Chapter 4 - The File on the Desk
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“Three months ago,” General Hayes began, stepping closer to Ethan, “Captain Clara Vance was placed under consideration for a sensitive position within Defense Intelligence.”
Ethan blinked, looking confused. “Defense Intelligence? She’s a logistics officer!”
“That is her cover assignment,” General Hayes replied coldly. “Because of the high-security clearance required for her true posting, a comprehensive background investigation was launched. Standard procedure. That investigation didn't just look into her service record—it looked into her home environment.”
Margaret gasped, clutching her purse to her chest.
“For ninety days,” Hayes said, his eyes scanning the three of them, “federal investigators have been monitoring your household. They logged the financial control you attempted to exert over her military pay. They recorded the verbal abuse captured on security feeds outside your home. They documented every threat you made to destroy her career if she ever tried to leave you.”
Ethan’s jaw worked silently, but no sound came out. His face drained of all color.
“I had a file two inches thick sitting on my desk this morning,” General Hayes continued, his voice dropping an octave. “We were prepared to intervene next week. You just accelerated the timeline, Mr. Vance.”
I struggled to sit up, resting my back against the base of the stage podium. The pain was excruciating, but the look of absolute ruin on Ethan’s face was a medicine I hadn't known I needed.
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“You… you spied on us?” Jason stammered, stepping back. “That’s illegal!”
“On a civilian? Absolutely,” Hayes said with a chilling smile. “On the spouse of an active-duty officer handling top-secret intelligence assets? It’s mandatory. And what we found went far beyond domestic dispute.”
