Saintess's Worthless Husband Turned Dragon Commander novel Chapter 182

CHAPTER 143 PART 2

Elize Yarrow was on the couch.

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She was not unconscious in the way of someone who had been harmed – she was unconscious in the specific way of someone who had consumed a significant amount of Pearl on the Water’s wine selection and had eventually reached an agreement with the couch that the evening was over. Three empty bottles on the table. A fourth, partially depleted, on the floor within arm’s reach. Her shoes were off. The bunny outfit had been replaced — sometime during the night, presumably through the wardrobe service she’d already demonstrated familiarity with — by an oversized hotel robe that made her look considerably younger than the events of the previous evening.

Her face, in the absence of the performance she’d been running since the airport, had the specific quality of someone who had been laughing and crying in approximately equal measure for several hours and had finally run

out of both.

Miguel appeared in the doorway behind Marcus. “She laughed for about an hour,” he said. “Then she cried for about an hour. Then she laughed again. Then she found the second bottle.” He paused. “I checked on her twice. She seemed to be processing something.”

“She was processing consequences,” Marcus said.

“Yes. I gathered.”

Marcus’s phone lit up. Unknown number – not unknown to his system, which had filed it six hours ago when she’d been standing on a harbor street in a red jacket.

He let it go to silence.

Then another number. This one he knew.

Simeon King.

He answered.

“Mr. Steel” Her voice had the careful register of someone who had been awake for most of the night and had decided that the most useful thing she could do with the information she’d accumulated was deliver it efficiently to the relevant party. “I need you to know what’s happening.”

“Tell me.”

“The province social circuits have been running since approximately midnight,” Simeon said. “The story is: Elize Yarrow, Atlas Lancaster’s fiancée, was seen publicly sitting on an unknown man’s lap at Pearl on the Water’s restaurant, sharing his drink cup in front of witnesses who included four young elites from the major families.” A pause. “She also slapped Atlas Lancaster and hit him with a beer bottle.”

“I know,” Marcus said. “I was there.”

–

“What you may not know,” Simeon said, “is that by six this morning, it had reached every significant family in Five-River Province. Atlas Lancaster is being discussed in a way that for a man in his position — is considerably worse than the physical injuries,” Another pause. “His reputation is the thing he can’t replace. And right now it’s being discussed in rooms where the Four Young Masters’ positions are decided.”

“Good,” Marcus said.

“For you, maybe,” Simeon said. “For Elize her family’s name is attached to this. Her father is fielding calls. The Lancaster family has already communicated that the dowry arrangement is under review.” Her voice had a quality

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in it that wasn’t quite fear but lived in that neighborhood. “Whatever you’re planning, Mr. Steel, I hope it accounts for what happens to her when you’re done with Five-River Province and she’s still here.”

The line was quiet for a moment.

“It does,” Marcus said.

He ended the call. Looked at Elize on the couch. Looked at the wine bottles.

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