Chapter 7

MEDIA FRENZY

~ALEXANDRO'S POV~

The shrill buzz of my phone dragged me from a rare moment of peace. I glanced at the screen: "Mario." Of course. 

I set down my glass of whiskey and answered. "Yes?" 

"You're trending," Mario said, his tone far too amused for my liking. 

I frowned. "Trending?" 

"Don't play dumb, Alexandro," he chided. "The internet's practically on fire. 'Trillionaire Playboy Spotted with Mystery Woman.' Does that ring a bell?" 

I sighed, already regretting my decision to indulge Lauren's lie. "What's the angle?" 

"Multiple," Mario replied. "Some are speculating she's your secret girlfriend. Others think it's a PR stunt to distract from the merger." He chuckled. "A few even believe she's a runaway heiress." 

"A runaway heiress?" I repeated, pinching the bridge of my nose. "That's creative." 

"You know how tabloids are," Mario said. "They'll spin anything into a story. But you might want to keep an eye on this one. The more mysterious she seems, the more they'll dig." 

I glanced out the window, the sprawling resort grounds bathed in moonlight. This wasn't part of the plan. 

"And if they find something?" I asked, my voice sharper than intended. 

Mario hesitated. "Depends on what there is to find. She's clean, right?" 

"As far as I know." 

"Good," he said. "But you'd better lock it down, Alexandro. If this gets out of hand, it won't just be her reputation at stake." 

I hung up without responding, tossing the phone onto the table. 

This was supposed to be simple—a harmless act to help Lauren save face. But now it had the potential to spiral into a PR disaster. 

And yet, I couldn't bring myself to regret it. Not entirely. 

Lauren had a way of complicating things. Her impulsiveness, her vulnerability, the way she looked at me like I was some sort of lifeline—it was maddening. 

But it was also intriguing. 

~LAUREN'S POV~

I was sitting on the edge of my bed, flipping aimlessly through my phone, when the first notification popped up. 

"Lauren McQueen: The New Mystery Woman in Alexandro Castello's Life?"

I blinked, unsure if I'd read it correctly. Clicking on the link, I was greeted by a glossy photo of Alexandro and me at dinner last night. 

My stomach twisted. 

The article was filled with wild speculation, from glowing praise of my "understated elegance" to baseless claims that I was a secret heiress hiding from the public eye. 

I tossed my phone onto the bed and buried my face in my hands. 

This wasn't happening. 

I had signed up for a fake relationship, not a media circus. How had this gotten so out of control so quickly? 

A knock at the door pulled me from my spiral of panic. 

"Lauren?" 

It was Alexandro. Of course, it was. 

I opened the door to find him leaning casually against the frame, his expression unreadable. 

"We need to talk," he said. 

"About the media frenzy?" I asked, crossing my arms. 

He arched an eyebrow. "So you've seen it." 

"Hard to miss," I muttered, stepping aside to let him in. 

Alexandro entered the room, his presence commanding even in the small space. He glanced around briefly before turning to face me. 

"This was bound to happen," he said. "People love a good story, and you've given them one." 

I bristled. "I didn't give them anything! You're the one who decided to play along with my lie." 

"True," he admitted. "But you're the one who started it." 

I opened my mouth to argue but closed it again. He wasn't wrong. 

"What do we do now?" I asked instead. 

"We manage the narrative," he said simply as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. 

"Manage the narrative?" I repeated. "Alexandro, I'm not some celebrity. I don't know how to 'manage' anything." 

"Good thing you've got me, then." 

He pulled out his phone and scrolled through what I assumed were the same articles I'd seen. 

"For now, we stay consistent with our story," he said. "No interviews, no comments, nothing that gives them more to speculate about." 

"Right," I said, pacing the room. "No problem. I'll just... stay out of sight." 

Alexandro smirked. "That might be difficult, considering we're supposed to be a couple." 

I stopped mid-step, the weight of his words sinking in. 

"You mean we're going to keep pretending?" 

"Of course," he said, as if it were obvious. "Backing out now would only make things worse. Trust me, the media loves nothing more than a scandal." 

I groaned, flopping onto the bed. "This is a disaster." 

"It's not a disaster," he said, sitting in the chair across from me. "It's an opportunity." 

"An opportunity?" I repeated, glaring at him. "For what?" 

"To rewrite the narrative," he said. "If we play this right, we can use the attention to our advantage." 

"Use it how?" 

He leaned forward, his green eyes sharp and calculating. 

"Think about it, Lauren," he said. "For once, you're not the one being pitied. You're not the ex who got left behind. You're the woman who caught Alexandro Castello's eye. That's power." 

I stared at him, my mind racing. 

Was he serious? 

"Power or not," I said finally, "I didn't ask for any of this." 

"No," he agreed. "But now that it's here, you might as well use it." 

****************

~ALEXANDRO'S POV~

Lauren's reaction wasn't surprising. 

She wasn't used to the spotlight, and she certainly wasn't prepared for the kind of scrutiny that came with being linked to someone like me. 

But she'd learn. 

This wasn't just about salvaging her pride or keeping up appearances. It was about control. 

The media would spin their story regardless of what we said or did. The only way to protect her—and myself—was to stay ahead of them. 

"Think of it as damage control," I said, leaning back in my chair. 

She gave me a skeptical look. "This feels more like damage creation." 

I smirked. "That depends on how you handle it." 

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. 

"Fine," she said reluctantly. "What's the plan?" 

***************************

I couldn't believe I was agreeing to this. Alexandro outlined his plan with the kind of confidence that made me wonder if he'd done this before. 

Step one: Stick to the story. 

Step two: Control public appearances. 

Step three: Avoid unnecessary attention. 

It all sounded simple enough, but I knew better than to trust appearances. Nothing about this situation was simple. 

As Alexandro spoke, I couldn't help but feel like I was signing up for something far bigger than I'd anticipated. 

But what choice did I have? 

"Okay," I said finally. "Let's do it." 

He smiled, and for a moment, I thought I saw genuine approval in his eyes. 

"Good," he said, standing. "I'll handle the logistics. You just focus on playing your part." 

"Right," I muttered, already dreading what that might entail. 

As Alexandro left, I sat in silence, the weight of our agreement settling heavily on my shoulders. 

The media frenzy had thrown my life into chaos, but at least I wasn't facing it alone. 

For better or worse, Alexandro was in this with me. 

And somehow, that made it a little less terrifying.