THE SERVANT HUSBAND IS THE QUADRILLIONAIRE HEIR

Chapter 13

As the magical evening began to wind down, Montenegro approached me privately while Sarah was still admiring the spectacular view of the city below.

"Mr. Thompson," he said in a low voice, "Ms. Sterling has informed me of your true identity."

I nodded, understanding the weight of what he was saying.

"I want to give you something that will serve you well in the days ahead," he continued, reaching into his jacket pocket. He produced a ring unlike anything I'd ever seen—made of what appeared to be black titanium with an intricate design that seemed to shift and change in the light.

"This ring represents my personal authority," Montenegro explained solemnly. "Anyone who works under my organization, any business partner, any associate—when they see this ring, they will treat you with the highest level of respect and honor."

I took the ring, feeling its surprising weight. The design was subtle but unmistakable—the Montenegro family crest combined with symbols that spoke of power and influence.

"Thank you," I said, slipping it onto my finger. "I understand the significance of this gift."

"Use it wisely, Mr. Thompson. Your true identity will become known soon enough, but until then, this will serve as both protection and authority."

As we rejoined the others, Sarah was still wiping tears from her eyes, overwhelmed by the entire experience. Her parents stood nearby, looking completely out of their element but trying to maintain their composure.

"Thank you for everything tonight," Sarah said to Montenegro. "This was... beyond anything I could have imagined."

"The pleasure was entirely mine, Mrs. Thompson," he replied with genuine warmth. "You deserve nothing but the finest."

As we made our way back to the elevator, Robert finally worked up the courage to speak.

"Michael," he said, his voice filled with curiosity, "I have to ask—why did Mr. Montenegro do all this for you? What's your connection to him?"

I had prepared for this question. "A few weeks ago, I happened to witness a car accident. Mr. Montenegro's daughter was in danger, and I managed to pull her out of the vehicle before it caught fire."

Sarah's eyes widened. "You never told me about that!"

"It happened so fast, and with everything going on with Mom's medical bills, I just... forgot to mention it."

Tina stepped forward, her expression immediately shifting to one of keen interest. "What kind of reward did he give you for saving his daughter?"

"He offered me money, of course," I replied. "But I told him I didn't need financial compensation."

Robert looked at me as if I'd lost my mind. "You turned down money from Santiago Montenegro?"

"I asked him for something more meaningful instead," I continued. "I told him that today was my wedding anniversary, and I wanted to give my wife a celebration she would never forget."

The family stared at me in stunned silence.

"Are you insane?" Tina finally exploded. "Do you have any idea how much money he would have given you? We're talking about millions of dollars!"

"Maybe tens of millions," Robert added, shaking his head in disbelief. "The man's daughter's life! You could have asked for anything!"

Sarah looked at me with an expression I couldn't quite read—part amazement, part something that might have been love.

"The party for Sarah was worth more to me than any amount of money," I said simply.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Tina muttered, but Sarah's hand found mine and squeezed gently.

As we exited the hotel, I led them toward the Bugatti I'd parked several blocks away. The sleek lines of the supercar gleamed under the streetlights, looking like something from a science fiction movie.

"Whose car is this?" Robert asked, stopping in his tracks.

"It's mine," I replied, opening the passenger door for Sarah. "Another gift from Mr. Montenegro."

Tina's eyes lit up with renewed avarice. "Now we're talking! This car must be worth at least two million dollars!"

"It's beautiful," Sarah said softly, running her hand along the smooth surface.

"But if he gave you a car this expensive," Robert said, his voice growing calculating, "what else did he offer you? There must be more!"

"This is it," I said calmly. "The party and the car."

"That's impossible!" Tina protested. "A man like Montenegro doesn't just give gifts this valuable without offering much more. What aren't you telling us?"

As I was about to respond, Sarah's younger sister Carmen, who had been unusually quiet throughout the evening, suddenly grabbed my hand.

"What's this?" she asked, her sharp eyes fixated on the Montenegro ring.

I had forgotten she was there—Carmen was twenty-two, fresh out of college, and had always been more observant than the rest of her family.

"It's just a ring," I said, trying to pull my hand back.

But Carmen's grip tightened. "This isn't just any ring. Look at this design, this material—I've never seen anything like it."

Before I could stop her, she yanked the ring off my finger with surprising strength.

"Carmen, give that back," I said, my voice taking on a warning tone. "That's not something you can just take."

"Why not? If Montenegro was just giving you random gifts, what's the big deal?" She held the ring up to the streetlight, examining its intricate design. "This looks... important. Like it means something."

"It does mean something," I said firmly. "It's a personal token from Mr. Montenegro, and it's not meant for anyone else to wear."

Carmen laughed, slipping the ring onto her own finger. "Come on, Michael. You're being dramatic. It's just jewelry."

"Carmen," I said, my voice growing colder, "if you insist on keeping that ring, you might bring serious trouble upon yourself. Some things are not meant to be taken lightly."

But Carmen just admired the ring on her hand, completely dismissing my warning.

She had no idea what kind of power she had just claimed—or what the consequences might be.