RISE OF THE UNDERDOG SON-IN-LAW: DRAGON'S POWER UNLEASHED

PROVE IT

"I'm not hiding anything from you, but I want to look at you wearing this," Julia said with a bright smile, looking forward to seeing his beautiful wife wearing the necklace he brought for her.

The morning sun streamed through the Steel family villa as Rose fastened the 7Star necklace around her neck. She turned to the mirror, her fingers slightly touching the diamonds.

“Where did you really get this, Julian?” Rose asked, her tone laced with suspicion, crossing her arms, she turned to him.

Julian leaned against the doorframe, his expression calm. “I told you, I bought it for you.”

“With what money?” Rose pressed, her voice sharper now. “We’ve been scraping by. Don’t tell me you suddenly hit the lottery.”

“I didn’t,” Julian replied evenly. “But let’s just say things are changing, and this is only the beginning.”

Rose sighed, shaking her head. “You’re being so suspicious, I don’t know what to believe, but…” She glanced at the necklace again. “However it’s beautiful and thank you for this beautiful gift.”

“You’re welcome,” Julian said, a faint smile crossing his lips.

Later that morning, the Steel family bustled with excitement as they prepared for an important meeting at the Steel Group headquarters.

The Porche Group, a powerhouse in the industry, had expressed interest in a potential partnership.

Maria, Rose’s mother, eyed Julian as he entered the living room.

“You’re actually coming with us?” she sneered. “What for? To embarrass Rose further?”

“Mom,” Rose intervened, her tone firmer than usual. “He’s my husband, he has every right to be there.”

Maria scoffed. “Husband? More like a burden. He’ll just sit there like a decoration while the rest of us handle real business.”

Julian said nothing, merely watching Maria with an unreadable expression.

At the Steel Group conference room, the family gathered around the large oak table, waiting for the representatives from Porche Group to arrive.

The atmosphere was tense, everyone on edge to make a good impression.

Maria leaned toward Mia, whispering loudly enough for Julian to hear, “I still don’t understand why he’s here, he doesn’t even know what a balance sheet is.”

Mia smirked. “Maybe he’s here to serve coffee.”

Rose shot them both a warning look but said nothing, her fingers brushing the necklace around her neck.

Suddenly, one of the junior executives walked into the room, holding his phone. “Did you hear? Someone bought the 7Star necklace yesterday. Thirteen million, just like that!”

Mia started boasting just as always“Oh, my boyfriend Carlos was going to buy it for me, but he changed his mind, and said it wasn’t worth it.”

“Carlos? Really?” one of the cousins chimed in. “I thought he was all talk. Didn’t he just take out a loan for that sports car?”

Mia’s face reddened slightly. “Whatever. At least he considered it.”

The junior executive’s eyes wandered to Rose. “Hey, that necklace looks a lot like the 7Star. Where’d you get it?”

The room fell silent as all eyes turned to Rose.

“This?” Rose hesitated, glancing at Julian. “It’s... a gift.”

“A gift?” Maria echoed, narrowing her eyes. “From who?”

Julian met her gaze steadily. “From me.”

A chorus of laughter erupted around the table.

“You?” Mia snorted. “That’s so funny, did you win it in a raffle or something?”

“Or maybe he picked up a fake version on the street,” another relative added, chuckling.

Rose glanced at Julian, her lips pressed tightly together. Despite the mocking, she noticed how calm he remained, his expression unchanging.

“It’s real,” Julian said with his usual calm voice.

“Sure it is,” Maria said, rolling her eyes, “You can’t even afford decent shoes, but you expect us to believe you bought that necklace?”

Before Julian could respond, the doors opened, and the Porche Group representatives entered. The family straightened up immediately, plastering on their best smiles.

The meeting progressed with the usual pleasantries and discussions of mutual benefits. Julian sat quietly beside Rose, his presence ignored by most of the room.

As the presentation continued, one of the Porche executives paused, his eyes catching on Rose’s necklace.

“Excuse me,” he said, interrupting the flow of conversation. “Is that... the 7Star necklace?”

Rose blinked, being startled by their sudden question out of nowhere. “Yes, it is.”

A murmur rippled through the room.

The executive leaned forward, clearly impressed. “That’s quite a rare piece. Only ten were ever made, it’s a statement piece, for sure.”

Mia jumped in, eager to steal the spotlight. “Oh, my boyfriend was going to get it for me, but Rose beat him to it, I guess.”

The executive frowned slightly. “Strange, I heard it was purchased outright yesterday by someone with a black card. No financing, no hesitation.”

Mia’s smile almost faltered.

Julian glanced at Rose, his calm demeanor unchanged.

“Julian,” Maria said suddenly, with a sharp tone. “Enough of this nonsense. Who actually bought that necklace? Was it a gift from someone else?”

Julian leaned back in his chair, his voice steady. “I told you already, I bought it, for my wife.”

“Prove it,” Mia challenged, as she couldn't accept jullian having an upper hand. “Show us the receipt, the transaction or anything that can prove us, it's brought by you.”

Julian pulled out his phone, tapping a few buttons before sliding it across the table, "the so-called proof to shut the mouth of yours."

The screen displayed the purchase confirmation, complete with his name.

The room went silent.

“How...?” Mia whispered as her face turned extremely pale.

Maria’s eyes narrowed. “This has to be a mistake. Where did you get that kind of money?”

Julian picked up his phone, slipping it back into his pocket. “Let’s just say I have my ways.”

Rose stared at him, her mind racing. She wanted to ask him a million questions, but the words aren't coming out of her throat.