Born Into Villain's Family: I Have a 200\% Rebate System-Chapter 455: Irony

Adam clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

His jaw tensed, and a faint tremor passed through his shoulders. He stared at Lovely with an expression that wavered between disbelief and rising fury.

"I already gave you a lot of money," he said, each word forced out between clenched teeth.

"Why do you need more? You promised, promised... you would only ask for money once. How can you come back again?"

Lovely didn’t even flinch. Instead, she crossed her legs elegantly, as though she were lounging in her own home and not extorting money from the man she had abused for years.

Her voice came out sharp and irritated. "If you refuse this demand, then forget about ever being free of the accusations that will fall on your head."

Adam stared at her, shocked. "So you were never planning to delete the pen drive?" he asked. "You were always going to use it against me?"

Lovely smiled... slow, cold, and poisonous. She didn’t bother giving an answer. Her silence was enough.

Before Adam could speak again, Milo stepped in, raising both hands as if he were mediating a childish argument.

"Brother, you’re being harsh," Milo said with a fake sigh. "Mom didn’t mean it that way. You should be grateful she’s only asking for money. Considering you’re earning so much these days, what’s wrong with supporting your birth mother a little?"

Mary, who had been silent until now, finally snapped.

Her eyes narrowed, and she turned to Milo with a glare that could cut glass. "If that’s the case," she said coldly, "why don’t you hand over your entire savings to her?"

Milo shivered visibly but puffed his chest a second later, saying with false bravado, "I... I don’t have any savings! Otherwise, I would’ve given them long ago. I’m not like my younger brother here, who doesn’t even know how to keep his mother happy."

Lovely’s eyes immediately softened with love and pride. She gazed at Milo as though he were the sun, moon, and stars combined.

’Sure enough,’ she thought smugly, ’this son of mine is truly good. Unlike that bastard... who isn’t even related to us.’

Her affectionate look toward Milo made Adam’s stomach twist. Lovely turned toward him, saw the way he glared at her... like he wanted to strangle her... and instantly became displeased.

"Do you have something you want to say?" she snapped.

Adam lifted his chin. "Yes. I want to know when you’ll stop blackmailing us," he said bluntly. "This is the second time. Are you planning a third? A fourth?"

Hans scoffed as if Adam’s words were absurd. "This is the last time. For sure. Just give us two hundred thousand dollars."

Mary couldn’t hold back a bitter laugh. "And what do you earn, Hans?"

Hans puffed his chest. "Currently, I’m not earning anything."

Mary’s smirk widened. "Exactly. A jobless man asking for two hundred thousand dollars as casually as he’d ask for loose change. So yes, you are a beggar."

Her tone was sharp... too sharp. It sliced through Hans’s fragile pride instantly.

Hans turned red with anger and pointed a trembling finger at her. "You... you don’t have the right to speak here!"

Mary stepped closer, unfazed. "I absolutely have the right. My husband is involved in this mess, so I’m involved. If you have a problem, say it to both our faces."

Adam nodded quietly beside her, standing as silent support.

Lovely clicked her tongue and glared at Adam, but she noticed the tension building.

She sensed he was reaching his limit, and she didn’t want him to snap before they got the money.

She inhaled deeply, forcing calm into her voice. "Let’s not argue," she said smoothly. "Let’s discuss things properly."

But then something seemed to click in her mind.

She tilted her head and looked at Adam with sudden suspicion. "Adam... is there something you want to tell me?"

Adam frowned. "What do you mean?"

Lovely tapped her chin. "A few days ago, I received a prank call," she said slowly. "Someone knew too much. If it were you... You’d better tell me now."

Her eyes sharpened, watching Adam closely.

But Adam only looked confused. So did Mary.

Lovely’s tension faded. She sighed in relief. ’So it wasn’t him.’

She immediately dropped the topic. "Anyway," she continued loudly, "you need to give the money soon. Otherwise, we’ll press charges immediately."

Mary frowned. "Why aren’t you waiting for us to fulfill the other conditions? You promised us time."

Lovely smiled, fake and sweet. "Of course, we promised. And we will wait... but we also need help now. We’re desperate."

Hans nodded vigorously. Milo sniffled dramatically.

Then Milo raised his eyes, letting them shimmer pathetically.

"Brother," he whispered weakly, "I’ve contracted a disease. Cancer. Chemotherapy costs money. We’re not trying to burden you. We just... we have no one else."

Lovely blinked, genuinely surprised. ’Cancer?’ she thought.

But when she realized how effective the lie sounded, she immediately played along and sobbed into her handkerchief.

Hans took on the role of the devoted grandson, patting Lovely’s back with exaggerated concern.

Adam clenched his fists harder. "Even if that were true," he said, voice low,

"I can’t keep giving you money. And if this really is the last time, then I’ll give two hundred thousand. But this is it."

Milo opened his mouth, but Adam cut him off.

"As far as I know, chemotherapy doesn’t cost a million dollars. You already took two hundred thousand before. Two hundred thousand again now... that’s four hundred thousand. More than enough."

Milo sputtered, then quickly changed tactics. "There’s also equipment and medicines! And hospital transportation! And tests! It all adds up!"

Adam lowered his gaze.

He knew that giving them two hundred thousand wouldn’t hurt him financially, not anymore. Ever since inheriting the company, he had grown it rapidly, to the point where tens of millions came in every month.

But that didn’t mean he liked being treated like a walking ATM.

He had wanted to earn money so Mary could live comfortably. So his children could have opportunities. So they could build a peaceful life.

But now these people... people who never gave him a warm meal, who never protected him, who treated him like a tool... wanted to leech off everything he had worked for.

For one terrifying second, a dark thought crossed his mind: ’I should kill them.’

The dark thought slipped in like venom.

Before it could settle, a soft hand gently covered his. Mary.

Her fingers squeezed his hand, steady and warm. She shook her head, an unspoken message in her eyes.

’Don’t let them drag you down. Don’t let the past make you into someone you’ll regret.’

Adam breathed out slowly.

She was right. They had a life now. Children. A home. A future.

They couldn’t afford bloody mistakes.

He lifted his head and said firmly, "Fine. I’ll give two hundred thousand. But you must sign an agreement."

Hans’s smile vanished instantly.

Lovely stiffened.

They exchanged panicked glances.

They had seen countless dramas. Countless examples. Agreements always meant losing power. If they signed something binding, Adam could later use it to get them arrested or silence them forever.

Hans’s expression twisted. "No. Absolutely not."

Adam narrowed his eyes. "Why not? I’m giving you money. I should at least have something that ensures you’ll delete the evidence as you promised."

Lovely snorted. "That was the old deal. We changed our minds."

Adam stiffened. Mary’s face darkened.

Lovely continued in a breezy tone, "From now on, you’ll give us money every month. Regularly. If you skip even one month, we’ll release everything."

Adam and Mary’s eyes widened in horror.

They couldn’t believe the shamelessness. But Lovely wasn’t done.

Hans folded his arms smugly. "Also, we heard you moved into a penthouse."

Milo nodded. "Yes. Our apartment isn’t safe. So we’re moving in with you."

Lovely smiled sweetly. "And I’m old now. I can’t do much housework. But thankfully, I have a daughter-in-law who can take care of me."

She gave Mary a smile that made Mary want to slap her.

Hans added, "And our cousins are successful, right? One is a painter, one is a designer, and one is a business owner. And little Aurora... even she’s connected to the rich. With such a powerful family, imagine how much we can achieve together."

Milo even leaned toward Adam and said in an interested voice,

"Brother, I have been reading a business novel for a long time, so why don’t you give me the chance to work in your company as a CEO? Maybe I will give you a pointer or two that can be useful to you."

Adam stared at his useless brother and only felt his blood turning cold. Milo was nothing but a gambler. He has till now spent more than $100,000 on gambling.

And he is boasting that he will help the company? What an irony.

’No... this can’t go on... I need to do something!’