Chapter 21
Sebastian forcefully shrugged off Ronan's hand. He said icily, "While she may be your daughter, she's also my wife now.
"I might not have had a say before, but from the instant we got married, she's under my care and protection. Anyone who dares to lay a hand on her will answer to me."
A charming smile graced Sebastian's lips. "If you acknowledge me as your son-in-law, I'll naturally respect you as my father-in-law. But if you choose not to, then I see no reason to indulge you."
"You… you…" Ronan stuttered, at a loss for words as he pointed a trembling finger at Sebastian.
Sebastian's sharp gaze landed on his face, and he coldly said, "I detest being pointed at. If you wish to keep your finger, I'll happily help you remove it."
Startled, Ronan swiftly retracted his hand. He was well aware of Sebastian's boldness and strength.
"You've picked yourself quite the man. I'm tempted to give him a good smack myself!" Ronan's tone dripped with anger as he directed his gaze toward Lillian.
Lillian glanced at Sebastian and said, "He's my father. Could you please control your temper?"
"Now that my wife has spoken, I'll try to control my temper," Sebastian retorted with a touch of sarcasm.
While he promised to try, his implication was clear: if they pushed him too far, he wouldn't care whether they were in-laws or anyone else.
"Let's go!" Quinton stormed off in anger.
"Since they already have a child, why linger here?" Lynette, equally indignant, pulled Steven away.
Steven glared at Sebastian, his eyes ablaze with fury. "Just you wait. I won't let you off!"
Sebastian's expression was full of disdain. While the Harris family was one of the four major families in Ravenview City, they held little significance in his eyes.
Elijah looked at Sebastian and said, "Sebastian, I'm grateful for your help, but I must admit, this turn of events has left me quite disappointed.
"Nevertheless, dwelling on it further won't change anything. Take care of yourselves from here on out."
With that, Elijah headed upstairs.
"Look what you've done to your grandfather," Evelyn said with frustration, her hand poised to deliver a slap on Lillian's face.
But when she saw the cold smirk on Sebastian's lips, she slowly lowered her hand.
"Sebastian, do you think you're worthy of my daughter?" she asked.
"In this world, there isn't a woman I'm not worthy of," Sebastian replied arrogantly.
Evelyn's face contorted with disdain. In her eyes, Sebastian was nothing more than a narcissistic braggart.
"The old man just said there's no point dwelling on this further, but surely, you understand the customs of marriage, don't you?" she continued.
"Do you mean the betrothal gifts?" Sebastian seemed unsure.
"Exactly." Evelyn nodded.
"That's easy. Tell me, how much do you want?" Sebastian asked confidently.
"I know you're worth ten million dollars, but that's our family's money. Even if I ask for more, you won't have any anyway. So, I'll ask for just ten million dollars from you.
"However, the man my daughter marries must be someone who can take care of her and support her in both life and career. If you can do these two things, I'll accept you as my son-in-law."
"I can do all of that," Sebastian declared.
"Talk is cheap. How about we make a deal? You know our Smith Group is currently under Lillian's management, and she's been negotiating a deal with the Shadowtiger Group recently."
After a brief pause, she proposed, "If you can close that deal successfully, then I'll believe what you just said. But if you fail, you'll have to divorce Lillian."
Then, she added, "And Lillian, you must abort the child!"
"Mom, you know Mr. Miller owns the Shadowtiger Group, and he tried to kill Sebastian yesterday. Sending him to negotiate is practically signing his death warrant," Lillian protested angrily.
"That's not my concern. If he's capable, he'll succeed. If not, he's useless. I will not tolerate a useless son-in-law," Evelyn retorted firmly.
"Fine. I'll accept this bet," Sebastian agreed without hesitation, finding the terms ridiculously simple.
"Don't involve me in your bet. I won't abort the child," Lillian retorted.
Though the sudden pregnancy had caught her off guard, she couldn't bear to terminate her own child.
"We'll talk about the child later. But if he fails, you two must divorce immediately. I'm only giving you five days," Evelyn stated.