Chapter 141: Change It
Dominion was a massive underground organization, and to control something this big, there were ranks.
The highest rank was obviously the don, Lucian.
Then came Lucian’s right-hand man, Gustav.
Carrying the same authority as Gustav were Lucian’s left hand, his advisor, and their own small council.
Although the council rarely assembled unless it was absolutely necessary. They only showed up when something happened to the big boss, and someone had to make decisions.
Under them were another group of people who ran different divisions of Dominion.
Each of them had their own expertise and focus. Even so, everything ultimately served Dominion’s best interests. That was how order was maintained. After all, everyone in this mansion wasn’t even a fraction of Dominion, and there was a reason for that.
But somehow, the people who weren’t supposed to be here... were here.
Ashley scanned the faces in the room and recognized seven people, including Lucian and Gustav.
Are they trying to change Lucian’s mind? She wondered, only for her gaze to catch a board on the side.
"Hmm?" she hummed, glancing at it, only to see a large map plastered across it.
"Come here."
Her thoughts halted when Lucian’s voice reached her ears.
Ashley blinked at him, catching him tapping his armrest.
"..." She pursed her lips and quietly tiptoed inside. She didn’t even know why she was tiptoeing, but she did.
"Excuse me," she said softly as she passed the people inside.
But instead of sitting on Lucian’s armrest, she squeezed herself in and reached for his arm, making space for herself.
"Hehe," she giggled as she settled on his lap, blinking innocently. "Better."
Lucian raised his brows but didn’t stop her from wrapping her arms around his neck. His lips curled into a subtle, approving smile.
As for everyone else, no one said a word, but their expressions said enough.
Gustav, especially, couldn’t help but scrunch up his nose. All day, he had been telling himself to judge her and her actions from an unbiased perspective. But just when he thought he was ready, she would go and do something like this!
Why was she making it so hard for him to see her differently?!
"Ahem!" one of the men cleared his throat loudly to get their attention. "Master. Madam."
The man straightened, adjusting his glasses. "Shall we continue the discussion?"
"Hmm?" Ashley hummed, looking at the smart-looking man with thick glasses that made his eyes seem smaller. "You are...?"
"My apologies for forgetting my manners," he said politely, lowering his head slightly. "My name is Lukas, Dominion’s advisor."
Of course, Ashley knew Lukas.
She had met him in her past life, but much earlier than in this one. When Lucian had been ambushed and injured, this man, along with Dominion’s elders and council members, had temporarily run Dominion.
In other words, Lukas didn’t forget to introduce himself. He simply didn’t care about her.
"And these are..." Taking the initiative, Lukas introduced the others.
The rest were chiefs of their respective divisions. Half of them were from Dominion’s international branches and had come to assist with this transition, while the other half were from the local headquarters.
"And these are our associates," Lukas added, gesturing toward the others who weren’t official Dominion members. "Engineers and consultants who can help us find the right location for everyone."
"Oh..." Ashley nodded, her attention drifting back to Lucian.
She leaned closer and whispered into his ear, "I don’t understand."
"We cannot all live in the same house," Lucian explained patiently, his attention solely on her. "So they’re here to find a suitable location where we—and everyone—can stay."
Everyone’s faces twitched as they watched Ashley nod in understanding.
That was exactly what Lukas had said—just rephrased!
"You’re so smart, darling," she giggled. "It’s impossible for just the three of us to move without the rest of the structure."
Just like here, the residence was where Lucian, Ashley, and Primo lived. But that didn’t mean everyone stayed under the same roof. While there were quarters for those working in the mansion, there were also separate houses surrounding the main residence.
In simple terms, the area functioned like a small community, one entirely tied to Dominion.
Now you understand what kind of trouble you brought upon Dominion?
Gustav mentally clicked his tongue, only to catch himself slipping back into bias.
"What are the places you’ve found?" Ashley asked, looking at them innocently.
Lukas maintained his smile as he pointed at the map on the board.
"These circled locations are our current candidates," he said.
Ashley turned her head toward the board again, studying the red circles carefully.
"Right," Lukas cleared his throat and stepped closer. "You might not be familiar with reading physical maps."
"Huh?" she blinked at him. "How did you know?"
"It’s quite rare these days with the advancement of our technology," he replied with a polite smile, sliding a tablet toward her. "This will help you visualize the locations better, madam."
"Sweet!" she chirped, completely missing the subtle sarcasm in his tone.
Ashley picked up the tablet and leaned comfortably against Lucian’s chest. As she browsed through the 3D map, Lukas began explaining each location. He summarized the key points he had already discussed, mainly because Lucian was present.
If Lucian hadn’t been there, he wouldn’t have bothered.
"Then these three are our strongest options," Lukas continued, addressing everyone this time. "Given our limited time, it would be best to choose one of these. They’re a bit farther from the young master’s school, but considering accessibility and capacity, they can accommodate all of Dominion."
Everyone nodded in satisfaction. With their experience, they could already tell these were ideal locations—central, accessible, and capable of housing large groups through nearby hotels or condominiums.
"Not to mention, they also have helipads..." Lukas added, emphasizing their convenience for Lucian.
But when he turned to Lucian, he realized the boss wasn’t even paying attention.
Lucian was looking at the tablet Ashley held, watching her scroll through the images.
Tilting his head slightly, Lucian asked, "What do you think?"
"Hmm..." Ashley hummed, rubbing her chin.
Seeing her actually consider the options, several people frowned. What was there to think about? She should answer immediately!
Gustav’s face twitched.
What is she thinking now? he wondered, a bad feeling creeping up his spine. I don’t feel good about this.
After a moment, Ashley set the tablet down and smiled at Lucian.
"Too expensive. Some are too far. Others are too crowded... and then this one?"
She picked the tablet up again and showed him. "I don’t like the hotel’s design. It’s too ugly."
Everyone: "..."
Gustav: What the hell does that even mean?!
Lucian, on the other hand, nodded in understanding and glanced at Lukas.
"Change it."