Helen looked at Hayes, her eyes narrowing.

“You have no business here, Captain,” Helen said.

“This is a family matter.”

“It stopped being a family matter when you stole from a Marine officer serving overseas,” Vance said.

He stepped forward and took Helen’s arm.

“Hands behind your back, please.”

Helen pulled away, her leather handbag swinging.

“Don’t touch me,” she said.

The second agent moved in quickly, securing Helen’s left wrist.

The metal cuff locked with a sharp, heavy click.

Helen gasped, her body locking up in shock.

She looked toward the ballroom.

Dozens of officers, wives, and base personnel were now standing near the entrance.

The silence in the room was absolute, save for the rain drumming against the glass.

“Emerson, stop them,” Helen pleaded, her eyes wild.

Her voice had lost its cold authority.

She looked small against the gray rain outside.

I looked at her, my hands resting naturally at my sides.

I felt nothing but the weight of my own uniform.

The anger I had carried for years felt distant now, replaced by a cold clarity.

“I can’t do that, Mother,” I said.