Chapter 3: The Vegas Gambit

Of course, here is the content of Chapter 3.

Chapter 3: The Vegas Gambit

The weeks leading up to the Spring Classic hockey tournament were a blur of frenetic energy, both at home and at the office. For Aria’s sons, Max and Leo, this was the pinnacle of their season, a multi-day event held two hours out of town that they had been working toward since the first frost. For Aria, it was a logistical nightmare that tested the limits of her multitasking abilities. It meant coordinating schedules, packing gear, booking a hotel, and, most critically, ensuring her fledgling business could survive a long weekend without her direct oversight.

This year, the tournament coincided with a major cruise line’s promotional launch, a period that historically flooded the agency with inquiries and bookings. It was a perfect storm of personal responsibility and professional demand. Aria needed all hands on deck. More specifically, she needed Eleanor Finch on deck.

Her desire was simple: a smooth, profitable weekend for the agency and the freedom to be fully present for her sons, cheering from the stands without her phone buzzing incessantly with work emergencies. The obstacle, as always, was Eleanor. Since Aria had clipped her wings on the overtime scam and had begun meticulously documenting her unscheduled "hockey mom" absences, Eleanor had become sullen and withdrawn, a thundercloud of resentment sulking in the corner. Aria knew that asking for cooperation would be met with passive aggression; demanding it was