ath hitched.

lowed by a wave of grief for all the years he' d been a dista

tepfather' s blow, finally spilled. "Uncle

didn' t shout, he didn' t need to. The clink of his medals was the only sound in the suddenly hushed ballroo

dge. "You seem to be under some misapprehensions regarding family matters."

reddened cheek, and his eyes,

gerous calm that was far more intimidating than Thompson' s blu

footing. "General, this is a private family matter. Sarah

in control, but a bead of sw

t the name hang in the air. "A scholarship, I might add, that was established with funds from my sister' s side of the family trust, specifically earmark

hrough the room. This wa

s father saved Senator Miller' s life! He made the ulti

mpson. One you' ve dined out on for years, I believe. But stories, like pol

ions about the circumstances of Aide Williams' death for s

nor security scare, yes, a scuffle. But Williams died later, in hospital, from complications of a severe, pre-existing, and terminal cardiac condition. A condition he had concealed from the campaign. He used that minor

absolute, save for Jessica' s

face paling. "That' s... tha

perate to ensure his child' s future, and perhaps by a Chief of Staff eager to have

f Senator Miller surviving a critical, life-threatening medical emergency years ago. You' ve e

. A child, then, who refused to give up. A child who spent weeks in the medical library, who found a pioneering, experimental treatment program, a

. "That child was Sarah. My niece. A fact you seem to ha