THE SERVANT HUSBAND IS THE QUADRILLIONAIRE HEIR

Chapter 9

MICHAEL'S POV

The moment I spoke, the entire table erupted in laughter. Even the waiters paused in their work to stare at the spectacle.

"Are you serious right now?" Isabella gasped between laughs. "Four hundred thousand dollars? You?"

Richard was practically choking on his wine. "This is the funniest thing I've heard all year! The man who begs for handouts is going to pay off his wife's debt!"

Even Robert looked mortified. "Michael, please. Stop embarrassing us and just leave quietly."

Tina's face was crimson with shame. "How dare you come in here and make jokes at a time like this? You're humiliating our entire family!"

But Sarah looked at me differently. Despite the skepticism in her eyes, I could see something else—a flicker of warmth, maybe even gratitude. I was the only person in this room who had stood up for her.

"Michael," she whispered, "you don't have to—"

"Yes, I do," I said firmly, keeping my eyes locked on hers. "You're my wife."

Derek's smugness hadn't wavered. "This is entertaining, but let's be realistic here. How exactly do you plan to come up with that kind of money, Michael?"

"I'll transfer it directly to the company account," I replied calmly. "But first, I have something more important to do."

Grandmother Fletcher raised an eyebrow. "More important than paying your wife's debts?"

"Yes. Taking my wife away from this toxic environment." I extended my hand toward Sarah. "Today is our wedding anniversary, and I've reserved the top-floor restaurant for a private celebration."

The silence lasted exactly three seconds before the room exploded into even louder laughter.

"The top floor?" Richard was practically howling. "The top floor of the Grandview Hotel?"

"That's reserved for heads of state and billionaires!" Isabella added, tears streaming down her face from laughing so hard.

Derek shook his head in amusement. "Michael, dining on the seventh floor requires connections that even my family doesn't have. You're talking about the most exclusive dining experience in the entire city."

"Stop it!" Sarah hissed at me, her face burning with embarrassment. "Please don't joke like this. You're making everything worse."

CRACK!

Tina's hand flew across my face in a sharp slap that silenced the laughter momentarily. "Get out! Get out right now before you embarrass us any further!"

My cheek stung, but I didn't flinch. For Sarah's sake, I swallowed my anger and kept my voice steady. "I'm telling the truth. I've reserved the entire seventh floor for Sarah and me."

"Enough!" Grandmother Fletcher's voice cut through the renewed laughter like a blade. "Security! Remove this delusional man from—"

She was interrupted by a commotion at the entrance. The hotel manager, a distinguished man in an impeccable suit, rushed into the banquet hall with several staff members trailing behind him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I sincerely apologize for the interruption," he announced, slightly out of breath. "I'm afraid we need to ask you to relocate your celebration to the second floor immediately."

The laughter died instantly.

Derek stood up, his confidence intact. "Excuse me? We specifically reserved the third floor. I have connections with your management, and I can assure you—"

"I understand your concern, Mr. Manning," the manager interrupted politely but firmly. "However, a VIP guest has arrived, and we need to accommodate their requirements. The entire building layout must be adjusted."

"This is unacceptable!" Richard protested. "Do you know who we are?"

"I'm aware of your family's standing, Mr. Fletcher. But I'm afraid this decision is non-negotiable." The manager's tone remained respectful but unyielding. "Please gather your belongings. Staff will escort you to your new venue immediately."

Derek's face was turning red. "I'll have your job for this! My family has significant influence in this city!"

"I understand your frustration, sir, but the decision has been made at the highest level of management."

As we were being ushered toward the elevators, I noticed something that made everyone else fall silent. Through the glass walls of the upper floors, we could see people descending—but these weren't ordinary hotel guests.

"Is that... Senator Rodriguez?" Tina whispered, pointing at a distinguished older man surrounded by security personnel.

"And that's James Ashford," Robert added in an awed voice. "His family owns half the shipping industry on the East Coast."

Isabella's mouth fell open. "That woman there—isn't she the governor's wife?"

One by one, we watched as some of the most powerful people in the state filed past us, all moving toward the lower floors without a single complaint. These were individuals who typically demanded the best accommodations money could buy, yet they were evacuating the upper levels without protest.

"Who could possibly have enough influence to displace all of them?" Sarah murmured, more to herself than anyone else.

Derek's earlier bravado had completely evaporated. He stared at the procession of VIPs with growing unease. "I... I've never seen anything like this."

Grandmother Fletcher's expression had shifted from anger to something approaching awe. "In fifty years of attending events at this hotel, I've never witnessed anything remotely similar."

As we reached the second floor, the manager continued directing traffic with military precision. Wealthy families and powerful politicians were being relocated without a single complaint, all to accommodate whoever was arriving.

The scope of influence required to orchestrate such a display was staggering. Even the Fletcher family, with all their local connections, had never commanded this level of respect.

I caught Sarah looking at me with a puzzled expression, as if she was trying to solve a complex equation that didn't quite add up.

Little did she know that the answer was standing right beside her.