“My father’s expectations do not excuse falsifying military records,” I said.

“If this investigation goes public, my career is finished,” Nathan said. “They won’t just hold back the promotion. They will court-martial me.”

“They should,” I said.

He reached out, his gloved hand hovering near my sleeve, though he did not touch me.

“Please, Evelyn,” he said. “For Caroline’s sake. If I lose my commission, we lose everything.”

“You should have thought about Caroline before you signed those sheets,” I said.

“She deserves a stable future,” he said. “She has spent her whole life wanting to prove herself to your father. This wedding, this house—it is everything to her.”

He looked at me, his face pale under the yellow lamp.

“If you bury this report, no one has to know,” he said. “The equipment has already been replaced. The units are safe now.”

“The report is already in the system, Nathan,” I said.

“But you have access,” he said, his voice urgent. “You can flag it for administrative review. You can delay the filing until after the promotion board meets.”