The Tycoon's Odyssey

Claire\'s secretary informed her. The escort from her husband, Roy, had arrived outside her mansion after having all the security checks and inspections. They were there to bring her to the airport and onward to USL, where she and Roy would meet for the grand event.

"Sure, let\'s go," she said and immediately stood from her office chair. She was traveling light, bringing only her phone and the glasses she was wearing—no bags, no extra clothing—a security measure they had agreed on.

Stepping out of her office, she found her assistant and the guards Roy had assigned for her. These bodyguards had replaced Terry, who was on leave. The group would be traveling with her. "Let\'s get going," she said, walking past them. The guards nodded and fell into position behind her.

"Miss, do you think it\'s safe to go without any of your personal security?" asked Alex, Claire\'s head of security.

"You don\'t have to worry about that. Roy\'s team is more than capable," Claire said with confidence. "Besides, I doubt a single private jet can accommodate all of them and your team as well," she added, knowing she would be safer with Roy\'s guards.

The convoy arrived soon after, led by a female driver who greeted Claire warmly. "Good evening," she said, holding the door open for Claire.

Claire smiled as she and her assistant entered the car, with Alex joining them in the front seat while the rest of Roy\'s handpicked bodyguards entered the vehicles ahead and behind.

Inside, Roy smiled and extended his hand as he pulled Claire closer. "Comfortable."

"Very comfortable," Claire remarked, sinking into the plush seat that provided the kind of relaxation she knew she\'d need for the journey ahead.

In the car, Claire leaned into Roy, a smile playing on her lips as she settled comfortably by his side.

"Did you have breakfast, darling?" she asked, reaching for his hand.

He nodded, giving her a warm smile. "Yes, I did. Though it\'s not as good without you there," he replied, squeezing her hand gently.

She chuckled. "I missed you too. Are you excited for today?"

Roy grinned, his eyes lighting up. "Of course, especially now that you\'re here. And our son\'s already counting the hours."

Find exclusive stories on mvl

They shared a glance, the warmth and quiet joy between them saying more than any words could.

The convoy departed from her mansion, Claire, her assistant, Alex and Roy in the center car, flanked by two lead and two rear vehicles. As they passed the final security checkpoint, they departed from the Mahajan compound.

At that moment, a burner phone rang with a coded text message, setting certain gears into motion.

Roy took a look at the message and frowned.

"What happened?" Claire asked, concerned.

Instead of answering, Roy just showed her the message.

"Another trouble. It seems they can\'t hold on anymore," Claire sighed.

But, Claire, who believed that she was secure in the hands of Roy\'s well-trained group, nodded calmly. "Keep monitoring it," she instructed her secretary, fully aware that something was amiss.

As the convoy cruised steadily down the highway, the vehicles abruptly slowed and turned right, deviating from the planned route. This immediately caught Claire, her assistant, and Alex off guard.

"Why are we deviating from the route?" Roy asked from the back seat.

The female driver didn\'t respond verbally. Instead, she tapped the tablet embedded in the dashboard, and the next instant, the display flashed to life and brought up a 3D map of the area.

Alex\'s eyes widened as he spotted a vehicle up ahead, loaded with armed men, all brandishing AK-47s, RPGs, and other high-caliber weapons. They were preparing an ambush, positioned about a kilometer ahead of their intended route.

"They\'re enemy forces!" Alex exclaimed, his voice strained as he watched the RPGs being loaded.

"Looks like that message was really meant for us," Claire said, observing the scene through her glasses with a calm yet focused intensity.

"Turn around! We need to inform family security and ask for backup," Alex commanded, reaching for his satellite radio. But there was no response; no matter how hard he tried, the channel remained silent.

"They\'ve jammed our frequencies," the driver stated evenly, allowing Alex a moment to grasp the gravity of their situation. "This isn\'t a random attack—they knew exactly who to target and how to disrupt our communication and completely isolate us."

"You\'re saying this was planned?" Roy asked as their convoy made another evasive turn, avoiding yet another group of heavily armed men, this time equipped with M16 rifles and body armor.

Roy\'s bodyguards, stationed in the lead and rear vehicles, were visibly on high alert. But with their radios in their cars jammed, they were unable to contact anyone. Yet, despite the looming threat, they remained composed.

"Master, we are ready to engage," one of the bodyguards reported through a secure internal comms system that was still functional.

"Stay alert but do not engage unless absolutely necessary. We\'re not dealing with amateurs," Roy instructed firmly.

Moments later, the convoy reached the only road leading to the airport—a long, straight stretch with no more turns to evade their pursuers. The attackers, realizing that their prey now had nowhere left to run, sped up, closing in from behind.

In response, three of the five cars in the convoy, including Clarie\'s, shifted into the right lane and accelerated. The other two slowed down, positioning themselves between the attackers and the VVIP convoy.

Roy\'s bodyguards knew their role.

Then, out of nowhere, another convoy appeared and surrounded Roy\'s group. But Roy remained calm, already aware of their arrival.

Inside the slowing cars, an unexpected force emerged—mysterious people armed with advanced Gauss rifles. Until now, these high-tech weapons had been concealed, but they were now ready to act.

The sleek, high-tech rifles were far more advanced than the AK-47s and RPGs their enemies wielded. Their rifles, linked to the guards\' AR glasses, provided real-time targeting data.

The drivers of the lead cars slammed the brakes hard, skidding to a sudden halt. The doors flew open, and Roy\'s bodyguards dismounted, their rifles raised.

Caught off guard by the sudden maneuver, the attackers reacted slowly. "Who are these—" one of the attackers began, but a Gauss rifle round hit his car\'s tyre before he could finish his sentence. The impact sent the vehicle spiraling out of control.

With cold efficiency, the mysterious group of guards picked off the tyres and engines of the pursuing vehicles. Though the enemy groups fought back with their AK-47s and RPGs, they were hopelessly outmatched. The highly advanced new rifles that seemed to shoot beams of light penetrated their vehicles\' armour, and the guards\' micro-explosive rounds hit the RPGs, triggering premature explosions.

As the RPGs exploded, the enemy groups\' convoy was engulfed in flames, sending shrapnel flying. The few attackers who survived tried to return fire but were swiftly neutralized by Claire\'s bodyguards, who acted with precise movements, their seamless coordination more than enough to end the battle.

In the middle car, Roy, Claire and the team watched the chaos unfold through the tablet display.

"Holy hell," Alex murmured, awestruck.

The mysterious group had decimated the attackers quite easily.

"What about the people who organized this attack?" Claire asked, her voice steady as she looked at the smoldering wreckage behind them.

Her secretary responded promptly. "We\'ve identified the location of the mastermind based on cell tower data. Our rearguard is already moving in to capture him," she explained, showing Claire the intercepted communication logs.

Moments later, a group of men in black suits approached the main car.

Roy\'s guards were ready to act, but he gestured for them to stand down, "Everyone on standby. Let him come."

He lowered down the window as the large, imposing man greeted him.

"Apologies for the shock, but Sir and Ma\'am, you will need to come with us." He spoke, bringing a deadly silence around.