The Tycoon's Odyssey

The sudden, cold voice sliced through the murmurs of the banquet hall, drawing the attention of everyone present.

All heads turned towards the entrance, where a striking figure stood framed in the dim light.

The woman's presence was overwhelming and had shaken everyone to the core.

Her striking amber hair cascaded in soft waves, catching the light in a way that made it appear as if it was aflame.

She wore a rich, deep green, gown that perfectly complemented her hair, enhancing her radiant presence.

The gown hugged her figure elegantly, accentuating her beauty with a mix of warmth and coldness that was both captivating and intimidating. Her presence was an entrancing blend of fiery allure and icy sophistication, leaving a profound impact on everyone who beheld her.

Sonalia and Noah's eyes widened in shock, their expressions momentarily faltering as they simultaneously looked at Evan, then back at the figure, "Suri?"

Drawing everyone's attention, Suri stepped forward with an almost noble grace.

The crowd instinctively parted in her path, a palpable chill following her as if the very air had grown colder.

Ignoring the gasps and whispers of the onlookers, Suri approached Evan with confident and assured strides before extending her hand, firmly grasping his arm, her eyes sharp and commanding.

"Why are you saying that you don't have a partner?" Suri's voice was icy, yet a trace of fierce determination lingered within. "Are you pretending, or just acting as a fool to force me to appear and declare a statement?"

Her gaze locked onto Evan's, with a mix of warmth and affection.

The room fell silent once more, all eyes now riveted on Suri as she took her place beside Evan.

After a brief moment of pause, Evan burst into a soft laughter.

"Yeah, I just wanted to act tough and shock everyone."

In truth, Evan knew that Noah had invited Suri, however, he wasn't sure if Suri was going to come, given her tight schedule.

Aurora might have known, but since he didn't ask, she didn't answer, however…

'It seems, Aunt Celina and Elina didn't groom me for no reason.'

Suri should have been in Ooty, in the Nilgiri hills, for a photo shoot, but it seemed she flew here. Evan had left a backhand, knowing that if Suri showed up, she would surely stand by him.

He wasn't entirely sure as to what their relationship was in the true sense. Though they weren't partners yet, he recognized Suri's sincerity. Unless he made up his mind to reject her completely, he wasn't going to consider looking for another woman.

That was also why he didn't look for one, after all, he could have just asked Maria to accompany him to the banquet and even Sam would have agreed as it would free him from the demoness's clutches for a while, bringing the fellow some relief.

Evan took Suri's hands and then stepped forward boldly.

"Suri, meet Noah, he is my friend and this is his soon-to-be wife, Sonalia…"

Noah's eyes twitched, wondering why this guy was acting as a host now.

Caught off guard by Suri's sudden entrance and the commanding way she addressed the situation, Noah had momentarily lost his composure.

He had only seen her on screens, never in real life, but her presence was just like people who held a great amount of authority, something that really baffled him.

Moreover, he hadn't expected for these two to have such a good relationship.

Suppressing his inner turmoil, Noah took a deep breath and stepped forward to greet Suri. His eyes momentarily softened with admiration as he admired her striking appearance.

The reason he had invited her was to show Evan his place and make sure that she would look at his sorry figure. He was going to break his mentality today however…

For a fleeting moment, Noah found himself entranced by her ethereal beauty. To him, Suri seemed like an angelic goddess, her mere presence radiating with an almost supernatural grace that left him shaken to his core. The allure of her elegance and the fierce determination in her gaze stirred something deep within him, causing him to involuntarily step closer to her.

Without even completely thinking, Noah extended his arms to embrace her and greet her.

But as he moved, Evan's eyes grew cold. With a subtle but firm grip, he held onto Suri's hand, creating a protective barrier between her and Noah.

Seeing him like this, Suri's lips curled into a knowing smile, clearly appreciating Evan's gesture.

Suri turned her attention back to Noah, her tone polite yet firm. "Sorry, Noah. As a celebrity, I prefer to maintain a certain distance to avoid any negative portrayals. Isn't that right, Sonalia?"

Sonalia, who had been observing all this with a growing sense of annoyance by the moment, seized the opportunity to belittle Suri. Her lips curled into a sneer as she addressed Suri. "Aren't you supposed to perform a dance and sing? When will you start? If possible, I'd like to see the performance now."

Suri's laughter rang out, light and untroubled. "You're mistaken. I was invited here and not hired for a performance. I received a formal invitation card, and I have a policy of not performing on stage for such events."

Sonalia's face darkened with irritation, but before she could retort, Noah stepped in to diffuse the tension. "Let's not turn this into an argument. Suri is here as my guest, and her presence is appreciated. We can all enjoy the evening without adding any unnecessary drama."

Evan nodded in agreement, his eyes still sharp but now holding a trace of amusement. "Exactly. Let's focus on celebrating and making the most of the evening."

With the tension somewhat diffused, the crowd began to mingle again, though the air was still charged with the lingering undercurrent from the confrontation. Noah and Sonalia exchanged glances, their earlier discomfort momentarily forgotten as they tried to regain their composure and move forward with the evening's festivities.

However as they walked back to greet others, Noah stared at Evan and then signaled certain someone to begin now…

Evan's brows furrowed as he noticed Suri smiling at him. "What?"

"Were you jealous when Noah stepped forward to grab my hand?" she teased mischievously.

"Of course not. Why will I be jealous? I was just reminding you not to get close to Noah. If you had hugged, he would have used the opportunity to feel quite well," Evan muttered, clicking his tongue in disgust.

Pfft!

Suri laughed seeing Evan averting his gaze, and tightened her grip on his arms, "Then, would it be okay if I greeted others with a hug."

Evan was about to answer intuitively but swallowed his words and just gave her a look instead. And his silence made her laugh even harder.

"I knew it— you're jealous…"

"I am not…"

"You are…"

"..."

Meanwhile, Daniel, who had returned with a glass of wine, froze for a moment and almost dropped the wine as he saw the sudden turn of events and cried out.

"What the hell did I witness just now?"