Born Into Villain's Family: I Have a 200\% Rebate System-Chapter 501: Diginity

Adriana stared at him, disbelief flashing across her face. "What do you mean by that?"

David smiled faintly. "Nothing in particular. Do you know this café’s monthly turnover?"

Once again, Adriana remained silent.

"This single café earns nearly a hundred thousand dollars in profit for my son alone," David remarked smoothly.

The words settled heavily between them. Adriana felt her throat tighten.

"I’m not trying to insult you," he continued calmly.

"I’m simply explaining a fact. The world we live in now... we are millionaires." His gaze sharpened.

"You, on the other hand, may come from an above-average middle-class family, but you’re still far below us."

Adriana inhaled deeply before responding, her voice steady despite the pressure in her chest.

"That doesn’t mean I can’t reach that level someday."

David laughed, the sound low and derisive, like a crocodile’s slow grin.

"You’re seriously overestimating yourself," he said teasingly. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"Becoming a millionaire isn’t that simple. My father worked for over a hundred years to raise our family above the level of nouveau riche. From there, I expanded the empire. Now my son is earning millions upon millions, and our family continues to rise."

He leaned closer, his tone sharpening.

"If we use that as a benchmark, your family would need at least three more generations to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Richardsons."

Adriana clenched her fists beneath the table, her nails biting into her palms.

"Money isn’t everything."

David laughed again. "I’ve heard that before."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Didn’t your ex... Henry, was it?... break up with you because of money issues?"

Adriana fell silent for a moment before replying tightly, "He was extorting money from me."

David nodded as if confirming a trivial detail.

"Exactly. To you, losing ten thousand dollars was devastating. To us, that amount isn’t even worth noticing. It’s like loose change."

His voice turned colder. "So if you have even an ounce of shame, you should leave my son."

Adriana’s fists clenched harder. "I’m not leaving Peter," she declared firmly.

"If you want this to end, ask him yourself. I won’t break up with him from my side."

David remained composed, his expression unreadable.

"If that’s the case," he replied calmly, "I’ll have to use my own methods. And they won’t be honorable."

Adriana’s eyes narrowed, unease creeping into her chest. "What do you mean by that?"

David smiled faintly. "You’ll find out soon enough."

A surge of panic rushed through Adriana. "What are you implying?" she demanded, her voice tight. "Clarify yourself."

David’s smile deepened, slow and deliberate, as if he were savoring her unease.

"Then I’ll drag your family into this," he declared calmly, his voice carrying a quiet menace. "Every last one of them."

Adriana’s breath hitched.

"Do you really need to go that low?" she asked.

"Is it really necessary to stoop so far just to go against me?"

David tilted his head slightly, studying her.

"Adriana," he continued smoothly, "would you ever marry your own sister to someone far below her league?"

The question struck her like a slap.

Adriana fell silent, her fingers curling against her palms as her mind raced.

’No,’ she admitted inwardly. ’I wouldn’t.’

She had seen poverty up close, had lived it, had tasted the constant anxiety of counting every coin.

The thought of Olivia or Aurora enduring that kind of life made her chest ache.

Before she could gather herself, David pressed on.

"Then tell me," he added quietly, "could you allow your brother to marry someone with no background at all?"

This time, Adriana lifted her head and answered firmly, "I’ve never once opposed my current future sister-in-law, Jules."

David smiled faintly, as though he had expected that response.

"That’s only because you haven’t seen the future yet," he replied calmly. "I’ve seen many things. I’ve lived through them. I know one truth."

His eyes sharpened.

"The day you realize the gap between yourself and your future daughter-in-law, you’ll begin to resent her. Slowly, inevitably."

He leaned back, his tone almost benevolent.

"I’m trying to spare you that fate. I’m giving you a way out, Adriana." His gaze locked onto hers.

"Leave Peter, and I’ll let this end with your dignity intact."

Adriana listened to his words and spoke after a brief pause.

"Then let me prove it," she said quietly, her voice steady despite the storm in her chest. "Let me prove that I’m capable of standing beside your son."

David smiled, slow and composed.

Without a word, he reached into his jacket, took out a photograph, and slid it across the table toward her.

He gestured lightly. "Take a look."

The moment Adriana’s eyes fell on the image, her breath caught. It was a photograph of Kaya, one of the most famous supermodels in the world.

Her sharp features, flawless skin, and confident gaze seemed to leap right out of the frame.

Adriana lifted her eyes in confusion.

David’s smile widened. "This is Kaya," he said smoothly.

"One of the most renowned supermodels today. Her net worth is in the millions, and her family is filled with millionaires."

He leaned back slightly.

"You could say she is the perfect match for my son. In fact, she was my first choice." His eyes glinted. "And she already likes him."

He tilted his head, studying Adriana’s reaction.

"Do you truly believe you still stand a chance against her?"

Adriana clenched her fist beneath the table, her nails biting into her palm.

"She reached her position because of her talent," she replied firmly. "And I can do the same."

David smiled again, but this time it was edged with quiet disdain.

’So simple,’ he thought. ’Utterly clueless.’

She didn’t even realize he was deliberately creating a sense of competition between her and Kaya, nudging her into an invisible battlefield.

’How could someone like this ever enter the elite circle?’

In his eyes, she would become nothing more than a burden to his son and a disgrace to herself.

At that moment, he made his decision. ’She is unfit.’

Looking at her calmly, he said coolly,

"You’re free to think whatever you want. But the reality remains the same. You do not deserve to be with my son."

He glanced at his watch, then back at her, smiling faintly. "I’ll give you five minutes," he added. "Your time starts now."

Adriana’s fists tightened. Those five minutes stretched into one of the most humiliating moments of her life.

Part of her wanted to argue, to flip the table and shout that she didn’t care about his approval, that she would live a good life with Peter regardless of his father’s opinion.

But as the seconds ticked by, colder thoughts crept in.

’Even if Peter and I end up together... what if he really targets my family?’

Her family lived openly, without guards or powerful connections.

Alex might be wealthy, but he wasn’t truly tied to her future. He was only a half-blood sibling.

The more she thought, the tighter her chest became. Anxiety coiled around her heart.

After a long silence, she finally spoke. "I’ll give you my answer later."

She stood up slowly.

David smiled again, unbothered. "If you can’t make a decision for yourself," he said calmly, "then I’ll make one for you."

With that, he pulled out his phone and made a call. When the line connected, he spoke only two words. "Do it."

Then he hung up.

Adriana’s eyes widened. "What did you do?" she demanded, panic seeping into her voice.

David smiled lightly. "I’m giving you a little trial," he replied. "An important one."

He took his sweet time and even repeatedly used tricky words to confuse Adriana for the next ten minutes.

When Adriana realized, it was already too late. Her phone rang. Adriana stared at the screen hesitantly before answering.

The moment she heard the voice on the other end, her face drained of color. It was her mother.

"Adriana," her mother’s trembling voice came through, "I’m at the hospital. I had a minor injury."

Mary told everything about what had happened.

Adriana’s breath faltered. As she listened, her hands began to shake.

Thugs had stormed into the library. They were strong, ruthless. Mary hadn’t been let off easily.

’If they had wanted to,’ her mother added shakily, ’they could have hurt me much worse.’

The more Adriana heard, the paler she became. Slowly, she lifted her gaze toward David, fear and panic swirling in her eyes.

’So this is the price,’ she thought bitterly. She had once believed that love could overcome anything.

But now, faced with the consequences her family would have to bear, that belief wavered. Suddenly, love didn’t seem as tempting as it once had.

’Love without security... is just another gamble.’

Grinding her teeth, she ended the call and looked at David. "I will leave Peter," she said hoarsely.

With that, she turned to go.

"Don’t regret your decision," David said suddenly.

Adriana paused mid-step.

"I’ve seen countless girls and women like you," he continued calmly.

"They linger around my son, chasing approval, clinging to old feelings, trying to rekindle connections. Some even attempt to crawl back years later through disgraceful means."

His voice remained chillingly even. "I’ve dealt with them all."