The Tycoon's Odyssey

Evan walked into the dimly lit prison cell, the echo of his polished shoes echoing in the silence. His suit, immaculate and sharp, seemed utterly out of place against the cell's grimy surroundings. The Rajputs—chained to the cold stone—looked up, their faces a mix of anger, exhaustion, and humiliation.

Pratap, who had been struggling to maintain his composure failed to do so and finally erupted.

His eyes burned with rage as he strained against his chains, his voice a thunderous roar. "You bastard! You think you've won? You think this is over?!"

Evan stopped a few steps away, his hands casually resting in his pockets. His expression was calm, almost indifferent. "Calm down, old man. You'll hurt yourself. And let's be honest—you're in no position to threaten anyone."

Pratap snarled and pulled harder against his restraints. "You think these chains can hold me? Do you think you're untouchable? You're just a snake, hiding behind your tricks and machines. We should've crushed you when we had the chance!"

"Yeah…Same old dialogue…blah…blah…You could have done it, but you didn't," Evan replied dryly, his tone nonchalant.

Rudra's voice cut through the growing tension, sharp. "Enough, Father. Screaming at him won't change anything." He turned to Evan, his tone measured but firm. "What do you want? You've already won. Why come here?"

Evan tilted his head slightly, a faint, cold smile playing on his lips. "I came to see what defeat looks like for the mighty Rajputs. It's… enlightening."

Jagesh's voice dripped with bitterness as he glared at Evan. "You're here to gloat. Just admit it and leave."

Evan's eyes flicked to Jagesh, his smile fading. "Gloat? No. I don't waste time on things like that. I'm here to make something very clear: you lost because you're relics of a world that no longer exists. You thought power came from pride and tradition. But true power is adaptability. Strategy. And I have both."

Arjun, calm but defiant, spoke next. "So what now? You've got us locked up and destroyed our reputation. What else is there? Do you expect us to beg for mercy?"

Evan stepped closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "No, I don't expect you to beg. In fact, I don't care what you do. This isn't about you anymore. The Rajput name is finished. Anyone who hears it will associate it with the failure and weakness of the Rajputs, while my rise to power becomes legendary. That's what I wanted."

The cell fell silent. For a moment, only the faint dripping of water from a leaky price echoed in the cell. Vishal's voice, wavy with realization, finally broke the silence. "You planned all this, didn't you? Every step. Even this."

Evan's gaze settled on him, a flicker of something resembling respect crossing his face. "You catch on quickly, Vishal. That's why you're still alive. You're the only one here who seems capable of learning."

The tension in the room grew heavier as Evan's words pressed down on the group. His gaze swept over the rest, cold and unrelenting. "You're here because you made the mistake of thinking I wouldn't fight back. You thought you could control me. Now, you'll sit here and watch as the world moves on without you and forget you in no time."

Jagesh, breaking under the weight of Evan's words, looked up desperately, his voice trembling. "Evan, please… you've made your point. Let us go. We'll leave. You'll never hear from us again."

Pratap's face twisted in anger. "You coward!" he barked, glaring at Jagesh. "Have you no spine? Begging this—this snake for mercy?"

Rudra scowled at Jagesh, his voice cold. "Pathetic. Have you forgotten who we are? We're Rajputs. We don't grovel."

Jagesh looked away, shame flashing across his face, but he muttered, "I just don't want to die here."

Evan watched the exchange with a faint smirk, his voice cutting through the argument. "Fascinating. Even in chains, you still cling to your pride. Maybe I underestimated your so-called unity."

He turned to leave but paused at the door before glancing back over his shoulder. "For what it's worth, Jagesh, begging wouldn't have helped you anyway. I don't give second chances."

Vishal, who had been sitting silent until now, finally spoke, his voice calm but firm. "It wouldn't be a smart move to kill all of us."

Everyone turned to him in surprise.

Evan raised an eyebrow, signalling him to continue.

Vishal stared at Evan, and carefully weighed his words before opening his lips.

"Keeping us alive as pawns would be far more useful for you," he began, meeting Evan's cold gaze. "With the power you wield, it's not like we could ever threaten you again. And let's be honest—killing us might make you feel satisfied, but wouldn't using our influence serve you better? You could bend us to your will instead of spilling more blood."

He paused briefly. "Also, taking over everything Rajput left behind is a big hassle. An enormous one."

The silence that followed in the cell was thick with disbelief.

Pratap's face flushed with anger, his hands clenched into fists. "Are you out of your mind?" he shouted, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "You'd grovel before this snake just to save your own skin? What happened to your pride? Your backbone? You're not a Rajput—you're a disgrace!"

His voice cracked with fury as he struggled against his chains, as if trying to physically lash out. "Spineless coward! Do you think this will save you? Do you think it will save any of us?!"

Evan stared at the old man skeptically, a flicker of irritation crossing his face.

'Is this old man's brain even functioning? Why is he repeating the same thing, pride, snake…spineless."

Rudra, sitting beside his father, shook his head in disgust, his voice cold as ice. "I can't believe what I'm hearing. All this time, I thought you had some guts, Vishal. But now? Now I see you're nothing more than a sniveling coward willing to sell out his family just to survive."

Rudra cast a condemning look at Vishal before glancing at Arjun, as if pressuring him to say something as his father.

Arjun, however, remained silent. His piercing eyes were locked on Vishal, his expression unreadable but heavy with disappointment. There was no rage in his gaze, only a deep sadness. For a long moment, he simply stared at his son, his shoulders sagging knowing that his son was thinking good for their survival but the older ones were being too rigid.

Not wanting to be part of this, he decided to keep mum.