CAROLINE BENNETT:
"I wanted you to treat me like your sister."
Derek looked away.
For a moment, Caroline saw the younger brother she remembered, the boy who had once followed her into the backyard during a summer storm because he was frightened of the thunder.
She remembered teaching him how to ride a bicycle, helping him prepare for school examinations, and staying awake beside him when he had a fever as a child.
Those memories had not disappeared.
They had simply become buried beneath years of resentment, competition, and cruelty.
CAROLINE BENNETT:
"I never needed you to admire my rank. I needed you to stop treating me as though my life was an insult to yours."
Derek's expression tightened.
DEREK BENNETT:
"You always think everything is about you."
CAROLINE BENNETT:
"And you always find a way to make everything about what you believe I owe you."
Before he could respond, a man in a dark suit approached from the direction of the entrance.
He was accompanied by two event security officers.
The man's name was Thomas Reed, the foundation's evening security coordinator. He had been monitoring the disturbance from a distance and had waited for confirmation before approaching.
THOMAS REED:
"Ma'am, we've been informed of an incident. Would you like us to escort anyone away from the event?"
Caroline looked toward Derek.
For a moment, she considered how simple it would be to ask security to remove him. He had struck her in front of hundreds of witnesses, and no one could reasonably accuse her of inventing the incident.
But she did not want to use her position as a weapon against her own family.
CAROLINE BENNETT:
"Please ensure that everyone remains separated while the incident is documented. I'll cooperate with any necessary report."
THOMAS REED:
"Of course, Admiral."
He turned toward Derek.
THOMAS REED:
"Sir, I need you to accompany me to the reception area for a moment."
DEREK BENNETT:
"You're not seriously asking me to leave."
THOMAS REED:
"I'm asking you to come with me while we address what happened."
DEREK BENNETT:
"This is a private family matter."
THOMAS REED:
"Sir, the incident occurred at a public event in front of numerous witnesses. We need to establish the facts."
Derek looked toward his mother.
PATRICIA BENNETT:
"This is absurd. Do you have any idea who my son is?"
Thomas maintained his professional expression.
THOMAS REED:
"I understand that he is a guest at this event, ma'am. That doesn't change our responsibility to respond to an incident."
Patricia drew herself up.
PATRICIA BENNETT:
"My family has supported charitable organizations in this city for decades."
THOMAS REED:
"And the foundation appreciates its donors. We must still address what happened tonight."
For once, Patricia's social standing had failed to end a conversation on her terms.
Derek reluctantly stepped away from Caroline.
Before following the security coordinator, he turned back toward his sister.
DEREK BENNETT:
"We're going to talk about this later."
CAROLINE BENNETT:
"Only if we're both prepared to tell the truth."
Derek's eyes narrowed.
Then he followed Thomas toward the reception area.
Patricia remained behind.
She watched her son disappear into the crowd, then turned toward Caroline with an expression that mixed anger with something resembling fear.
PATRICIA BENNETT:
"You have made a terrible scene tonight."
Caroline almost laughed, but the sound never reached her lips.
CAROLINE BENNETT:
"Mother, I didn't strike anyone."
PATRICIA BENNETT:
"You know what I mean."
CAROLINE BENNETT:
"Yes. I do."
Patricia lowered her voice.
PATRICIA BENNETT:
"People are watching us."
CAROLINE BENNETT:
"They were watching when Derek hit me, too."
PATRICIA BENNETT:
"Must you keep repeating that?"
CAROLINE BENNETT:
"Must you keep pretending it didn't happen?"
Her mother looked away.
For several seconds, neither woman spoke.
Then Patricia straightened the necklace around her throat, a small gesture she often made when trying to regain control of herself.
PATRICIA BENNETT:
"Your father would have hated this."
Caroline felt something inside her tighten.
Their father had been gone for nearly two years, but his absence still occupied more space in the family than many living people.
He had been a complicated man: proud, demanding, and sometimes distant, yet capable of surprising kindness when nobody else was watching.
Unlike Patricia and Derek, he had never treated Caroline's military career as an embarrassment.
He had asked questions about her work without demanding answers she was not permitted to give. He had listened when she spoke about responsibility and sacrifice. And when she had been forced to miss important family occasions, he had occasionally sent short letters reminding her that he understood.