The penthouse was too quiet after the phone call. Emma sat frozen, the manila folder still on the coffee table, the photos inside peeking out like threats written in shadow.
Alexander stood with his jaw clenched, staring out of the massive window. The skyline of New York glittered before him, but all Emma could see was the chaos behind that beauty.
She rose slowly. What now?
He turned, his eyes sharp. "Now, we go to war."
Emma blinked. "Against her?"
He nodded. Celeste crossed a line. This isn't just corporate sabotage anymore she's threatening your life, your privacy, your peace.
Emma's throat was dry. And she's smart. She'll have backup plans. Resources.
"So do I." Alexander stepped forward, his voice firm. But I need you with me, Emma. Not because of a contract. Because this is real.
Her heart skipped. Again.
She remembered the way he'd looked at her downstairs in the ballroom like she was the only real thing in a sea of pretense. But this wasn't about feelings anymore. It was survival.
I want to believe you, she whispered.
He stepped closer. Then do. Let me protect you.
Emma looked up at him, torn between the instinct to run and the desire to trust. She wasn't used to leaning on anyone. Especially not a billionaire with a stormy past and enemies like Celeste.
But she wasn't the same girl she'd been a few weeks ago, either.
She met his eyes. Okay. I'm with you.
Alexander didn't smile. His relief was quiet, reverent like a silent vow. "Good. Then we begin now."
By morning, the headlines were ruthless.
"Blackwood Marriage: Real Romance or PR Hoax?"
"Anonymous Source Claims Alexander Blackwood's Wife Is a Paid Actress."
"Celeste Sinclair Speaks: 'I Know What a Real Relationship Looks Like.'"
Emma sat at the breakfast bar with a mug of untouched coffee in her hands. Her phone buzzed nonstop friends, coworkers, nosy strangers from past.
Alexander strode in, dressed for war. Navy tailored suit. Cufflinks that gleamed like small blades. A look in his eyes that could cut through steel.
He placed a stack of files on the counter. "We're doing a press conference this afternoon. Together."
Emma raised a brow. To say what? That she's lying? That our marriage of convenience just happened to turn real in record time?
She's trying to bait us into panic. We don't take the bait. He tapped the files. "Instead, we go on offense. We show receipts proof of our timeline, shared assets, travel records, and photos no one else has. We drown the narrative in reality."
Emma hesitated. What if they don't believe us?
Alexander met her gaze. Then we make them believe us.
She looked down at the photos in the files some taken by his private team, others from their time together. There was one of her asleep on his shoulder during a flight. Another of him cooking breakfast while she wore one of his shirts. Not staged. Not planned. Just moments that happened when no one was watching.
They felt real.
Emma exhaled. "Fine. I'm in."
The press conference was packed.
Camera flashes, murmured speculation, whispered bets on how long the fake marriage would last.
Emma stood beside Alexander in a sleek navy sheath dress, her hair pulled back in a low chignon, minimal makeup, but eyes that spoke volumes. Alexander's hand rested lightly at her back not possessive, but protective.
Thank you for coming, Alexander began, his voice firm and composed. There have been some questions regarding the authenticity of our marriage. Today, we're here to clear the air with facts.
He gestured to the projector, and a slideshow began photos, travel logs, joint statements from close friends, even a short video of Emma and Alexander laughing candidly during a charity trip.
The room was still. The evidence was damning for Celeste.
Emma stepped up next.
I didn't marry Alexander for money. I didn't marry him for fame. I married him because She hesitated, the words catching in her throat. Then: "Because he saw me when no one else did. And because I chose him, knowing all the risks.
It wasn't entirely true but it wasn't a lie either. The rawness in her voice did more damage control than any file ever could.
When they stepped down from the podium, the applause was slow but it came.
Later, when they were back in the car, Alexander leaned his head back with a sigh. You were incredible.
Emma chuckled dryly. I deserve an Oscar.
"No." He turned to her. You deserve a damn medal.
She looked at him then and despite everything, she smiled.
But the moment didn't last.
Alexander's phone buzzed. He checked it, and his expression changed.
"What?" Emma asked.
"It's security. There's been an attempted break in at your old apartment."
Emma's blood ran cold. "What?!"
"They didn't take anything. But they searched your bedroom, your desk, your laptop. Whoever it was they were looking for something."
Emma's thoughts raced. "But I haven't lived there in weeks, heck months, is my family okay?
She doesn't care. His voice was dark. She's escalating and don't worry your family is safe.
Emma's thought clamed a bit and she said, i will need to finally call my family.
That night, Alexander arranged for private security to be stationed on their floor and around the building. But Emma couldn't sleep. Every creak made her jolt. Every shadow felt like Celeste's whisper.
She stepped out to the balcony, wrapping a silk robe around her. The city pulsed below, oblivious to the war happening in the clouds.
A moment later, Alexander joined her, two glasses of wine in hand. He offered one silently.
She took it.
They stood in silence for a while.
Then Emma asked, "What if we lose?"
He looked at her. "Then we lose together."
It wasn't much.
But somehow, it was everything.
Meanwhile...
Celeste watched the press conference replay on her tablet, her wine untouched for the first time.
They were convincing. Too convincing.
She threw the tablet across the room, fury flashing in her eyes.
"They're turning the public against me," she snapped.
Kara stayed quiet.
Celeste paced. "Time to stop playing fair. If they want to paint a picture perfect romance let's see how much they love each other when everything burns."
She reached for her phone.
"I want eyes on them 24/7. I want dirt. I want weakness. I want something we can use."
Kara nodded, then hesitated. And if they really are in love?
Celeste's eyes narrowed, cold and sharp. "Then we break it."