That evening, Amber sat on the bed with both feet on the ground, drifting off into space. Now and then, she could hear the hushed whispers of Aunt Mariam and her husband, Alec, chatting about the contract in the living room of the first floor. Her bedroom door was closed, which meant they were having a noticeably quiet, very heated debate if Amber could still hear them through the walls. Either that or the walls were much thinner than she anticipated.

Her aunt was against it, of course. She had Amber’s best interest at heart, after all. However, Amber’s mind was made up. For her revenge to succeed, she needed cash; she required backing. Above all else, she needed someone with the wealth and power to get by. After this afternoon’s conversation, the benefactor was all of that and more.

While her aunt was a successful lawyer with money, Amber couldn’t ask her to break the law. She could not, will not, involve Aunt Mariam and her husband after everything they’ve done for her. Amber would never forget their kindness. But, she was in on this alone, by herself, and she was going to take whatever help was offered, no matter the consequences, no matter the cost.

For Amber, this was personal, not just to her but for her parents. While Amber may never understand why her parents took their own lives, she understood their hurt. Amber knew their pain, their devastation of being stabbed in the back so completely by people you consider family that it was impossible to get back up. If Hunter did it to her, she’d probably go curl up somewhere and never show up for a long time.

Liam’s parents and her parents—the four of them—were the best of friends. They had a dream, and from that dream, they created Cyber Consulting, Inc., carving it into a successful brand, rivaling even that of Pro Securities, but something changed along the way. Something to do with greed.

And so, it was up to Amber to make sure her parents receive the justice they deserved. Amber was going to tear their world upside down and inside out and have the Rileys become the talk of the corporate world, and in doing so, she would get her revenge.

A knock at the door interrupted her plans, and Amber turned to see Aunt Mariam in the doorway.

“What are you doing with no light?” Aunt Mariam asked even as she flipped the light switch on, bathing the darkness in warm, bright colors.

“Just thinking,” Amber responded, then asked, “How is it?”

Her aunt sighed as she made her way to the table and placed the piece of paper on top. “Won’t you reconsider?”

Amber didn’t answer, which was answer enough.

“With everything going on, I didn’t get a chance to tell you that the paperwork came in from the court late this afternoon. Everything’s been approved. Hope’s now officially our adopted daughter.”

Amber smiled, and her eyes softened, “Congratulations! It’s about time.”

“Six long gruesome months,” Aunt Mariam’s eyes grew teary. “You know you don’t need to have any documents to stay with us, right?”

“I know...and I will, but not forever. Only until I can get things in motion. Then I’ll be leaving. I can’t expect you guys to take care of me forever.” Blood was thicker than water, but for Amber, revenge was thicker than blood.

“What about… Hunter?”

Amber couldn’t look her aunt in the eye. “There’s no place for me by his side.”

“Have you tried talking to him? He seems like someone who wouldn’t—”

“I told him already that I’m going back to Liam.” This time, it was Amber who sighed. “I can’t involve him as well, Aunt Mariam, just like I can’t and will not involve you or Hope. I need to do this on my own so that everything points back to me if anything happens. Now, tell me, is the contract good or not?”

“It’s good,” her aunt glanced down at the paper on the table. Her hands brushed the side softly. “There’s no way out for you if you succeed, and if you die, all obligations die with you.”

Amber didn’t realize how tensed she had been ever since the contract was faxed in and handed over to Aunt Mariam for review. Now, after hearing those words, she slouched slightly, breathing a little bit easier.

“You still plan on going with us, at least for a couple of years, right?” Her aunt moved to the door. “We could really use the help.”

“I will,” Amber smiled. “We’ve got some time still before anything crazy happens.”

“Well then, have a good night.”

Amber nodded and waited until the door was closed before she stood up and walked to the piece of paper on the table. Then, quietly, she pushed the chair out and settled in, her eyes scanning the contract. Of course, she wasn’t a lawyer like Aunt Mariam, so some of the clauses made no sense to her, but if her aunt said it was good, then it was good. After all, Aunt Mariam had a reputation for being one of the best.

Amber hesitated slightly before reaching out to retrieve the contract. Then, with the agreement in hand, she opened the slimed drawer underneath the desk, her trembling fingers reaching for the ballpoint pen. Inside the drawer was the laptop and some sticky notes, papers, and pens ranging from black, blue, red, and even purple.

Back then, when the benefactor had asked her what she was willing to sacrifice, a pair of crisp green eyes had come to mind, but she had driven it back.

Now, with the contract in front of her, all alone, Amber’s heart clenched tightly against her chest. There was one lingering doubt, not in her mind but in her heart.

Amber glimpsed up at the ceiling, her mind straying back to their first meeting…