“Touch me again, Sergeant, and you’ll regret it,” she warned in the chow line. A Marine tried to humiliate her, but everything changed when the entire base suddenly stood at attention and saluted her in stunned silence.

Evelyn steadied her tray, her grip tightening just enough to stop the movement. When she spoke, her voice was even, not raised, not defensive.

“The sign says service runs until thirteen hundred,” she replied. “I’m within the posted hours.”

Reeves let out a short laugh, the kind that wasn’t really about humor. “Yeah?” he said. “You one of those who think rules bend because you show up in workout gear and act like you belong here?”

There was something performative about it now, like he’d found an audience and didn’t intend to waste it. He stepped closer, closing the space between them in a way that felt less like conversation and more like pressure.

“This isn’t a gym café,” he added. “And it’s not a place for people who don’t understand how things work.”