At the Agnivanshi villa, Agastya had beaten Nandan so brutally that the man was barely breathing, lying limp on the floor like a lifeless corpse. Blood smeared the metal rod in Agastya’s hand. He dragged the rod along the floor as he walked over to Nandan, crouched down beside him, and grabbed his face by the hair. “Even now, you won’t open your mouth?” he growled.

From behind, Vikram shouted, “Matteo! Leave my father alone, or you won’t like what happens next!”