“Because it was my duty,” I said, looking each of them in the eye. “And because I didn’t want it to change how you saw me.”
Tessa’s jaw tightened. “Well, now everyone knows you’re not just some boring government worker. But you could have told us, Elise. You could have shared this with your family.”
“It’s not that simple, Tessa,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. “There were things I couldn’t risk.”
Mother placed a hand on my arm. “We’re proud of you, Elise. We always have been.”
Father nodded, his eyes wet with unshed tears. “Your mother and I just didn’t know how much.”
The tension in the room was palpable, and I could see the shock and admiration on the faces of the guests. But Tessa’s expression was one of anger and betrayal.
“How could you keep this from us?” she demanded, her voice shaking. “How long have you been lying to us?”
“I wasn’t lying,” I said, trying to keep my composure. “I was just doing my job.”
She scoffed, turning away from me. “It’s a lot to take in, I guess.”
The silence that followed was heavy, filled with unspoken thoughts and unresolved feelings.
Cole, visibly moved, offers Elise a place on his upcoming mission, hinting at a new joint operation that could reunite them, but Tessa interrupts, demanding Elise chooses between family loyalty and the dangerous world she left behind.
Cole stepped forward, his gaze steady on me. “Elise, there’s an upcoming mission. I need people I can trust, and I know you’re the best. Will you consider coming back?”
My heart raced. The idea of rejoining the field was both exhilarating and terrifying. But before I could answer, Tessa’s voice cut through the air.
“Are you serious? You want her to leave us again?” she exclaimed, her eyes flashing with anger.
“It’s not like that, Tessa,” Cole said, his voice calm but firm. “Elise has skills that are needed. She saved my life, and I trust her completely.”
“That’s not the point!” Tessa snapped. “She’s family, and she owes us the truth, not more lies and secrets.”
I felt a knot form in my stomach. “Tessa, it’s not about lies. It’s about doing what I have to do.”
“And what about us?” she demanded. “What about this family? You can’t just walk away again.”
Cole’s expression softened. “Elise, you don’t have to decide right now. Just think about it.”
But the weight of Tessa’s words hung in the air. “Elise, you have to choose. Family or the mission. Which is more important to you?”
I looked at my sister, then at Cole, and finally at my parents. The room seemed to close in around me. In that moment, I realized something I had never fully acknowledged before.
The mission that saved Cole’s life wasn’t just a rescue operation. It was a covert mission to eliminate a rogue faction within the SEALs. My actions had directly enabled Cole’s rise in the military hierarchy.
The truth hit me like a punch to the gut. I was torn between the family I loved and the world I had left behind, a world that had shaped me in ways I could never fully explain.
“I need some time to think,” I said, my voice barely audible.
Tessa’s eyes narrowed. “You always need time. Just make sure you remember who you’re choosing.”
