Chapter 30
VAL
Right after seeing the tabloid leak, I left Nolan’s house and called Daphne. I had an idea for how to discredit The Daily Gab, but I needed a little help—and her blessing.
Luckily, Daphne connected me with just the man I needed, who was still in the area for business. By the time I arrived at the bar, he was waiting for me.
“Valeria López, we meet again. I was surprised to get your text.”
I took the open seat beside Anton Alistair, who looked like he belonged on the cover of Men’s Health magazine with his tight tee shirt straining over his bulky chest and biceps. When I trailed my fingers across said bicep—all part of the plan—he raised an eyebrow.
“I have a favor to ask.”
“Oh?” His eyebrow shot even higher, an inviting glint in his eye.
“Not that kind of favor. Well, not exactly. I’m sure you’ve seen the headlines.”
With a throaty chuckle, Anton said, “Babe, from the amount of eyeballs on us right now, everyone in this room has seen the headlines. So that begs the question—if you’re with Nolan, why are you feeling me up in public?”
My throat constricted, but I ignored it. It’s fine. It’s all fine. I can fix this. “Because I’m not with Nolan. The picture of me from that night looking like, um—”
“Like you were thoroughly fucked by someone who knows what he’s doing?”
“Yes, that picture, is actually from after you and I hooked up at the gala. And we’re going to prove it.”
Anton rubbed his short trim beard, assessing me. “Okay. Color me intrigued. What exactly are you proposing?”
“You and I will pretend to have a public relationship to spin the story our way. No doubt there are pictures of us dancing that night, and probably some idiot with a cell phone is getting some of us right now. We’ll convince the world that I’m just another one of your hot-and-fast romances.
It’s the only way to save all of our reputations.
” And maybe it will be enough to save their engagement and keep Cressida’s father from releasing his blackmail.
“An interesting idea. Does Nolan approve?”
“I haven’t told him yet.”
Anton’s eyes sparkled with mirth. “I like it even better now. Just imagining the look on his face when the first pictures of us go public...”
“Don’t be mean. I’ll tell Daphne on you.” I meant it as a joke, but at the mention of Daphne, Anton’s eyes darkened. As much as Daphne denied it, I knew there was something between them, which is why I’d run my idea by her first. Maybe she’ll tell me about it one day.
“I’ll play nice, I promise,” said Anton. “I fucking hate The Daily Gab—wouldn’t even use the damn thing as toilet paper because it’s so toxic—so I’d love nothing more than to watch it burn.”
“Oh. Great.” I’d expected to have to work harder to convince him, so his easy agreement threw me off. Seems like I made the right choice in an ally.
“But are you ready for this, Val?” Anton asked, covering my hand with his massive one. “The media is vicious, and you’ll be putting your entire life on display. So be sure you can handle it, because once we put this out there, there’s no taking it back.”
At his words, my stomach churned. I was in so far over my head, but the only way out was through.
Opening myself up to public scrutiny was our only option to re-spin the narrative in our favor—or else I’d be labeled a home-wrecker hussy, Nolan would lose his job and inheritance, and Cressida’s dirty laundry would be aired for all to see.
Erica had made sure I was going to be dragged into the public eye—but I had the power to choose how I was seen. And I was taking it.
Squaring my shoulders, I said, “I’m sure.”
He nodded, looking at me as if I was a formidable opponent. Almost as if he…respects me. “I’ll want something in return.”
“I’m not getting you a date with Daphne.”
His jaw muscle ticked. “I am not interested in dating Daphne.”
Liar. But no point in antagonizing my newfound fake boyfriend. “So what do you want?”
“I want to break away from the Alistair family business of tabloids and scummy real estate deals and start my own brokerage. Then I’ll use the capital to launch a contracting company for luxury renovation services.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“You’re going to help me secure my first client—Hale’s Peak. Convince Nolan to sell it to me instead of Bridgeport Rock Quarry. I’ll partner with him to renovate the place top to bottom, and if we entice the right buyers, we can sell it at a major profit…”
He regaled me with details of his proposal, but my brain had stopped working after the words rock quarry. The room spun and I slapped my palms atop the bar to steady myself. “Nolan is selling Hale’s Peak?”
Anton let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his forehead. “Goddamn it, Keller. Keeping shit from his woman. Sounds like you two need to have a discussion.”
“Oh yes. We will absolutely be discussing this.”
“You’re selling Hale’s Peak to a fucking rock quarry?”
Nolan had the decency to look abashed as he sat on the couch beside Cressida. His normally perfect hair was shooting off in all directions as if he’d run his hands through it repeatedly, and his tie hung loosely about his neck.
“How did you find out?” he asked.
“Anton. I made a deal with him to get the tabloids off our backs by distracting them with a very public, very fake relationship. And in return, he wanted me to convince you to sell the resort to him instead of the rock quarry.”
I watched as a multitude of expressions flitted across his face. Guilt. Horror. Agony. And then resignation.
“I should have told you,” he said finally.
“You’ve been lying to me for months.” My hands quaked at my sides and I clenched them into fists as I grappled with the truth.
At that, Cressida shot him an accusing look. A look that said I told you so.
“Oh, perfect, so you could talk to Cressida about it but not me?”
“The details of the sale are confidential. But that’s no excuse. I shouldn’t have let you believe a lie. It was selfish, and I’m sorry.”
“What am I supposed to do with an apology?” I said, clutching at my chest as if that could hold my breaking heart together.
“You’ve done nothing but lie to me ever since you set foot on the property.
Your whole relationship with Cressida was a lie.
You’ve been leading me on this entire time just to appease your grandfather.
And hell, you probably used me to get out of this engagement you never wanted. ”
I turned toward the door, but Nolan was out of his seat, planting a palm on the wall and barring my escape. “Please let me explain.”
But I couldn’t handle hearing him say how he cared for me, while in the same breath admitting he lied about everything.
“You know how much this place means to me, and you let me think that you cared about it too. You allowed me to go about the charade of believing I had a chance to convince Keller Resorts to agree to massive renovations. But your mind was already made up. How could you do that? I let you in.”
Because this was about so much more than him lying about the sale.
I’d put my trust in him and let him see parts of me that I’d never laid bare for anyone else.
“I did things with you, said things to you, felt things for you that I’ve never given to anyone else,” I said.
“But I should have known that something like this would happen. A secret relationship with an engaged man could never have a happy ending. We were always destined for disaster, but I’d thought the threats would come from the media or your family. I never expected it from you.”
“You’re right,” he said, ducking his head. “I made a bad choice and I regret it. I thought you’d hate me if you knew of my plan to sell, but I should have known that you’d hate me more for lying about it.”
“I could never hate you, you idiot.” My frustration, anger, and embarrassment were hardwired to my tear ducts, but for once, the tell-tale burn of tears didn’t prick at my eyes.
Because all I felt was the bitter pang of disappointment.
Disappointment, and heartbreak. Because at that moment, the bare truth of it all stared me in the face.
Goddamn it. I’d gone and fallen for the man.
Had been falling for him for weeks now. I’d given him my heart and didn’t even realize it until it was breaking right in front of me.
His eyes were twin pools of anguish, reflecting my own feelings back at me. “Valeria, please forgive me. I lov—”
“Don’t.” I held up a hand. Oh god. No no no. “Do not say it.” I ducked under his arm and lunged for the doorknob, willing the tears to stay locked behind my eyes. “Go back to San Francisco, Nolan. You’ve done enough here.”