The Tycoon's Odyssey

The sudden reversal was a bit too much for everyone to accept. It was as if Suri had pulled out an Uno reverse card out of nowhere.

Her body movements were fluid, akin to that of an expert, making Evan's heart skip for heart skip a beat due to her incredible speed.

Moreover, Richard was huge and had a broad frame, weighing over 80kg, but Suri smoothly flattened him. Many might have missed it, but Evan saw the way Suri twisted Richard's wrist, and he could bet that it was dislocated and broken.

So, it wouldn't be a surprise if her fighting skills stood at least at intermediate or might be more, still how?

How was this possible?

Wasn't she just an actress? Were all the actresses this fierce nowadays?

Clapping her hands as if shaking away the dust, Suri murderously glared at Richards's bodyguard.

"Clean this up.....I want this place spotless, otherwise..."

The bodyguards accompanying Richards seemed too scared and for some reason, they seemed to be so afraid of Suri that they didn't even dare to put on airs immediately.

After giving orders, Suri looked at Evan as if seizing him up and smiled bashfully, "Evan, I feel tired...Would you like to accompany me for a cup of coffee…?"

"N....Of course!" Evan quickly changed his stance seeing her darkened face for a moment before it suddenly brightened.

'Aigoo! She is not in danger...She is the danger...'

_____

The quaint aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted around Suri and Evan as they entered the bustling coffee house on a crisp autumn afternoon. Suri led the way confidently, her eyes sparkling with nostalgia.

"This place is amazing," Evan exclaimed, taking in the cozy atmosphere and the lively chatter around them.

He noted the decorations, the way the staff behaved, their service, and the entertainment. He observed everything keenly, aspiring that one day he could also create a big coffee house like this.

Though tea was his primary selling product, they could also create magic with coffee by adding some tea leaves.

In fact, they were already selling coffee but it wasn't exquisite and people were more prone to buying tea than coffee in his shop.

Taking her seat, Suri glanced at Evan. "I know you are curious about Richard."

Evan paused while taking a sip of his coffee and shook his head.

"Certainly not!"

His blank indifferent expression almost Suri spewed her coffee. And despite Evan's rejection, Suri began speaking.

"I used to come here all the time with Richard, before," Suri recalled, her smile tinged with a hint of sadness. "He was my childhood friend, you know. We grew up together."

Evan nodded, sensing a deeper story behind her words but doubts arose in his heart.

"Who is he really? Aren't you from Indra, so how?"

"He is one of the sons of Morgan Stanely and I am a Miss of the Baret. My father had two wives and my mother is from Indra. My father is an acquaintance of Stanley and the two families have a bit of a long relationship."

"What…Wha…."

The shock was evident in Evan's expression after all who was Morgan Stanely.

The fifth richest person in the world.

But he had never heard anything about the Barets.

"I grew up here in the USL and Richard was one who protected me. I had some affection for him in the past."

"But then things changed," Suri continued softly, her gaze drifting away for a moment before meeting Evan's eyes again. "I found out he was cheating on me and of all people, it was my step sister. I caught them together one evening nestling in each other's embrace. Then, I got to know that he was a scum who always pretended to care for me."

Evan's eyebrows shot up in shock, his expression mirroring his disbelief. "That must have been incredibly tough for you."

Suri shrugged lightly, masking the pain with a wistful smile. "Life has its twists, doesn't it? Anyway, enough about the past."

"Yeah, it does," Evan replied, returning to his brisket.

He wasn't particularly interested in all this conversation except for the identity revelation. However, he tagged along with Suri just to support her as a favour, not because he cared.

She then looked directly at Evan, her eyes now serious yet determined. "Evan, I've been thinking. How about we enter into a marriage partnership? A strictly business arrangement, of course. It'll benefit both our careers."

PFTT!

COUGH!COUGH!

Evan choked and coughed loudly, startling people around them.

"Here, drink some water…"

GULP!

Chugging down the entire glass in a go, Evan gave an expression with a mix of confusion and disbelief as if saying "Like seriously?"

Evan's eyes scanned Suri as he concluded.

This girl isn't sane?

I knew it–one shouldn't get close to actresses. All of them are scheming bi…

Still, Evan blinked, trying to process her unexpected proposal. "Marriage partnership? But what about..."

Suri held up her hand, cutting him off gently. "No romantic involvement. Just a mutually beneficial partnership on paper. We can support each other professionally without the complications of a real relationship."

"I don't understand this nonsense," Evan's eyes sharpened."Why are you saying all this?"

Suri sighed and decided to be truthful.

"First, I need a scapegoat. Once I break up with Richard, I will be in big trouble—not with my job with the actress, rather it is my home; since my family will start picking me up and I won't be able to avert it. Big families are complicated. The world isn't what it looks like so to make sure that we don't become willful and marry a random hooligan, we are all engaged early."

"And you fit all the criteria."

"First, you are handsome and second, you have the potential."

"What about money?" Evan asked skeptically.

"That's important too, but people can overlook it as long as they acknowledge your ability. I have done my research. You surely have the ability. Though some people will still look down on you because of your background, the ones who are truly at the top only care about your effort and capability, not those pretentious things."

Evan searched her eyes which were filled with sincerity mixed with a hint of vulnerability. He took a deep breath, his mind racing with conflicting emotions. "Suri, I... I didn't expect this. What about the future? If we fall in love?

Or break up?"

Suri nodded calmly as if understanding Evan's worry.

"It's okay to fall in love and I don't mind bearing your children as long as you are decent and loyal. As for the breakup, we will have a prenuptial contract from the start. I will promise to pay alimony from my side. This isn't about creating a public hysteria; I need to announce it within my social circle."

Evan nodded understandingly, while Suri's expression softened. "Take your time to think about it, Evan. I know it's a lot to process at one go."

They sat in silence for a moment as the buzz of the coffee house surrounded them. Evan finally spoke, his voice quiet yet resolute. "I refuse..."

A flicker of relief and disbelief crossed Suri's face before it was quickly replaced by her usual composed demeanor.

"I know nothing about your family and circumstances. I know nothing about the real you, nor do you know me?"

"I understand you like my character, but it's too early. It's uncomfortable for me..." Evan answered.

This was just too sudden and out of character. Honestly, he felt so uncomfortable that he wanted to run away.

Meanwhile, hearing this, Suri could only sigh in frustration. She summoned a great deal of courage to do this.

In fact, she was really desperate. She hadn't planned this but the moment he beat Richard, the clock had already started ticking and so she decided to pry Evan's thought first.

In her understanding, most men would agree to such a request as long as the woman was rich and beautiful, so why did this man refuse?

However, inwardly she can't help but feel that she would be disappointed if Evan had agreed to her proposal in one go.

Women were truly complex, wanting to see the results of both ends.

"Evan, then let's do this. We will get to know each other, and you can think about this. Though I am an actress, I swear that I am clean and have never had an intimate moment on and off the screen. I have never done any kissing scenes and as you see, I don't even do romantic movies. I just act to immerse myself and forget my past, but it's unlikely that this will last long."

Evan stared at Suri for a moment, then decided to remain silent and focus on his coffee.

But at this time, someone barged in his mind.

[Damn! Are you a human? No, are you even a boy? Such a beautiful girl is begging you, yet you are so indifferent. For god's sake, if you have a problem getting it up, just go and see a doctor and stop being pathetic and running away from women.]