Bradford’s smirk faltered. "With all due respect, Mr. President, there is nothing to discuss. They killed our soldiers."
Matthew’s eyes locked onto him. "With all due respect, Assistant Secretary, you are not the Secretary of the Navy, nor the Secretary of State. You are a glorified administrator, not a policymaker, and certainly not soone who dictates foreign policy."
Bradford’s jaw tightened, but before he could respond, Matthew continued, voice cold and firm.
"You are out of line and out of the chain of command. If you were anyone else, I would have you thrown out of this room. So tread carefully."
The room fell silent.
Bradford’s smirk had completely vanished. The other officials shifted in their seats, exchanging wary glances. No one had ever seen the President so openly confront soone in a eting before.
But Bradford, ever the opportunist, refused to back down. "Mr. President, with all due respect—"
Matthew cut him off. "I’ve heard enough ’with all due respect’ from you, Bradford. I’m not blind to what you’re doing. You’ve been pushing for war since day one. You wanted to annex the Philippines, you wanted to expand into the Pacific, and now you want xico."
Bradford straightened. "And why shouldn’t we? The people want security. They want to ensure that no foreign power ever threatens us again. If we take northern xico, we secure our southern border permanently."
Matthew clenched his fists. "This isn’t about security. This is about expansion. And I refuse to let Arathia beco an empire built on fabricated wars."
Bradford scoffed, shaking his head. "Fabricated wars? Now that is so serious assumption, Mr. President."
Matthew’s glare hardened. "Then answer this, Bradford. How did we so conveniently discover ’xican docunts’ and weapons at the scene of the attack re hours after it happened? How did every major newspaper in Arathia have a full report published the sa morning? You expect to believe that in the dead of night, a rogue xican unit crossed our border, slaughtered our n, and left behind every piece of evidence we needed neatly in place?"
Bradford t his gaze without flinching. "War is chaotic, Mr. President. The xicans made a mistake."
Matthew exhaled sharply. "No, Bradford. The mistake was letting you get this far unchecked."
The room remained silent, the weight of Matthew’s accusation suffocating the air. No one dared to speak, but the tension was palpable.
Bradford, ever the tactician, changed his approach. He took a step forward, lowering his voice as if speaking to a stubborn child. "Mr. President, I understand your hesitation. You want to do the honorable thing, to be the leader who keeps Arathia out of unnecessary wars. But let remind you, war is never necessary until it is. You know this. We are at a turning point in history. Arathia is no longer just a regional power. We are standing at the gates of true global influence. If we don’t act, others will."
Matthew leaned back, arms crossed. "You an if we don’t act, you won’t get what you want."
Bradford chuckled dryly. "What I want doesn’t matter anymore, Mr. President. The people have already decided."
Matthew narrowed his eyes. "And who do you think planted that idea in their heads?"
Bradford grinned. "The newspapers report the truth, Mr. President."
Matthew slamd his fist on the desk, startling everyone. "The newspapers report what you and your allies feed them! You’ve been orchestrating this war before a single shot was fired at Fort McKinley. You manufactured public outrage, manipulated Congress, and now you want to sign off on a war that you designed from the start."
Collins cleared his throat, stepping in before the confrontation escalated further. "Mr. President, let’s not lose sight of the situation at hand. Whether this attack was preditated or not, the country is demanding action. We cannot afford to appear weak."
Matthew’s glare flicked to Collins. "Do you think war makes us strong? Tell , Collins, do you trust this evidence? Do you honestly believe this attack happened the way Bradford claims?"
Collins hesitated. "I… can’t say with absolute certainty."
"Then why the hell are we even considering war?" Matthew snapped. "This is insanity. We’re about to send thousands of Arathian boys to die over a fabricated incident, all because of political pressure."
Bradford sighed dramatically. "Mr. President, the world doesn’t wait for diplomacy. You’re acting as if we have ti to sit and negotiate. We don’t. The people will force your hand, whether you like it or not."
Matthew’s fists clenched at his sides. He had never wanted this war, never wanted to drag Arathia into an era of conquest. But Bradford and his supporters had created the perfect storm. The people were angry. Congress was moving forward with or without him.
He had one last card to play.
He took a deep breath and straightened his posture. "I will speak to the xican ambassador. That is my decision."
Bradford rolled his eyes. "A eting won’t change anything."
Matthew’s expression darkened. "We’ll see about that. Now get out of my office."
For a mont, Bradford remained still, as if considering a final challenge. Then, with a knowing smirk, he turned toward the door.
"I hope you’re ready for the consequences of hesitation, Mr. President."
Matthew didn’t respond. He simply watched as Bradford walked out.
Once the door shut, the room exhaled collectively.
Collins ran a hand down his face. "Sir, I don’t like Bradford’s thods either, but I won’t lie—if you don’t take control of this situation fast, he and his allies will do it for you."
Matthew’s jaw clenched. He already knew that.
"Schedule the eting," he said firmly. "And tell Congress that no declaration of war will be made until I say so."
Collins nodded. "Understood, sir."
As Collins left the room, the remaining officials stayed silent, watching Matthew with cautious eyes. Admiral Welles finally spoke. "Sir, I have to ask—what do you really hope to accomplish with this eting? The public is already convinced xico is guilty."
Matthew leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. "I want the truth, Admiral. If xico really did this, then we’ll respond accordingly. But if this was a staged incident, if soone is pulling the strings, I will not allow Arathia to be dragged into another war for political gain."
Sinclair sighed. "You realize if you go against the tide, you’ll make powerful enemies?"
Matthew gave a weary smirk. "I already have."
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