My father set his glass down on the mahogany side table with a heavy thud.

“What is the meaning of this?” my father asked, his brow furrowing.

“Evelyn is investigating Nathan,” Caroline said, pointing a finger at me.

“She’s trying to flag his promotion file.”

I kept my expression neutral, my hands folded loosely in front of me.

“Where did you get that information, Caroline?” I asked.

“It doesn’t matter where I got it,” she snapped, her face flushing red.

“What matters is that you are abusing your tiny bit of authority because you can’t stand to see me happy.”

My father stood up, his tall frame dominating the space in front of the fireplace.

“Evelyn, is this true?” he demanded.

“Are you interfering with Nathan’s advancement?”

“I am doing my job,” I said quietly.

“Your job is administrative support, Evelyn,” my father said, his voice dripping with condescension.

“You process paperwork.”

“You do not decide the careers of men who actually serve on the front lines.”

“He does serve,” Caroline chimed in, stepping closer to her father.

“Nathan is a hero.”