Part 2When His Protégée Defused Bombs With Eyes Closed, I Doomed Them All

I held up the mission dispatch tablet, turning the screen for everyone to see. The duty roster and signatures were clear as day.

“Last night’s primary operator was you, Eva. I, Sienna, was on mandatory leave after a seventy-two-hour special operation. My name is not on this roster.”

The moment the words left my mouth, the dam of pent-up fury broke.

“She’s right! Sienna just got back from Operation Red Scorpion yesterday! She disarmed three linked IEDs! She could barely stand when she got back!”

“Exactly! Eva, you always use Captain Thorne as a shield to get out of the dangerous missions and push them onto Sienna! Now you’ve caused a catastrophe and you want to drag her down with you?”

“You screw up and immediately look for someone to blame? You’re just as vile as ever!”

The accusations rained down on Eva like stones. The color drained from her face, leaving it a ghostly white. She crumpled to the ground, her eyes vacant.

Just then, a military SUV screeched to a halt. General Harding and my husband, Marcus Thorne, stormed out, their faces thunderous.

I looked at Marcus. We had once been the golden couple of the service, a perfect match in everyone’s eyes. But now, his gaze swept right past me, not even pausing for a second, as he rushed to Eva’s side.

He took off his own jacket and wrapped it carefully around her, pulling her into a protective embrace. “Eva, don’t be afraid. I’m here.”

His voice held a tenderness I had never heard before. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

In that moment, my heart turned to ice. In my past life, he had shielded her just like this, telling me, “Sienna, Eva was just nervous. She has a real gift. You should encourage her more.”

Now, in front of everyone, he was putting his favoritism on full display. The contempt and anger in the eyes of our colleagues deepened.

General Harding’s gaze cut between Marcus and me like a knife before he barked my name, ordering me into the command vehicle.

The second the door closed, the general’s rock-solid composure shattered. For the first time, I saw panic in the veteran commander’s eyes.

“Sienna, I don’t give a damn about regulations!” he roared, slamming his fist on the tactical map, making the equipment hum. “You have to save that server! If we lose it, every single one of us in this department, starting with me, is facing a firing squad!”

I met his bloodshot eyes, my voice calm. “General, I can try.”

My quiet words silenced the vehicle. “But I have a condition.”

I pulled a document from my pocket and handed it to him. It was the approval form for “Practical Application of Eva’s Special Talents,” personally signed by Marcus, overriding all objections. The words “special talents” were a bitter irony now.

“He approved the risk,” I said. “I’m not cleaning up this mess alone. I want him to pay the price for this so-called ‘innovation.’”

General Harding’s eyes narrowed. He snatched the document from my hand. After reading it, he slammed it back down on the table with a deafening bang.

“That bastard!” he bellowed, his voice nearly ripping the roof off. “Don’t you worry! That expert consultant position he applied for? It’s denied! As of today, all his promotion channels are frozen!”

A cold, sharp smile touched my lips. I picked up a pen and signed my name on the military order, accepting full responsibility and waiving all support.

Marcus, your fast track to the top? In this life, I’m tearing it down with my own two hands.