Who Wants to Marry A Billionaire?(48)
Chapter Forty
Nina felt a bit of dried blood at the back of her head and realized that she must have been unconscious, as it was almost dark. She had a splitting headache, and her ankle was throbbing like the dickens. She sat up gingerly, and drank some water, then found her flashlight. She pulled up her pants leg to look at her foot, and the amount of swelling was frightening. She tried to stand up, but putting the slightest bit of weight on her foot sent her into agony. She lurched over to a rock and sat back down. What to do now?
The activities office knew where she was, and they knew when she was expected back. Someone was sure to notice eventually, Nina told herself. The main thing was not to panic. Even if she had to spend another night out, she certainly wasn’t going to die. She had plenty of water, and a couple of cheese sandwiches. Things could certainly be a lot worse. She propped her swollen foot up, and tried to remember what had happened. Her last memory was flying down the rocks. She must have slipped and hit her head. Her fingers gently probed the knot at the back of her head, and she wondered if she might have a concussion. She didn’t feel sick to her stomach, so that was good, but she seemed to remember that you shouldn’t go to sleep if you’ve had a head injury. At least she’d brought her book, and some extra flashlight batteries.
For the moment, though, Nina sat with her chin in her hand. She wondered what the universe was trying to tell her. Not that she really believed in fate, but she wondered if she should be hitting the pause button to reconsider her future. She closed her eyes and the image that came to mind was that of Daniel brushing her hair. He had been so sensitive and comforting; why would he ask her to trust him if all along he intended to be involved with other women? She didn’t want to believe he was that shallow and cruel. And she didn’t want to believe that she was that much of a fool.
Chapter Forty One
Daniel didn’t know how to start with Arturo, but he thought the entire truth was probably his best bet. If he could convince Arturo to see that he really had become the man that Arturo wanted to run Eco-Resort Calderon, perhaps Arturo would put in a good word to Nina on his behalf. Deal or no deal, he wanted Nina back.
“I’d like to share some things with you, Arturo, and try to separate fact from fiction. Believe me I understand that you have reason to not believe a word that comes out of my mouth, but ask me anything, and I promise I will answer truthfully.”
Arturo ruminated on that for a moment. “Cannes—the donkeys and clowns…”
“Fact. Guilty as charged. I did absolutely everything they said I did.”
“The strip club in Panama City.”
“That was a set-up. Some paparazzi jumped me. I was out just trying to find someplace to eat.”
Arturo nodded. “Nina was the girlfriend you told me about the first time we talked?”
Daniel cleared his throat. “That was a lie. I didn’t meet Nina until later. I was freaked out and was trying to make a good impression, so I made up having a girlfriend.”
“But Nina is…was…really your fiancé?”
This was the question Daniel was dreading, but if he was going to man up, he had to go all the way. “This is…complicated. I don’t want you to think less of Nina because of what I’m going to say, and it makes me look like a terrible person.”
“But? I hear a ‘but’ in there,” Arturo said without humor.
“But I really do love her.” It was the first time, Daniel realized, that he had admitted it.
“But you’re not engaged?”
“It’s like this—I wanted to impress you because I like you and respect you, and because I wanted this deal so maybe my father would respect me a little more. That meant looking like I was settling down, so I used Nina’s family and financial predicaments as leverage to get her to pretend to be my fiancé in exchange for a cash settlement.”
Arturo drew in his breath. How could someone think of such a thing? “So India?”
“Theater…except that’s when I started to realize what a really special and loving person Nina is…the more time I spent with her, the more I started to become the person that you and my father wanted me to be.” A tear started to well up in Daniel’s eye. “She’s the kind of woman that makes you a better man. By the time we got down here, I started to realize that I was genuinely in love with her. And from all signs, she loves me—although we’ve never actually said it to one another.”
“The thing I’m trying to understand is how you could dream up such a mean and convoluted plan? Why would you exploit a kind and vulnerable person? My whole career has been devoted to trying to make things better for other people.” Arturo was shaking his head.
“I know this sounds lame, but it wasn’t my idea. Someone exploited my trust in them and their advice.” Daniel wiped at his eyes. “I can’t even begin to explain how horrible I feel about it, except that it gave me the opportunity to get to know Nina.”
“And the pool? I know what I saw with my own two eyes.”
“Frankly, I don’t understand it completely. My e-mail was hacked, and at first that woman tried to seduce me, but when that didn’t work and I started to leave, she told me she knew about my deal with Nina. She threatened to tell you and my father, and I was so angry I couldn’t see straight because I knew ultimately, I was responsible for giving an extortionist good material. I guess when she saw you and Nina; she just did the most shocking thing imaginable.