Before sunrise, she left the house and drove straight to the Air Base outside San Antonio.
At the gate, the guard saluted immediately.
Inside, she found General Marcus Hale, her mentor. The moment he saw her, he knew.
“What did they do?” he asked, anger in his voice.
She told him.
He shook his head. “They thought they could break you by tearing fabric?”
At 9 a.m., the church near Austin was full. Guests whispered—the bride was late.
In the front row, her family sat smug.
Then the church doors opened.
An official military vehicle had arrived.
Madison stepped out in full uniform.
The murmurs stopped.