Chapter 9
Vivienne was in the garden when they found her, pruning roses like she hadn't just orchestrated a media disaster.
"We need to talk," Alex said.
She didn't look up. "I heard about the cameras. Unfortunate."
"Unfortunate?" Izzy stepped forward. "You leaked that footage."
Vivienne finally turned, scissors still in hand. "That's a serious accusation."
"You're the only one who benefits from making us look like frauds," Izzy said.
"I benefit from protecting my sister's legacy. There's a difference." Vivienne set the scissors down carefully. "But no, I didn't plant those cameras. Though I wish I'd thought of it."
Alex's voice was cold. "Then who did?"
"Why don't you ask your COO? Nathan's been circling like a vulture since Lila died. You really think he's above corporate espionage?"
"Nathan wouldn't risk exposure like this," Alex said.
"Wouldn't he?" Vivienne smiled. "He has nothing to lose and everything to gain. One scandal, one vote of no confidence, and he takes your seat." She looked at Izzy. "And you become collateral damage."
Izzy's stomach turned. "You're enjoying this."
"I'm being realistic. This engagement was doomed from the start. The cameras just accelerated the inevitable."
Alex grabbed Vivienne's arm. "If I find out you had anything to do with this...."
"You'll what? Fire me? Sue me?" She pulled free. "I'm a consultant, Alex. And I'm Lila's sister. The board won't let you touch me."
"Watch me."
Vivienne's expression hardened. "You want a war? Fine. But remember who knows where all the bodies are buried."
She walked away, leaving them standing in the garden.
Back inside, Alex went straight to his office and called Nathan.
Izzy listened from the doorway.
"I don't care what it takes," Alex said into the phone. "I want to know who accessed my office in the last month. Security logs, keycard records, everything."
A pause.
"No, Nathan, I'm not accusing you. I'm asking for your help." His tone was sharp. "Unless you have something to hide?"
Another pause. Longer this time.
"Good. I'll expect the report by morning."
He hung up and threw the phone across the room. It hit the wall and clattered to the floor.
Izzy stepped inside. "That went well."
"He's lying. I could hear it in his voice."
"Then why not confront him directly?"
"Because I need proof first. And because if I'm wrong, I just handed him ammunition to use against me."
Izzy picked up the phone. The screen was cracked but still functional. "What if they're working together? Nathan and Vivienne."
Alex looked at her sharply. "What?"
"Think about it. Vivienne wants you to fail because she blames you for Lila. Nathan wants you out so he can take over. They both gain if this engagement falls apart publicly."
Alex was quiet for a long moment. "That's... actually possible."
"It's more than possible. It's smart." Izzy handed him the phone. "And if they're coordinating, the cameras aren't the only move they've made."
They spent the next three hours reviewing security footage, financial records, and email logs. Looking for connections.
At midnight, Izzy found it.
"Alex. Look at this."
He came around the desk. She pointed at the screen.
"Vivienne visited the estate four times in the last month. Always on days when you were at the office. Always for less than two hours."
"She said she was going through Lila's things."
"Were Lila's things in your office?"
Alex's expression darkened. "No."
Izzy clicked through more footage. "And look. Nathan was here twice. Same weeks. Different days. But both times, he went to the east wing."
"Where Vivienne stays."
"Exactly."
Alex pulled out his phone and made a call. "I need the phone records for Vivienne Dane and Nathan Hale. Cross-reference them for the last three months."
He hung up and looked at Izzy. "If you're right....."
"Then they've been planning this since before I showed up."
"Which means you were never the target. I was."
Izzy's chest tightened. "And I'm just the weapon they're using."
The phone records came back at 2 a.m.
Seventeen calls between Nathan and Vivienne in the last three months. Most late at night. Several days before the contract was signed.
"They knew about the clause," Alex said quietly. "Vivienne probably helped him draft it."
"Why would she do that? She's not on the board."
"No. But she's a shareholder. If I'm forced out, Nathan takes over. And he'll owe her." Alex rubbed his face. "She gets revenge. He gets power. Win-win."
"Except we're in the way."
"Not for long. Not if they keep escalating."
Izzy stood up. "So what do we do?"
"We beat them at their own game."
"How?"
Alex looked at her. "We make the engagement so convincing they can't touch it. No cracks. No doubts. And at the gala, we go public with everything."
"Everything?"
"The cameras. The tampered contract. Nathan's connection to Vivienne. All of it."
Izzy's pulse raced. "That's insane. The board will..."
"The board will have to choose. Me or Nathan. Transparency or corruption." He paused. "It's a risk. But it's the only move they won't see coming."
"And if it doesn't work?"
"Then we both lose everything."
Izzy should've been terrified. But instead, she felt something else. Determination.
"Okay," she said. "Let's do it."
The next morning, they called an emergency meeting. Just the two of them and the head of security.
"We need evidence," Alex said. "Concrete proof that Nathan and Vivienne planted those cameras."
"We've got the footage," the guard said. "But it doesn't show faces. Whoever did it knew where the blind spots were."
"What about fingerprints? DNA?"
"The cameras were wiped clean."
Izzy leaned forward. "What about the feed? Where did the leaked footage come from?"
The guard pulled up a laptop. "It was uploaded from an anonymous IP address. Routed through three different servers. Whoever did it knew what they were doing."
"Can you trace it?"
"Not without a warrant. And even then..." He trailed off.
Alex's jaw clenched. "So we have nothing."
"Not nothing," Izzy said. "We have their pattern. They've been coordinating for months. They'll slip up eventually."
"We don't have time for eventually. The gala is in four weeks."
Izzy thought fast. "Then we set a trap."
Both men looked at her.
"We leak something ourselves," she continued. "Something big enough that they'll have to respond. And when they do, we catch them."
Alex frowned. "Like what?"
"Like... a fight. A public argument between us. Make it look like the engagement is falling apart."
The guard raised an eyebrow. "You want to stage a breakup?"
"Not a breakup. A crack. Enough to make them think they're winning. Then we watch what they do next."
Alex was quiet. Then: "That could work. If we're convincing enough."
"We've been convincing this whole time."
"This is different. We'd have to sell it. Really sell it."
Izzy met his eyes. "I know."
They planned it for three days later. A charity luncheon. Small crowd, but influential. Perfect for gossip.
The night before, they rehearsed.
"You need to look hurt," Alex said. "Not angry. Hurt."
"I can do hurt."
"And I'll be cold. Dismissive."
"You're already cold."
He almost smiled. "Fair point."
They ran through the scene twice. By the end, Izzy's hands were shaking.
"You okay?" Alex asked.
"Yeah. Just... this feels real."
"That's the point."
She looked at him. "What if it gets too real? What if people actually think we're over?"
"Then we fix it at the gala. One big gesture. Something they can't ignore."
"Like what?"
He hesitated. "I don't know yet. But we'll figure it out."
---
The luncheon was packed. Donors, board members, journalists. Izzy spotted Nathan immediately, smiling and working the room. Vivienne was near the bar, watching.
Alex arrived ten minutes after Izzy. They didn't greet each other.
Halfway through the meal, Alex stood up to give a speech about the foundation's new initiatives. Izzy watched from her table, playing the supportive fiancée.
Then, during the Q&A, a journalist asked: "Mr. Blackwood, there are rumors your engagement is a publicity stunt. Any truth to that?"
The room went silent.
Alex's expression didn't change. "My personal life isn't up for debate."
"But surely the public deserves transparency, given recent events—"
"What the public deserves is respect. Which is more than I can say for this line of questioning."
Izzy stood up. "Alex."
He turned to her. His expression was ice. "Not now, Izzy."
"We need to talk."
"I said not now."
She walked over anyway, voice low but audible to nearby tables. "You can't keep shutting me out."
"This isn't the time or place."
"Then when? You've been avoiding me for days."
People were staring now. Phones were out.
Alex's voice dropped. "Go sit down."
"No."
For a moment, they just looked at each other. The tension was suffocating.
Then Izzy turned and walked out.
Alex didn't follow.
The room erupted in whispers.
Nathan was smiling.
Vivienne raised her glass in a silent toast.
And Izzy, standing alone in the hallway, wondered if they'd just made the biggest mistake of their lives.