The Tycoon's Odyssey

The day Evan was born had been the happiest yet the most terrifying moment of Claire's life. She felt an overwhelming rush of love as she held her son for the first time, his tiny hands curling around her finger. Yet even as his newborn cry filled her with joy, a strange sense of unease lingered beneath the surface. As he grew, that feeling only deepened.

In the early days, Claire convinced herself that it was just her new mother's anxiety, yet something felt off. Evan was quiet, his gaze often distant, even as a toddler. As he grew older, Claire noticed he rarely sought comfort from her, instead drifting towards the Mithal family, particularly drawn to an elder who took a strong interest in him. Watching him, Claire felt a sharp pang of longing she couldn't quite explain. She loved him dearly, yet a strange detachment had taken root—a feeling she couldn't shake as if the child in her arms somehow didn't belong to her.

One evening, as they sat in a dimly lit room after reuniting, Evan broke the silence, his voice calm but curious. "When did you realize… that the boy you raised wasn't me?"

Roy's gaze fell, a mixture of regret and pain clouding his face. "At first, we didn't do any tests," he said slowly.

"There were… complications. If we had found out he wasn't ours and word had reached Jason, it would have caused a stir in the family. We didn't want to hurt anyone, especially you. So we avoided it, and tried to ignore the doubts."

"But it wasn't something we could ignore forever," Claire added, her voice strained. "I couldn't shake the feeling. After years of watching, and wondering, it became unbearable. So… we tested him."

The memory of that day darkened her eyes, her hands trembling as she remembered the moment she saw the results. "When I read those results… I thought my heart would break. I cried for days, Evan. Wondered where you were, what had happened to you, if you were safe." Her voice choked as she relived the agony, her mind haunted with questions that had plagued her since. "I couldn't bear to think you might have been taken somewhere terrible, that we might never find you."

The fire that had separated them on the day of his birth had not been an accident. Roy's voice hardened as he explained, "Someone tried to destroy us that day. They caused the fire. I hunted down everyone involved, every lead that could bring us closer to you. But each answer led to dead ends. In trying to uncover what happened, we ended up silencing anyone who might have known where you were."

A heavy silence fell, the weight of their story hanging in the air. Claire's face softened as she looked at Evan. "And then, just when I thought we'd never find you, I caught a glimpse of you. It was in USL, at a coffee shop… you were with Suri."

Her smile was faint. "The moment my eyes fell on your back, I knew. You were ours. The way you held yourself… It was so much like your father." Her voice softened, filled with quiet awe.

"Seeing you in person was different from what I had seen on the news or television. I had always thought that you looked familiar, but that day, I knew."

Evan's eyes flicked to Suri, a hint of a smile playing on his face. "It was Suri who pushed me to go there."

Claire's eyes shone with gratitude as she turned to Suri. "Thank you… thank you for taking him there, for standing by him through everything and helping him… even when we couldn't."

Suri's face flushed slightly as she shook her head. "I didn't do anything special," she said, her voice modest.

"Everything Evan has accomplished, he has done himself. He's… brilliant. Truly remarkable, a piece of art in his own right."

Claire's gaze softened, pride and love filling her expression as she looked at Evan. There was a warmth, a boundless affection in her eyes that softened the walls he'd built around his heart. At that moment, all the bitterness he had carried so long seemed to have started to dissolve.

As Claire and Suri continued their conversation, Claire's eyes held a mixture of joy and longing as she absorbed every word. It was her first chance to truly get to know Suri, her son's chosen partner, but also to catch small glimpses of the son she had only begun to know.

"Tell me everything, Suri," Claire said, her voice soft but eager.

"I feel like I've missed a lifetime with Evan… I don't even know his favorites, or what makes him laugh. I don't even know his favorite food." Her smile wavered, but she held it, her gaze full of warmth as she looked between them both.

Suri offered a kind smile, sharing a look with Evan that hinted at shared memories.

"He's complicated," she began, her voice filled with fondness. "But he's surprisingly predictable in some ways. He has a love for spicy foods, though he'd never admit it. And… he has a weakness for the occasional homemade meal. I think it reminds him of simpler times, a sense of comfort."

Claire's face softened as though she were seeing pieces of the little boy she'd dreamed of all those years.

"I used to have dreams or nightmares. As a baby, he must be so curious," she murmured, almost to herself.

"He might stare at everything with those intense blue eyes as if trying to understand it all at once." She blinked quickly, brushing away a tear.

"To think that the little boy I dreamed of all those years has grown into someone so accomplished…"

Evan, usually so composed, looked away, not quite sure how to respond to the deep affection in her voice. This open affection, these memories—they were not things he was accustomed to hearing from a mother's voice, nor filled with nostalgia for a time he had barely known.

Claire continued, her gaze flickering to Suri with a grateful expression. "You must have been a pillar for him. I saw some news clips and read a few articles… but nothing ever captured how he really is. I owe you so much, Suri, for standing by him when I couldn't."

Suri lowered her head, modestly. "You don't owe me anything, Miss Claire. Evan did everything on his own; he's brilliant, and I'm the lucky one to just be a part of his life. I just tried to support him when he needed it."

Claire reached over, placing her hand on Suri's. "Please, know how much it means. Even if I can't change the past, I am so grateful he had you."

Evan shifted uncomfortably, feeling the weight of both women's gazes—the warmth from his mother, the steady strength from Suri. This tenderness felt like a healing balm, one that was softening years of guardedness he'd built up in their absence.

Roy, who had been quietly observing the interaction, finally cleared his throat, drawing Evan's attention. He looked at his son with a mixture of pride and hesitance. There was no bitterness, no expectations—just a father's hope for a connection he feared was lost.

Breaking the silence, Roy spoke softly, his voice gently yet unsure. "Evan…" he began. "Are you ready to accept us… and the Mahajan name?"

The question lingered, heavy in the air, and for a moment, a deadly silence filled the room. Then, in a firm, unyielding voice, Evan spoke.

"No."