Dragon Major General

Chapter 2

(Nano Villa )

Jasmine sat in her wheelchair at the far corner of the hall, her fingers gripping the armrest so tightly that they had already turned pale, but she didn’t notice it because her eyes were fixed on the crowd in front of her, and what she saw made her chest tighten in a way that felt almost unbearable.

The entire place was decorated like it was meant for celebration, bright lights, expensive wine, polished floors, everything screaming luxury, but the people gathered there completely destroyed that illusion. Men in torn clothes, dirty faces, unkempt hair, some of them laughing strangely, others staring around like they didn’t even understand where they were. Beggars, homeless men, people who looked like they had been dragged from the streets without warning.

And they were all looking at her.

Some with curiosity.

Some with hunger.

Some with something far worse.

Tears rolled down Jasmine’s cheeks as her body trembled slightly, her breath uneven as she tried to hold herself together, but it wasn’t working anymore, not after everything that had already happened to her.

Macron really wanted to destroy her.

Not just her body.

But everything she had left.

For a brief moment, a thought crossed her mind, one that made her heart ache even more.

Maybe… maybe if she had just agreed that day… if she had just endured it… then none of this would have happened.

Maybe her family wouldn’t be suffering.

Maybe she wouldn’t be here.

Maybe she would still be normal.

But the thought didn’t stay long.

Because deep down, she knew it wouldn’t have ended there.

It never did with people like him.

“Are you taking a good look at your future partner?” a voice suddenly cut through her thoughts, pulling her back harshly.

Macron.

He walked toward her slowly, a mocking smile spreading across his face as he looked at her like she was nothing more than something he owned.

“Huh?” he continued, tilting his head slightly. “Have you found one already?”

Jasmine shook her head weakly, tears still falling.

“Please, sir… please… please…” she begged, her voice breaking as she spoke, barely able to hold it together. “I’m already in too much pain… please stop this…”

Macron let out a low chuckle, shaking his head as if he found her words amusing.

“Ohhhh, Jasmine,” he said, dragging out her name like he was enjoying every second of it, “you should have just done as I asked back then. Maybe none of this would have happened… maybe even your injury could have been avoided.”

Jasmine’s lips trembled.

“Macron… please…” she said again, her voice softer now but filled with desperation. “I did absolutely nothing to deserve this…”

“Oh no, no, no,” Macron interrupted sharply, his expression changing instantly as his tone rose. “You disrespected me.”

His eyes darkened.

“You made a fool out of me, Jasmine,” he continued, his voice growing louder with each word. “Me. And you think that’s something I can just forget?”

“I just didn’t want to sleep with you!” Jasmine cried out, her voice breaking completely now. “Is that all I did wrong?!”

“That is exactly what you did wrong!” Macron snapped, his face twisting in anger. “That slap… that moment… do you even understand what that meant?”

He leaned closer, his gaze cold and filled with pride that had long been twisted into something ugly.

“My pride,” he said slowly. “You stepped on it. Who do you think you are to reject me?”

Jasmine shook her head, her tears not stopping.

“If you had just agreed,” Macron went on, his voice lowering again, almost like he was trying to sound reasonable, “your life would be completely different right now. The sky would have been your limit. You would have had everything… power, wealth…”

He reached out and touched her hair.

“You would have been my mistress.”

Jasmine flinched instantly, her face tightening as she pulled her head away despite her condition.

“Over my dead body,” she said, her voice weak but firm, her eyes filled with refusal.

Macron froze for a brief second.

Then he smiled.

“You clearly would have been dead by now,” he said with a quiet snicker.

Jasmine’s expression changed instantly.

“What… what do you mean?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly as a new fear crept into her chest.

“You will be married today… that’s what you should be excited about,” Macron said with a light giggle, like he was talking about something joyful instead of something cruel and humiliating.

Jasmine didn’t respond.

Her eyes were empty now. Whatever strength she had left was slowly fading, and even her tears had begun to dry, leaving only a quiet, painful silence behind.

Mendel sat in the back seat of his car, his expression unreadable, but his thoughts were anything but calm. There was only one thing running through his mind, over and over again.

Jasmine didn’t deserve any of this!

If she hadn’t appeared that morning… if she hadn’t given him food, water, and money when he had nothing left, he wouldn’t have survived. He would have died in those woods, either from hunger, from thirst, or from the same men who had wiped out his family.

She was the reason he was still alive.

And because of that, he had no choice.

He had to save her.

No matter what it cost.

The car finally came to a stop in front of the Nano Villa, a place that looked more like a palace than a residence, with high gates, armed guards, and a level of security that made it clear this wasn’t an ordinary event.

Gray tried to drive in.

But the guards stepped forward immediately, blocking the entrance.

“You can’t go in,” one of them said firmly, raising his hand. “This place is restricted.”

Gray leaned slightly out of the window, his expression calm but firm.

“You guys don’t understand who is inside this car,” he said. “Do yourselves a favor and let us through.”

The guards exchanged looks, clearly unimpressed.

“You don’t look like beggars,” one of them replied, his eyes narrowing slightly. “And you’re not from any of the five families either… so who exactly are you?”

For a brief second, there was silence.

Then the car door opened.

Mendel stepped out slowly.

His presence alone made the air feel heavier.

“The Dragon Major General,” he said, his voice calm but carrying authority. “You look like men who watch the news… so you must have heard of me.”

The guards froze slightly.

One of them leaned closer to the other and whispered under his breath.

“I think he’s someone connected to the five families… or maybe even above that.”

The other guard hesitated, then nodded.

“Let him in.”

The gates opened.

Without another word, Mendel got back into the car, and they drove in.

Moments later, the car stopped again.

Mendel stepped out, now wearing a black hat that shadowed part of his face, making him harder to recognize. His assistant followed closely behind him as they walked into the main hall where the so-called “celebration” was taking place.

The moment he entered, his eyes scanned the room.

And then—

He saw her.

Jasmine.

Even in that state, sitting quietly in her wheelchair, looking pale, exhausted, and broken… he recognized her instantly.

There was no doubt.

It was her.

Time didn’t erase that memory.

It only made it stronger.

Meanwhile, at the center of the hall, Macron stood confidently, completely unaware of what had just entered his territory. He laughed loudly, clearly enjoying himself as he looked down at Jasmine like she was nothing more than entertainment.

“Little Miss Jasmine,” he said mockingly, spreading his arms slightly, “you are going to marry a beggar tonight. Tell me… how does that sound?”

Jasmine kept her head lowered, her shoulders shaking slightly as she cried in silence, trying not to make any sound that would draw more attention to herself, but it didn’t matter because all eyes were already on her, and the whispers around her were not kind, not even close.

Macron’s family stood not too far away, watching her with cold expressions, and some of them didn’t even bother to hide their annoyance.

“If only she had just done what he wanted,” one of the women said with a scoff, folding her arms like she was judging something worthless. “All of this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Exactly,” another added, shaking her head. “She brought this on herself. Acting like she has dignity… look where it got her.”

Their words weren’t loud, but they were loud enough.

Each one cutting deeper than the last.

Jasmine’s fingers tightened on her wheelchair again, her nails pressing into her skin as she tried to hold herself together, but it was getting harder with every passing second.

She was tired.

Tired of the pain.

Tired of the humiliation.

Tired of everything.

There was no one on her side.

No one to stand up for her.

No one to help her.

Her thoughts became messy, heavy, full of questions that had no answers.

What did she do wrong?

Was it really her fault?

Was she wrong for refusing?

For protecting herself?

For choosing not to be used?

Her chest tightened painfully as she looked down at her own hands, trembling slightly, and for a brief moment, she hated how weak she felt, how helpless she had become.

Then slowly, she lifted her head.

Her eyes moved toward the crowd of men in front of her.

Beggars.

Strangers.

People she didn’t know.

One of them would be forced onto her.

Her vision blurred instantly as tears filled her eyes again.

And this time… she couldn’t hold it back.

She burst into tears.

At that exact moment—

“Let her go.”

The voice wasn’t loud.

But it carried.

It cut through the noise, through the laughter, through the whispers, and in an instant, the entire hall went quiet.

Macron had just walked into the center of the lobby, his presence drawing everyone’s attention as he repeated himself more clearly.

“Let her go.”

People turned toward him, confused.

Even Jasmine froze.

Her breathing stopped for a second as she looked up slowly, her heart beating faster than it had in a long time.

Did he mean it?

Was this over?

Was she finally… free?

A small, fragile hope began to form inside her chest, something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

She took a deep breath.

And then—

Her eyes moved.

They met someone else’s.

Mendel.

He stood not too far away, his black hat casting a shadow over his face, but his eyes… his eyes were clear.

Jasmine blinked.

For a moment, she didn’t understand why she felt something strange, something familiar, like she had seen him before, like her heart was reacting before her mind could catch up.

She took another breath.

She didn’t feel completely alone anymore.