Chapter 10 - The Audit Complete
“Dad,” I said, my voice carrying effortlessly across the dead-silent ballroom.
My father blinked rapidly, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. “Elena... I... I didn't know... you never told us—”
“You never asked,” I replied quietly. “You were always too busy celebrating Kevin’s latest corporate title or reciting stories about your own retirement to ever notice what your daughter was actually doing for her country.”
I stepped closer, looking down at the glass of scotch still trembling in his hand.
“You told me to change because I looked cheap,” I continued, letting the words settle over the crowd like falling ash. “You laughed when Mom ruined my dress with wine, hoping to humiliate me in front of your friends one last time.”
I turned slightly, looking at the sea of retired officers, executives, and old colleagues who were now staring at my family with expressions of undisguised disgust.
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“Enjoy your Diamond Jubilee, Dad,” I said smoothly, adjusting my garrison cap. “I have an early flight back to headquarters. Some of us actually have a command to run.”
Without waiting for an answer, I turned on my heel, my boots clicking sharply against the marble floor, and walked out of the ballroom—leaving my family standing in the ruins of the kingdom they had built on arrogance and lies.
