Chapter 1 - The Salute at the Casket
The sharp, aggressive voice of Arthur Vance echoed across the stone courtyard of the outdoor military memorial hall, slicing through the solemn silence surrounding the polished wooden casket.
"Still pretending the Army needs another useless doctor?" Arthur shouted, pointing his finger inches from his daughter Clarissa's face while his spoiled son, Julian, smirked beside him in a crisp tuxedo.
Clarissa stood in an elegant fitted black formal dress, her long blonde wavy hair framed by subtle tears in her eyes. She didn't scream back. She didn't cower. She held her black shoulder bag tightly, standing in quiet, dignified silence as fifty high-society guests stared in embarrassment.
Before Arthur could utter another insult, the heavy tread of polished dress shoes thundered across the courtyard stones.
A senior high-ranking military officer wearing a blue service dress uniform decorated with glittering medals and military ribbons pushed through the security detail. It was Harrison Reed, a Senior Pentagon Official.
Harrison Reed walked straight past Arthur, ignoring the arrogant businessman completely. He came to a rigid stop directly in front of teary-eyed Clarissa and rendered a crisp, sharp military salute.
"It’s an honor to see you again, Colonel Vance," Harrison Reed declared in a firm, deeply respectful voice.
Arthur’s angry face froze in mid-sentence. His hand dropped slowly to his side as the color completely drained from his cheeks.
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"C-Colonel? She’s a Colonel?!" Arthur whispered in sheer shock and utter humiliation.
👉 Read Part 2 to discover why Arthur spent ten years treating his eldest daughter like an unwanted outcast.
