Nathan swallowed hard, his eyes darting toward the hallway behind him before returning to me.

“There is something you should know,” Nathan said.

He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a near-whisper.

“I didn’t ask your father to speak to you,” Nathan said.

“I know,” I said.

“But there is a request,” Nathan said, his posture stiffening.

“A formal request. It went through the system yesterday.”

I frowned slightly, looking at him.

“What request, Commander?”

Before he could answer, the heavy front door behind me vibrated as a car pulled up in the driveway.

Headlights cut through the frosted glass of the door, casting long, bright beams across the dark foyer.

My driver had arrived.

My phone buzzed three times in quick succession in my pocket—the signal for an immediate departure.

“I have to go,” I said.

“Yes, ma’am,” Nathan said, stepping back and coming to a crisp attention.

I opened the door and stepped out into the cold, rainy night.

The wind caught my hair as I hurried down the stone steps toward the waiting black sedan.