Page 28 of Modern Romance Collection March 2025 (1-4)

Athan seemed genuinely perplexed, which was odd. Why should he concern himself over foolish stories about her?

“Am I meant to be humiliated?” Lynna demanded, eyebrows raised. “Perhaps if it were true, but it is not.”

He stared at her for a full beat. Blinked.

She wasalmostamused that he did not have a quick, smooth rejoinder.Almost.“A woman’s body will always be picked apart, Athan. Perhaps I am not used to it beingmybody splashed across tabloids with lies told aboutme, but this is hardly new. Even if your father spearheaded it, this is the kind of thing women in the public eye deal with.”

“I don’t like it.”

She laughed, though with a touch of bitterness. “Oh, well ifyoudon’t like it, something must be done.”

“My PR team is on it. They suggested going to a few events of our own accord so you don’t seem mysterious enough for people to want to make stories up about you.”

“What kind of events?”

“Balls, charity dinners, anything that will have you dressed up and on my arm and lots of pictures available for anyone who wants them. The more it seems I’m hiding you, the more Constantine will have ease in poking at you.”

She hated the idea. Small private dinners with her father’s old coworkers was one thing. She felt like she excelled in small group situations. Butballs? Pictures? She much preferred her place in the kitchen.

And she was hoping to avoid pictorial evidence that this year she’d signed herself up for had ever occurred.

Her phone trilled and she saw that the work wives were calling. It gave her the perfect out to leave this conversation and have a few moments to decide howshewanted to proceed.

“I have to take this. When the timer goes off, pull the pans out of the oven.”

He frowned at her. “I hardly think—”

But she didn’t listen to his protests. She strode out of the kitchen and answered the four-way video call.

Her friends faces all appeared, and she could immediately tell they all looked concerned.

“Hello. Is everything all right?”

“We’ve all seen the stories. The picture of you shopping,” Irinka said. “We want to know if everything is all right withyou?” She said this almost at the same time Maude offered—

“You’re not actually…”

“Good God.No.” Lynna looked over her shoulder as she hurried up the stairs. Athan hadn’t followed her, thank goodness. “I haven’t slept with him,” she whispered fiercely.

“No one could blame you,” Irinka offered.

Lynna made it to her bedroom door and hurried inside, closing the door behind her so no one would overhear this ridiculous conversation. “Iwould blame me. For the rest of my life.”

“You did marry him,” Maude pointed out,oh so helpfully.

“Not to have sex with him. To clear my father’s name. To give Rhys a future.”

Her friends were all silent at that.

“We’re all very sorry you’ve made your way into the tabloids and have to deal with this gross body shaming stuff,” Auggie said kindly. “What can we do?”

“Nothing. It’s…nothing. Weird, but it hardly matters what some strange websites post about me. Apparently I have to go to some glittering events now, let my picture be taken, take away themystery.”

“That’s very smart,” Auggie said.

Lynna wrinkled her nose. Maybe it was, but she wasn’t used to getting dressed up and having her picture taken. She wasn’t used to being astory. Maybe it’d be one thing if she was actually in love with Athan, married to him for all the right reasons.

But she wasn’t.

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