Chapter 4

I lowered my gaze, my thumbs flying across the screen.

I opened the link to the hotel's central AV network.

Entered Ethan's phone number.

Typed in the complex sequence of decryption characters.

*Login Successful.*

The screen flashed over to the live broadcast dashboard of the wedding hall.

Future Me: [Go to Drive D. Find the folder named 'Surprise'.]

Future Me: [That's the forged evidence he planned to use to ruin Dad.]

Swiping through the directory, I located the folder in seconds.

Inside sat an ultra-HD video file alongside dozens of high-res photos of doctored financial ledgers.

I hit 'Delete All' without hesitation.

Then, I opened my own cloud storage.

Future Me had already sent over a lethal cache of real, unadulterated dirt.

High-definition hotel surveillance footage of Ethan and Brooke caught in the act.

Clear chat logs of Brooke bragging about laundering millions out of Vance Enterprises.

And most damning of all: an audio recording of Ethan bribing my father's private physician to prescribe slow-acting heart poison.

Every single piece was a one-way ticket to federal prison.

This was my wedding gift to them.

I bundled all the files together and hit upload.

Replacing the contents of the 'Surprise' folder in one clean sweep.

Next, I locked the local AV technicians out of their control deck.

From this moment on, the massive LED screens throughout the ballroom were slaved exclusively to my phone.

Watching the progress bar hit 100%, I let out a long, steadying breath.

At the far end of the corridor, the heavy mahogany double doors slowly parted.

The grand swells of the wedding march resonated through the hall.

The master of ceremonies boomed over the speakers:

"Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in giving a warm round of applause for our handsome groom!"

Ethan adjusted his collar, threw on a mask of deep, doting affection, and strode out onto the stage.

Brooke, clutching her bridesmaid bouquet, walked gracefully just a few paces behind him.

The moment they stepped into the lights, thunderous applause erupted.

The ballroom was packed with the city's most powerful moguls, politicians, and socialites.

Dozens of media cameras swung around, their flashes firing in rapid succession.

Ethan took the microphone and looked toward the grand entrance where I was waiting.

"Today is the single most important day of my life."

"I have the honor of marrying the woman I love most in this world—the woman I have sworn to protect for the rest of my days: Chloe Vance."

His voice dripped with sickening tenderness.

He played the part of the devoted lover down to an art.

The crowd whispered in admiration.

"Ethan really is the standard."

"Chloe is so lucky to have found a man so utterly devoted to her."

"They're the golden couple of high society. Just breathtaking."

Standing in the shadows behind the door, listening to the praise, I felt pure revulsion.

A classic narcissistic sociopath performing for an audience.

Basking in the adulation, Ethan smoothly shifted gears.

"However, before my beautiful bride joins me, I have prepared a very special surprise for her."

"And a monumental gift for the Vance family—especially for Chairman Arthur Vance."

The room fell into an eager, hushed silence. Everyone leaned forward in anticipation.

Sitting at the primary VIP table, my father looked up at the stage with a proud, warm smile.

He had no idea that the young man he trusted like a son was holding an invisible dagger right at his throat.

Brooke stood to the side, unable to hide the smug gleam in her eyes.

From across the grand hall, she cast a mocking glance straight at my dark doorway.

Her eyes said it all: *You're finished, Chloe.*

A text buzzed on my phone: [He's about to roll the clip.]

Future Me: [Ready to take your stage?]

Staring at my screen, my thumb hovered over the remote play button.

The blood in my veins was electric.

Ethan turned with a flourish, gesturing toward the monumental LED display dominating the stage.

"Please direct your attention to the main screen."

"This surprise is something none of you will ever forget."

"Chloe, my love, this is all for you. Watch closely!"

His voice carried a brazen, arrogant edge.

The house lights dimmed instantly, plunging the hall into darkness as all eyes fixed on the massive black screen.

Staring at the smug hypocrite on stage, my lips curved into a cold, ruthless smile.

"Oh, I'm watching, Ethan."

I pressed down hard on the Play button.

The giant screen flared to life.

And the smile on Ethan's face froze solid.