Chapter 3 3

The bass from the string quartet vibrated through the floorboards of the Hamptons estate, humming against the soles of Aspen's shoes.

She sat in the darkest corner of the grand ballroom, wearing the hideous beige dress. She looked exactly as Corinne Hogan intended: like a faded shadow. But her eyes tracked every movement in the room with the precision of a sniper.

In the center of the hall, under a massive crystal chandelier, stood Sloane Hogan. She wore a custom-made silver gown that caught every flash of the photographers' cameras. She clung to Julian's arm, laughing, soaking in the envy of the New York elite.

Corinne floated through the crowd of socialites, a champagne flute in hand, loudly boasting about her daughter's perfect match. Every so often, she shot a venomous, triumphant glare toward Aspen's corner.

Aspen's fingers tightened around the small, rectangular device hidden inside her clutch. It was a military-grade signal jammer.

At the front of the room, the master of ceremonies tapped his microphone. A sharp whine of feedback silenced the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the MC announced, his voice booming. "To celebrate the beautiful union of Sloane and Julian, the families have prepared a short video presentation of their love story. Please, direct your attention to the screens."

The lights in the ballroom dimmed. The crowd murmured in anticipation.

Aspen's thumb found the switch on the jammer. She pressed it. A silent pulse of interference flooded the room's wireless network.

Earlier that afternoon, she had paid a catering waiter two thousand dollars in cash to swap the AV technician's USB drive with her own. Now, her jammer ensured the technician couldn't remotely override the system.

The massive LED screens on the walls flickered to life.

There was no romantic montage. There was no soft music.

Instead, the screen showed a grainy, overhead angle of a hotel bed. The audio kicked in-a loud, unmistakable moan of raw pleasure.

The video showed Sloane, completely naked, riding Julian. His hands were tangled in her hair. Their dirty talk echoed through the state-of-the-art surround sound system, crystal clear and deafening.

For one agonizing second, the ballroom was dead silent. The air was sucked out of the room.

Then, the explosion.

Gasps, shrieks, and the shattering of dropped champagne glasses erupted simultaneously.

Sloane's perfect smile froze. The blood drained from her face, leaving her looking like a corpse. She stared at the screen, her mouth opening in a silent scream before a piercing, hysterical shriek ripped from her throat.

Julian stumbled backward, his face ashen. He looked like he had been punched in the gut.

Vance Hogan clutched his chest, his face turning a dangerous shade of purple. Corinne swayed on her feet, grabbing a cocktail table to keep from collapsing. The Hogan name was being butchered in front of the entire city.

The AV technician frantically slammed his keyboard, but Aspen's malicious code had locked the playback loop. The video kept playing.

Camera flashes erupted like a strobe light. The press had smelled blood.

Amidst the absolute chaos, Aspen stood up.

She walked out of the shadows, her face a mask of perfectly crafted devastation. She forced her breathing to become shallow and rapid, making her shoulders shake.

She walked straight to the stage, ignoring the frantic staff. She picked up the spare microphone from the podium. The cold steel felt heavy and powerful in her hand.

"I... I am so sorry everyone had to see this," Aspen's voice trembled through the speakers, cutting through the noise. She looked at the crowd, her eyes wide and shining with unshed tears. "As Sloane's sister... and as Julian's former fiancée... my heart is completely broken."

The ballroom erupted again. The whispers turned into a roar. Former fiancée? She was cheating with her sister's man?

Aspen reached over and yanked the main power cord from the podium. The screens went black. The silence that followed was heavy and suffocating.

She turned slowly to face Vance and Corinne. They looked at her with pure terror.

"What are we going to do?" Aspen asked, her voice carrying without the mic. "The Fitzpatrick family will cancel the merger. Hogan Group stock will crash at the opening bell tomorrow."

Her words were daggers, plunging directly into Vance's greatest fear.

Aspen took a deep breath, straightening her spine. The fragile victim vanished, replaced by a martyr.

"There is only one way to save this family," Aspen said, loud enough for the front row of reporters to hear. "I, Aspen Hogan, will take Sloane's place. I will marry Mr. Deron Fitzpatrick to honor the agreement and save our reputation."

The crowd gasped again. The adopted daughter, sacrificing herself to the crippled heir to save the family that betrayed her. It was a perfect tragedy.

Aspen stepped off the stage and walked right up to Vance. She leaned in, her lips inches from his ear. Her voice dropped to a freezing whisper.

"I can make this scandal disappear," she hissed. "But my sacrifice comes with a price. The fifteen million dollar dowry investment meant for Sloane? It goes directly into my personal bank account. Tonight. Consider it my hush money."

Vance Hogan's eyes bulged. He stared at the girl he had ignored for years, finally seeing the absolute, ruthless calculation in her eyes.

Outside the estate, parked in the shadows of the oak trees, a black Maybach sat idling. Inside, Deron Fitzpatrick watched the live feed from a micro-drone hovering near the ballroom windows.

A slow, dark smile curved his lips. His finger stopped tapping the armrest.

"Brilliant," he murmured into the dark car.