CHAPTER 5

Max stared at the well-dressed man who had just bowed to him, his mind struggling to process what he'd just heard.

"I'm sorry, did you just call me 'Young Master'?" Max asked, running a hand through his disheveled hair.

The man maintained his dignified posture. "Indeed, I did, Young Master Max."

"Look, about the fight," Max started, raising his hands defensively. "Those guys were harassing that woman. I know I shouldn't have gotten physical, but—"

"Please, there's no need to explain," the man interrupted gently. "I'm not a lawyer."

"You're not?"

Tears welled up in the man's eyes as he gazed at Max. "No, Young Master. I... I've finally found you. After all these years."

Max let out a nervous laugh. "Found me? Is this some kind of joke?"

"I assure you, this is no joke," the man replied, his voice thick with emotion.

"Listen, I'm just a college student," Max said, shaking his head. "I can barely afford instant noodles. Whatever you think—"

"The explanations can wait," the man interjected smoothly. "For now, let's focus on getting you out of this police station. Will you trust me that far?"

Max glanced around the stark police station walls. "Do I have a choice?"

"There's always a choice, Young Master. But I promise you won't regret this one."

Minutes later, they stepped out into the cool night air, where a gleaming Rolls-Royce waited at the curb.

"That's... that's our ride?" Max stammered, his eyes wide.

"Is this... is this really our ride?" Max stammered, running his hand through his disheveled hair.

The butler smiled warmly. "Indeed, Young Master Max. The Ghost Extended is one of the family's more modest vehicles."

"Modest?" Max let out a nervous laugh. "I've never even been this close to a car like this before. My roommate's beaten-up Honda is usually my fanciest ride."

"Please, allow me," the butler said, opening the rear door with a practiced flourish.

Max hesitated before sliding onto the butter-soft leather seats. "This feels surreal. Like I'm in someone else's dream."

"I understand this must be overwhelming," the butler said, settling into the seat across from Max. "My name is Harrison Wells, and I serve as the head butler of the Montgomery family."

Max's eyes widened. "The Montgomery family? As in—"

"Yes," Harrison nodded, his expression growing serious. "And we have been searching for you for many years, Young Master Max."

"But why?" Max leaned forward, his hands gripping his knees. "I'm nobody. Just a college student working part-time jobs to make ends meet."

Harrison's eyes softened with what looked like compassion. "I assure you, Young Master Max, you are far from nobody. You are, in fact, someone very important indeed."

As they settled into the plush leather seats, Max's head spun with questions. "But how did you even find me?"

"I recognized you from the livestream last week," Harrison explained, his eyes bright with excitement. 

"I went to the pool, but you'd already left. Then fortune smiled upon us – your fingerprints at the police station matched our family database."

"Database? What database?" Max frowned. "Why would my fingerprints be in—"

"All will be explained in due time, Young Master," Harrison assured him. "For now, let's just say that tonight's events, while unfortunate, led us exactly where we needed to be."

As the Rolls-Royce pulled away from the curb, a striking young woman in designer clothes emerged from the police station, her eyes narrowing at the sight of the departing vehicle.

"Thompson," she called to her own butler. "Was that Harrison Wells I just saw?"

"Indeed, Miss Rose," the tall, gray-haired man replied. "The Montgomery family's butler."

"With that college student who helped me?" she mused, tapping her perfectly manicured nails against her phone. "Interesting."

"Shall I make some inquiries, Miss Rose?"

"Find out everything you can about this Max person," she commanded, her eyes still fixed on the disappearing Rolls-Royce. "His background, his connections – everything."

"Of course, Miss Rose. May I ask why the sudden interest?"

She turned to face her butler, her expression thoughtful. "A random college student who comes to my rescue, then gets picked up by the Montgomeries' butler? There's more to this story, Thompson. And I want to know what it is."

"I'll begin the investigation immediately," Thompson nodded.

As they walked to their own waiting car, Emily Rose couldn't shake the feeling that her chance encounter with Max would prove to be more significant than she'd initially thought.

Inside the Rolls-Royce, Max watched the city lights blur past the window, his mind racing. "Mr. Wells?"

"Yes, Young Master?"

"Why do I get the feeling my life is about to change completely?"

Harrison smiled knowingly. "Because, Young Master Max, it already has."