Chapter 1646
[ 660 words ]
What was she supposed to do?
Just abandon her entire life’s purpose?
“Hillary, I think you should use this mandated downtime to pivot and explore a new tactical direction.”
“Find something else in the agency that sparks your fire.”
“Usually, operators who take a bad hit transition into intelligence or strategic
command, right?”
“You should fight for a role that keeps you off the front lines but still allows you to use your operational expertise.”
“But realistically, that’s still three years away.”
“For now, taking an administrative or analytical role is your only viable bridge.”
Hillary’s heart turned to lead.
She had called Claire hoping for a miracle-a secret technique that would magically reset her body to factory settings.
Instead, Claire had effectively handed down her professional death sentence.
Fine. The girl clearly didn’t know the meaning of the word ‘sugarcoat’.
“Claire, you don’t pull your punches, do you? You’re telling me that no matter how hard I grind, I’m never getting back to a hundred percent?”
Claire paused. “…Hillary, compared to the people who hit the pavement from that height and have to be scraped up with a shovel, you are incredibly lucky.”
Could she please stop acting like a reckless action hero and accept that returning to a high-casualty strike team was suicide?
Surviving the fall was a medical anomaly. It was no wonder her family was terrified of her doing something stupid.
The best compromise Hillary could hope for now was a role where she still served the country, just without the constant threat of being blown up.
“You’re right. I’m being selfish,” Hillary sighed heavily.
She was being greedy. Anyone else who fell from that height would be lucky to have brain activity, let alone a pulse. Most ended up as a red stain on the concrete…
“Honestly, Claire, talking to you helped. I was spiraling into a really dark place.”
“Looking at the reality of it, I’m lucky I have a pulse. Demanding my old spot back on the strike team is insane.”
If she kept pushing this delusional crusade, agency command wouldn’t even know what to do with her.
“I’m not telling you to surrender, Hillary. You need to pursue physical therapy relentlessly. I’m just saying you can’t be reckless.”
Claire was genuinely worried Hillary might just spiral and let her body rot out of spite.
Thankfully, Hillary wasn’t wired like that.
She actually found herself reassuring Claire. “Don’t worry, I’m not an idiot. I’m not going to self-destruct.”
“Hanson is an incredible guy. He’s fiercely loyal, and I should be thanking my lucky stars he hasn’t bolted.”
“Maybe I really should just take these few years to get married, have a kid, and then rebuild my career from the ground up.”
“It’s better than stagnating and forcing him to put his life on hold while I throw a pity party.”
It wasn’t just about Hanson
sacrificing his time; he was taking
heavy fire from his own political
family to protect her. It was an exhausting battle.
Hillary’s heart ached for him.
Claire opted to stay completely out of the romance commentary.
However, Hanson was undeniably
devoted to Hillary. We
called Claire the right of
he had
accident, his voice had beeno
trembling with raw terror.
This was clearly a marriage built on actual love, not just another Cabinda political merger.
“Then I’ll be waiting for the wedding invitation from you and Hanson.”
Hillary practically beamed through the phone.
“You’ve got it. And I’m locking you in as a bridesmaid. You need to experience the absolute chaos of a wedding from the inside.”
“That way, when it’s your turn to walk down the aisle, you won’t panic.”
Claire blinked.
Absolutely not!
She had zero interest in being a bridesmaid. The job was notoriously grueling and required navigating a minefield of social drama.
“I think I’ll just stick to being a very supportive guest in the audience,” Claire deflected smoothly.
Her rejection caught Hillary slightly off guard, but knowing Claire’s personality, it tracked perfectly.
She loathed unnecessary drama.
After hanging up, Claire crashed instantly. Bizarrely, her exhausted brain immediately plunged her into a sprawling dream entirely about weddings.
One second, it was Hillary and Hanson’s ceremony.
The next, she was the one standing at the altar with Dane.
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