Saintess's Worthless Husband Turned Dragon Commander novel Chapter 38

CHAPTER 38.

The wine glass tilted, red liquid arcing toward Marcus’s head in what should have been the perfect opening to Riley’s orchestrated attack.

Then Marcus’s hand shot up-not drunk fumbling, but with precision that defied the bottles he’d consumed- and caught the glass mid-air without spilling a drop.

“Thanks for the drink,” Marcus said, his voice suddenly clear, all traces of slurring gone.

Flynn “Snake” Sawyer found himself staring directly into Marcus Steel’s face-those dragon eyes that he’d seen hours ago at Azure Pierce, when Aaron Jackson had declared this man his elder brother. When the entire underworld had been warned that touching Marcus Steel meant death.

Oh God. Oh God no.

Flynn’s survival instincts, honed by years of operating in Grayson City’s underworld, screamed at him. This wasn’t just Aaron Jackson’s protected friend. This was the husband of the Sacred Saintess sitting right there-her golden aura visible even to someone without cultivation training.

Attacking this man would be suicide. Not metaphorical. Actual, literal suicide.

Marcus raised the wine glass to his lips, took a small sip, then-maintaining eye contact with Flynn-spat it directly into Flynn’s face.

Red wine dripped down Flynn’s scarred features. His five underlings, seeing their boss insulted, charged forward with practiced aggression-

“STOP!” Flynn’s roar made them freeze mid-motion. He physically grabbed two of them and threw them aside, his panic overriding any concern for their confusion.

The Ridge family watched this bizarre scene with mounting bewilderment.

“What’s happening?” Mother Ridge demanded. “Why aren’t they attacking? They’re clearly working together! Marcus probably hired them to-”

“Everyone shut Up!” Father Ridge barked, his businessman instincts sensing something wrong even if he couldn’t identify what. “You there!” He pointed at Flynn. “We don’t tolerate disruptions in fine establishments! Leave immediately, or we’ll have you arrested!”

Flynn ignored him completely, his eyes locked on Marcus with terrified respect. Then-shocking everyone at the table-he bowed deeply.

Actually bowed, like a subordinate before his superior.

“Mr. Steel,” Flynn said, his voice shaking. “I apologize for the disturbance. It was… unintentional. A misunderstanding. I’ll leave immediately-”

“A misunderstanding?” Marcus’s voice carried that dangerous calm. “You accidentally walked past my table with wine tilted toward my head? Accidentally positioned your men around the restaurant? Accidentally showed up at the exact moment my dinner companion-” his eyes flicked to Riley, “–excused himself to make a phone call?”

Riley’s face went from confident to pale.

“I… I don’t know what you’re implying-” Flynn started desperately.

“You there!” Father Ridge stood, trying to reclaim control of the situation. “How dare you ignore me! Do you

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know who I am? I’m Richard Ridge, owner of Ridge Technologies! I could have you—”

Flynn spun on him with such sudden violence that Richard stumbled backward into his chair.

“You could have me WHAT?” Flynn grabbed Richard by his expensive collar, lifting the older man partially off the ground. “You think your money means anything to me? You think your COMPANY protects you?”

“Let go of my husband!” Mother Ridge-Miranda-shrieked.

Flynn released Richard with a shove that sent him sprawling, then turned to Miranda. She was fumbling in her purse, pulling out a thick wad of cash with shaking hands.

“Here! Take it! Five thousand dollars! Just leave us alone-”

Flynn slapped the money out of her hands. Bills fluttered through the air like confetti, scattering across the private room floor.

“I don’t want your MONEY!” Flynn’s voice carried genuine rage now-not at the Ridge family exactly, but at the situation Riley had put him in. “Do you understand what your son tried to do? Do you have ANY idea who you’re sitting across from?”

“He’s Marcus Steel,” Karen said with false bravado, though her voice shook. “He’s nobody-”

“He’s Aaron Jackson’s ELDER BROTHER!” Flynn roared. “He’s married to a SACRED SAINTESS! And your idiot son -” he whirled on Riley, who’d backed into the corner, “-paid me to ATTACK him! To beat him up! To humiliate him in front of his wife!”

The revelation crashed over the table like a tidal wave.

Quinn’s hand flew to her mouth. Karen’s face went from pale to gray. Brandon actually stumbled, catching himself on the table edge.

“Riley?” Miranda’s voice came out strangled. “You didn’t… you couldn’t…”/

But Riley’s guilty expression confirmed everything.

Flynn made a decision in that moment-a calculation born of pure survival instinct. Riley Ridge had tried to use him as a weapon against someone untouchable. Had nearly gotten Flynn killed through sheer arrogant stupidity.

Well, if Riley wanted to play games with people’s lives, Flynn would show him exactly what happened to people who involved the underworld in their petty schemes.

“You wanted me to humiliate the Sacred Saintess’s husband?” Flynn advanced on Riley, his scarred face twisted with fury. “You paid twenty thousand dollars to have a man beaten in front of his wife? In front of a SAINTESS?”

“I… I didn’t know-“Riley backed against the wall.

“You didn’t know because you didn’t CARE!” Flynn grabbed a fork from the nearest table. “You saw a woman you wanted and a husband you considered beneath you, and you decided violence was the answer!”

He pressed the fork against Riley’s throat-not breaking skin, but the threat was unmistakable.

“Brother Snake, please-” Riley gasped.

“Don’t call me that,” Flynn snarled. “We’re not brothers. We’re not friends. You’re a rich boy playing dangerous games without understanding the consequences.” He leaned closer, his voice dropping to something lethal. “And I’m going to teach you exactly what those consequences look like.”

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Marcus watched this reversal with satisfaction, still sitting calmly at the table, his arm around Quinn’s shoulders. The “drunk” act was completely dropped now-everyone could see he was perfectly sober, perfectly in control, and had been the entire time.

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