The Live-In Son-in-Law Is the Supreme Tycoon

Chapter 4: Part 2 The Contract Husband

He turned his full attention to Jack. “This is not personal,” he said, his voice firm. “But I cannot approve this marriage.”

The statement settled heavily over the table.

Margaret looked away quietly, her silence signaling agreement. She might have felt some sympathy for Jack, but sympathy was not enough to change reality.

Jack calmly folded his napkin and placed it beside his plate. “I understand your concerns.”

Richard looked at him, surprised. “You do?”

“I would likely feel the same in your position.”

The admission caught the entire table off guard.

“You would?” Richard asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Of course,” Jack replied evenly. “A father wants what is best for his daughter.”

Richard studied him carefully, and for the first time that evening, a flicker of guilt stirred beneath his frustration. The young man was not rude, nor arrogant, nor desperate for approval. If anything, he seemed almost too reasonable.

Unfortunately, reason alone could not bridge the gap between them.

“I appreciate your understanding,” Richard said at last. “But my answer remains the same,” as he shook his head slightly. “No.”

The silence that followed was even heavier than before.

Diana stepped forward, her expression resolute. “You do not have the right.”

Richard turned sharply. “What did you say?”

“You gave me one condition,” she continued. “You told me to get married.”

“I did.”

“I found someone.”

His frown deepened. “I expected you to find a life partner.”

Diana resorted “You never said that.”

“I should not have needed to,” Richard said as he pushed his chair.

“You gave me a condition,” she said firmly. “And I fulfilled it.”

Richard’s patience finally broke. “Enough!”

His voice thundered through the mansion, carrying far beyond the dining room. Even the servants in the hall froze at the sound. “This is not some childish game.” 

“It is not,” Diana replied evenly.

He continued. “You think marriage is a contract?”

“Yes,” she answered without hesitation.

The room fell into a stunned quiet.

Margaret stared at her daughter in disbelief. “Diana… what happened to you?”

Diana met her gaze. “What happened to me?” she repeated. “I grew up watching business. I learned that every partnership is built on agreements. Marriage is no different.”

Margaret shook her head slowly. “No… marriage is built on trust.”

“It can be,” Diana replied. “But mine does not have to be.”

Richard looked at her as though he no longer recognized the person standing before him. “When did you become this cold?”

For a brief moment, Diana lowered her eyes. When she looked back up, her voice carried a quiet weight. “The day everyone started measuring me by whether I was worthy of inheriting your company.”

The words struck the room like a sudden storm.

Richard opened his mouth to respond, but no words came. For the first time that evening, he was left without an answer.

Jack remained composed as he watched the exchange in silence, and in that moment, he understood her completely. Diana was not heartless; she was exhausted.

Years of pressure had shaped her into someone who treated relationships like business because business was all she had ever been taught.

Richard slowly lowered himself back into his chair, his posture noticeably heavier. Margaret reached for his hand, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.

The silence stretched on before Richard finally looked toward the butler. “Call Attorney Lawson.”

The butler blinked in surprise. “Sir?”

“If she is determined to go through with this,” Richard said, his gaze shifting toward Jack, “…then we will handle it properly.”

The butler bowed at once. “Yes, sir.”

Within minutes, activity spread throughout the mansion. Phones rang, footsteps echoed through the halls, and members of the household staff moved with renewed urgency as a legal team was summoned.

Jack finished the last of his coffee without haste.

Diana glanced at him. “Were you expecting this?”

“No,” he said calmly.

“Then why do you seem so calm?” she asked.

Jack allowed himself a faint smile. “Because storms eventually pass.”

She studied him closely. There it was again, that steady, unshakable calm. No matter how much pressure surrounded him, he remained unaffected.

And for reasons she could not fully explain, that unsettled her more than any argument could have.

An hour later, the heavy oak doors of the mansion opened once again, admitting three sharply dressed lawyers carrying leather briefcases. At their head was Benjamin Lawson, one of the city’s most respected legal minds.

He greeted Richard with a nod. “You said this could not wait.”

“It cannot,” Richard replied, gesturing toward Diana and Jack.

Lawson followed his gaze, his eyes lingering briefly on the casually dressed young man before returning to Richard. He understood the communication already. “You want me to draft a marriage contract… for them?”

“Yes,” Richard said

Lawson slowly closed his briefcase. “Then I will need to understand…” he said carefully, “…what kind of marriage this is.”

Diana and Jack exchanged a glance.

Then Diana spoke, her voice steady and unambiguous. “It is strictly a contract.”