Teenager Jay's heart sank as he took in the scene. The group of thugs surrounding him were momentarily distracted by the arrival of someone, giving Jay a brief moment to breathe. He turned to glance at his friends. Their faces didn't show surprise. They knew who was behind it all.
It was Rohan. He had forced them into this.
Rohan limped forward, his right leg dragging slightly, and his arm still stuck in a fracture cast. His clothes were expensive, clean, and ironed, completely out of place on this blood-stained, dirty concrete floor.
Two bodyguards walked beside him, one on each side, their eyes just as cold and dangerous as the thugs who had surrounded Jay.
Rohan's eyes gleamed with cruel satisfaction as he took in the scene. He scanned the area slowly before locking eyes with Jay.
"Jay, Jay, Jay… " he said, dragging the name out. "You've got no idea how long I've been planning this. After what you did to me..."
He let out a quiet laugh.
"When my dad found out, he lost it. He was ready to send one of our most elite gangs to finish you off. But I said no. Want to know why?"
Rohan's smile grew wider, and his voice dropped lower.
"Because that would've been too easy. I wanted to make you feel it. Not just pain... but real pain. The kind that eats you up. So, I decided to go after everyone close to you. Starting with the love of your life."
Jay's face stiffened.
"Sana," Rohan said, slowly, enjoying every second of it. "You know my dad crushed her family's oil business, right? All it took was one word. He gave them a choice: their business survives... only if she stays away from you. If not, they lose everything."
Jay's chest tightened.
"Sana's parents pressured her into it. She fought back at first, but when they threatened to disown her, she gave in and did exactly what they wanted."
Rohan tilted his head, mockingly.
"In a way, I did you a favor. If she really loved you, would she have left now? of all times?"
Jay's fists trembled at his sides, his rage building fast. Every word felt like a knife. The pain of losing Sana, mixed with the truth behind it, was too much.
Rohan noticed. He leaned closer.
"And your friends?" he continued. "Even easier. They gave up on you the moment things got risky. Not even a struggle. At least your girl tried."
Jay looked at his friends. They were only a few steps away but couldn't meet his eyes. Heads down, silent. Their silence was louder than anything Rohan had said.
That betrayal hurt just as much.
"Sorry," Rohan added with a grin. "I mean ex-lover."
He let out a cold, twisted chuckle, the kind that came from someone who enjoyed watching others break.
"But hey, this is just the start. Your precious enterprise, Nav-Yuga? It'll crumble. Just like your circle did. And your grandfather's condition... well, that's what really sets everything in motion."
Jay's breathing grew heavy. The mention of his grandfather, now lying in a coma, hit him harder than anything else. His vision blurred, red at the edges, as the fire inside him surged.
Rohan's voice faded into the background. All Jay could hear was the sound of his own heartbeat.
All he could feel... was rage.
Rohan continued, enjoying every second of pain on Jay's face.
"My father tried several times to buy your rising enterprise," he said. "But he was turned down every single time. After you injured me, he took things further. He planted a bomb under your grandfather's car. That old man's lucky to still be alive."
That was it. Jay's rage exploded.
With a furious roar, he surged forward, breaking the grip of the four goons holding him. His body moved on instinct, fueled by nothing but raw emotion and the need to fight back. The sudden burst of strength caught them off guard, but they quickly tightened their hold.
Jay didn't stop.
He yanked his right arm free and swung hard, his fist crashing into the jaw of the goon on his left. The man flew back and hit the ground hard. Without wasting a second, Jay twisted and drove his elbow into the stomach of the goon on his right. The thug gasped, doubled over, and dropped to the floor.
Jay's heart pounded like a war drum. The adrenaline rushing through him made every punch faster, every movement sharper.
He spun and threw a flurry of punches at the remaining two. One of them stumbled back, blood pouring from his nose. The other took a hit across the face but managed to stay standing, though his eyes were wide with fear and shock.
For a moment, it looked like Jay might win. But then, more thugs stormed in.
They rushed him all at once, and the numbers took over. Fists slammed into his chest. Feet kicked at his legs, his sides, his back. Jay didn't stop fighting. He kept swinging, kept hitting back, even as the pain grew worse.
A brutal kick hit his ribs. He felt something crack. Another blow hit his back, and he dropped to his knees. Still, he didn't give in.
Blood blurred his vision, sweat stung his eyes, but he kept lashing out. Every punch was defiance. Every movement was a refusal to lose.
Then came the final hit. A heavy punch slammed into the side of his head, and Jay hit the ground hard. He tried to get up, but his body gave out. His strength was fading fast. The goons didn't stop. They kept hitting him, kicking him while he was down, their faces twisted with anger and fear.
From a short distance away, Rohan watched with a twisted smile on his face. He didn't flinch. He didn't look away. He enjoyed every second of it.
"That won't change what's coming for your company and your family," Rohan said, his voice loud and clear over the chaos. "Do you have any idea what's going to happen next month? Want me to tell you what your future looks like?"
Jay could barely lift his head to glare at Rohan. His face was bloodied, his body wrecked. But his eyes still burned with rage. His fists twitched, still trying to fight.
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Author Note:
The revamped version of Volume 1, 2 & 3 are now live on Kindle. You can find it on Amazon by simply searching the book title. Thank you for your support, and I hope you enjoy the new editions!
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Exclusive artwork for every free chapter is now available on my PATRE0N page! You can find the link in my Discord server.
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Discord Link for 'Earth's Alpha Prime' :
https://discord.gg/maQC7xDBYZ
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