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He took another step towards her. “Still can’t put the pieces together?”

“I’m trying!”

“I can see that. The question is how long to give you before I intervene?”

“You could do it now and put me out of my misery!”

“True,” he grinned down at her. “I suppose I could.”

Amber shook her foolish fantasy from her head.

What was she even thinking? She should know better than to have such ridiculous daydreams.

Christopher would never come after her like that.

And if she did somehow escape, why would she want him to? If she managed to get away and live free, then she should enjoy it.

Not that that was even an option.

She was out of options, cornered, trapped. There was no stopping any of this now.

It seemed like her fate had already been decided. Thomas would never let her go. Simon would do whatever it took to make sure she went through with it.

She couldn’t help but imagine what her life would be like after the seemingly inevitable wedding.

He’d said she wouldn’t really be going out. That wasn’t much of a change really.

But he wanted kids. He would expect wifely duties from her. Amber knew she could never love Thomas, yet there was nothing she could do.

Now that he made it clear even ruining herself and losing any future marriage offers wouldn’t be enough, what more could she do?

And that brought her thoughts back to Christopher.

It was sweet of him to check on her and try to make her feel better, but she couldn’t help but feel like it had been more than a bit cruel to try and give her hope.

She didn’t understand why he would say any of it. Did he really believe it, or was he just trying to make her feel better?

Then again, it wasn’t like it mattered why he did it. There was nothing he could do to stop the marriage now.

There was nothing anyone could do to stop it.

Her eyes burned. Alone in the solitude of her room, she cried more tears.

She wanted nothing more than for darkness to pull her under, but it didn’t seem like it was going to happen anytime soon.

As she was laying there, a soft knock at her door interrupted her thoughts.

She shot up in bed. It had to be Christopher!

He must have come to tell her whatever his plan was.

Maybe it was something that could work. Maybe he had something they could hold over her cousin. Maybe if his plan wasn’t enough, if she talked to him, he would help her find a way to sneak off into the night never to be seen again.

A grin grew on her face at the thought.

Leaping to her feet she raced to the door, throwing it open as fast as she could.

“I’m so glad you came. I—” she cut herself off, heart sinking.