The Unexpected General

Chapter 3

Everyone stared at him in disbelief—including Brian. The man nearly laughed, convinced that Calvin had lost his mind.

"Do you even understand how much twenty million dollars is?" Brian raised his voice, his eyes burning with fury.

The Moonstone family had fallen, their wealth crumbling along with them. He was certain that Calvin had been living in poverty all this time. There was no way he would let his beloved daughter live with someone like him.

Brian's gaze swept over Calvin, scrutinizing him from head to toe. "You're just a pathetic soldier. You’ll never be able to pay that money back."

Calvin remained unfazed by Brian’s words. Twenty million dollars meant nothing to him.

At that moment, he looked at Claire. Despite her obvious panic, she still managed a warm smile. Calvin stepped closer, his expression serious.

"Will you marry me and fulfill our promise?"

Her answer was all that mattered to him—nothing else was important.

Without hesitation, Claire nodded. Not a single trace of doubt in her eyes. She had made a promise to her grandfather. And she had waited five long years for Calvin to return.

"Yes, I will marry you."

Relief washed over Calvin. That was the answer he had been waiting for. "Alright then, everything is settled."

Bobby clenched his fists tighter. Claire’s words had only fueled his anger. That woman should have been his.

Now, he turned sharply, his gaze stabbing into Calvin. "Settled, you say? Can you even return the money?"

"Don’t forget, I was the one who helped the Jones family. I won’t just let my twenty million dollars disappear into thin air." His voice was filled with emphasis as he pointed a finger at Calvin. "You have to pay it back, and if you can’t, forget about marrying Claire Jones."

Calvin stood there calmly. Unlike what everyone expected, he didn’t back down at the mention of compensation.

"I will return your money."

Smirks appeared on people’s faces. To them, Calvin was just an overconfident fool. But instead of admiration, his words only filled the room with disgust. Everyone knew he was nothing but a penniless man. Paying back that kind of money was impossible.

Then, Calvin reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone—the same one he had been using for years.

All eyes were drawn to the old, worn-out device in his hand, and with that, their confidence in him crumbled even further.

Calvin ignored the mocking stares and immediately called Jacob, who was waiting for him in the car. The moment the call connected, he spoke firmly, “Bring all the betrothal gifts and the twenty million dollars.”

Jacob gasped at the order but quickly nodded. “Understood, General. I’ll be there right away with everything you requested.”

All preparations for the engagement had already been made. Jacob only needed to deliver them to his superior.

As the call ended, Brian couldn’t hold back his laughter. He burst out laughing, treating the whole situation as a ridiculous hallucination.

“This man is completely insane! Does he think he still belongs to a wealthy family? His entire bloodline perished, along with their fortune.”

But as soon as those words left his mouth, his expression darkened.

“Even major families would struggle to gather twenty million dollars. And yet, you—a mere soldier—think you can?” His voice dripped with scorn.

No one knew that for Calvin, twenty million dollars was nothing more than a mere fraction of his true wealth. No one could even begin to fathom just how vast his fortune truly was.

Calvin’s sharp gaze locked onto Brian. Memories of his father surfaced, and with them, a deep regret—regret that his father had once saved the wretched Jones family.

Bobby couldn't stand it—he still wanted Claire to be his. He hadn’t even had the chance to enjoy her beautiful body yet. She was a stunning woman, desired by many men. He had been just one step away from making her his, but then this man appeared and ruined everything.

Fuming with rage, Bobby pointed at Calvin once more, stepping closer. Even though he knew Calvin was in the military, he was convinced that a soldier like him only possessed ordinary strength.

“Hey, you. You should know your place.”

“Stop pretending to be rich. You can’t fool me. I know you were just faking that phone call.” Bobby sneered, trying to pressure Calvin into admitting it was all an act.

“I know exactly what dirty tricks you’re planning to pull. You’re going to take Claire and run off with nothing.” Bobby accused, attempting to corner Calvin.

His gaze swept over the people around him. “Guard the doors tightly. If possible, lock down all exits. I know he’s planning to escape with Miss Claire.”

“He’s a fraud! A shameless man! Stay alert and don’t let your guard down!” Bobby’s voice rang out, fueling the tension in the room with his accusations.

Everyone quickly believed Bobby's words. From the moment Calvin arrived, they had doubted him and looked down on him.

Without hesitation, all exits were tightly sealed. Some people even stood guard at the main gate, determined to prevent any chance of escape.

Calvin remained calm. "I'm not going to run away."

He glanced at the watch on his wrist. It would only take a few more minutes for Jacob to arrive. "I will truly present an extraordinary dowry for Miss Claire."

Not a single person believed his words. To them, Calvin was merely boasting. They were convinced he could never pull it off.

Everyone knew that a low-ranking soldier's life was pitiful. They barely earned a decent wage. And Calvin’s worn-out appearance only reinforced their belief.

Bobby crossed his arms, deep in thought. "I know someone who outranks you."

"You must have deserted and come here, didn't you?" Bobby sneered, his words dripping with threat.

"A lowly soldier like you…" Bobby lowered his arms and leaned in closer to Calvin. "I'll give you a chance. You’d better apologize now, and we’ll let you go." His lips curled into a sinister smirk.

"We won’t dwell on what just happened, as long as you kneel at our feet."

Calvin had disrupted his engagement ceremony with Claire, so Bobby was determined to make him understand his place. And of course, he would ensure Calvin knelt beneath him.

Calvin raised an eyebrow. "You’re asking me to kneel at your feet? How clever of you."

"Yes, of course." Bobby folded his arms again, puffing out his chest. "Just do it now, and I’ll forgive you."

Calvin’s gaze turned cold. "Actually, I’m the one who wants you to apologize and kneel at my feet. If you do, I might consider forgiving you." His voice was firm and unwavering.

"Hey… you—!" Bobby jabbed a finger at Calvin, his voice rising in anger. His eyes burned with fury. "Do you even know who I am? I’m Bobby Anderson! You’ll pay dearly for your words!"

Calvin smirked. "Your family must be ashamed to have someone like you among them."

Bobby’s blood boiled at the insult. His body tensed as he lunged forward, aiming to land a punch on Calvin.

But before he could strike, Calvin caught his wrist midair. Their eyes locked in a tense standoff.