He stared at me, his mouth opening slightly before he closed it again.

The wind blew a strand of gray hair across his forehead.

“Why would you do that to your sister?” he asked. “This will ruin her. The wedding is in three months. The invitations have already been sent to everyone who matters in our circle.”

“Nathan is unfit for command,” I said. “He attempted to use family influence to bypass promotional boards. He also falsified physical readiness reports.”

“He is family, Evelyn,” my father said, stepping closer.

Miller took half a step forward, his eyes locking onto my father.

I raised my left hand slightly, and Miller went still.

“He is not my family,” I said.

My father looked at the base gate, where two armed sentries were watching us.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, a rare gesture of nervousness for him.

“Look,” he said, his tone softening into the persuasive pitch he used with difficult clients. “We have had our differences. I know I have been hard on you.”

I did not answer.