Saintess's Worthless Husband Turned Dragon Commander novel Chapter 252

CHAPTER 176 PART 2

Back at Pearl on the Water Hotel, the dining hall had been cleared. Springs’s blood still stained the expensive flooring, but the staff was already beginning cleanup. Miguel’s bodyguards maintained heightened security, knowing retaliation was inevitable.

Marcus stood alone in a private conference room, his phone in hand, scrolling through contacts until he found the one he wanted.

Amadeus Fairbanks. Pavilion Master of Willson Pavilion.

He pressed dial.

The call connected after two rings. Background noise suggested Amadeus was somewhere public-voices, movement, the sound of scissors.

“This is Fairbanks,” the Pavilion Master’s voice came through, calm and authoritative. “Who’s calling?”

“Marcus Steel,” Marcus replied simply.

The background noise cut off instantly. Amadeus must have gestured for silence because the next words came through in complete quiet.

“Mr. Steel.” Amadeus’s tone had shifted—not fearful exactly, but significantly more careful. “This is… unexpected. To what do I owe the honor?”

“I wanted to inform you that one of your branch managers intends to kill me,” Marcus said conversationally, as if discussing the weather. “Maurice Springs. Far East division. His son caused problems at my hotel, I disciplined him appropriately, and now the father is flying to Five-River Province with what I assume is violent intent.”

Silence on the other end. Then: “Quantez Springs was at your hotel?”

“Was,” Marcus confirmed. “He’s currently unconscious and being transported to medical care. Multiple injuries. Nothing permanent, but definitely memorable.”

“And you’re calling me because…?”

“Professional courtesy,” Marcus replied. “When Maurice arrives, I’m going to kill him. I wanted you to know in advance so you could plan accordingly. Internal succession, political fallout, that sort of thing.”

More silence. Longer this time. Marcus could almost hear Amadeus Fairbanks processing this information, calculating responses, weighing options.

“You’re going to kill a branch manager of Willson Pavilion,” Amadeus said slowly, as if testing whether he’d heard correctly.

“Yes.”

“Maurice Springs specifically. One of my five regional commanders.”

“That’s the plan,” Marcus confirmed.

“You understand,” Amadeus said carefully, “that Maurice is not some low-level disciple. He commands significant resources. Elite fighters. Political connections. He didn’t reach his position through family connections alone-he’s genuinely dangerous.”

“I’m sure he is,” Marcus agreed. “But he’s not dangerous enough to survive what’s coming.”

1/2

+25 Bonus

“Mr. Steel-” Amadeus paused, clearly choosing his words with extreme care. “I respect your capabilities. I’ve heard reports about what you’ve accomplished in Five- River Province. The families you’ve dominated, the Shadow Warriors you’ve eliminated. Your reputation as the Dragon King is well-earned. But Maurice Springs is in a completely different category than anyone you’ve faced so far.”

“Is he in your category?” Marcus asked bluntly.

The question hung in the air like a challenge.

“No,” Amadeus admitted finally. “Maurice is powerful, but he’s not at my level. No branch manager is.”

“Then he’s not a threat to me either,” Marcus said simply. “Because you and I both know you wouldn’t survive fighting me, Amadeus. And if you wouldn’t survive, your branch manager definitely won’t.”

The statement was delivered without arrogance or bravado-just calm certainty. A fact stated plainly.

Amadeus was quiet for a long moment. When he spoke again, his voice carried a weight that suggested genuine concern. “You’re not asking for permission. You’re not requesting mediation. You’re informing me that you intend to kill one of my senior commanders, and you expect me to just… accept that?”

“I expect you to recognize reality,” Marcus replied. “Maurice is coming to Five-River Province to kill me. That’s his choice. My response is self-defense. And when the dust settles, you can either acknowledge that he picked a fight he couldn’t win, or you can escalate this into a larger conflict between us. Your choice.”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify