Ivan stepped forward, his eyes locking onto Karna that made the young man flinch. It wasn't a glare, but sothing about Ivan's calm deanor exerted a quiet pressure that was hard to ignore.
"I'll take all of your weapons," Ivan said, as his hand rested on the table displaying Karna's creations. "And I want exclusive rights to all your future weapons as well."
Karna's eyes widened in shock. "What?!"
The proposition sounded less like a request and more like an order. But what stunned him more was the demand for a hold on all his future work. That kind of deal wasn't just rare—it was unheard of for soone like him.
"I'll give you lifeti support," Ivan continued. "Money, housing, food—anything you need. The Cromwell House can offer you more than re publicity with the Council." His words carried a subtle but unmistakable jab at Travis' earlier offer.
This was a power play, pure and simple. Ivan's all egos wouldn't let him sit quietly while Travis, soone he clearly despised, tried to make his move. And it wasn't just pride at stake—there was sothing deeper, darker in Ivan's resentnt.
Travis represented a future threat, soone destined to stand against him and kill his people. Of course he wasn't alone but he was the Main Figure and the reason why the others were present as well.
The re thought of it gnawed at Yvan's core. He just wanted to rip apart the one responsible Ludmila's and the others' deaths.
So why Ivan couldn't help but throw so jabs at Travis but without knowing he might really antagonize Travis and that's not what he wanted right now...
Yvan considered for a mont leaving more control to Ivan just for a minute as he would be able to handle perfectly the proximity with Mordred since for Ivan, Mordred was as insignificant as pebble on the ground but he didn't.
He maintained his composure, knowing that patience was key. Travis would eventually handle the chaos that would unfold—freeing Ivan from any need to get directly involved in the inevitable future conflicts of the novel.
"A high-tech laboratory, a smithing factory, access to the best materials—you'll have whatever you need," Ivan added, stepping up the offer without hesitation now that it was clear Travis had his sights set on Karna.
Karna stood there, dumbfounded, overwheld by the offer that had just doubled in value. Lifeti financial support, housing, and access to the finest materials available—things he could never have dread of, now laid out before him.
For a brief mont, his eyes flicked to Travis, offering an apologetic look. He couldn't help it—this was too big to refuse.
But Travis wasn't looking at Karna anymore. His sharp eyes were locked on Ivan, his brows furrowed in suspicion. Sothing didn't add up.
He glanced at Aaron, who now stood slightly behind Ivan, watching his cousin with sothing close to admiration in his eyes.
'Isn't Aaron the heir to the Cromwell family? So why is his cousin, a side-branch mber, making these kinds of deals and promises?'
It didn't make sense. Soone from a side branch should never be able to speak so freely on behalf of the main family—let alone negotiate massive offers without consulting the heir standing right behind him. Sothing about this arrangent felt off, but for now, Travis had no answers.
"Is it a deal or not?" Ivan asked, entirely dismissing the frown creasing Travis' face.
Karna hesitated, still processing everything. "Um, I think yes… but what do you an by 'exclusive rights?'" He asked cautiously.
Aaron stepped in. "It ans you'll sell everything to us, and to no one else."
Karna's face darkened, his enthusiasm fading. That wasn't what he wanted. The dream he and his father had envisioned for Astral Corp was to spread their weapons across the world. He wanted to see their na grow, to keep his anonymity so the Indra Empire wouldn't find him—but handing over all rights? That wouldn't make his and his father's dream a reality.
"I'm sorry," Karna finally said. "But I can't give you all the rights to my work."
"What?" Aaron's eyes narrowed, and his gaze hardened, making Karna flinch. But this was sothing Karna couldn't back down on.
Travis, standing by with a pleased expression, let out a soft scoff. "Good. Take my offer then. Keep your rights, but I want priority over everyone else. Don't worry—I'm not locking you in a prison." His words were a clear jab at Ivan's demand for exclusivity.
Karna's eyes flicked back to Ivan, guilt swirling in them for refusing his offer. But this was his dream—sothing bigger than any deal.
Just as Karna was about to accept Travis' offer, Ivan spoke.
"Ritavac."
Karna froze, his blood turning to ice. His face drained of color as if the very life had been sucked out of him.
He slowly turned to Ivan, whose gaze had darkened, taking on a more nacing edge. The calm appearance that had been there monts before was now replaced with sothing far more dangerous. Ivan had played nice, but he had limits. If Karna wasn't going to bend, Ivan had no qualms about using more immoral thods.
Ritavac Indra, the Emperor of the Indra's Empire. The man who had turned Karna's life into a nightmare, the sa Emperor who had ordered Karna's father to be burned alive in a public execution. Karna had barely escaped with his mother, and he knew the Emperor had never stopped searching for him.
Ivan didn't need to say more. The re ntion of that na was enough.
It was a clear underlying threat.
Ivan had no problem revealing Karna's location to the Emperor, and his tone made it clear: this wasn't just a business decision anymore—it was life or death.
Karna's whole body trembled, his gaze dropping to the ground, unable to et Ivan's eyes. There was no need to spell it out further. Ivan knew enough about him to use his greatest fear as leverage. Enough to destroy everything.
And now, Karna knew he had no choice.
"Are you threatening him?" Theresa, who had remained silent up until now, finally spoke with indignation.
It was clear to anyone paying attention—especially from Karna's reaction—that Ivan's words were a threat.
But Ivan ignored her entirely, his cold gaze fixed on Karna. "Deal or not?" He asked again, his tone even icier this ti.
He wasn't one to waste words, and this conversation had dragged on far too long for his liking. Normally, Ludmila or Mikhail would handle the negotiations—and the threats—but they weren't here. And Aaron, still inexperienced, wasn't capable of navigating sothing this delicate.
"Hey!" Theresa turned to Karna, her frustration growing as Ivan dismissed her. "Answer —did he just threaten you? I will help you."
Karna remained silent, his lips pressed tightly together. There was no way he could confirm it. Ivan's threat was too dangerous. He couldn't risk triggering Ivan into following through.
"This guy is threatening him, Travis," Theresa said, her voice filled with disgust.
Travis' eyes narrowed. "Using your influence, huh? You nobles never change," he muttered, his voice laced with contempt.
Theresa bit her lip, feeling the sting of his words even though she knew Travis wasn't condemning all nobles. Still, it hurt.
"I won't repeat myself," Ivan said. "Deal—"
"D-Deal!" Karna blurted out, his fists clenched tightly on the table.
"Good." Ivan nodded, satisfied. "I want it written down. Aaron, take his number and the other details."
"Yes," Aaron replied with a smile, eager to carry out the orders.
Travis, watching this unfold, could feel his annoyance growing. Beneath his mask, his lips twitched in frustration. It was obvious that Karna had been forced into this decision, but what could he do? Karna was trapped, and Travis had no power to free him from Ivan's grasp.
Trying to salvage what he could, Travis reached out for the weapons he had chosen earlier.
"What do you think you're doing?" Ivan's voice stopped him cold though much to his growing annoyance.
"It's a free exhibition, genius. I'm taking my three weapons," Travis replied, his hand hovering over the weapons.
"You're not taking anything," Ivan cut in dismissively as he watched Karna, who was nervously scribbling on a sheet of paper provided by Aaron. "I have exclusive rights over all of them now."
Travis' hand hovering above the weapon clenched slighlty. It wasn't just about the weapons anymore—it was the blatant abuse of power. And yet, he knew there was nothing he could do in this mont.
It was just a simple sheet of paper, hastily written, but for Ivan, it was more than enough to seal the deal—at least for now.
Aaron, eager to docunt the mont, held up his phone and snapped a few photos of Karna's defeated posture as he clutched the paper. The gesture was casual, almost mocking, as Aaron tossed the phone aside afterward, the evidence safely captured.
Travis watched this, his anger rising to the point of boiling over. He had always been a easy-going guy but what was happening right now was throwing him completely off in a long ti. He was ready to act until Theresa caught his arm, stopping him. "Let's go," she whispered, trying to calm him.
Travis kept his eyes fixed on Ivan, his cold stare burning with contempt. Ivan, unfazed, was reviewing the paper that granted him all rights over Astral Corp as if savoring his victory.
"Travis… co on," Theresa insisted. "Don't worry, I have an idea." Her words were barely audible, but they carried enough weight to pull him away, though her tone grated on Ivan's ears as she led Travis out of the scene.
'An idea?' Ivan thought, irritated. Whatever sche she had brewing was irrelevant to him—but it still grated on his nerves to think he'd have to deal with them again. For now, though, he let them walk away, his focus returning to Karna and the victory he had secured.
He had changed again greatly the novel's narrative by stealing one of Mordred's greatest allies.
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