You're The Lie They'll Try To Tear Apart

Alex had been asked a thousand questions in his life.

About IPOs, mergers, stock performance, quarterly growth, and lastly about Lila.

He'd answered most of them and he'd dodged the rest. But no one had ever asked how Lila would feel.

The question hit him deeper than he expected. He glanced at Izzy who looked confused as she stared right back at him. 

Alex blinked, his hand clenching. But then he let out a forced smile. 

"I think Lila would want me to be happy," he said smoothly.

Before anyone could speak again, he turned to Izzy and tucked her hair behind her ear, a simple gesture. Gentle, warm enough to give the headlines something else to write about.

She flinched slightly at his touch. Not enough for the press to catch. But enough for him to feel.

"We'll take one more question," he said.

No one dared speak after that.

They made their exit, flanked by his PR team. The lobby door shut behind them, cutting off the chaos outside. The elevator swallowed them in silence.

Izzy stood still beside him, her hands clenched at her sides.

"That was....."

"Unplanned," Alex said, jaw tight.

"Who is Lila?" she asked quietly.

He didn't answer.

When they reached the top floor, Izzy stepped out first. Her heels clicked sharply against the marble like she was trying not to look shaken. He followed closely behind her, not wanting to be in the same space with her. 

Nathan was already waiting in his office.

"Well," he said, arms crossed. "That could've gone worse."

"Find out who planted that question," Alex said, his voice cold. "Now."

Nathan gave a small nod. "Already on it. But I've got a hunch."

"Vivienne?" Alex said.

"Bingo. Someone from her media firm must have gotten in touch with her."

Izzy turned sharply. "Who's Vivienne?"

"Not your concern," Nathan said.

Alex didn't correct him.

Not because it wasn't Izzy's concern, everything was her concern now. But saying her name out loud made it too real.

Izzy crossed her arms. "The press just asked about your dead ex. I think I deserve to know if someone's trying to ruin this arrangement before it even starts."

"She's not trying to ruin it," Nathan muttered. "She's trying to control it and she hates surprises."

"She'll hate this one more," Alex added flatly.

He walked to the bar in the corner of the office and poured himself a drink. He didn't usually touch alcohol during work hours, but this wasn't a usual day.

"Lila was my fiancée," he said at last, eyes fixed on the glass in his hand. "We were supposed to get married three years ago."

"What happened?" Izzy asked, her voice softening.

"She died," he said. "A car accident."

Silence.

Nathan cleared his throat. "You don't have to explain...."

"I do," Alex cut in. "She's going to come up again. They'll compare you to her. They'll measure your smile, your tone, and the way you breathe. She was perfect in their eyes. And now..."

He turned to Izzy.

"You're the lie they'll try to tear apart."

Izzy's face paled slightly. "I didn't ask for that."

"No one ever does."

She didn't back down. She straightened up. 

"Then I guess we give them a performance they'll never forget."

He looked at her for a long moment.

Maybe she wasn't so fragile after all. Perhaps she was more dangerous than he realized.

"Good," he said. "Because from now on it's only going to get worse."

Izzy kicked off her heels the second she stepped into her apartment.

The place was dimly lit, but familiar, her worn-out couch, the leaning stack of books on the coffee table, the scent of lavender and lemon from the candle Sophia had lit. After the flashing cameras, the sea of faces, and Alex's ice-cold grip on her waist, it felt like stepping back into her real self 

But even here, she didn't feel like herself.

"Thank God you're home," Sophia called from the kitchen, a mug of tea in her hands and concern in her eyes. "I kept the TV off. Figured you'd rather not relive it tonight."

Izzy offered a weak smile and flopped onto the couch. "Thanks. I've had enough fake smiles for one lifetime."

Sophia plopped down beside her. "You were good, though. No, seriously, Iz. You were glowing, like an actual billionaire's fiancée."

"I felt like a mannequin," Izzy muttered, reaching for the throw blanket draped over the couch. "Stuffed into someone else's fantasy."

"Well, the dress was a fantasy. Can we talk about that slit?"

Izzy gave a tired laugh. "I almost tripped while walking down the steps. Twice."

"And the diamond?" Sophia leaned in dramatically. "You could signal aircraft with that thing. I practically went blind when you raised your hand."

Izzy glanced at the ring, now sitting silently on the coffee table like it was waiting to accuse her of something. "It doesn't feel like mine."

Sophia's playful smile faded. "That bad, huh?"

Izzy hesitated. "They asked about her. Lila."

Sophia sat up straighter. "Wait. His ex?"

"His late fiancée," Izzy corrected softly. "Someone from the press shouted the question out of nowhere. You should've seen his face, Soph. He went still and then after a moment...he touched me. Like we were something real. Like he had to prove it."

Sophia's brows pinched together. "Was it an act?"

"That's the part I don't know." Izzy picked at a loose thread in the blanket. "He told me not to improvise. To stick to the plan. But after that question, everything changed. It felt like he wasn't pretending anymore. And that scared me more than anything."

They sat in silence for a while. 

Then Sophia asked, gently, "Do you think you're starting to like him?"

Izzy looked away. "I think I'm starting to see the broken version of him and part of me wants to reach in."

"Girl..." Sophia sighed. "This whole thing was supposed to be business. Quick cash, fake appearances. You weren't supposed to catch feelings."

"I haven't," Izzy lied. "It's just... he's not the villain everyone warned me about."

"But he's not a hero either," Sophia said, her voice laced with concern. "Don't romanticize a man who can lie that smoothly. You think he's letting you in, but he's just playing his part better than you are."

Izzy rubbed her temples. "I know. I know you're right."

Sophia reached over and took her hand. "Then promise me something."

"What?"

"When this all starts to hurt too much..,...walk away. No money is worth your sanity."

Before Izzy could answer, her phone buzzed against the armrest.

Unknown Number.

She stood, suddenly uneasy. "I'll take this to my room."

Sophia gave a nod, concern flickering again behind her eyes.

Izzy stepped into the bedroom and closed the door softly behind her. The room was quiet, the buzz of the city distant. Her heart pounded heavily. Her chest.

She answered. "Hello?"

A calm, measured voice with a kind of confidence that came from having nothing to prove.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Ms. Hart."

Izzy stiffened. "Who is this?"

"Vivienne Dane."

The name sent a shiver down her spine. 

"You don't know me," the woman continued, "but you know my sister. Or at least, her memory. Lila Blackwood."

Izzy's heart sank. "I.....I didn't know she had any family," she said.

"That's the problem with grief," Vivienne said smoothly. "People forget the ones left behind."

Izzy's throat tightened. "Why are you calling me?"

"To know you," Vivienne said, almost with amusement. "And to warn you."

Izzy sat down slowly on the edge of the bed. "About what?"

"This arrangement with Alex," Vivienne said. "It might serve you for now, money, status, attention. But it's built on something sacred, on someone sacred. You're dancing in a graveyard, Ms. Hart. Don't mistake the applause for safety."

Izzy closed her eyes. "I didn't ask for this. I'm just trying to survive."

"Then survive somewhere else."

"I signed a contract."

"Then tear it up."

Izzy gritted her teeth. "That's easy for you to say. You weren't drowning in hospital bills."

Vivienne's tone softened. "I'm not heartless. But I am serious. Leave, before this becomes a story you can't rewrite."

"Is that a threat?"

Vivienne let the silence stretch before answering, "It's a favor. If I wanted to threaten you, you'd know."

The call ended with a quiet click.

Izzy stared at the screen. How the hell could she leave when she hasn't even completed her end of the deal? 

Her phone buzzed again.

DAMIEN: Be ready at 7 a.m. Foundation board meeting. Wear navy. No surprises.

Izzy set the phone down in her lap. No surprises? Too late for that.

By the time the elevator doors slid open, Izzy had smoothed her dress so many times she was sure she'd worn a crease into the fabric.

She wore exactly what Alex wanted. A navy blue dress paired with black stilettos. She applied minimal makeup and let her hair down in waves. 

She stepped out into the corridor of the Blackwood Foundation's top floor, the soft click of her heels swallowed by the thick carpet. Everything here screamed luxury. It was like a church where power was worshiped instead of God.

Alex was already inside the boardroom when she arrived, seated at the head of the table like he was born for it. His suit was dark, perfectly tailored. No tie, no smile.

He barely looked at her as she walked in.  He just gave a quick nod her way. 

She took the empty seat beside him and tried not to think about the fact that she'd faked her way into this world with nothing more than desperation and a diamond ring.

"Miss Hart. Sorry Mrs Blackwood," said a woman with pearl earrings and an expression that looked like she'd been forced to put on, "Thank you for joining us."

Izzy nodded politely. "Thank you for having me."

It wasn't true. No one in this room wanted her here. Not really. They wanted Lila. And they wanted the illusion that nothing had ever gone wrong.

A man with gray hair and a deep frown spoke next. "Let's get straight to it. The gala is less than six weeks away. The public needs to believe in this engagement, and the foundation can't afford a PR disaster."

"Well," Izzy said lightly, "that makes two of us."

Someone actually snorted. A woman in her thirties with sharp eyeliner and an amused smirk.

Alex turned to Izzy and gave her a look. 

"Izzy will be involved with the gala planning," Alex said. "She's an experienced event coordinator and knows how to work under pressure."

That was... generous. He could've said she's pretending to be my fiancée so I don't implode in front of shareholders, but he didn't.

"She'll be expected to give a speech," the man added.

Izzy blinked. "I wasn't told that."

"You are now."

She felt Alex glance at her again. "Only if you're comfortable."

Her heart raced. "I'll be ready."

The meeting moved on.  They talked about logistics, budgets, and media strategy. The board members tossed around numbers and brand names like they were playing poker with billions, not people.

And then a voice cut through. 

"Apologies for the delay," came a voice from the doorway.

Every head snapped toward the door. 

A woman stepped in like she owned the place: Ice-blonde hair in a sleek knot. She moved with elegance, authority... and something colder underneath.

She took the empty seat directly across from Izzy.

"Vivienne Dane," she said with a gracious nod. "Public relations advisor to the Blackwood Foundation. And Lila's sister."

The room went very still. Izzy kept her face still, but inside, her stomach dropped.

Vivienne didn't need to look at Alex to establish dominance. Her presence alone did that.

"I wanted to meet the woman everyone's talking about," she said, voice smooth and deceptively warm. "You've certainly made an impression."

Izzy smiled tightly. "Well. That's half the job, isn't it?"

Vivienne tilted her head. "It is. But just half."

For the rest of the meeting, the air was filled with tension. Izzy contributed where she could. She took notes. Answered some questions. Mostly, she tried to look like someone who belonged at a table that had never been built for her.

When it ended, everyone stood up, hands were exchanged, and chairs were scraped softly against the floor.

Vivienne didn't move. Neither did Izzy.

Alex was pulled aside by one of the board members near the door, and within seconds, the two women were alone at the table.

Vivienne didn't wait. "I meant what I said last night," she murmured. "This engagement? It's built on borrowed time."

Izzy folded her hands. "You really have a flair for threats."

"I'm not threatening you," Vivienne said softly. "I'm warning you. Because when this falls apart, and it will, it won't be Alex who pays the price."

Izzy met her eyes. "Why do you even care? If this is just business, PR, and optics, why are you fighting so hard to keep me away from him?"

Vivienne's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Because I buried my sister. I watched what loving him did to her. And if you think grief made him fragile, you don't know Alex Blackwood at all."

Izzy stayed silent and Vivienne leaned in closer.

"Leave before he breaks you too."

Then she rose, smoothed her dress, and walked out like she hadn't just dropped a bombshell. 

Izzy sat frozen. She didn't know how long she stared at the empty doorway.

But when Alex returned and slid back into his seat beside her, she didn't meet his eyes.

Instead, she asked, flatly. "How many others came before me?"