Chapter 75: Meeting Father-in-law (2)
So he decided to take a gamble.
"Your grip's decent," Mikael said, his voice calm despite the growing pain in his hand. A faint smirk tugged at his lips as he locked eyes with Cadmus. "But if this is supposed to intimidate me, you'll have to try harder. I've dealt with worse."
The room grew tense, and Amelia's worried gaze darted between the two men. Cadmus's cold stare didn't waver, and silence hung heavy in the air. Then, after a moment, Cadmus let out a low chuckle and tightened his grip further.
"Worse, huh?" Cadmus said, his tone carrying a hint of challenge. "You think you're tough enough to handle my daughter?"
Mikael leaned in slightly, ignoring the pain as his smirk widened. His voice dropped to a calm yet defiant tone. "I don't just think it. I know it. And if you're done with this dick-measuring contest, I'd like to keep my hand intact."
The tension spiked for a heartbeat before Cadmus burst into laughter, a deep and unexpected sound that broke the oppressive atmosphere. Releasing Mikael's hand, he gave it a firm pat on the back. "Not bad," Cadmus said, his earlier coldness replaced by a sharp grin. "You've got guts. Most would've folded by now. Maybe you're not a waste of her time after all."
Mikael flexed his hand subtly, masking the discomfort as he met Cadmus's gaze evenly. "Glad I passed your test," he replied smoothly.
Amelia, who had been simmering with anger throughout the exchange, finally spoke up, her tone sharp and full of disapproval. "Dad, what was that?"
Hearing the anger in her voice, Cadmus's commanding aura faltered, replaced with an appeasing tone. "Treasure, you know I had to make sure he wasn't some coward trying to trick you," he said, casting a quick glance at Mikael. "I still don't like him, but at least he's not a pushover." His voice dipped into a faintly sulking tone by the end.
Amelia crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently. "So your brilliant idea of a test was to see who could squeeze the hardest in a handshake? That's ridiculous!"
"Okay, okay," Cadmus relented with a sigh. "I won't do it again."