In Altamount Road, Dilli...
At the heart of the street stood a grand estate, sprawling around like a mini estate in itself.
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.
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."