The Supreme General

Chapter 9 The Perfect Setup

High above the glittering skyline of Ironhaven, the private penthouse dining hall of the Celestial Crown Restaurant stood in serene luxury.

Floor-to-ceiling glass windows revealed the city like a living galaxy of lights. Cars moved far below like tiny sparks. Inside, silence ruled the room—soft, expensive, and deliberate.

Marcus Hale stepped out of the elevator.

He paused briefly.

A single woman sat near the window, her silhouette framed by the skyline.

It was the same woman from the alley.

Tonight she looked entirely different.

Gone was the frightened girl clutching his arm in desperation. In her place sat a woman of quiet elegance, dressed in a simple but exquisite black dress. Her posture carried a natural authority that even the restaurant staff seemed careful around.

She rose when Marcus approached.

“Mr. Hale.”

Marcus nodded politely.

“Miss… I never got your name.”

A small pause passed before she answered.

“Isabella.”

She extended her hand.

Marcus shook it firmly before taking the seat across from her.

Neither of them spoke at first.

Waiters silently appeared, placing plates of carefully prepared cuisine before them before disappearing just as quickly.

Only after the door closed did Isabella finally speak.

“I wanted to thank you properly.”

Marcus leaned back slightly.

“You already thanked me.”

Her expression softened.

“No… not properly.”

For a brief moment her mind returned to that night.

The dark alley.

The smell of rain and concrete.

The rough hands grabbing her.

The sudden appearance of a stranger who stepped between her and danger without hesitation.

She had grown up surrounded by bodyguards and powerful people.

But none of them had ever moved that quickly to protect her.

“You saved my life,” she said quietly.

Marcus shook his head.

“You’re exaggerating.”

Isabella reached into her purse and placed an envelope on the table between them.

“Ten million dollars.”

Marcus glanced at the envelope.

His expression barely changed.

“A small gesture of gratitude.”

He didn’t touch it.

Instead he calmly slid it back toward her.

“I can’t take that.”

For the first time, Isabella looked genuinely surprised.

Most men in Ironhaven would have grabbed the money without hesitation.

Some would have demanded more.

“You’re refusing ten million dollars?” she asked.

Marcus shrugged slightly.

“Saving someone shouldn’t come with a price tag.”

“It’s not a price,” she said gently. “It’s gratitude.”

Marcus looked out toward the skyline.

For a moment something distant passed through his eyes.

“If you really want to spend the money,” he said quietly, “donate it to orphanages.”

Isabella tilted her head slightly.

“Orphanages?”

Marcus nodded.

“I grew up in one.”

The statement was simple, but it carried a weight Isabella could feel immediately.

Marcus continued calmly.

“So I have a soft spot for them.”

Isabella studied him silently.

This man…

He saved a stranger without knowing her identity.

And turned down ten million dollars without blinking.

In a city where money ruled everything, Marcus Hale felt strangely… different.

“Alright,” she said finally.

“I’ll donate the money.”

Marcus smiled faintly.

“Then I’ll accept your thanks.”

The tension between them softened after that.

They finished their lunch quietly, speaking about small things—life in Ironhaven, the endless chaos of the city, and the strange ways fate sometimes brought people together.

For Marcus it felt like a normal conversation.

For Isabella, however, it was something far more interesting.

When they finally left the penthouse, they walked together to the lobby.

Before parting ways, Isabella handed him a sleek black card.

“My personal number.”

Marcus looked at it.

“In case you ever need help,” she added.

Marcus slipped the card into his pocket.

“I doubt that.”

Isabella smiled knowingly.

“People often say that before they do.”

They parted ways outside the restaurant.

Marcus walked off into the afternoon crowd.

And Isabella stood watching him for several seconds longer than necessary.

Marcus had no idea who she really was.

And Isabella had decided—for now—to keep it that way.

Across the city, however…

A very different meeting was taking place.

Inside a luxurious office suite, Sophie Bennett sat across from Lucas Laurent.

The atmosphere in the room was darker.

More calculating.

Photographs from the restaurant encounter lay scattered across the table.

Lucas leaned back in his chair, swirling a glass of expensive whiskey.

“That penthouse reservation complicates things.”

Sophie’s eyes hardened.

“Then we escalate.”

Lucas smirked.

“How?”

Sophie slowly leaned forward.

“A scandal.”

Lucas raised an eyebrow.

“Infidelity?”

Her lips curled slightly.

“If Marcus gets caught in a compromising situation with another woman…”

She tapped the table.

“The courts will destroy him.”

Lucas chuckled.

“Simple.”

The rest of the plan came together quickly.

Money made things easy.

Later that evening two street children were brought into the office.

A thin teenage boy.

And a nervous girl who looked barely sixteen.

Their clothes were worn and their faces cautious.

Sophie handed them a thick envelope of cash.

“Just do exactly what I told you.”

The boy nodded quickly.

“Yes, miss.”

The girl swallowed nervously.

Lucas spoke calmly.

“You’ll pretend to attack her in the alley.”

“When the man arrives, run.”

The girl looked down.

“And I… hold him?”

Sophie smiled coldly.

“Yes.”

“Hold him like you’re scared.”

The children nodded.

The trap was ready.

Late that night, Marcus walked home through a quieter part of the city.

Streetlights flickered along the empty road.

The air carried the cool scent of approaching rain.

He turned into a narrow alley.

Then—

“Help!”

A terrified scream shattered the silence.

Marcus froze.

Another shout followed.

“Let go of me!”

Without hesitation Marcus rushed toward the sound.

At the far end of the alley he saw a boy grabbing a girl roughly.

The girl struggled desperately.

Marcus moved instantly.

“Let her go!”

The boy released her and bolted down the alley exactly as planned.

The girl stumbled forward in panic.

Then she threw her arms around Marcus tightly.

“Thank you!”

Her body trembled as if she were terrified.

Marcus awkwardly tried to steady her.

“It’s alright…”

But hidden near the alley entrance—

Sophie lifted a camera.

Click.

Click.

Click.

The flashes captured the perfect moment.

The girl clinging to Marcus.

His arms around her as he tried to calm her down.

From the camera’s angle…

It looked extremely intimate.

Lucas watched beside her with amusement.

“Perfect.”

Sophie lowered the camera slowly.

Her smile was cruel.

“Now let’s see how Marcus explains this in court.”

Later that night Marcus returned home.

The Bennett mansion was brightly lit.

Sophie sat in the living room waiting.

A stack of papers rested neatly on the table.

Marcus stopped when he saw them.

Something about the room felt wrong.

“What’s this?”

Sophie pushed the papers toward him.

“Divorce papers.”

Marcus stared at her.

Then he noticed the photographs scattered across the table.

His eyes narrowed.

The alley.

The girl.

The camera angle.

Understanding dawned slowly.

“So that’s what this is about.”

Sophie crossed her arms.

“You thought I wouldn’t find out?”

Marcus exhaled slowly.

“You were in that restaurant with another man.”

Sophie’s expression turned icy.

“That’s different.”

Marcus shook his head.

“You’re twisting the truth.”

But Sophie had already made up her mind.

“Save your explanations for court.”

Her voice dripped with venom.

Because this time…

She believed she had finally trapped him.

And soon the entire city would witness the fall of Marcus Hale.