The Tycoon Son-in-law

Ch 7

Drex’s jaw clenched at her words but he hid the anger in his eyes, nodding.

“Let’s not let the room go cold,” Martha said, holding a spoon. “I'm sure even if you’d paid all that money, death still comes when it wants.”

Drex just nodded.

“You’re not holding it against us, are you?” Janice asked, her voice cautious.

Drex looked up at her, his gaze cold as much as he tried to hide it and he said nothing.

Janice shook her head, forcing a smile. “It doesn’t matter anyway. I’m sure you still need the money for… whatever comes next. I’ll return it after the divorce.”

Drex sighed, his mask cracking. “Janice, are you slow? I said I don’t want the money anymore. And if I don’t want the money, there’s no divorce. Don’t keep knocking on a locked door.”

Janice immediately looked uneasy and she looked at her mother, scared.

“What nonsense is this?” Martha said with a displeased frown. “Why are you still trying to hang on to something that’s not yours? What kind of a loser is this? He's so shameless! You must divorce my daughter! That’s the only way this family breathes again!”

Steven slid his hands into his pockets, smiling like he was bored. “Or maybe you want me to finish what I started. Trust me, you don’t want to see how this ends. By the time I’m done, you’ll be signing those papers with a smile. So agree now while we’re still being polite.”

Drex bobbed his head restlessly, listening to him talk.

“Hm.” He stood up.

Janice took an instinctive step back as Drex loomed over her.

“I don’t care what tricks you pull,” Drex said evenly. “But this is one thing I want clear in your empty skull. Me and you, we are not divorcing. I swear to God, you're stuck with me. You and your family. Unless you want me to drag you to court and have you charged for adultery and fraudulent misrepresentation.”

Janice’s face drained of color. “What?”

“Don’t let his words scare you, sister-in-law,” Angela said smoothly, strutting over to Steven. “What you did isn’t a criminal offense. It’s just a… civil and family law drama so you won't get arrested.”

Steven grinned, pulling Angela close. “She’s going to law school. Smart, right?”

Janice let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.

“How dare you threaten my daughter?!” Martha screeched, stabbing the air with her spoon as though it were a weapon. “Every day you breathe, you somehow manage to sink lower. You’re not even a man anymore, just a bad habit Janice should’ve kicked years ago!”

Drex rolled his eyes away, already used to Martha’s insults. “Whatever. I don't care about the divorce anyway. We’re not getting it. That’s all you need to know.”

“We’ll have it,” Janice snapped, fury tightening her voice. “We have to. I’ve already picked out a flawless white wedding gown. Jordan and I are preparing for our wedding. Don't be a hindrance.”

Drex raised an eyebrow at her. “And you call me pathetic?” A short, humorless laugh escaped him. “That’s rich.”

He sighed. “Just give me a chance, Janice. I’ll make sure to be a good husband from now on.”

Janice, however, was adamant to listen. Her chin lifted, eyes cold and determined.

“No matter what you say, I’m marrying Jordan. You and I are done.”

Drex looked at her for a long moment before giving a short, unreadable nod. “We’ll see.”

A thin smile tugged at Janice’s lips as she nodded back. “Yes. We will.”

Before either could say more, Drex’s phone vibrated in his pocket. He glanced at the screen and saw it was his best friend, Nolan Hopper.

He answered the call, “Hello…”

“I’m finished, Drex,” Nolan Hopper’s strained voice burst through the line. “Completely finished. For ten days straight, not a single contract. My employees are already packing up. Trent, that ungrateful bastard, is dragging everyone over to Mirage Corporation. They’re offering thirty percent more than I can afford. This is it. Ace Corporation won’t survive this.”

Drex’s brows drew together.

Nolan wasn’t just a friend. Ace Corporation was built by Nolan’s family from the ground up with an annual revenue of three hundred thousand dollars, and after college, Nolan had handed Drex a job when he had nothing, no stability, no future worth mentioning.

That company had kept him alive when his life was falling apart.

So did not wish for it to go bankrupt, not after the help he gained from it.

““I’m coming,” Drex said firmly and ended the call.

“And exactly what do you think you can do?” Janice scoffed, crossing her arms. “That company is already dead. But maybe, your money in my hands could revive it…”

“Enough,” Drex snapped, cutting her off mid-sentence.

He didn’t spare her another glance as he walked straight out of the house.

Ace Corporation needed him.

It was a small renovation firm, only nine employees in total, including Drex. Trent Carlson, the most experienced among them, earned the highest salary at twenty thousand a month.

The company operated out of a cramped office in Angel Tower, where rent alone reached nearly a hundred thousand a year despite the size.

Seated in a taxi, Drex dialed another number.

“Aric,” he said when the call connected. “I have a new task for you. First, how’s the previous one?”

“I’ve already assigned someone to carry it out exactly as you instructed,” Aric replied calmly.

Drex relaxed slightly. “Good. Now I want a company in Angel Tower.”

There was a brief pause on the line before Aric spoke again with a respectful tone.

“Master Drex… Angel Tower already belongs to you.”