The ballroom glittered like a diamond cut from sin.

Crystal chandeliers cast a glow over champagne towers and silk gowns. The city’s most powerful names filled the space of billionaires, politicians, and socialites, each one carefully chosen by Ethan Devereux himself.

It wasn’t just a party. It was a performance.

The pre-wedding gala was intended to demonstrate that the Devereux-Vale union was more than just love; it was a legacy. But to Aria, it felt like standing on a stage built from ...