Meanwhile, inside one of the modular command houses, the air in Leonard Norse's office was thick with discipline—and something sharper beneath it.
And yet—
The moment Liam stepped in, that order began to crack.
"Dad," Liam said, shutting the door behind him with more force than necessary, "tell me the truth."
Leonard didn't look up immediately. He lifted a glass of water to his lips, unbothered.
"Did you mess around with a woman back then," Liam continued, his voice tight, controlled, "and father a child?"
The effect was immediate.
Leonard choked.
Water went down the wrong pipe, and the seasoned general—who had walked through gunfire without flinching—was reduced to a fit of rough, undignified coughing. The glass trembled in his grip as he struggled to recover.
It took several long seconds before he could even speak.
