Police officers arrived shortly afterward.
They listened carefully as Emma provided her statement.
Evidence was documented.
Photographs were taken.
Reports were filed.
Then officers approached Jason.
For the first time, his confidence disappeared.
The man who once controlled every conversation suddenly looked terrified.
His hands shook.
His face turned pale.
"Sir, I can explain!"
He desperately looked toward General Hayes.
But there was nothing left to explain.
The evidence spoke for itself.
Every bruise.
Every photograph.
Every message.
Every witness.
Jason finally realized the consequences of his actions had caught up with him.
The excuses that worked in private would never survive public scrutiny.
And the father standing across the room wasn't simply a military officer.
He was a parent who had just discovered his child had been suffering alone.