Chapter 76
Aria's POV
The ballroom descended into unprecedented chaos. Social elites who moments ago were sipping champagne and exchanging pleasantries now stood frozen, smartphones in hand, as images of Ethan and Scarlett's secret affair displayed across the grand screen and on their personal devices.
I stood at the center of the storm, my expression composed despite the hurricane raging around me. The photos and chat records revealed numerous secret meetings between Ethan and Scarlett at my mother's Hamptons beach house—evidence so damning there was no possible defense.
Ethan rushed toward the technical booth, his face pale as parchment, desperately trying to shut down the projection system. "Turn it off!" he shouted, his polished facade crumbling. "This is sabotage!"
Guests raised their phones, capturing the moment. I caught fragments of whispered conversations:
"This is the biggest social disaster of the season..."
"Both Harper and Blake families caught in one scandal..."
Ethan hurried back to my side, his expression frantic. "Aria, darling, I can explain," he pleaded, grabbing my elbow.
I gave him a contemptuous smile. "Explain what, exactly? How you were sleeping with my stepsister before our engagement? Or how you used my mother's beach house for your rendezvous?"
"We need to discuss this privately," he hissed, eyes darting around the room. "For the sake of both companies—"
"I've been silent too long," I replied, my voice steady. "Your lies deserve to rot in the sunlight."
Scarlett pushed through the crowd, tears streaming down her carefully made-up face. "Aria, sister, you misunderstood! I was just helping him plan a wedding surprise..."
I picked up my champagne glass and calmly poured the golden liquid over her pristine white dress. "Surprise ready. Hope you like it."
The expensive fabric clung to her body, becoming nearly transparent. Scarlett shrieked and backed away, her social media influencer image disintegrating in real time.
I surveyed the room, raising my voice so everyone could hear. "This wedding is officially over. Thank you all for witnessing the hypocrisy of New York high society."
I slowly removed the diamond ring from my finger and tossed it at Ethan's face. "Give this to someone who actually wants it."
Marianne rushed forward, her voice low and pleading. "Aria, please don't do this..."
"You were my mother's best friend, Aunt Marianne," I said, my voice trembling slightly. "You knew about them, yet you chose silence."
The flash of guilt in her eyes confirmed my suspicion.
"After my mother died, you promised to look after me. Is this how you do it?"
I noticed Devon standing at the edge of the crowd, his gray eyes reflecting an emotion I couldn't quite interpret. Something about his presence gave me strength.
"The wedding can continue," I announced. "Just change the bride. After all, the Blake family needs to save face, doesn't it?"
As I walked toward the exit, the ballroom erupted again with William's angry shouts and Victoria's fake sobs: "My poor daughter, she's been framed!"
Outside, camera flashes exploded like lightning as New York Post reporters and Page Six journalists swarmed the main entrance.
Devon's black Bentley waited discreetly at the side entrance. He leaned against it, his tall figure striking in the darkness.
"Get in," he said when he saw me, "unless you want to be tomorrow's headline on every electronic billboard in Times Square."
I caught sight of Ethan pushing through reporters, racing toward us. I quickly slid into Devon's car.
Ethan reached the vehicle, pounding on the window. "Aria! You've ruined everything! We need to talk!"
"Drive," Devon commanded his chauffeur, and we left Ethan standing there, kicking a nearby trash can in frustration.
Inside the car, the perfect mask I'd maintained finally cracked. Tears silently slipped down my cheeks as months of pent-up anger and hurt found release.
Devon wordlessly offered a silk handkerchief. After a moment, he spoke softly. "You performed even better than I anticipated."
His fingers unconsciously tapped against the seat, his dark circles particularly pronounced under the city's neon lights, betraying his sleepless nights.
"Where to?" Devon asked.
"My Brooklyn apartment, please. Not the Upper East Side mansion."
When the car stopped in front of my brownstone building, Devon hesitated, seemingly unsure whether to accompany me.
"Thank you, Devon. Not just for tonight." My voice was quiet.
Surprise flickered across his features before his expression returned to neutral. "Our arrangement remains in effect," he said, though his tone carried a softness I hadn't heard before.
---
Sophia was waiting inside with Thai takeout and two bottles of wine. She wordlessly embraced me.
"Social media is exploding," she said, showing me her phone. #BrokenEngagement and #HarperBlakeScandal were trending topics. The New York Observer had already posted a breaking story: "Blake Heir's Pre-Wedding Scandal: What's Next for the Fashion Empire?"
"I feel liberated," I admitted, "but also terrified. My family and Ethan won't let this go easily."
"What about the company?" Sophia asked worriedly. "Will we suffer retaliation?"
I pulled out Devon's business card, thoughtfully running my finger over Kane Technology's embossed gold logo. "Perhaps we need new allies."
"I don't want to be alone tonight," I whispered, and Sophia squeezed my hand. "I'm not going anywhere."
My phone lit up with William Harper's incoming call. Without hesitation, I hit reject.
Shortly after midnight, my apartment doorbell rang furiously. The security system showed William Harper standing outside.
"How did he get here?" Sophia asked nervously.
I gave her a bitter smile. "He always finds ways to control everything."
William burst in, his appearance nothing like his usual elegant self—tie loosened, reeking of alcohol, eyes blazing with fury.
"Your behavior tonight has made the Harper family a laughingstock throughout New York!" he roared.
"Where were you when Scarlett made me a laughingstock?" I countered calmly. "When my fiancé and stepsister were having an affair in my mother's beach house, where were you?"
William attempted to justify himself. "Business marriages were never fairy tales. Adults understand the meaning of compromise!"
"So I should marry Ethan wearing horns so Harper and Blake stocks can rise?" I said sarcastically, calling him "William" instead of "Dad" for the first time.
William raised his hand in anger. Sophia gasped, but I didn't flinch. "Go ahead. This will be the last time you ever lay a hand on me."
William lowered his arm, switching to threats. "Do you know how many projects depended on this marriage? Without Blake's support, Harper Group could face a financing crisis!"
"That's your problem, not mine. You've favored Scarlett for four years, using my inheritance as leverage. I've had enough."
"You think that little marketing company of yours can survive independently? Without Harper family connections, you'll have nothing!" he sneered.
"Like you did with Mom? Within months of her death, you brought Victoria home and cleared out all Mom's things?"
"Don't mention your mother!" William suddenly raged, losing control.
"Why? Because the truth is too ugly?" I stepped closer. "Or because you feel guilty? Was Mom's death really just an accident?"
William's face changed dramatically, his voice shaking. "What are you implying? Your mother's death was a tragic accident!"
"From this moment on, I am no longer a member of the Harper family," I declared.
William issued his final warning: "If you choose this path, don't think about setting foot in the Harper house again. The Hamptons property, company funding, family trust fund—you'll lose everything."
I remained unmoved. "I won't trade childhood trauma and personal dignity for material security. From today forward, I am no longer your daughter."
"You'll regret this," William said darkly. "Without the Harper family's support, your business will collapse within three months. You'll come back begging."
"Maybe, but not today." I walked to the door and opened it. "Please leave my home."
Standing in the doorway, William gave me one last look. "You're becoming more like your mother—stubborn, naive, not understanding how the real world works."
"Thank you. That's the best compliment you've ever given me," I replied, shutting the door and finally severing the tie that had bound me to the Harper name.