CHAPTER 7
As the marshals led the disgraced duo toward the holding cells, Adrian looked over his shoulder at me, his eyes wide with frantic, agonizing regret.
"Evelyn... please!" Adrian cried out, his voice hoarse and broken. "Let me see the boys! Just five minutes! I'm still their father!"
I slowly stood up, smoothing the front of my uniform, looking down at the broken man who had once treated me like an insignificant shadow.
"You told the boys they were moving into a penthouse with your mistress, Adrian," I said, my voice calm, clear, and utterly cold. "You taught them that loyalty meant nothing and that family was disposable."
"I am going to raise our sons to be men of honor, integrity, and genuine strength," I added, looking him dead in the eyes. "Things you will never understand."
Adrian wept bitterly as the heavy steel doors closed behind him, locking him away from the daylight and the luxury he had taken for granted.
Outside the courthouse, a massive crowd of national reporters and television cameras stood waiting on the sunlit steps.
I walked out into the crisp afternoon breeze accompanied by General Vance and my two sons, who held my hands proudly as news flashes went off across the plaza.
I stepped up to the podium, adjusting the microphone as microphones from every major network leaned in to capture my words.
"For twelve years, I served my country in silence, protecting my family while allowing others to take the spotlight," I announced firmly to the cameras.
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"Today proves that true strength does not boast, true power does not intimidate, and no amount of wealth can ever hide a foundation built on lies."
The reporters cheered and shouted questions, but I simply smiled, turned away from the cameras, and walked down the steps toward my waiting vehicle with my children.
