The Military Son-in-Law Who Owned Tomorrow

Dossier 4 - Venom

The same day at five o’clock in the evening, decorative lights illuminated the extravagant Auremont Grand Residence.

Tonight was the seventieth birthday banquet of Lady Dowager Cressida Auremont, the head of the Auremont family.

Her children, grandchildren, their spouses, close family friends, and several of the country’s most prominent socialites had gathered beneath the glittering chandeliers, each waiting for their turn to present their gifts.

Lady Cressida sat proudly at the center of the grand sitting room, slowly caressing her Persian cat as the gifts continued to arrive.

“Happy birthday, Grandma… Lady Dowager Cressida,” her second granddaughter said with a bright smile. “May you live as long as the oldest and most expensive wine in the world. For you, My husband and I brought something that has been in our family for generations.”

She gestured toward two attendants. They carefully carried forward a large wooden case covered in deep red velvet.

The room immediately quieted. Her granddaughter Celeste opened the case. Inside lay an antique Vacheron Constantin pocket watch, its platinum body decorated with hand-engraved gold filigree and hundreds of tiny diamonds. It was an heirloom commissioned for a European duke more than a century ago, one of the rarest pieces in the family’s private collection.

Lady Cressida’s eyes lit up. “My goodness…”

“It was acquired from a private European collection,” her granddaughter explained proudly. “Only three pieces of this particular commission are known to exist.”

The room filled with impressed murmurs. Lady Cressida smiled as she accepted it.

“This is exquisite.”

“Of course it is,” her second son-in-law said with a laugh. “Only something that has survived a hundred years deserves to be in your hands.”

The room erupted into approving laughter and applause. Celeste’s smile widened.

Then, almost casually, she glanced toward her older sister Alyssa.

“Though I suppose everyone should try to bring something memorable tonight.”

A few people exchanged knowing looks. Celeste continued with an innocent smile. “Especially the firstborn granddaughter.” Alyssa’s expression stiffened.

Celeste tilted her head sympathetically. “It’s rather unfortunate, though. “If only my dear sister Alyssa had married someone capable of standing beside the Auremont family.”

The room suddenly became quieter. Celeste immediately added, as though she hadn’t intended to insult anyone,

“Of course, we shouldn’t blame her. Who could have expected that her husband would spend the next ten years in Blackridge prison?”

A few guests lowered their heads to hide their laughter. Celeste’s husband chuckled.

“Indeed. It must be difficult for the firstborn granddaughter when her husband can’t even attend his grandmother-in-law’s birthday banquet.”

Celeste gave Alyssa an apologetic smile.

“And this is the third birthday banquet where Alyssa hasn’t been able to present something truly worthy of Grandmother,” Celeste said.

But Alyssa wasn’t ashamed anymore.

She had already decided that tonight, she would announce her divorce and finally sever herself from Adrian.

Before she could speak, however, Lady Dowager Cressida suddenly called her name.

“Alyssa!” Alyssa turned.

“I heard that your useless, good-for-nothing husband somehow survived Blackridge and came to the estate today dressed as a soldier.”

The entire room fell silent.

“What?”

“Adrian survived Blackridge?”

“He’s a soldier now?”

Whispers immediately spread throughout the banquet hall as guests exchanged stunned looks over their wine glasses, while diamonds and jewels glittered beneath the chandeliers.

Alyssa gave a slight bow.

“Grandmother, it is true. Adrian survived Blackridge and returned to the estate today.”

Lady Cressida’s expression darkened… felt almost shocked and embarrassed that Adrian somehow survived and came outside after her clean connection, she had to play it off like she expected it and allowed it. 

“How dare that wretched live-in son-in-law walk out of prison and not come here to bow before me and pay his respects?”

Alyssa lowered her eyes. “Grandmother…”

She hesitated deliberately before producing a document from her handbag.

“Adrian is a coward. He has requested a divorce.” Several guests gasped.

“He has chosen to forsake me for some military woman he met at the military camp. I’ve waited for years and endured the humiliation of being married to a poor, useless man, a prisoner at that. I endured all of it for him, only for him to betray me like this.”

She extended the papers toward Lady Cressida.

“So I’ve decided to sign the divorce papers.” The room erupted into murmurs. 

“How dare he?” Murmurs began amongst the guest. 

“That man was fed and sheltered by the Auremont family.”

“He lived under their roof and still had the audacity to abandon their heiress?”

“What an ungrateful jerk.” One elderly guest shook his head.

“That lowlife. I suppose it’s true what they say. Lowborn people are traitorous by nature. Betrayal comes as easily to them as loyalty comes to highborn men.”

A few people nodded in agreement. Then another voice cut through the hall.

“Perhaps the true lowborn here is your traitorous granddaughter.” The entire room went silent. The man’s voice was frighteningly calm.

“A slithering, venomous liar who betrayed the very man she claimed to love.” Every head turned toward the entrance. The massive doors stood open.

Adrian Vanderleigh walked into the banquet hall.

He was tall, broad-shouldered and impossibly composed, his military uniform sitting perfectly against his formidable frame. His features were sharper than they remembered, his dark eyes cold and unreadable.

For three years, they had known him as the useless live-in son-in-law. The delivery boy.

The poor man who depended on the Auremont family for everything.

But the man standing before them no longer looked like someone who belonged beneath anyone’s feet.

He walked into the room without hesitation.

His gaze swept across the gathering of Auremonts, D’Auberys and their wealthy guests. Then it stopped on Alyssa. For the first time that evening, the smile disappeared from her face.

“You!”

Lady Cressida shot to her feet, her face twisting with fury as she pointed at Adrian.

“You lowly live-in son-in-law, dragged out of the gutter by some godforsaken trustees! How dare you call my granddaughter lowborn?”

Her voice shook the entire hall.

“If my husband hadn’t insisted that I honor that ancient betrothal, and if my foolish granddaughter hadn’t stubbornly insisted on marrying you, you would have remained a gutter rat for the rest of your miserable life!”

She pointed at him again.

“And you dare call my granddaughter lowborn after betraying her?” Adrian simply stared at her.

Lady Cressida’s anger intensified when she saw that he wasn’t even intimidated.

“Jorah!” Her grandson looked up from his seat.

“Beat this rat until he learns to lick the dirt beneath your boots!”

Jorah Auremont, Alyssa’s older brother, slowly stood.

He was drunk, as usual, his expensive suit slightly disheveled and the faint smell of liquor following him as he grinned at Adrian.

Finally, he had been waiting for this.

In his mind, Adrian was still the same useless brother-in-law he had bullied for years—the man who had once lowered his head and endured every insult without fighting back… the one he had bled over claims of his shoes not being properly polished. 

Jorah cracked his knuckles. “I’ll enjoy this.” He stepped forward. He swung his fist straight toward Adrian’s face.

Adrian didn’t move. At the last possible second, his hand shot up. 

Crack!

He caught Jorah’s wrist. The smile disappeared from Jorah’s face. Before he could react, Adrian twisted his arm sharply behind his back.

POP! 

Jorah screamed. His shoulder was dislocated instantly.

“AAAH!”

The entire banquet hall erupted in shock. Adrian released him for half a second, only to drive the heel of his palm into Jorah’s chest.

Jorah’s massive body flew backward. Before he could regain his balance, Adrian stepped forward and delivered a clean karate strike to his side.

THUD!

Jorah crashed onto the marble floor, sliding several feet across it. The room fell completely silent.

Adrian calmly lowered his hand. He hadn’t even broken a sweat. Jorah lay on the floor clutching his dislocated shoulder, his face twisted in disbelief.

Adrian looked down at him.

“Three years ago, you could beat me because I allowed you to.” His eyes slowly lifted toward Lady Cressida.

“Don’t confuse my patience with weakness.”