Chapter 5 - Confronting the General's ShadowThe heavy oak doors of the Knight estate in Georgetown swung open to reveal the opulent foyer Ethan had grown up in. Crystal chandeliers glistened overhead, and ancestral portraits stared down with stern, judgmental expressions. Victoria Knight, immaculate in a tailored silver dress, stood by the grand staircase, holding a martini glass as if she had been expecting him all along.
"Ethan," Victoria said smoothly, her voice devoid of warmth. "Arthur called me. He said you came by the office making quite a spectacle. I expected better composure from a decorated lieutenant colonel." Ethan stopped at the center of the foyer, his uniform stiff, his eyes locked onto the woman who had birthed him and betrayed him so thoroughly. "Where is my child, Mother?"
Victoria took a slow sip of her drink, her expression hardening into absolute ice. "Your wife brought shame and common blood into our lineage, Ethan. She died giving birth to a sickly infant who didn't survive the night. End of story." "Don't lie to me anymore!" Ethan’s roar echoed through the high-ceilinged mansion, shaking the glass ornaments on the nearby table. "I found Oliver! I spoke with Grace! I know about the twins!"
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For the first time, Victoria’s poise cracked. A flash of genuine shock crossed her features before she quickly masked it with aristocratic disdain. "So what if there were two? That little peasant girl gave birth to weaklings. I placed the second child with a respectable, wealthy family in Boston where they would never have to suffer the filth of poverty. I did you a favor, Ethan. I saved your future."
"You didn't save anything," Ethan said, stepping closer with a terrifying calm. "You stole my life. You stole my children. And now, you're going to tell me every single detail about where my second child is, or I swear to God, I will have you arrested by military tribunal before the sun sets." Victoria set her glass down with a sharp clank, her eyes blazing with fury. "You wouldn't dare. You are a Knight. Our name is untouchable." Ethan pulled out his phone, dialing a direct line to military police headquarters. "Watch me."
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