But no, Landon waited each day with anticipation, and Amber never appeared.
His subordinates confirmed she adhered strictly to her routine between the company and the villa, venturing nowhere else.
Landon even bribed the doctors to inform him if anyone inquired about his condition.
But no one did.
He exhausted himself searching for any hint that Amber still cared about him, only to find nothing.
He began to doubt if that fleeting tenderness had been a mere illusion.
One day, Landon was idly watching the news when Amber's face flashed across the screen, momentarily brightening his eyes.
Yet, the report that followed announced the impending marriage of the two heads of AmSawyer Creations...
The wedding was set for the day after tomorrow.
Landon felt as if he had plummeted from heaven into hell. His fantasies shattered, forcing to confront the harsh reality and the futility of his hopes.
Yes, they were meant to marry. How could he have imagined Amber still harbored feelings for him?
Impossible.
After the day after tomorrow, Amber would belong to another man. She would have nothing to do with him.
His heart stuttered, nearly stopping.
He felt doused in icy water, freezing and stiff from head to toe, the world around him dimming.
Landon stared blankly for a long while, eventually switching off the television like an automaton, watching the sky darken from dusk till nightfall.
The fateful day approached swiftly.
Amber had concealed her plans well, and Sawyer, amidst the excitement and chaos of the impending wedding, failed to notice anything amiss.
She was on the verge of slipping away unnoticed.
Coincidentally, the cruise to Africa was scheduled to depart that very day at noon, which meant Amber had to reach the pier before noon.
And noon was precisely when the wedding ceremony would be at its climax, leaving her to ponder how to sneak away unnoticed.
Lost in thought, Sawyer embraced her from behind.
"What are you thinking about?"
Startled, Amber retorted cheekily, "Certainly not about you."
"Of course not about me. If it were, wouldn't you be beaming? You looked as serious as a detective cracking a case," Sawyer teased, unaware that his words sent waves of panic through Amber.
He wouldn't overlook such obvious signs of distress.
If he sensed anything more, her escape would become infinitely harder.
She mustn't show her panick. She reminded herself to relax, to breathe deeply.
"I won't tell you. What can you do about it?"
Playing the mischievous card might buy her some time.
Predictably, he chuckled softly.
"Refusing to tell me? Then you'd better prepare for me to deal with you properly tonight..."
His suggestive tone, coupled with warm breath on her neck, tickled her.
"You're naughty!" Amber seized the opportunity to push him away, blushing as she darted off, secretly relieved.
Today is a festive day, yet as Sawyer observed Amber fleeing, his intuition hinted at something amiss.
However, he brushed it aside, figuring he could address it after the celebration.
Little did he realize, he was letting slip the crucial moment, a decision he would come to regret for eternity.
Amber retreated to the dressing room, her palm pressing against her racing heart, its frantic thuds echoing within her chest.
Beads of cold sweat dotted her forehead, evidence that would surely raise Sawyer's suspicion if noticed.
That man was terrifying; only when standing against him did Amber fully comprehend the horror of being with him.
Before her lay a pristine, ornate wedding gown, which she hesitantly reached out to touch.
