Chapter 7 - The Hartwell File
Evelyn’s phone buzzed in her hand. It was a notification from her aide. She glanced at it—a simple confirmation from the ethics office. They had received the documentation she had quietly submitted just hours ago, detailing the suspicious solicitation attempts by Robert Hart’s firm.
She held her phone up, the screen glowing in the darkened room. “Do you want to know what I’ve been doing for the last three years, Dad? Aside from the ‘clerical’ work?”
She gestured to the phone. “I’ve been monitoring the integrity of contractors trying to exploit defense spending. Your firm has been on my list for six months. I didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to believe my own father was a fraud.”
Her mother started to weep, a soft, pathetic sound. “Evelyn, please. We’re family.”
May you like
“That’s the difference,” Evelyn said, her voice devoid of emotion. “I served my country because it’s my family. You exploited your country because it was your business.”
She looked at Nathan, who gave her a sharp, affirming nod. She then looked at the shattered glass on the floor, symbolic of the family’s facade. The power dynamic hadn't just shifted; it had inverted entirely. She was no longer the daughter to be pitied; she was the authority they would have to answer to.
