FAKING IT WITH THE BILLIONAIRE

Three months of pretending, how hard could it be?”Izzy didn’t sleep. How could she? She lay in bed staring at the ceiling fan as it clicked with every turn, the billionaire’s card on her nightstand seemed like a ticket out of this hell she was in. A fake engagement. With Alexander Blackwood. It was absurd and insane. The kind of thing rich people did in soap operas or scandals. Not in real life. Not in hers.And yet...She checked her phone again. Three missed calls from the billing department. One polite voicemail that barely masked the urgency. A note from the pharmacy: her mom’s latest medication wouldn’t be released until payment was made.She stared at the card Alex had left behind.It didn’t feel like an opportunity, it felt like a trap.But so did everything else these days.By 7 a.m., she was already half-dressed and pacing, the card clenched in her hand tightly. Sophie called right as she was slipping on her coat.“You look like you didn’t sleep,” Sophie said the second she

You’re The Lie They’ll Try To Tear ApartAlex 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 sw

How Many Came Before Me?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 minimum 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

The media training started two days later.Izzy sat in a sleek conference room with a woman named Rebecca Chen, who had perfected the art of the sympathetic-but-firm smile."You'll be asked about the proposal," Rebecca said, clicking through slides. "About the wedding timeline. About Lila."Izzy's stomach dropped. "They're going to ask about his dead wife?""Ex-wife. And yes. Constantly." Rebecca didn't sugarcoat it. "Your job is to deflect without looking defensive. Express sympathy without dwelling. Move the conversation forward.""That sounds impossible.""It's not. Watch." Rebecca straightened. "Mrs. Blackwood, how do you feel about stepping into Lila's shadow?"Izzy opened her mouth. Closed it.Rebecca waited."I... I'm not trying to replace anyone," Izzy finally said. "I'm just trying to build something new.""Better. But lose the 'trying.' It sounds uncertain." Rebecca made a note. "Again."They ran through scenarios for two hours. Engagement questions. Family questions. Questi

Izzy made it to the parking lot before her hands stopped shaking.She leaned against Alex's car, trying to steady her breathing. The plan had worked, too well. The look on Alex's face when he'd dismissed her hadn't been acting. It felt real. Cold. Exactly like Vivienne had warned.Her phone buzzed. A text from Alex: *Stay there. I'm coming.*Five minutes later, he appeared, tie loosened, expression unreadable."That was convincing," he said."Too convincing.""Nathan took the bait. He pulled me aside after you left, offered to 'help manage the situation.'" Alex's jaw tightened. "He's already planning his next move.""What did you say?""That I needed time to think. That maybe he was right about you being a distraction."Izzy flinched despite knowing it was part of the act.Alex noticed. "I didn't mean it.""I know."But the words still stung.They drove back to the estate in silence. When they arrived, security was waiting at the door."Mr. Blackwood. We have a problem."The problem w