It was past eight when General Leonard Norse finally entered his quarters, the long day etched into the rigid lines of his face. He paused the moment he stepped inside.
All three of his sons were there.
That alone was enough to unsettle him.
They weren't talking. They weren't moving. They were waiting.
And then his eyes landed on Liam—and the document laid carefully on the table in front of him.
Something inside his chest tightened.
"You have the result?" Leonard asked, his voice low, controlled—but just barely.
He crossed the room in two long strides, each step heavier than the last, as if he already knew that whatever was written on that paper would change everything.
"Dad," Logan cut in, his brows furrowed, suspicion sharp in his tone. "Did you assign Liam a mission? What is this about?"
Leonard didn't answer.
His hand trembled—barely noticeable, but there—as he picked up the document.
The moment his eyes scanned the results, the world seemed to tilt.
