THE JANITOR HUSBAND IS NOW A CENTIMILLIONAIRE KING

CHAPTER 4

Margaret and Clara stood frozen in the opulent lobby, their faces pale with shock and disbelief.

The weight of Sophia Sterling's words hung in the air like a death sentence—their membership revoked, their status stripped away in front of the city's elite.

"This... this can't be happening," Clara whispered, her voice trembling as she clutched her mother's arm. "Mother, do something!"

Margaret's jaw worked silently, her eyes darting between Sophia's impassive face and the curious stares of the other clients.

She knew Sophia Sterling's reputation—the woman was untouchable, with connections that reached the highest levels of government and business. To challenge her here would be social suicide.

"We'll see about this," Margaret finally managed, her voice strained but attempting to maintain some dignity. "This isn't over."

Sophia's smile was arctic. "Oh, but it is. Security will escort you out."

As if summoned by her words, two new security guards appeared—replacements for the ones she'd just fired.

Margaret and Clara had no choice but to allow themselves to be led toward the exit, their heels clicking against the marble floor in a rhythm of defeat.

"This is all your fault," Clara hissed at Alexander as they passed him, her eyes burning with resentment.

"You think you've won something here? When they discover your little scam, when they realize that card is fake, the consequences will be so much worse than losing some bank privileges. They'll throw you in prison for fraud. They might even—"

"That's enough," one of the security guards interrupted firmly, guiding them toward the rotating doors.

Margaret's face was twisted with fury and humiliation as she was escorted out, but just before disappearing through the exit, she pulled out her phone with shaking fingers.

Outside the bank, standing on the pristine sidewalk, Margaret's fingers flew across her phone screen as she dialed Lila's number.

Her heart pounded with a mixture of rage and vindictive satisfaction—if she was going down, she'd make sure Alexander went down harder.

"Lila, darling," Margaret said the moment her daughter answered, her voice dripping with manufactured distress.

"Something terrible has happened. Your ex-husband... he's completely lost his mind."

"Mother? What are you talking about?" Lila's voice came through clearly, tinged with confusion and growing concern.

"He attacked me, Lila. Actually put his hands on me! Right there in Dominion Trust, in front of everyone!" Margaret's voice rose dramatically, drawing sympathetic looks from passersby.

"And that's not even the worst part. He's involved with some kind of criminal gang—theft, fraud, God knows what else. He had the audacity to walk into the bank with a fake Supreme Black Card, trying to steal money!"

"What?" Lila's shock was palpable through the phone. "Mother, that's... are you sure? Alexander would never—"

"Would never what? Hit a defenseless woman? Participate in criminal activity?" Margaret's laugh was bitter and sharp.

"Open your eyes, darling. The man you married was a fraud from the beginning. He even got the bank director to revoke our memberships—probably threatened her or blackmailed her somehow. The whole thing is a disaster, and it's all because of him!"

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. When Lila spoke again, her voice was smaller, more uncertain.

"I... I can't believe this. Alexander hitting you? Getting involved in fraud? This isn't the man I knew."

"People change, sweetheart. Or maybe this is who he always was, and you just couldn't see it. Thank God you divorced him when you did. Can you imagine if this scandal had broken while you were still married? Your career, your reputation—everything would have been ruined."

Margaret could practically hear the wheels turning in her daughter's mind, the conflict between disbelief and the growing seed of doubt.

"What should I do?" Lila asked finally.

"Call him," Margaret said immediately. "Make him turn himself in to the police before this gets any worse. Maybe if he cooperates, shows some remorse, the consequences won't be as severe. But Lila, you have to be firm with him. No more of your soft heart—this is serious."

Meanwhile, inside the bank, Sophia Sterling led Alexander through a maze of corridors lined with original artwork and fresh flowers.

The VIP section was a world apart from the main lobby—quieter, more intimate, with an atmosphere of exclusivity that money alone couldn't buy.

"Please, make yourself comfortable," Sophia said, gesturing to a leather chair that probably cost more than most people's cars.

"Can I offer you anything? Coffee, tea, perhaps something stronger?"

Alexander settled into the chair, still trying to process everything that had happened.

The ring on his finger felt warm, almost alive, and the black card seemed to pulse with potential in his pocket.

"Just answers," he said quietly. "I need to understand what this means."

Sophia nodded, her professional mask slipping slightly to reveal genuine curiosity.

"Of course. Let's start with verifying your account. The terminal here is completely secure—your privacy is absolutely guaranteed."

She led him to a sleek interface that looked more like something from a science fiction movie than a banking terminal.

"If you could enter your birthday as the password..."

Alexander hesitated. He didn't know his real birthday—had never known it.

But something about the card, about the ring, seemed to whisper the answer to him. His fingers moved almost without conscious thought: 0-4-1-5-1-9-9-0.

The screen flickered, then exploded with information.

Numbers scrolled past—account balances, investment portfolios, asset holdings. Alexander's breath caught in his throat as he read the final tally.

"Twelve trillion dollars," he whispered, the words barely audible.

Sophia, reading over his shoulder, went completely still. Even for someone who managed the accounts of the ultra-wealthy, this was beyond anything she'd ever seen.

"My God," she breathed. "Sir, you're not just wealthy—you're quite possibly the richest individual on the planet. This level of assets... it's staggering."

Alexander's phone buzzed insistently in his pocket, breaking through his shock.

Lila's name flashed on the screen. For a moment, he considered letting it go to voicemail, but something made him answer.

"Alexander," Lila's voice was sharp, accusatory.

"I just got off the phone with my mother. She told me what you did—how you hit her, how you're involved in some kind of fraud scheme. How could you do this? How could you degenerate to this level?"

The words hit him like physical blows. After everything they'd shared, everything they'd been through together, she believed the worst of him without question.

"Lila," he said, his voice dangerously quiet.

"I didn't hit your mother. I didn't touch her at all. And I'm not involved in any fraud."

"Don't lie to me!" Lila's voice cracked with emotion.

"She said you had a fake black card, that you were trying to steal from the bank. Alexander, if you turn yourself in now, if you cooperate with the police, maybe the consequences won't be as severe. Please, for whatever we once meant to each other, do the right thing."

Alexander closed his eyes, feeling something fundamental break inside him.

The woman he'd loved, who had promised to stand by him through everything, couldn't even give him the benefit of the doubt.

"I haven't done anything wrong, Lila," he said coldly.

"I didn't hit your mother, and I'm not a criminal. But the fact that you'd believe the worst of me without even asking for my side... that tells me everything I need to know about what I really meant to you."

"Alexander, wait—"

He hung up the phone and turned it off, his hands steady despite the turmoil in his chest.

When he looked up, Sophia was watching him with something that might have been sympathy.

"Personal troubles?" she asked gently.

"Former personal troubles," Alexander corrected.

"Now, you mentioned something about investment opportunities?"

Sophia's professional demeanor snapped back into place, though her eyes remained kind.

"Absolutely. Dominion Trust manages numerous industries and investment projects across the country. With your level of assets, virtually any venture would be possible. If you need anything—anything at all—please don't hesitate to contact me directly."

She handed him an elegant business card, her fingers brushing his briefly.

"Actually, there's something this afternoon that might interest you. The Meridian Foundation is hosting their annual charity dinner and auction. It's the social event of the season—all the city's most influential people will be there. Given your... status... you'd be more than welcome."

Alexander was about to decline politely when something caught his eye. Sophia had pulled out a glossy catalog, flipping through pages of auction items.

His blood froze when he saw it—a ring, ancient and heavy, with obsidian stone carved with intricate runes. But these runes were different from the ones on his ring, though clearly related.

"This ring," he said, pointing to the catalog page. "Tell me about it."

"Oh, that's quite mysterious," Sophia said, leaning closer.

"It's called the 'Companion's Bond.' Legend says it's part of a pair—supposedly when the two rings are brought together, they form a complete pattern that unlocks... well, the stories vary. Some say memories, others say power. It's probably just folklore, but the craftsmanship is exquisite."

Alexander stared at the image, and suddenly his head exploded with pain. Images flashed through his mind—fragments of memories, faces he almost recognized, a woman's voice calling his name.

Not Ethan, but Alexander. The pain was excruciating but brief, leaving him gasping and certain of one thing: this ring was connected to his past, to the three missing years of his life.

"I'll attend the dinner," he said, his voice steady despite the revelation. "And I'll be bidding on that ring."

Sophia smiled, already making notes.

"Excellent. I'll make the arrangements immediately. Something tells me this will be a very interesting evening."