Chapter 5 5

The Maybach's engine purred, a low, powerful vibration that Aspen could feel through the leather seats. Before the driver could put the car in gear, a frantic pounding hit the tinted glass of the rear window.

Vance Hogan stood outside, his hair disheveled, his suit jacket wrinkled. He was gasping for breath, holding a leather-bound checkbook and a gold fountain pen in his trembling hands. He looked like a desperate beggar.

Deron's face remained impassive. He didn't look at Vance. He simply pressed a button on the armrest, and the thick glass rolled down with a soft hum.

"Mr. Fitzpatrick! Please, wait!" Vance practically shoved his head into the window frame, ignoring Aspen completely. "The capital injection for the merger. Our corporate accounts are ready to receive the funds. We need to finalize this tonight to stabilize the stock tomorrow morning."

He was begging. He needed Deron to deposit the money directly into the Hogan Group, bypassing Aspen's extortion.

Deron didn't blink. He slowly turned his head to look at Elias Mercer, who was standing outside the car, holding the door handle.

Deron extended two fingers.

Elias immediately reached into his breast pocket and produced a crisp, rectangular piece of paper. It was a cashier's check, already signed and stamped. The amount printed in bold black ink was $15,000,000.

The payee line read: Hogan Corporation.

Vance's eyes locked onto the check. A sickeningly greedy light ignited in his pupils. He reached his hand out, his fingers twitching, ready to snatch his salvation.

Deron took the check from Elias. He held it between his index and middle fingers. But instead of handing it to Vance, Deron slowly turned his head to look at Aspen.

His dark, bottomless eyes bored into hers. He didn't speak, but the question hung heavily in the confined space of the car. Is this what you want?

Aspen met his gaze. Her heart gave a hard thump against her ribs. She kept her face perfectly still, but she gave a single, almost imperceptible shake of her head.

Deron's jaw flexed. A microscopic smirk touched the corner of his mouth.

He turned back to Vance. He gripped the edges of the fifteen-million-dollar cashier's check.

Riiiip.

The sound of the thick paper tearing in half was deafening in the quiet night.

Vance's mouth fell open. His eyes widened in absolute horror, as if Deron had just ripped his heart out of his chest.

Deron casually tossed the two torn halves out the window. They fluttered down, landing on the gravel of the driveway near Vance's expensive Italian shoes.

"No... no, no, no," Vance stammered, his knees buckling slightly.

Deron ignored him. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a heavy, encrypted satellite phone. He dialed a single digit.

"Cancel the Hogan Corporation injection," Deron ordered, his voice echoing with absolute, terrifying authority. "Initiate an immediate wire transfer of fifteen million dollars to a new beneficiary."

Deron looked at Aspen.

Aspen unclasped her clutch. She pulled out a small, folded piece of paper and handed it to him. It contained the routing numbers for an offshore Swiss bank account she had set up days ago.

Deron took the paper. He read the long string of numbers into the phone without missing a beat.

"Execute it now," Deron commanded.

A voice crackled through the phone's speaker. "Yes, sir. Emergency wire protocol initiated. Funds will clear in ten minutes."

Deron hung up.

Outside the car, Vance Hogan collapsed onto the gravel driveway. He fell to his knees, staring blankly at the torn pieces of the check. He was completely broken.

At that moment, the Hogan estate butler came running out the front doors, dragging three heavy suitcases. Elias and the bodyguards intercepted him, tossing the luggage into the trunk of the trailing SUV.

Deron looked at his driver. "Drive."

The window rolled up, cutting off the sound of Vance's pathetic sobbing. The Maybach accelerated smoothly, leaving the Hamptons estate in the rearview mirror.

The interior of the car was silent for several minutes. The streetlights flashed across their faces in a rhythmic, hypnotic pattern.

Suddenly, Aspen's phone vibrated in her hand.

She looked down at the screen. It was an automated SMS from the Swiss bank. A deposit of $15,000,000 had just cleared.

Her fingers tightened around the phone. Her throat felt tight. The first real piece of her revenge was secured. She had financial independence. She was no longer a victim.

She turned her head to look at the man sitting beside her. Deron had his eyes closed, his head resting against the leather seat, looking completely relaxed, as if destroying a corporate empire was just a minor inconvenience.

"Thank you," Aspen whispered, the words tasting foreign on her tongue.

Deron didn't open his eyes. His chest rose and fell in a slow, measured breath.

"That was part of the transaction," Deron said, his voice a low rumble that vibrated in the quiet cabin. "Now, it's time for you to pay your part."

The air in the car instantly thickened. Aspen's stomach tightened. She stared at his sharp profile, wondering exactly what kind of payment the devil demanded in the dark.