The Tycoon's Odyssey

The Mahajan mansion, a modern-day castle of wealth and power, stood amidst lush grounds, its imposing gates guarding the estate.

Inside, opulence reigned everywhere, with marble floors, crystalline chandeliers, and lavish furnishings that adorned the spacious halls.

Jason Mahajan, the apparent heir, descended the grand staircase and greeted his mother, who was sitting outside and his father, quietly reading the newspaper with a cup of coffee in his other hand.

As Jason stepped out of the grand Mahajan mansion, the morning sunlight bathed the expansive courtyard in a golden glow. The servants and guards, ever vigilant and respectful, acknowledged his presence with respectful nods and bows as he passed by.

He approached his mother, seated at her elegant desk, engrossed in her morning routine of managing the family\'s affairs with meticulous attention to detail.

Her graceful smile softened as she greeted their son, though a hint of concern lingered deep within her eyes.

"Good morning, Mom," Jason greeted, flashing a casual grin as he paused beside her.

"Good morning, Jason," she responded warmly, her gaze briefly lifting from the screen.

Nearby, his father sat comfortably in a plush armchair, sipping his coffee leisurely while skimming the newspaper. He looked up at his son with a fatherly pride as Jason acknowledged him.

"Have a pleasant morning, son?" Jason asked, his tone filled with a mix of curiosity and encouragement. "Where are you off to and that too so early today? More adventures planned ahead?"

His mother\'s reaction was swift.

"What?" she exclaimed sharply, fixing Jason with a stern look. "I hope you\'re not thinking of causing any more trouble."

Jason chuckled at his mother\'s protective tone, a familiar dance between them.

"Of course not, Mom," he reassured her while chuckling a bit after seeing his mother\'s worried expression.

"I\'m just heading out to work on a business idea. You worry too much. I\'m not a kid anymore."

His mother\'s expression slightly softened, a mixture of pride and concern evident in her eyes. "It\'s good to see that you are taking things seriously," she said firmly.

"But remember, if you want to inherit all this one day, you\'ll have to work harder than ever. Many won\'t make it easy for you."

Jason brushed off her concerns with a casual shrug.

"Let\'s not dwell on that now," he said, flashing a charming smile at his parents.

"You two are too young to worry about such things. Alright, I\'m off. See you both later."

With that, Jason strode confidently out of the mansion, leaving his parents behind as they watched him go with a mix of pride and apprehension. However, as the heavy doors closed behind him, their smiles faded.

Roy put down the cup from his hand and looked at his wife, Claire, with a look of concern and asked quietly, "Are you thinking about Evan."

Claire\'s expression froze and she stared at her husband in surprise before asking, "How did you know?"

"How can I not know?" Roy replied gently. "You have lost your usual liveliness and are always monitoring him constantly."

Claire\'s eyes dimmed down as she pushed the laptop toward Roy. "After all this time, I have finally found a glimpse of hope," she whispered.

Roy took the laptop, his gaze falling on the face of a young man on the screen. If anyone saw the image, they might not be able to identify the person, but how could he not?

The young man bore a striking resemblance to him, be it his walking posture or chin. As for his facial expression, it bore an uncanny semblance to his wife.

"Roy, just how long do I have to wait…" Clair asked, her voice almost breaking. "Just how long do I have to pretend? It\'s becoming overwhelming."

Her memories were linked to the past—tied to the day of her greatest joy, which was soon turned into her greatest sorrow.

After she gave birth, an accident occurred at the hospital and part of it caught fire. Fortunately, everything was solved and her child was safe… or so she thought. But the moment she held the child, she knew that the one in her arms wasn\'t her baby.

This wasn\'t her child but someone else\'s. Her hysteria shocked everyone— her husband and their family.

At first, they didn\'t believe her. But then the test proved her correct. Their son, their precious son, had either been killed or kidnapped.

What followed was an uproar… a blood-soaked tragedy.

Driven mad with grief, Roy disregarded everything and started killing everyone responsible for this; however even after all the violence, they still weren\'t able to find their child, nor did they receive any ransom demands from the kidnappers.

Helpless and broken, they decided to adopt this child. But as years passed and the child grew up, a huge gap of alienation grew between them and the boy. Despite their best efforts, the child strayed further away.

They also suspected that Jason might be the child of one of their relatives and that he was already aware of his real parents. But until they had proof, they couldn\'t act.

But then, a ray of sunshine lit them with hope and warmth.

That was the appearance of Evan.

In fact, the moment she got all the details of Evan, from the orphanage to his early life, Claire longed to rush to Evan to do the test and prove that he was her son, to make him call her \'Mom.\' Alas, her husband held her back.

Roy moved closer towards his wife and held her chin while wiping the drop of tears from her eyes before speaking, "Please bear with it a little longer…"

"If those greedy bastards could do this to our child when he was just born then imagine what they would do now if Evan returns. The main problem is that the enemy is in the dark, and once we expose Evan, he will be prone to danger. And even if Evan is also doing well now, who knows how much pressure he might be under? And once we recognize him publicly, it might bring him even more trouble.

We can\'t just barge into his life and risk destroying all that by an enemy lurking in the dark."

There was something else he didn\'t say aloud. The fact that Evan might not accept them. But he couldn\'t say it aloud at Claire\'s face, could he?

"I promise you… I will make sure to clear everything and bring him back."

_____

Meanwhile, far away, a certain someone was gazing at the distant land and muttered softly.

"I see."