Saintess's Worthless Husband Turned Dragon Commander novel Chapter 230

CHAPTER 166 PART 1

The Domenico Building stood as a monument to Five River Province’s commercial power sixty stories of steed and glass dominating the financial district skyline

But tonight, only the forty third floor was active, its lights blazing while the rest of the building sat dark and empty.

The conference room occupied the entire eastern wing of that floor. Floor to ceiling windows offered panoramic views of the city, while the interior featured a massive oval table capable of seating thirty people comfortably.

Tonight, twenty three men sat around that table, each one representing billions in assets and generations of accumulated power.

Security was unprecedented. Armed guards stationed at every entrance, Metal detectors. Signal jammers to prevent recording, Electronic sweeps for listening devices,

The magnates

Province had gathered in secret, and they intended to stay that way.

Richard Lancaster seventy two years old, patriarch of the Lancaster Family for three

ce showed the strain of the past twelve hours, but his eyes remained sharp and cold. Beside him homas and grandson Elijah, the latter still clutching his phone where videos of Atlas’s destruction Perpetual replay.

Gentlemen,” Richard began, his voice carrying the weight of absolute authority. “Thank you for coming on such short notice. The matter we’re here to discuss requires discretion and decisive action.”

“We know why we’re here,” Stanislaus Potter interrupted, his patience clearly exhausted. The chairman of Golden Eagle Group and patriarch of the Potter Family looked haggard years of accumulated stress and recent losses etched into his features. “We’re here because Marcus Steel has been running wild across this province, destroying families and reputations without consequenc And we’re here because some of us “his gaze swept the table accusingly, “-have been to

Maurice Ya

p, raised an eyebrow. “Careful with your accusations, Stanislaus. wardly. There’s a difference.”

oice rose. “My family has suffered financial losses exceeding two hundred million Marcus Steel’s interference in Grayson City. My eldest son is dead murdered by associates of king. My second son may be permanently crippled. And when I tried to rally support to address this half of you disappeared like smoke!”

“Because you wanted us to start a war based on incomplete information,” Bridger Davis, the third member of Three Blade Group’s leadership, replied calmly. “You asked us to commit resources against someone we knew nothing about. That’s not cowardice that’s basic strategic sense.”

“Strategic sense?” Stanislaus laughed bitterly. “Look where strategic sense has gotten us! Marcus Steel has grown bolder with each passing day! He humiliated Cesar Pendleton publicly! He crippled Atlas Lancaster! He’s declared war on the established order of this province, and you want to talk about strategy?”

Cesar Pendleton shifted uncomfortably in his seat. The former power broker looked diminished-his usual arrogance replaced by barely controlled fury mixed with shame. The videos of his public humiliation had spread throughout Five-River Province’s elite circles, destroying his reputation overnight.

“Stanislaus is right,” Cesar said, his voice tight. “Marcus Steel must be eliminated. Not just punished-

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eliminated completely. What he did to me, to Atlas, to the Potter Family- these aren’t isolated incidents. They’re a pattern of deliberate attacks on established authority.”

“What he did to you,” Maurice Yarrow observed mildly, “was respond to your own actions. If memory serves, you were drunk and harassing another man’s wife when Marcus intervened. Specifically, you were bothering Quinn Hartford the Sacred Saintess-making crude advances while her husband was present.”

Cesar’s face flushed dark red. “I was-it wasn’t-”

“You were drunk and stupid,” Bridger Davis finished bluntly. “You grabbed a woman who’s essentially royalty in certain circles, insulted her husband to his face, and then got exactly what you deserved. That’s not Marcus Steel being a terrorist. That’s you being an idiot and facing consequences.”

“How dare you -” Cesar started to rise from his seat.

“Sit down,” Richard Lancaster commanded, his voice like a whip crack. “We’re not here to rehash who deserves what. We’re here to address the Marcus Steel problem comprehensively.”

The room fell silent. Richard’s authority-built over decades of ruthless business dealings and underground connections-was absolute in this space.

“My grandson Atlas is currently in Five-River General Hospital,” Richard continued, his voice controlled but laced with fury. “His right leg has been amputated below the knee. The damage Marcus Steel inflicted was so severe that even the province’s best surgeons couldn’t save it. Atlas was our heir-groomed since childhood, educated at the finest schools, prepared to lead the Lancaster Family into the next generation. That future is now gone.”

He paused, letting the weight of those words settle over the room.

“This isn’t about pride,” Richard said quietly. “This isn’t about revenge for a slap or public embarrassment. This is about survival. If the Lancaster Family allows Marcus Steel to cripple our heir without decisive retaliation, we lose all authority in this province. Every rival, every ambitious subordinate, every young master looking to make a name-they’ll all see us as weak. As targets.”

Thomas Lancaster leaned forward. “We’re not asking for charity or sympathy. We’re asking for recognition of shared interests. Today, Marcus Steel destroyed our heir. Tomorrow, he might destroy yours. The question isn’t whether we act-it’s whether we act together or separately.”

Murmurs rippled around the table. The logic was sound, even those reluctant to commit had to acknowledge that.

Cesar Pendleton seized the moment. “I pledge the full support of my network. Whatever resources the Lancaster Family needs-men, money, intelligence-it’s yours.”

Stanislaus Potter nodded firmly. “The Potter Family stands with the Lancasters. We’ve already suffered too much at Marcus Steel’s hands. It’s time to end this threat permanently.”

One by one, other voices joined-smaller families, ambitious businessmen, underground figures who’d felt the ripple effects of Marcus’s actions. An alliance was forming, built on wounded pride and genuine fear.

But not everyone spoke.

Maurice Yarrow and Bridger Davis remained notably silent, their expressions carefully neutral. Other magnates who’d witnessed Marcus’s capabilities firsthand-who’d heard the rumors about superhuman strength, about assassins disappearing, about the Dragon King’s true power-hesitated.

“Three Blade Group,” Richard addressed them directly. “Your position?”

Maurice exchanged a glance with Bridger before responding carefully. “We’ve been observing Marcus Steel

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