Chapter 19

Five years passed in the blink of an eye. Callum buried himself in military affairs, numbing his days with endless work. For over 1,800 nights, he lived like a shell of a man. Rest was a luxury, for the moment he stopped, his mind would return to Roxanne. The past had become his cruelest torment. His relentless effort won him admiration in the barracks, and soon he rose to the rank of colonel. To others, he was a model officer—respected, envied, upheld as an example. But only he himself knew the truth. Every time he returned to an empty, dark home, his breath would catch. Eventually, he stopped going back altogether, choosing instead to sleep in his office at the base. … Five years later, Callum overheard two young soldiers chatting cheerfully as they passed by. "Did you hear? ARI's finally reopening today!" "Yeah, their research has been successful. It's all thanks to Chief O'Brien. She's holding a press conference tomorrow on her own." "ARI's work has been stalled for ye