“We don’t know yet.”
I looked at Elise.
She did not move.
But silence could confess in its own language.
General Hayes continued. “Captain Warren’s name appeared in access logs tied to files outside the scope of her duties.”
Elise turned sharply. “Sir, I had administrative reasons to—”
“You will provide a full statement later.”
Her mouth closed.
I tried to assemble the pieces: Mark’s sudden coldness, his strange questions about savings, the new suits, the late-night calls, and Elise standing in my room with a ring beside my husband.
“Did Mark know?” I asked.
General Hayes did not answer immediately.
That was answer enough.
Elise spoke first.
“Not everything.”
The room narrowed around her words.
“What did you tell him?”
She swallowed.
“I didn’t know about the promotion or the command until today. But the trust…”
Her silence stretched.
Grace shifted in my arms.
Elise looked at the baby, then away.
