Orphaned Son-in-law is Billionaire Heir

Ch. 7 - The Bet

The silence following Connor's bold declaration lasted exactly three heartbeats before the room erupted in the most vicious laughter yet heard in the Kuranda mansion.

"Did he just say what I think he said?" Bandicoot doubled over, tears streaming down his face.

"The orphanage janitor thinks he can handle a multi-million dollar real estate deal!" Milla shrieked with glee.

"This is better than comedy TV!" Uncle Jarrah slapped his knee. "The charity case actually believes he understands business!"

Aunt Kakadu cackled like a witch. "What's next? Is he going to offer his bedpan-cleaning expertise as collateral?"

"Maybe he'll trade some orphan toys for the building!" another relative chimed in, causing fresh waves of laughter.

Elder Dundarra watched the spectacle with cold amusement. "Well, this is certainly... entertaining."

Wonga shot to her feet, her face purple with rage. "Connor! Have you completely lost your mind?"

"Mother—" Kirra started.

"No! This walking disaster just committed our family to an impossible task!" Wonga pointed at Connor like he was diseased. "You're just an orphanage worker! You don't understand real business!"

"He probably thinks running a charity is the same as corporate negotiations!" Bandicoot gasped between laughs.

"This maggot is going to destroy us all!" Wonga continued her tirade. "Five million dollars, Connor! Do you have any idea what that means?"

Connor's voice remained steady. "I know exactly what it means."

"You know nothing, you delusional parasite!" she screamed. "You empty bedpans and feed drooling old people! That doesn't qualify you to make business decisions!"

Kirra stepped closer to Connor, studying his calm expression. "Connor... are you certain about this?"

"I won't let them humiliate you again," Connor said quietly, his eyes never leaving hers. "I won't let you lose your position in the family business."

"How touching!" Milla sneered. "The garbage collector is trying to be a knight in shining armor!"

"More like a cockroach in rusty tin foil!" Bandicoot added, triggering more cruel laughter.

Kirra felt something stir in her chest—the same feeling that had made her choose Connor as her husband in the first place. His quiet strength, his refusal to abandon her even when the odds were impossible.

"I accept the challenge," she announced firmly.

"Wonderful!" Bandicoot clapped his hands together. "But wait—there's one small problem."

The room fell quiet, sensing another trap.

"Five million dollars is serious money," Bandicoot continued with false concern. "What guarantee do we have that it won't be wasted?"

"Exactly!" Milla jumped in eagerly. "What if Kirra just pockets the money and runs off with her orphanage worker husband?"

"That's ridiculous—" Kirra protested.

"Is it?" Milla's voice carried mock innocence. "You two are practically strangers to real wealth. The temptation might be overwhelming."

"She has a point," Elder Dundarra mused. "Five million dollars could seem like a fortune to people of... modest means."

"Modest means?" Wonga's voice hit a pitch only bats could hear. "They're paupers! Connor lives on charity wages!"

"Perhaps we need additional assurance," Dundarra decided.

Connor stepped forward again. "I'll guarantee the deal's success."

The laughter that followed was more vicious than before.

"YOU?" Bandicoot could barely speak through his hysteria. "A delusional orphanage helper is going to guarantee a multi-million dollar business deal?"

"This is insanity!" Aunt Kakadu shrieked. "The termite thinks he's a businessman!"

"What could you possibly offer as guarantee, you worthless slug?" Uncle Jarrah demanded.

Connor's voice cut through the mockery like ice. "A bet."

"A bet?" Bandicoot wiped tears from his eyes. "Oh, this gets better and better!"

"If Kirra fails to secure the building," Connor said calmly, "both she and I will leave the Kuranda family forever. Our marriage arrangement becomes void."

Gasps echoed through the room.

"And if she succeeds?" Milla asked, though her smirk suggested she thought the question irrelevant.

"If she succeeds, Bandicoot bows down to Kirra in front of everyone here and apologizes for looking down on her marriage choice."

"WHAT?" Bandicoot's face went red. "You want me to bow to this... this..."

"This what?" Connor's voice carried a dangerous edge.

"This woman who had to marry human garbage just to run a business!" Bandicoot snarled.

"So you accept the bet?" Connor pressed.

Bandicoot looked around the room, seeing only encouraging nods and cruel smiles. The bet was a sure thing—an orphanage worker couldn't possibly succeed where legitimate businessmen had failed.

"You pathetic insect," Bandicoot laughed, "you just bet your entire future against my dignity. That's the most lopsided wager in history!"

"I take that as a yes?"

"Hell yes! This walking disaster thinks he can outperform actual businessmen!" Bandicoot stood up, addressing the room theatrically. "Ladies and gentlemen, witness the delusions of poverty!"

"Agreed," Elder Dundarra declared with finality. "Kirra has five days to complete the purchase. If she fails, both she and her husband are permanently expelled from this family."

The gavel crashed down, sealing their fate.

Outside the mansion gates, Wonga cornered Connor like a rabid animal, her face twisted with fury.

"You absolute moron!" she screamed. "You brain-dead maggot! What have you done to my daughter?"

"Mother, please—" Kirra tried to intervene.

"Please nothing! This parasitic worm just bet our entire family's future on his delusional fantasies!"

"The trap was set by Bandicoot and Milla," Kirra said firmly. "Connor was the only one who stood up for me."

"Stood up for you? He just signed your death warrant!" Wonga pointed at Connor with shaking fingers. "You worthless cockroach! You've destroyed everything!"

"Mrs. Wonga—"

"Don't you dare speak to me, you pathetic charity case!" she shrieked. "If Kirra fails—WHEN Kirra fails—you're divorcing her and crawling back to whatever gutter you came from!"

"Mother!"

"No, Kirra! This walking disaster belongs in an orphanage, not in our family!" Wonga's voice reached impossible volumes. "Five days! We have five days before this human refuse ruins us all!"

Connor remained calm despite the verbal assault. "It won't take five days."

"What did you say?" Wonga's eyes bulged.

"I said it won't take five days," Connor repeated quietly. "Tomorrow, I'll prove that this orphanage helper can deliver on everything I promised."

"Tomorrow?" Wonga cackled maniacally. "You delusional termite! You couldn't deliver a pizza, let alone a multi-million dollar building!"

"We'll see," Connor said simply.

"Yes, we will see!" Wonga snarled. "We'll see you crawling back to your bedpans and charity work where you belong!"

As they walked toward their car, Kirra slipped her hand into Connor's. "Are you really certain about this?"

"Trust me," Connor whispered, thinking of the ownership documents hidden in his jacket pocket. "By tomorrow evening, everyone will understand exactly what this orphanage helper is capable of."