CRYSTAL BURGESS POV:

"That's enough, Crystal!" Jorden snarled, stepping in front of Andrea and her son, his body a protective barrier. His face was a thundercloud. "Are you really going to badger a child over a spilled kettle? Andrea already apologized to you!" He gestured wildly at my arm. "Look at what you've done, making him cry like that!"

Garrick remained silent, but the deep furrow in his brow spoke volumes. He clearly agreed with Jorden. Even Connor, my supposedly gentle Connor, subtly shook his head.

My three partners. The men who had once vowed to protect me, to cherish me, now stood shoulder to shoulder, a unified front against me.

Andrea softly tugged on Jorden' s sleeve. She leaned down, murmuring something to her son. The boy mumbled a reluctant, barely audible "Sorry" into her shoulder, his eyes still red and sullen.

Even with his forced apology, the faces of my three former partners remained grim, their eyes still holding that familiar disappointment. Andrea, her expression full of genuine regret, stepped forward again. "Crystal, please, let me treat your burn. I have some excellent salve that will help with the pain and prevent scarring."

But I felt nothing but a chilling numbness spreading through my veins. I was freezing, shivering despite the warmth of the room. I could barely stand.

"No," I choked out, the word barely a whisper. I didn't wait for a response. I turned, stumbling towards the door, then slammed it shut behind me, severing the last thread of connection.

I plunged into the biting cold of the late afternoon, the wind whipping around me, tearing at my hair and clothes. My mind was eerily calm, clearer than it had been in days.

It's over.

I spent the next two days locked in my apartment, not eating, barely sleeping. The pain in my arm was a dull throb, forgotten amidst the deeper ache in my chest.

On the third day, just as my father had promised, he came. He chewed on a dry leaf, his face tight with a bitter sadness.

"The journey will be long, Crystal," he said, his voice raspy. "We leave tonight." He looked at my empty apartment, then back at me. "Do you have anything you want to take with you?"

I managed a weak, bitter smile. "No, Dad," I replied, shaking my head. "Nothing at all."

News of my return to my father's house, and the impending decision, had spread like wildfire through our social circle. The other women, those who still had no partners and faced the possibility of the arranged marriage, were restless, their faces etched with anxiety. The thought of being chosen, of leaving their lives, horrified them.

Then, the door to my apartment burst open.

Jorden stormed in first, his face a mask of furious anger, his eyes searching for me. "What did you tell your father this time?" he demanded, his voice seething with accusation.

Connor followed, his brow furrowed, his gaze sweeping around my desolate apartment. He paused, his eyes lingering on the few scattered belongings, the bareness of the room. It gave him pause, I could tell.

Garrick stood silently behind them, his usual composure fractured, his eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made my skin crawl.

I was so tired. Bone-deep weary. I didn't have the energy to fight, to explain, to even care anymore.

CRYSTAL BURGESS POV:

I sat on the edge of my cold, bare bed, slowly folding a half-worn rabbit fur vest. Garrick had hunted it for me years ago, a trophy from one of his rare trips into the wilderness, a testament to his quiet devotion. I used to love it, the soft fur a comforting embrace, a reminder of his strength.

Jorden' s voice, sharp and impatient, cut through the silence. "Are you going to answer me, Crystal, or are you just going to sit there like a statue?" He looked at me with open disgust, his lips curled. "What exactly do you do, besides riding on your father' s coattails? What purpose do you serve?"

He took another step closer, his voice low and menacing. "If you, by some twisted manipulation, manage to get Andrea sent away, I swear, Crystal, I will-"

"Kill me?" I interrupted, my voice flat, devoid of emotion. "Is that what you' re threatening, Jorden?"

He stopped, momentarily stunned, his mouth hanging slightly open. The air in the room thickened, silent and heavy.

Connor stepped forward, closing the distance between us. His voice was soft, coaxing, the same tone he used to calm me when I was a child. "Crystal, just tell us what you told your father. We need to understand." His eyes, however, were shrewd, assessing.

I slowly raised my eyes, meeting his gaze. My heart felt like heavy stone in my chest. Would they even listen? Would they believe anything I said? The answer, cold and clear, resonated through me. No.

A small, bitter laugh escaped my lips.

"Yes," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, but cutting sharp through the silence. "I want Andrea gone. I told my father everything." My fingers tightened around the rabbit fur. "I hate her. I hate her for taking all of you from me. I told him I' d make her life a living hell. I' d cry, I' d scream, I' d make a scene every single day until he got rid of her."

Jorden' s face contorted in rage, a vein throbbing in his temple. "You wouldn' t dare!"

"Oh, I dare," I replied, my voice gaining strength, a dangerous edge to it. "My father has always doted on me. All I have to do is cry, and he' ll give me whatever I want. Always."

Garrick, who had remained silent, now fixed me with a piercing stare. "Your father isn' t a fool, Crystal. He wouldn' t make such a monumental decision based on a few tears."

I gave him a hollow, joyless smile. "You' ll see. You' ll all see." I yanked the rabbit fur from the bundle, tossing it onto the floor at my feet. It landed with a soft, lifeless thud. "Tomorrow morning, you' ll know."

The three men exchanged tight, angry glances. Their faces were grim, their disappointment a palpable weight in the room. They turned and left, their footsteps heavy and distant.

CRYSTAL BURGESS POV:

I watched their retreating backs, the last vestiges of my old life walking away. They were gone. Truly gone this time.

I picked up my small, worn bag, the few belongings I had chosen to keep feeling impossibly light.

My father was already waiting by the car, his imposing figure silhouetted against the pre-dawn sky. His eyes were red-rimmed, glistening with unshed tears.

He pulled a thick fur cloak from the back seat, draping it carefully over my shoulders. Its warmth was a stark contrast to the cold emptiness inside me. He then pressed a heavy, bulging pouch into my hands. "Be safe, my dear," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Take care of yourself."

I climbed into the car, taking one last look at the cluster of lights that was our city, my former home. My eyes, once bright with childish dreams, now held only a fierce, cold resolve.

"I will, Dad," I promised, the words mechanical. "I will."

Miles away, at the edge of the city, Jorden suddenly stopped. "Something feels off," he muttered, running a hand through his hair, his eyes narrowed in thought. He looked deeply troubled. "Crystal… she didn't seem right. Not herself."

Connor said nothing, but his eye twitched, a nervous tic. He remembered my cold apartment, the scattered mess. He remembered my listless eyes, my pale face. A wave of regret, cold and sharp, washed over him. He found himself wishing, for the first time, that he hadn't agreed to this.

The silence hung heavy in the air.

Garrick, ever the rational one, broke it. "Perhaps we've pushed her too far."

Jorden kicked a nearby tree, the sound echoing in the stillness. He whirled around, his voice raw with anger. "Don't you dare! We worked this plan out together! I had to be the villain, the one who said all those awful things to her!" He paced back and forth, then stopped abruptly, staring at his hands. The hands that had gripped my throat, had lashed out with words meant to wound. His voice trembled. "What if she hates me forever? What if she never forgives me?"

His words were a jolt. A shared shudder ran through the three men. Suddenly, the carefully constructed plan, the noble intention to teach me a lesson, felt twisted and cruel. They had wanted to break me, then put me back together. Now, they just felt like monsters.

Jorden' s eyes widened in horror. "What if... what if she actually gets chosen for the arranged marriage? What if she ends up with the Mcintoshes?" He grabbed Connor's arm, his grip desperate. "We have to go back! Now!"

Connor held him back, his face pale. "No, Jorden. Her father would never allow that. He would never let her go to that place." His words were meant to be reassuring, but there was an unsettling tremor in his own voice. His eyes, usually so steady, were rimmed with red.

Jorden ripped his arm free. His face was dark with fury, but his voice was tight with anguish. "I'm done with this charade. We're going back. This ends now." He looked at Garrick and Connor, his gaze hardening. "No more games. No more acting. This plan is over."

Garrick and Connor exchanged a look. A silent agreement passed between them. The game was indeed over.