Brett's dark face turned red again as he stammered for a long while. "It is just... a personal matter. I want to go out for a bit."
James was in no mood for games. He lifted his head, pinning Brett with an overwhelmingly oppressive glare. "Who taught you to stutter like that? Spit it out!"
Brett jolted in fright, snapping to attention as the words flew out of his mouth. "Reporting to the Captain! She came to the Capital and asked me to go see a movie with her this afternoon!"
James did not process it right away. His professional instincts immediately took over, and his eyes narrowed with sharp suspicion. "Who? Have you run a background check? Is she clean? Are there any red flags?"
Brett frantically waved his hands, shaking his head like a rattle. "No, no! You know her, Captain! It is Tiffany! The girl we rescued from that cartel compound at the border!"
James finally remembered. It was the young woman who had aggressively demanded Brett's contact information after the rescue and loudly declared her intentions to marry him.
Seeing that his boss was not angry, Brett grew a little bolder. "She told me that Emmy's fan club is having a massive gala in the Capital in a few days. They are hosting it at The Grand Regency. Tiffany is the president of Emmy's fan club, so she came early to set up the venue. She had some free time today and asked me to go see a new holiday movie."
Brett's voice grew quieter toward the end, a shy smile creeping onto his face.
James looked at him in genuine confusion. "A fan club?"
For a man who spent his life slaughtering enemies on battlefields and dominating corporate boardrooms, pop culture terminology was a complete blind spot.
Brett's eyes lit up. He had finally found a topic where he could show off in front of his captain. He instantly perked up and began explaining with great enthusiasm.
James nodded thoughtfully. He remained silent for two seconds before pulling out his own phone.
"Add me to the group."
Brett froze, his mouth dropping open wide enough to fit an egg. "Huh? Captain, you want to join your wife's fan club?"
The visual was simply too bizarre to comprehend. The thought of his terrifying captain mingling with a bunch of internet fans screaming about how pretty Emmy was sent a visible shiver down Brett's spine.
James frowned, shooting him an icy glare. "What? Is there a problem? I am her husband. Do I need someone's permission to join a group chat?"

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