn't mean you have to lose sight of who you are or what you want."

Evan closed his eyes, feeling a flood of relief wash over him as her words took hold. The warmth of her embrace and the firmness in her tone steadied him in a way that nothing else could.

"Instead of overthinking and letting it weigh like a burden on your heart, go see them yourself. Judge them with your own eyes," she finished, resting her hand lightly on his shoulder as if anchoring him to the present.

Evan opened his eyes and met her gaze with a newfound resolve. At that moment, he understood that no matter how uncertain the path ahead was, he didn't have to face it alone.

_____

While it was a relaxing time for Evan, the same couldn't be said for his opponents.

The room was dim, and a suffocating heaviness clung to the air with shadows pooled around each figure, illuminating faces that were drawn and pale, marked by exhaustion and despair.

The silence was dense, broken only by the labored breaths and the occasional clink of glasses being set down as they struggled to process what had just been shared.

Unable to forget what had transpired a few days ago, all they could resort to was chunks of alcohol to numb their feeling of lingering dread.

Noah stared at the glass in his hand, his knuckles whitening as he tightened his grip. He cast a sideways glance at Paul, who looked as if all life had drained from him. His once assured expression was replaced with something hollow, a ghost of his usual confidence.

"So you're telling me," Noah's voice was edged with disbelief, "that the guy who couldn't even pass an exam a few years ago now has suits powerful enough to trample an army?"

Paul swallowed, his gaze distant as he recounted the memory. "I saw it myself, Noah. If you'd been there—" His voice faltered.

"Bullets… stopped mid-air, like they hit an invisible wall. And his speed… was no way… it wasn't natural."

"I am even suspicious if he is a superhuman."

A thick and oppressive silence settled over the group, lingering until Noah, in a surge of frustration, hurled his glass across the room.

BOOM!

The glass struck the wall and shattered.

The shattering sound echoed and the fragments caught the dim light as they scattered across the floor. All eyes turned to him, but he seemed unfazed.

"Are you all kidding me? Does any of this make sense?" His eyes burned as he scanned every face in the room. "We're talking about Hollywood-level tech here… What, is this supposed to be some kind of movie?"

"It doesn't make sense," Richard murmured, his expression stoic, though his voice held an underlying tremor. "But it exists."

Noah's gaze shifted to Jagesh, seeking any sign of reaction. But Jagesh just looked… tired, like the weight of each failure had aged him a decade in a matter of mere moments. His shoulders had sagged, his eyes devoid of the sharpness that once used to define him.

"Aren't you going to say something?" Richard asked, his voice tinged with an almost desperate weariness.

"What do you expect me to say?" Jagesh replied, a hint of bitterness creeping into his voice. "Should I scream and bang my head against the table? Or maybe run around like a madman, shouting until I lose my mind?"