A Billionaire Son-in law

Chapter 2: A Public Humiliation

The evening continued with forced pleasantries, but Daniel could feel the tension in the air thickening with every passing second. Antonio and Leonard, no strangers to making cutting remarks, seemed to take particular pleasure in mocking him tonight. Daniel kept his eyes on his plate, focusing on the food, but the bitterness of their words lingered in his mind like an aftertaste he couldn’t shake off.

“I heard there’s a new project in town,” Leonard said, his voice dripping with condescension. “Maybe you can help, Daniel. You know, with your... ‘skills.’” He snickered, clearly amused at his own joke, while Antonio joined in with a low chuckle.

Daniel stiffened, but he didn’t react. They thought they were clever, treating him like a fool, but the truth was, he had already seen through their games. They didn’t know a fraction of what he was capable of. He had deliberately chosen not to reveal his talents to them, especially his wealth. But it was getting harder to swallow their constant judgment.

Angela, sensing the growing discomfort, tried to steer the conversation in another direction. “Maybe we should talk about the upcoming family trip, or”

“Family trip?” Antonio cut her off, a dismissive wave of his hand brushing aside her suggestion. “What family trip? We’ve already made enough plans. Perhaps it’s time Daniel joined the real world instead of playing pretend. What do you say, son-in-law?” His voice was sharp, and there was a dangerous edge to his words.

Daniel’s fingers tightened around the edge of his glass, the cool surface of the crystal doing little to ease the heat rising in his chest. They couldn’t even let him be, not even for one evening. It had been a long time since he’d felt this exposed, this vulnerable.

“I don’t need your approval, Antonio,” Daniel said quietly, his voice low but steady. He wasn’t about to let them win by silencing him any longer.

“Oh?” Antonio raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the defiance in Daniel’s tone. “And what exactly do you plan to do about it? You’re still living in my house, Daniel. You’re still dependent on my daughter’s charity.”

Daniel looked at Angela, who sat in tense silence, unsure of what to do. She hated these confrontations, the ones where her father reduced her husband to nothing more than a charity case. But this time, something felt different. There was a fire in Daniel’s eyes that she hadn’t seen before.

“You think I’m dependent?” Daniel’s voice grew colder, a steely resolve creeping into his words. “You think I haven’t made something of myself?”

The room went quiet, the weight of his words hanging in the air like a storm about to break. For a moment, even Antonio seemed taken aback, not knowing how to respond.

“Well,” Leonard smirked, “if you’ve made something of yourself, I suppose you’ll be showing us soon enough, won’t you?”

Daniel didn’t answer. There was no point in proving himself to them right now. He’d already made his decision—he would remain the man they could look down on, as long as it kept his plans intact. But their words stung more than he was willing to admit.

The rest of the evening passed in a strained silence, with Daniel saying little else. Angela tried to make small talk, but the discomfort hung between them like a thick fog. Her father’s and cousin’s words kept echoing in her mind. Was Daniel really as hopeless as they made him out to be?

When the meal finally came to an end, Daniel stood up and quietly excused himself. “I’m going to get some fresh air,” he said, his voice distant.

As he stepped out into the cool evening air, Daniel leaned against the balcony railing, closing his eyes for a moment. He could hear the faint chatter of the family inside, but it felt like they were a world away. He had to remind himself—this was just the beginning. They would see what he was capable of. He would show them. But on his own terms.

Tomorrow would bring a new challenge. And with it, he would take the first step toward unravelling the life he’d carefully hidden away from their prying eyes.