an's

shipped to another world where I was body snatched. The wedding dress squeezed my body like an overeager snake,

that was reconfiguring my internal organs. "I look li

seen a particularly tasty surfer, her apprais

my hand from the bodice. "This dress costs mor

h, forgive me for not adequately worshipping the holy

sisting anyone, and for the record least of all you. She fixed my veil with hands that

t approval, and my disbelief as I was wrapped and sent to the Fleming estate like a package from Amazon Prime

ould be signing the Declaration of Independence not signing a marriage license with me. I'd seen precisely one ph

itch, I said, watching Victoria adjust a ruby-encrusted diamond tiara she'd pract

hey get. Your father's company is what they're marrying, not you specifically." The implication in her look was that I should be d

d to myself. "Will there be a moa

w much I have loathed doing this," says this marriage that will save your father's company from bankruptcy and prevent our family's name from a scandal that y

th this nonsense. But the image of my father's haunted eyes when he'd told me how bad the company'

voice dead, like my ho

in. You'd walk down the aisle, stand next to Maxwell, repeat your vows and smile for the pictures. A small reception will f

ce. "Am I to be sent away to Fleming Manor to live happily e

is to make it through today without incident." She looked at her diamond-studded watch, a gift from my fa

ctoria opened it to show my father, dressed in an uncomfortable tuxedo,

, Morgan," he mur

aughter like this, selling her. But his slumped shoulders defeated told me it would be pointless. And the man I

nical order. "Remember, smile," she commanded, before sweeping from

ded his arm sti

haled, as if trying to choke out whatever

mixture of guilt and resignation in them. "We

others," I said,

sprawling monstrosity of old dollars and older customs, corridors engineered

ical music drifting out. My stomach twisted

father in his tracks. "Is he

urrowing. "He should be. Victor

me feel my heart racing. "Dad

 ... complications. Maxwell was held up coming back from a business trip. V

, my voice escalatin

oria to appear from the woodwork. "He has not been seen sinc

f my throat. "So I have to marry a stranger, but the

 flew open to show Victoria's tense face. "What is

laim a modicum of dignity. "We're coming

g antsy, and the Flemings are beginning to ask questions." She took hold of my arm with incredib

was crowded with faces I didn't know, all in that tasteful finery that only the truly rich can wear well. My heart bea

xwell should have stoo

ighten to vise-like proportions. My father's face looked pale, perspiratio

isper through the blaze of her fury

d up in the front row, her face a perfect combination of c

s. "Not at all, Eleanor! Just a slight dela

that startled half the guests out of their seats. I turned, eager at last t

it rumpled, tie askew, expression a total thunderstorm. His eye

authoritative. "Traffic was a nightmare." He walked down the aisle with t

aking his hand. "I'm Max. So, I g

t's about to boil over, and I understood with growing horror and sick fascination that my "