THE SERVANT HUSBAND IS THE QUADRILLIONAIRE HEIR

Chapter 5

MICHAEL'S POV

The bitter irony of Sarah's call hit me like a slap. 

Just hours ago, I'd heard Derek's voice coming through her phone, bragging about her body, and now she was acting like nothing had happened.

"Sarah," I said, my voice turning cold, "what exactly were you doing when I called earlier?"

There was a pause. "What kind of question is that? Unlike you, I was busy handling actual business matters."

I let out a harsh laugh. "Business matters? Is that what you're calling it now?"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Her voice sharpened with anger. 

"I don't have time for your paranoid games, Michael. If you have something to say, wait until after the banquet. Don't pick fights for no reason."

The line went dead before I could respond.

My hands were shaking with rage, but doubt gnawed at me. 

I hadn't actually seen the betrayal with my own eyes. What if Derek had been lying? What if he'd somehow gotten her phone?

Despite everything, Sarah had never personally humiliated me the way her family did.

 She was cold, distant, but not cruel. Three years of marriage had to count for something.

I turned to Victoria, who had been watching this exchange with calculating eyes.

"I need a favor," I said quietly. 

"Can you help me investigate something? I need to know where my wife was when I called her earlier, and what really happened there."

Victoria nodded without hesitation. "Of course. I'll have our people trace her location and activity from that time period."

"I just..." I swallowed hard.

 "I need to know the truth. If she really betrayed me, then I'll let her go. I'll give her the divorce she probably wants anyway."

"Understandable. You'll have your answers within the hour." 

She pulled out her phone and began typing rapidly. 

"For now, you should attend this banquet. Time is running short."

I checked my watch and cursed. Twenty-five minutes to get across town.

"Could I... could I borrow one of those cars you arrived in?" I asked awkwardly.

Victoria looked at me with something that might have been amusement.

 "Michael, you don't need to borrow anything. Those cars belong to you. All of them."

She reached into her purse and pulled out a set of keys, pressing them into my palm. 

"I'm afraid you'll have to settle for the Bugatti. It was the only one we could arrange on short notice."

I stared at the keys in disbelief. 

"Settle for the Bugatti? This car is worth millions!"

"The Sterling family owns controlling interests in most luxury manufacturers," she said casually, as if discussing the weather.

 "This particular model is actually one of our less expensive vehicles."

My head was spinning again.

 The sheer scale of wealth she was describing was beyond anything I could comprehend.

"One more thing," Victoria continued, pulling out a sleek black card.

 "Your family holds major stakes in most of the country's industries, including the restaurant where your banquet is being held. This card will give you access to the highest level of privileges anywhere you go."

I took the card, noting its unusual weight and the subtle Sterling crest embossed in the corner.

 "What's the limit?"

"There is no limit. The balance is unlimited, and no password is required. Use it freely."

I stood there holding millions of dollars in keys and an unlimited credit card, feeling like I was living in someone else's dream.

Twenty minutes later, I was threading the Bugatti through downtown traffic, the engine purring like a contented lion. 

Despite everything, I couldn't help but smile at the way other drivers stared as I passed.

To keep a low profile, I parked several blocks away from the Grandview Hotel and walked the rest of the distance. 

The last thing I needed was to explain to Sarah's family how I'd suddenly acquired a multi-million-dollar sports car.

As I approached the hotel's grand entrance, I spotted them immediately—Sarah's parents, Kevin and Tina Fletcher, along with her brother David.

 They were dressed in their finest clothes, clearly trying to impress the extended family.

Tina saw me first, and her face immediately twisted with disgust.

"Oh for heaven's sake," she said loudly enough for other guests to hear.

 "Look what the cat dragged in."

Kevin turned and shook his head in disappointment.

 "Michael, what happened to you? You look like you got into a street fight."

I glanced down at my torn shirt and the bruises on my face from the hospital security guards. 

In all the chaos, I'd completely forgotten about my appearance.

"There was an emergency at the hospital—"

"We don't want to hear your excuses," David interrupted, looking embarrassed to be seen with me. 

"Do you have any idea how this looks? Walking up to the Grandview Hotel on foot, dressed like a homeless person?"

Tina stepped closer, her voice dripping with venom.

 "This is exactly why Sarah's business ventures keep failing. Having a husband like you reflects poorly on her credibility. What successful businesswoman would associate with someone who can't even afford a car?"

"Or proper clothes," Kevin added.

 "You're a walking advertisement for failure."

Other guests were starting to stare and whisper, clearly wondering why this well-dressed family was arguing with someone who looked like he'd been sleeping in an alley.

"After tonight," Tina continued, her voice growing more confident as a small crowd gathered, "we're going to have a serious family discussion. Sarah needs to divorce you and marry someone worthy of her. Someone like Derek Manning—now there's a man with real prospects."

My blood ran cold at the mention of Derek's name. 

"Derek Manning?"

"That's right," David said smugly. 

"He's been courting Sarah properly, the way a real man should. Not like you, always begging for handouts and embarrassing the family."

Kevin nodded approvingly.

 "Derek comes from money, has connections, drives luxury cars. Everything a woman like Sarah deserves."

They had no idea that the "homeless person" they were mocking was now worth more than their entire extended family combined. 

Or that I was carrying a card that could buy the hotel we were standing in front of.

But more importantly, they'd just confirmed my worst fears about Derek and Sarah.

The truth was becoming clearer by the minute.