THE JANITOR HUSBAND IS NOW A CENTIMILLIONAIRE KING

CHAPTER 1

The basement hummed with the buzz of overworked machines, their metal moans resonating Alexander’s exhaustion.

Sweat beaded on his brow as he scrubbed a stain that wouldn’t give way, the world above mocking his every push of the mop, a nobody in a kingdom of glass and greed.

The Pinnacle Enterprises office towered above him, its polished executives striding by, not sparing a glance for the janitor in his worn coveralls.

Alexander’s hands, calloused and sore, gripped the mop handle tighter.

Tonight was his third anniversary with Lila, and that thought alone kept the ache in his bones in check. He’d finish early, cook her favorite pasta, and light the cheap candles they’d laughed over last year.

Simple, but theirs.

The service elevator dinged, cutting through the hum. Alexander didn’t look up, probably another delivery of overpriced coffee for the suits.

But the click of heels on concrete, made him pause. He straightened, wiping his forehead, and saw her.

A woman stood at the basement’s edge, her expensive suit shining against the dirt.

Her auburn hair was pulled back, and her sharp eyes seemed to see right through him.

She carried an aura, as if the room itself bent to her presence.

“Alexanderiel Warrick,” she said, her voice low but firm. “I’ve found you.”

Alexander blinked, the mop slipping slightly in his grip. “Lady, you’ve got the wrong guy. Name’s Alexander. Just Alexander.”

He turned back to the floor, hoping she’d take the hint. Crazy rich types sometimes wandered down here, lost on their way to some boardroom.

She stepped closer without hesitation. “No mistake. You’re Alexanderiel Warrick, chairman of Warrick Enterprises, one of the largest conglomerates in the country. You’re worth billions, and you don’t belong here, scrubbing floors like some… servant.”

He snorted, shaking his head. “Yeah, sure. And I’m secretly the king of Narnia. Look, I’ve got work to do.” He dunked the mop into the bucket, water sloshing over the rim.

This was the third anniversary he’d planned down to the minute—finish by six, home by seven, dinner by eight. No time for delusions.

“Three years ago, you vanished,” she continued, undaunted. “The board’s in chaos, the company’s bleeding, and I’ve spent every day since tracking you down. I’m Vanessa, your former COO. You trusted me once. Trust me now.”

Her words hit like a rogue wave, stirring something deep—a void where his memories should be.

Three years ago, he’d woken up in a hospital, his head pounding, with no past to call his own.

Lila’s father had found him, comatose by a riverbank, and nursed him back. Everything before that was a black fog.

He looked at Vanessa, her face unfamiliar but her confidence unnerving. “You’re nuts. I’m just a guy trying to get through the day.”

Her lips tightened, but her eyes softened, almost pleading.

“You don’t remember, but this—” She reached into her jacket, pulling out a sleek black card, its surface embossed with a silver crest that seemed to shimmer under the flickering lights.

“This is yours. It’s a supreme black card, tied to an account only you can access. The password’s your birthday. Check the balance, Alexanderiel. It’ll prove I’m right.”

He stared at the card, its weight in her outstretched hand promising answers, or trouble. “I don’t have a birthday,” he muttered.

“Not one I know.” The hospital had guessed his age at thirty, give or take. No records, no past. Just Alexander, the name Lila gave him.

Vanessa’s jaw clenched, but she pressed on, pulling something else from her pocket—a ring, ancient and heavy, with an obsidian stone carved with detailed runes that seemed to glow.

“This was your mother’s. You wore it every day; she said it was your anchor. She left it to you when she died. You told me it was your most cherished possession.”

Alexander’s chest tightened. The ring felt… wrong, like it carried a weight beyond its metal. He didn’t take it, he didn’t want to.

“You’ve got the wrong guy,” he repeated, but his voice wavered. “Leave me alone. I’ve got a life, a wife. Today’s our anniversary, and I’m not letting you mess it up.”

Vanessa exhaled, losing her composure.

“Please, Alexanderiel. The company needs you. Your legacy needs you.” She stepped forward, pressing the card and ring into his hand. Her fingers brushed his, cool and steady, before she turned and strode to the elevator. “Check the card. You’ll see.”

The doors closed, swallowing her like a ghost.

Alexander stood there, the card in his palm and the ring heavy in his pocket. His stomach twisted. Was she a con artist? Or was there a shred of truth in her madness?

He shoved both items into his coveralls, shaking his head. He had to finish up, get home to Lila. That was what mattered.

By five-thirty, he’d scrubbed the last hallway, the basement quieter now, the machines winding down. He changed out of his coveralls, his worn jeans and flannel a comfort after the day’s grind.

He was halfway to the exit when Lila’s clear and elegant voice stopped him cold, like a melody he’d memorized.

“Alexander, we need to talk.”

He turned, his heart lifting, only to see her standing at the basement’s entrance, her cream-colored coat pristine against the dirty walls.

Her dark hair framed her face, her eyes sharp but tinged with something—regret?

Beside her stood a man, tall and haughty, his tailored suit screaming wealth. Victor, son of the Holt family, one of the city’s four major dynasties. Alexander’s stomach twisted.

He’d seen Victor at Lila’s company galas, always hanging around and always smirking.

“Lila, what’s this about?” Alexander asked, stepping closer. The candles, the pasta—it all felt distant now, like a dream slipping away.

She hesitated, her fingers tightening around a manila envelope. “I’ve… changed, Alexander. I’m CEO of Morrow Industries now.

My life, my world—it’s different. We’re not… suited anymore.” Her voice was steady, but her eyes flickered, lingering on him a moment too long.

Victor chuckled, low and venomous.

“Come on, Lila. The janitor’s holding you back. You need someone who can keep up, not drag you into the gutter.”

Alexander’s fists clenched, but he kept his voice even.

“Lila, say it plain. What do you want?”

She exhaled, handing him the envelope. Divorce papers.

“I want a divorce, Alexander. It’s for the best. You can’t support my career, my life now. I’ll compensate you with $3,000,000, enough to start over.”

The words hurt more than a physical wound ever could.

Three years of late-night talks, shared dreams, scraping by together—gone, like dust under his mop.

He’d given her everything, loved her through every struggle, and now she saw him as… nothing.

“You think money fixes this?” he asked, voice low. “You think that’s what I wanted from us?”

Lila’s lips parted, but no words came. Victor stepped forward, smirking. “Sign the papers, janitor. Let her move on to someone worthy.”

Alexander’s eyes locked on Lila’s, searching for the woman who’d laughed with him over burnt toast, who’d kissed him under a rainy awning.

She looked away. He opened the envelope, the papers crisp and cold.

His pen shook in his hand, then he scratched his name across the line without hesitation or begging.

“I don’t want your money, Lila,” he said, handing the papers back. “I never did.”

She took them, her fingers trembling slightly.

Victor sneered, wrapping an arm around her as they turned to leave. Lila paused at the threshold, glancing back, her eyes unreadable.

Then she was gone, the elevator swallowing them as it had Vanessa.

Alexander stood alone, the basement’s hum deafening now.

His hand slipped into his pocket, his fingers closing around the black card Vanessa had given him.

Her words echoed relentlessly: “Check the balance. It’s your truth.” His heart pounded.

Could that woman’s story be true? Or was this just another cruel twist in a day already gone to hell?