On the evening of the reception, the room fell silent when the general arrived. Chloé immediately clung to his arm, playing the perfect daughter-in-law. Then a captain whispered a few words in her ear. I recognized the terms, the references. I knew exactly what his analysis was missing: a piece of information that was in my secure inbox.
I was waiting for the right moment when Chloé planted herself in front of me.
« Don’t come near, » she whispered. « Go and take care of the seating plan. »
She didn’t see the officer behind the general recognize me and send a discreet message. The invitation had just been extended.
A few minutes later, Chloé dragged me in front of the general.
« Excuse her, » she said with a strained smile. « My sister is a little… socially awkward. »
I was about to back away, as always. But the general didn’t move. He stared intently at me.
« Elena? Elena Vance? »
Chloé laughed nervously.
« You’re mistaken, General. She works in IT. »
He slowly withdrew his arm.
« Commander Vance, Naval Intelligence class of 2005, » he said in a clear voice. « If she is indeed the author of the Silent Tide protocols, she is the reason why many people here sleep soundly. »
The room was silent.
He held out his hand to me.
« We need to talk about the situation in the Pacific. Do you have five minutes? »
My sister’s face collapsed. The entire story she had written about me had just burned before her eyes.
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