“I want to know everything, Erin. Who’s been whispering in your ear? And were you responsible for the media attacks against Vera and me?”
Erin’s swollen lips gave way to a smirk as she tilted her head. “The smear campaign was Oliver’s idea. He wanted to have a little fun, so I asked a friend for help.”
Alistair’s lips lost their color when they tightened. “Who is this friend?”
“Saira Quinn.” Erin’s smirk widened. “She and I met at a few social events. She said she’d pull strings onLester Harbor Exposed.”
My stomach turned cold. “Saira is poison, Erin. Poison to your soul.”
“She’s my friend, and she’ll be out of jail before you know it. She called me this afternoon about the article. Said you’d be at the brothel, catching Alistair fucking that whore.”
Oh, my God. Can Erin be any dumber?
This was Saira’s chaos. She weaponized Erin’s stupidity. Holly would kill Alistair, and Erin would finish Holly and me. Curtain down, grand finale. I could still see Saira’s evil smile when she said, “There’s a broken animal who’s on the loose.” She meant both Holly and Erin. That’s how she saw us all: tools, weapons, and beasts in her menagerie.
Of course.
Holly fed Saira the details: time, place, and the willingness to lure Alistair. All Saira needed was a phone. Even behind bars, money bought her access. A bribe here, a favor there. Gold promised, strings pulled.
I shook my head. “You let Saira control you.”
“My enemy’s enemy… I guess that makes Saira my friend. For now.”
“Erin,” Alistair cut in, “Saira used you to destroy me. Do you still trust her? Did you…” His eyes narrowed. “Did you tell her about our affair?”
Erin froze, lips pressed shut.
“Christ,” Alistair cursed. “Don’t you see? Saira twisted what you gave her and paid a journalist to fabricate that garbage.”
“What?” Erin’s blank “What?” The blankness in Erin’s stare was almost childlike.
Saira had pegged her perfectly. For all Erin’s vanity, she was gullible, a pawn who couldn’t tell left from right.
“But why would my friend do this to me?” She swung the pistol again, reckless, the barrel slicing the air. I flinched. “Vera’s the one who’s always wanted to ruin me.”
“Erin, put the gun down and think.” Alistair’s command was pure steel.
“Oliver left me.” The admission fell out of her in a broken whisper. Tears streaked her hollow cheeks.
“Camilla still needs you,” I said, steadying my breath. “You can fight for her.”
Erin faltered. For a second, I thought she might lower the gun, but her grief curdled into hate.
“No. Picture this. You love a man who swore forever, only to watch him forced into another marriage. Years later, he’s free, and you still love him.”
“What about Oliver? You chose to marry him,” I said. “There’s nothing innocent about that. Affairs only end one way. Someone gets hurt.”
“You don’t get it, do you?” Erin hissed at me before snapping her gaze to Alistair. “Scotty, do you remember swearing you’d love me forever? I thought the night we conceived Camilla bound us for life. But then your whore came along and destroyed everything.”
Alistair’s jaw locked. “Never call Vera that. What happened between us has nothing to do with her. You’re clinging to the past. Let it go.”
Erin’s voice trembled. “You can’t love her. It’s not right. She’s not me.”
Alistair’s eyes didn’t leave hers. “That’s why I love Vera. Because she’s not you.”
She raised the gun, the barrel locked on me. “I can’t live with that,” she spat. “You’re poison, Vera. All you’ve ever done is ruin the Scott family from the inside.”
“I can see you’re hurting, Erin,” I tried reasoning. “I’ve been through pain, too. I was enamored with a man who didn’t love me back. My ex-boyfriend abused me.”
