Page 167 of Modern Romance October 2025 5-8

Maybe she was making it work. Maybe she had drowned herself in alcohol and pills. Who knew? All he could say was that he was distinctly and acutely uncomfortable with all thesefeelings. He didn’t know what to do with them. Other than try and push them all back down.

‘So, how’s it going with the girl?’ Marcus shouted into his ear above the music, his use of language making Enzo tense.

Erin wasn’t agirl. She was...she was...

Coming up against a wall, he realised that truly, he didn’t know what Erin Carter was. Master con artist, or not?

‘Have you found out what she’s after yet?’ Marcus shouted again.

‘No.’

‘I can’t believe she’s managed to keep that quiet this entire time. She hasn’t slipped up? Not once since Capri?’

Enzo didn’t reply, hoping that his friend would just drop it.

‘And I still don’t understand why she signed the prenup. Is there a fidelity clause in there somewhere? Is she expecting you to cheat on her?’

‘Marcus, I don’t know,’ he replied finally, giving up the fight with his frustration. ‘Whatever it is she’s after, she’s not going to get it. And when she reaches the top of the aisle and comes face-to-face with the fact that I have absolutely no damn intention of marrying her, and instead, will leave her facing the music in front of as many guests and as many of the world’s press as I can possibly muster in the next seven days, she will be humiliated and left with nothing. And then she’ll realise that it was a mistake messing with me.Everyonewill realise that it’s a mistake to mess with me.’

And with that, he finished the last drop of his whiskey and stalked off, completely failing to see Erin where she stood in the shadow of the doorway, staring after him in shock.

Chapter Ten

Erin’s shaking handscovered her mouth.

Whatever she’s after, she’s not going to get it.

I have absolutely no damn intention of marrying her.

She’ll be humiliated and left with nothing.

Oh god.

He knew. No. He’dknown. He’d known that she wanted to marry him from the beginning. That it had all been part of a horrible scheme. Her legs began to shake and she pressed back against the wall that had shielded her from Enzo’s view. She took in a deep gulp of breath, not feeling like it was enough. Tears filled her eyes. Her mind swam with them, hurt, fear, horror, nausea.

What he must have thought...what he must have felt.

Guilt pinched and bit into her stomach, her heart twisting far more painfully than that.

He clearly didn’t know about Gio’s involvement. Or that she’d emailed to tell him that she wasn’t going to go through with it. That she’d cancelled the deal the moment that things had become real for her. The moment she’d realised that he wasn’t who she’d thought he was.

But it had never been real for him.

And when she reaches the top of the aisle...

That part felt especially painful because heknewwhat that kind of humiliation would do to her.

A sob rose in her chest and she tried to stifle it.

The ringing started in her ears and wouldn’t stop.

It had all been lies. He’d been playing her this whole time. The helicopter? Had he really forgotten that she’d said she didn’t like heights? And the shopping trip? Had that been a test? Test after test, setting her up just to fail. The dress that he’d suggested she wear to the party. The way he’d comforted her after.

Oh god...the intimacy she’d shared with him.

Their interactions rushed through her mind like the trailer of some awful movie.

And just like that, what had been special and precious, and incredible to her became sordid, and horrible. How far would he have let her go? Would he have slept with her if she hadn’t found a way not to? Oh god, she could hate him for doing that.