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. Questions about her background were designed to catch her in a lie.
By the time Alex arrived, Izzy's head was pounding.
"How's she doing?" he asked Rebecca.
"She's a quick learner. But she needs to smile more."
Izzy glared at him. "I'll smile when I have a reason to."
Alex almost laughed. "Fair enough."
Rebecca gathered her things. "Practice tonight. Tomorrow we do a mock interview with cameras. And Alex?"
"Yeah?"
"You need to look at her like you're in love. Not like she's a business transaction."
He didn't respond. But his jaw tightened.
That evening, they practiced in the living room. Alex sat across from her, notes in hand.
"Question one," he said. "When did you know you were in love?"
Izzy froze. "We're really doing this?"
"Rebecca's right. We need to be believable." He waited. "So. When did you know?"
She thought about it. About the night in his office when he'd looked at her like she mattered. About the way he'd defended her in the boardroom.
"When you stopped pretending you didn't need anyone," she said quietly.
Alex looked up from his notes. "That's not an answer they'd expect."
"It's the truth."
"Truth doesn't always play well on camera."
"Then what do you want me to say? Was it love at first sight? That you swept me off my feet?"
"Would that be so hard to believe?"
She laughed. "Yes. Because you didn't. You made me sign a contract."
He set the notes down. "You're right. We should use something closer to reality. Say we met through work. That it started professional and became personal."
"That's boring."
"Boring is safe."
"Safe is forgettable." Izzy leaned forward. "If we're going to sell this, it needs to feel real. Messy. Complicated."
Alex studied her. "You want to tell them the truth?"
"Not all of it. But enough that they believe it."
He was quiet for a long moment. Then: "Question two. What's your favorite thing about me?"
Izzy smiled despite herself. "Your humility."
"Try again."
"Your sense of humor."
"I don't have one."
"Exactly." She softened. "You don't pretend to be something you're not. Even when it would be easier."
Alex looked at her like he was seeing her for the first time. "That's good. Use that."
"What about you?" she asked. "What's your favorite thing about me?"
He didn't hesitate. "You're not afraid of me."
The words hung between them.
Izzy's chest tightened. "Should I be?"
"Most people are."
"I'm not most people."
"No," he said quietly. "You're not."
******************************
The next day, the mock interview was brutal.
A journalist named Marcus Reeves fired questions at them while cameras rolled. He was polite but relentless.
"Mrs. Blackwood, you've only been engaged for a few weeks. Some might say that's unusually fast."
Izzy kept her smile steady. "When you know, you know."
"And what do you know about Alex's past? About Lila?"
"I know he loved her. I know he lost her. And I know that grief doesn't disappear just because you move forward."
Marcus turned to Alex. "Do you think Izzy is prepared for the scrutiny that comes with your name?"
"She's handled everything thrown at her so far," Alex said evenly. "I have no doubts."
"Even with the lawsuit pending against the foundation? The allegations of financial misconduct?"
Alex didn't flinch. "Those allegations are baseless. And they'll be proven as such."
Marcus smiled. "And if they're not?"
"Then we'll deal with it. Together."
He reached for Izzy's hand without thinking. Her fingers curled around his instinctively.
The camera caught it all.
After the session, Rebecca reviewed the footage with them.
"That hand-hold," she said, pointing at the screen. "That was perfect. Do more of that."
Izzy pulled her hand away from Alex's. She hadn't realized they were still touching.
"The questions will get worse at the gala," Rebecca continued. "Expect ambush interviews. Expect people to test you. Nathan will be watching. So will Vivienne."
"What about the board?" Izzy asked.
"They'll be looking for cracks. Any sign this isn't real." Rebecca closed her laptop. "You two need to spend more time together. In public. Let people see you as a couple."
Alex frowned. "We've been doing that."
"Staged appearances don't count. I mean real moments. Dinner. Coffee. A walk in the park. Something candid."
"We're not actors," Alex said.
"No. You're playing for much higher stakes." Rebecca stood. "Which is why you need to start acting like a couple who actually likes each other."
That night, Alex surprised her.
"Get dressed," he said, appearing in her doorway. "We're going out."
"Where?"
"Does it matter?"
Twenty minutes later, they were in his car, driving through the city. No security. No cameras. Just them.
"Where are we going?" she asked again.
"You'll see."
He pulled up to a small Italian restaurant tucked between two office buildings. Nothing fancy. No reservations required.
"This is your idea of public?" Izzy said.
"Rebecca said candidly. This is candid."
Inside, the restaurant was warm and crowded. The hostess didn't recognize Alex. They were seated in a corner booth, menus in hand.
"I haven't been here in years," Alex said.
"Why not?"
"Lila hated it. Said it was too loud."
Izzy looked around. "I think it's perfect."
They ordered pasta and wine. The conversation started stiffly, but slowly relaxed. They talked about the gala, the foundation, the endless scrutiny.
Then Izzy asked, "What did you want to be? Before all this."
Alex paused, fork halfway to his mouth. "What do you mean?"
"Before the company. The foundation. The expectations. What did you actually want?"
He set his fork down. "I wanted to design buildings. Architecture."
Izzy blinked. "Seriously?"
"I was good at it. Got into a program at MIT. Then my father had a heart attack, and I came home to run the company." He shrugged. "That was fifteen years ago."
"Do you ever think about going back?"
"No point. That life's gone."
"It doesn't have to be."
He looked at her. "What about you? What did you want?"
Izzy smiled sadly. "To not be broke. To take care of my mom. To prove I wasn't a failure." She paused. "I guess I'm still working on that last part."
"You're not a failure."
"I'm a fake fiancée with a tampered contract and a target on my back. I'm not exactly winning."
"You're still here. That counts for something."
The waiter brought dessert, tiramisu, which they hadn't ordered.
"Compliments of the chef," he said with a wink. "For the happy couple."
Izzy laughed. "We look that obvious?"
"You look happy," Alex said quietly.
She met his eyes. "So do you."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The restaurant buzzed around them, but it felt distant.
Then Alex's phone buzzed. He glanced at it and his expression darkened.
"What is it?" Izzy asked.
He showed her the screen. A news alert.
EXCLUSIVE: Secret Cameras Found in Blackwood Estate. Inside Job Suspected.
Below it was a photo. Grainy security footage of them in Alex's office. The night after the gala. The kiss.
"Someone leaked it," Izzy whispered.
Alex's voice was ice. "Someone inside the house."
They left the restaurant without finishing dessert. The drive back was silent, tense.
When they arrived at the estate, security was waiting.
"We swept the office," the head of security said. "Found three cameras. All planted within the last month."
"Who had access?" Alex demanded.
"Everyone on staff. Plus board members. Plus....."
"Nathan."
The guard nodded. "He was here last week. Alone."
Alex's fists clenched. "Find out who he paid. I want names."
Izzy touched his arm. "Alex. What if it wasn't Nathan?"
He looked at her. "Who else would it be?"
She didn't answer. But her gaze drifted toward the house.
Toward the east wing where Vivienne was staying.