Chapter 7
Victoria’s voice rose.
“I was trying to help you.”
“By trying to set me up with another woman?”
“You deserve someone who understands your world.”
Caroline let out a short laugh.
“Apparently Rachel understands it better than any of us.”
Victoria looked as though she had been slapped.
Daniel’s expression collapsed.
He turned back to me.
“Rachel, I didn’t know.”
I believed him.
That did not save him.
“You still walked away with her.”
“My mother put me in an impossible position.”
“No, Daniel.”
My voice stayed quiet.
“She put you in a very simple position.”
He shook his head.
“It wasn’t simple.”
“Your wife had no chair. Another woman had one beside you. Your mother insulted me in public.”
I held his gaze.
“All you had to do was decide where you stood.”
His eyes dropped.
I picked up my clutch.
“I got my answer.”
“Don’t leave.”
“I’m not leaving because your mother told me to.”
“Then stay.”
“No.”
He looked almost relieved for one second.
Then I finished.
“I’m leaving because I no longer want to stand beside a husband who only discovers my value after a room full of powerful men stands up first.”
That hit him.
I saw it.
His face went still.
Behind us, the guest program resumed.
General Hayes returned toward the stage.
But before he reached it, he stopped and looked back.
“Deputy Director Monroe?”
I turned.
“We have an empty seat at the command table.”
Every eye near us moved again.
Victoria looked as if she might collapse.
General Hayes continued.
“You are welcome to join us.”
I looked at the stage.
Then at Daniel.
Then at the empty space where my chair had been.
“No, thank you, General.”
He looked surprised.
“So am I.”
I gave him a small smile.
“I think I’ve had enough seating arrangements for one evening.”
For the first time that night, he laughed.
Then I walked out.
Daniel followed me into the corridor.
“Rachel!”
My heels struck the stone floor as I kept moving.
He caught up near the doors leading toward the parking area.
“Please.”
I stopped.
He was breathing hard.
Not from the distance.
From panic.
“We can fix this.”
I looked at him.
“Can we?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I’ll talk to my mother.”
“That’s your answer?”
“I’ll set boundaries.”
“You’ve promised that before.”
“This is different.”
“Because she humiliated me?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
I stepped closer.
“It’s different because you discovered I outrank half the people whose approval you wanted tonight.”
His face tightened.
“That’s not why.”
“Then tell me what you would have done if that ID had belonged to an ordinary contractor.”
He opened his mouth.
I waited.
No answer.
“What if those MPs had looked at my card and seen nothing important?”
“Rachel…”
“Would you have followed me outside?”
He looked away.
That was enough.
I nodded.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For finally answering honestly.”
May you like
“I didn’t answer.”
“You did.”
