“What’s with those eyes? Do you really think I won’t do anything to you?” His voice was laced with quiet fury. “You stand there, shameless, looking like you did something right.”
The General met his gaze, unwavering.
“Yeah,” he said, his tone calm. “I have no regrets doing what I did. If I had to do it again, I would… though this time, I’d inform you first. That was definitely my mistake.” He gave a small, apologetic smile, but there was no hesitation in his words.
Lucian shook his head in disappointment.
“Whatever. I have no business with you anymore. Get out.” His voice was final, absolute.
He stood from his chair, looking down at the General, his presence commanding. “I’ll be pulling back every single dime I’ve invested in the military until now. And as for our so-called friendship?” He scoffed. “It ends here.”
Meleonora and the purple-haired man stood to the side, listening, absorbing every word.
Even if they didn’t fully understand the deeper history between Lucian and the General, they could piece some things together from the conversation.
Meleonora’s brows furrowed slightly. The more she listened, the more questions piled up in her mind.
This isn’t what I expected… she thought. I assumed corruption, bribes, political greed. But this? A secret security detail? A personal team? A betrayal?Saving the General’s life?
It didn’t add up. The pieces of this puzzle were scattered, but one thing was clear whatever had happened, the General was in the wrong.
Still, Lucian’s reaction was ruthless. His disappointment cut deep, and it wasn’t just about military contracts or business it was personal.
The General sighed heavily.”I really had no other choice, kid.”
Lucian’s fingers tapped against the chair’s armrest, his expression growing colder.
“Whatever. I don’t want to hear another excuse. Get out before I lose my patience and kill you right now.”
The General lifted his gaze slightly, his eyes meeting Lucian’s in silence.
Lucian didn’t blink. His expression remained emotionless, his presence suffocating.
Seconds stretched between them.
Then, Lucian spoke, his voice eerily calm.
“I’m letting you walk out of here alive because, once, you weren’t a bad person. And because you have a family.” His tone darkened. “Don’t make me regret that. Leave. Now.”
Without waiting for a response,Lucian turned his back on the General, facing Rose’s unconscious form.
Silence filled the room.
The General stood still, his lips parting as if he wanted to say something. But no words came out.
Then, after a long pause, his voice broke through the tension.
“My daughter… Lisa.”His voice was heavier than before. “She was kidnapped.”
the air around room shifted.
The General exhaled sharply, his voice controlled but strained.”I took my men back… because I needed them to bring her home.”
The General’s tone was steady, but the weight behind it was undeniable. “I don’t know what my girl is going through right now. It’s been over two weeks.”
Meleonora’s eyes widened slightly.
The General continued.
“Under military law, I can’t use official forces for personal matters. I requested help, but because she was taken to the Amazon deep in hostile territory, by terrorists from another country the higher-ups decided she was a lost cause.”
His fingers curled into fists, his knuckles turning white.
“They think it’s a trap.A ploy by enemy forces to lure our soldiers in, only to ambush them. So the government made its decision”sacrifice her.”
His voice wavered, just for a second. “The official stance is that the losses would be too great.”
“I used everything I had to bring her back. I would’ve gone myself, but…” The General let out a bitter chuckle. “They won’t let me. They’re afraid I’ll be captured.That the secrets I know about our military will fall into enemy hands. They forbade me from stepping foot in that jungle.”
His voice remained strong, but sadness bled through.
“I am powerless.”
With that, he slammed his hand against the chair, his frustration finally cracking through the hardened exterior.
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Meleonora sighed hard.
For the first time, despite the uniform, despite the authority, despite the reputation she saw the General not as a Marshal, not as a leader.
But as a father.
A father who had no choice but to watch his daughter be abandoned.
Lucian tilted his head slightly, finally turning to look at the General.
“Hmmm… I see.”His voice was calm, unreadable.
His gaze lingered on the older man, his expression indifferent. “Yes, that’s sad.”
He studied the General in silence, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly as he noticed the way the man’s shoulders slumped, the exhaustion in his stance.
“It’s tragic,”Lucian said, his voice devoid of sympathy. His lips pressed into a thin line, a faint frown appearing.
Meleonora clenched her fists.
“You bastard,” she spat, unable to hold it in any longer.”At least be a little human. What’s with those dead eyes? I don’t know what history you two have, but I do know that the General made a mistake—taking his men back without telling you.”
She stepped forward, her frustration boiling over. “But can’t you see?He did it to save his daughter. He didn’t just take them back for no reason—he made a choice between you and her.”
Her voice was sharp with anger, her disbelief at Lucian’s indifference clear in her eyes.
“And he was right,”she continued, her tone firm. “Any sane person would’ve done the same. If you were in his shoes, you would have chosen your family too.”
She scoffed, crossing her arms. “Or are you going to stand there and say you wouldn’t? If it was you in his place, if the choice was between him and your family, would you really pick him?”
Her words hung in the air, challenging him.
She looked at Lucian with disgust, unable to comprehend how he could remain so cold after hearing the General’s reason.
The General remained silent, his eyes fixed on Lucian, waiting for his reaction.
But Lucian didn’t waver.
He simply stared at Meleonora, his expression calm.
Then,he chuckled.
A low, quiet laugh, devoid of amusement.
It sent a shiver down Meleonora’s spine.
“You think I don’t understand?”Lucian said, shaking his head. His voice was soft, but the weight behind it was heavy.
“I do understand,”he continued, his tone unwavering.”That’s why I’m not angry.”
His gaze shifted back to the General.
“But understanding doesn’t mean forgiving.”
—-
