Page 16

Chapter Fifteen

When we arrived back on the island, the resort’s private car was waiting to take Andrew and me directly to the island medical center, which was a modest, one-story building nestled near the edge of town. Andrew helped me inside because I was still a bit unstable on my feet.

Inside, the waiting room was bright but clinical, with chairs arranged neatly along pale- yellow walls adorned with posters about sun safety and hydration. The facility was clearly designed for minor emergencies and routine care.

There was no one waiting, so after checking in with the receptionist, a nurse took me into a nearby exam room. The doctor arrived a few moments later—a woman in her forties with kind eyes and a reassuring smile, who introduced herself as Dr. Gordon. She gave me a thorough checkup as well as IV fluids to combat any dehydration, warm blankets to raise my body temperature, and then told me I’d be monitored for the next two hours to ensure I didn’t develop secondary symptoms like hypothermia-related shock or fluid in my lungs.

At my look of concern, she quickly assured me it was unlikely any more problems would occur, but she wanted to be careful.

After she left, Andrew sat down in a chair next to the bed and took my hand in his. "Well, this is not the honeymoon I thought we'd have," he said lightly. "But we'll have quite a story to tell our kids and grandkids one day."

I wasn't sure how to react to his words. He was acting like I'd had an unfortunate accident, when I'd told him I thought someone had pushed me into the water.

"Victor spoke to me when you were getting in the car," he continued, his gaze turning more serious. "He's going to send Martin Demora over here to talk to you about what happened. Victor doesn't want to get the local deputies involved unless you're sure there's something that needs to be investigated. I told him your mind was very fuzzy about what happened, the result of the medication you'd taken, and it was unlikely you could give a detailed statement right now."

Was that because he didn't want me to give a detailed statement? Didn't want me to share my suspicions with anyone else, because I'd be pointing the finger at Allison, his good friend, or whatever the hell she was to him?

"Megan suggested we go with the medication explanation," Andrew added.

"Sounds like everyone is focused on spin control," I said, a little disappointed by everything I'd just heard. It made sense that Victor and Megan would immediately think about that, but Andrew's willingness to go along so easily with the story bothered me. But then, everything about him was starting to bother me. I didn't feel like I could trust a word he was saying.

"I know you think you were pushed, but it seems so unlikely, Lauren. Who would do that?"

"I told you who."

He shook his head. "I don't believe that."

"I know you don't," I said heavily.

A frown crossed his lips. "I'm not picking her over you."

"It feels that way."

"Your story just doesn't make sense. It was Harper and Allison who first noticed you were gone. They raised the alarm. They were running all over the boat, looking for you."

"Well, that's what I would do if I'd pushed someone into the ocean and didn't want anyone to think it was me."

"You said yourself you were out of it. You could barely walk. You couldn't focus. You were disoriented."

"And someone took advantage of that."

"Or you're confused about what happened. Look, if you want to talk to the police, if you want to tell everyone what you told me, I'm not going to stop you. And I'll stand by you, but I'm trying to protect you, and right now, I'm not sure you have the mental capacity to protect yourself. I don't want you to regret something later when your mind clears. You love your job and this company, and accusing someone of trying to kill you on Victor's yacht without any proof whatsoever could be risky." He paused, letting his words sink in. "But if that's what you want to do, then I'll back you up. I'm on your side. You don't seem to believe that, but it's true."

It was hard not to believe Andrew when he was speaking with such force and a clarity that I had to admit I did not have at this moment.

I let out a sigh. "You're right. I'm not thinking clearly right now, so I don't want to make any official statements."

"I really think that's for the best."

He'd no sooner finished speaking when the door opened, and Martin Demora walked in, the resort's head of security.

"How are you doing, Mrs. Chadwick?" Martin asked, his sharp gaze running across my face and down my blanket-covered body.

"Much better," I replied.

"Mr. Carrington told me what happened and asked me to check in with you. He’s very concerned about what happened on the yacht and wants to make sure everything is being handled appropriately. Is there anything you want to share with me about how you ended up in the water? I understand you took some pain medication prior to your fall?"

"Yes. I was thrown by a horse yesterday, and I was experiencing a lot of pain in my hip and leg."

"I've been made aware of that incident. Tell me more about today."

"There was a photo shoot on the yacht, and I had to do a lot of walking and posing. I was in a great deal of pain. I wasn't sure I could get through lunch. Andrew offered me a stronger painkiller, and I took it."

"What kind of painkiller?"

"It was hydrocodone," Andrew answered for me. "I had a prescription for a back injury I had several months ago, and there were a few pills left. Lauren was in a great deal of discomfort. I didn't know the medication would affect her so strongly."

"You do know it's illegal to share prescribed medication with someone else," Martin said.

"I didn't think it would lead to this," Andrew said sharply.

"Do you have the medication?" Martin asked me.

His question gave me pause. "It was in my bag, but I don't know where my bag is. It might be on the yacht. I don't believe I had it with me when I went downstairs or into the water. It was probably at the table where I was sitting for lunch."

"We'll track it down," Martin said. "Hydrocodone can cause dizziness, nausea, and disorientation, especially for someone who doesn’t have a tolerance for it. If you mixed it with alcohol, that would amplify the effects."

"I did have some champagne," I admitted.

"Is there anything else you want to say?" Martin asked.

Having just been reminded of what was at stake for me and the company I worked for, I shook my head. "No. I want to rest and forget about what happened. Thank you for coming."

"If you change your mind or think of something else, please feel free to come to me. Mr. Carrington is very concerned about what happened to you, and I can assure you that anything you have to say will be welcomed and taken seriously."

"I appreciate that."

Martin nodded and left, closing the door behind him. Andrew turned back to me. "I'm sorry I gave you the medication, Lauren. That was a mistake. I could have lost you today. You could have died out there."

"Please don't remind me."

"I would have never been able to forgive myself, Lauren." He shook his head, regret in his serious and apologetic gaze. "It would have been my fault. I'm the one who's supposed to protect you. I'm your husband. I let you down. I wish I could go back in time and do it all over again."

His words were like a balm to my bruised spirit. He was looking at me with love and speaking with so much guilt that it was hard not to believe he was being honest, that he did love me. That he would never want anything to happen to me. That he wouldn't choose some ex-girlfriend over me. On the other hand, he had pushed me to take the medication. And he had asked me to keep quiet about my suspicions.

The turmoil of my thoughts made my head spin again.

"I need to rest," I told him. "I don't blame you. I just want to feel better. And then we can talk more, okay? I'm going to be here for two hours. Why don't you go back to the suite? Or better yet, go find my bag. My phone and wallet were inside. I'd like to get that back."

"Are you sure? I hate to leave you alone."

"I'm going to try to sleep. I'm very comfortable now. I'm feeling warm and tired, and I think a nap will do me good."

"Okay. I'll go find your bag and let everyone know you're doing better."

"I am doing better," I assured him, because I really wanted him to go so I could think without him trying to shape my thoughts. "I'll be fine."

Andrew gave me a tender kiss and then left. I blew out a breath of relief with his departure, knowing there was something wrong with feeling that way about him. But, at the moment, his presence was more disturbing than anything else.

I was about to close my eyes when a knock came at the door, followed by a familiar voice, which for some reason I found more comforting than the one belonging to my husband.

"Come in," I said.

Ethan Stark walked into the room, and the concern in his sharp green gaze made my gut clench, because his worry for me actually felt real, which was another disturbing thought. How could this man's emotions feel more honest than my husband's?

"I can't believe you ended up in the ocean," he said, moving closer to the bed. "You must have been terrified."

"I thought I was going to die. And I might have if it had taken them longer to find me." A lump grew in my throat, and moisture filled my eyes.

He put his hand over mine, the warmth of his touch steadying my emotions. "What can I do to help, Lauren?"

"There's nothing you can do."

"Isn't there?"

As his challenging gaze met mine, I knew that he was thinking the same thing I was thinking. "You don't believe it was an accident, do you?" I asked.

"Do you?"

I slowly shook my head. "No, but I'm not sure. I took some pain medication for my hip, and it made me confused and disoriented. I was stumbling around on the lower level of the yacht, and I ended up on the swim platform. It didn't seem like anyone was around, but I felt someone come up behind me, and I think they pushed me into the water."

"Did you tell anyone else that?"

"Andrew. He didn't want to believe me. Especially because I said I smelled perfume—Allison's perfume. He told me there was no way Allison would do that."

Ethan gazed back at me, and I finally saw belief and acceptance of my story. Maybe that was because he didn't like Andrew or his friends. But at least he was listening.

"Is there anything else you remember?" he asked.

"No." I paused. "Wait. I did overhear a conversation in one of the staterooms, but I couldn't tell who was talking or exactly what was said. I think the voices were male. I'm pretty sure one of them said something about the risk being too great, and the other one dismissed that concern. It's a blur in my mind. I didn't want to get caught eavesdropping, so I moved down the hall to a side door that led to the lower deck. I thought the air might clear my head. A few minutes later, I was in the water, and I didn't know what had happened." I took a breath. "The cold ocean did shock my brain back into focus, though. It woke me up enough to swim to the surface, to try to survive."

"Why didn't you tell Martin this? I asked him what happened, and he said you insisted it was an accident, the result of a reaction to medication."

"Because no one wants this to be anything but an accident. The grand opening is in two days. Victor doesn't want negative press about this. He doesn't want people to think that a guest on his yacht might have been thrown overboard."

"Who cares about negative press?"

"The Carringtons do, and I do, too. I've worked hard on this campaign, and I don't want the resort's opening to be ruined, especially since I don't know what happened. Maybe I did imagine the shove at my back."

"You're backtracking pretty quickly, Lauren. Is it the resort you're trying to protect or your husband and his friends?"

I gave him a troubled look, reminded that sometimes he was more of an enemy than a friend. "I can't make an accusation without proof. It's not going to be good for anyone."

"Probably not," he said, surprising me with his agreement. "At this point, if someone did push you in, it's best they think you don't know that. Ignorance could be your protective shield. I'm just sorry you told Andrew."

I was a little sorry I had, too, but I wasn't going to admit that.

"I'm going to look into what happened, Lauren, but I will be careful in how I do that."

"Okay." I paused, suddenly remembering something. "One of the men in the stateroom…he said something about you."

A question flared in his eyes. "What?"

"I think he said, what are you going to do about the investigator? And the other person said not to worry, he had it under control. What could they have been talking about?"

"Probably something to do with the security of Victor's collection." He paused. "Are you sure the voices you heard didn't belong to Andrew and Colin?"

"They were muffled, and all this happened when I was feeling my worst. I was trying not to throw up again and to stay on my feet."

He frowned again. "I heard Andrew gave you his prescription medication."

"He thought I needed something stronger. I didn't want to take it, but the pain got so bad, I didn't think I could get through the day without some relief."

"Going forward, you need to be very aware of anything your husband is giving you."

"He didn't push me in the water."

Ethan gave me a hard look. "Are you absolutely one-hundred-percent certain of that?"

"He jumped into the sea to rescue me," I murmured.

"And I'm sure that daring gesture was captured on video, but you didn't answer my question."

"I don't want to answer it," I said.

"You just did."

"My husband is not trying to kill me." The words came out of my mouth with a rush of emotion, and before I could stop them, the tears quickly followed. Suddenly, my entire body was racked with sobs.

Ethan sat down beside me and put his arms around me, pulling me into a hug, as a waterfall of tears streamed down my face. Ethan held me until I was spent. Then he handed me the box of tissues on the nightstand, and I blew my nose a dozen times, probably looking even worse than I had before.

"I'm sorry," I said as I dried my eyes. "I didn't expect that."

"You were due. You've been through a lot the last couple of days."

"I have been. And the worst thing is, I don't know what's coming next."

"Maybe you should get off this island, Lauren."

"I can't." I gave him a helpless look. "I'm committed to the campaign, the grand opening. I'm not just the bride; I'm also an employee. I don't want to lose my job."

"After what happened today, I don't think Victor would make you stay. And surely they have enough photos of the two of you to sell the resort."

"Probably, but Victor has done so much for me. I don't want to let him down. I have to pull myself together and get through the next few days. I can do that, right?"

His lips tightened. "I don't know. I don't like what's going on, and I don't trust your husband or his friends."

"I don't trust him, either," I admitted. "I want to, but things keep happening to me. And then there's the phone?—"

"The phone?" he interrupted.

I realized I'd never told him about that. "I found a second phone in his jacket pocket. There was a text on the screen from someone named Al. I couldn't read anything but the first several words: If you cut me out, you'll be … I couldn't get into the phone, so I couldn't read the rest of it. I think it was probably from Allison, and I'm beginning to think the first warning on the wall of the bridal suite was for him, not for me."

"Maybe so," he murmured thoughtfully. "Could be the crew isn't all on the same page." Clearing his throat, he added, "You need to get away from both of them, Lauren. Because you might be caught in the middle of their war."

"I can stay away from Allison, but not Andrew. We have dozens of photos to shoot every single day and people to meet and greet. We have to act like a happy couple. It's in my contract."

"Your life could be in danger. That's more important than a contract. But if you're determined to stay, you need to be very careful. Pay close attention to everyone around you and try not to be alone or in any other precarious type of situation."

"Trust me, I'm going to stay on solid ground and in a crowd whenever I'm not in the suite."

"But you'll be alone with Andrew then."

"I don't think he's the one who's been trying to hurt me. I think it's Allison. Maybe to get back at him, I don't know, but that's the way it looks to me."

"She does appear to be the best suspect," Ethan admitted. "I'll see what else I can find out about her."

"You should go now. Andrew will be back soon."

"Okay." He got up from the bed and gave me a long look. "Take care of yourself and call me if you feel even the least bit uncomfortable. It doesn't matter if Andrew is there or not. If you call, I'll come."

I felt immensely reassured by his words. "Thank you."

"You're more than welcome. Keep your head up, Lauren."

"I will."

By the time Andrew took me back to the suite, it was almost five o'clock. He'd brought my bag, and I'd seen a bunch of texts from Harper, Jamie, Megan, and several from other coworkers, which I would respond to later. I wanted to take a hot bath and get rid of the dried ocean salt on my skin.

Andrew ran the tub for me while I rested on the bed. He put in a generous dash of bubble bath and then he helped me get into the bath, sitting on the side of the tub as I sank into the warm and sweet-smelling soapy water. I was afraid the water might remind me of being in the ocean, that feeling of drowning, but there was such a difference between this moment and those moments that I couldn't make the comparison, and I was grateful for that.

"You don't have to watch me," I told him, feeling oddly uncomfortable with a man I'd practically lived with for the past several months.

"I don't want you to pass out in the tub, so I think I'll stay right here."

"That won't happen. My brain feels clear again."

"I'm glad to hear it, and once again, I'm sorry I pushed you to take a pill. I didn't think it was a big deal."

"I don't blame you. It was my choice."

"Have you remembered anything else that you want to share with me?"

"No." I didn't want to get into another tense discussion when I had no new facts to relate.

"Are you sure? You can talk to me. I hope you know that."

"As long as I don't talk about Allison."

He frowned as anger flared in his gaze. "She's not the horrible person you think she is."

"She told me she knows you better than I do. How was I supposed to take that? It certainly wasn't a compliment. And I can't help thinking she's right, because I certainly didn't know about her or Paris."

He let out a sigh. "She doesn't know me better on a personal level, just on a business level. She and I have never had the connection that you and I have. Our attraction was instant. Don't you remember how quickly and how hard we fell for each other? We stayed up talking all night after our first date. It was the best first date I'd ever had."

"I thought so, too," I admitted. But now, looking back, I could see that what I'd thought were deep conversations hadn't been deep at all. We'd talked about books and movies and places we wanted to travel to. We'd shared little about our actual lives. We'd just lived in a happy bubble where we were having fun, having sex, and falling in love. But who had I fallen in love with? The little discrepancies, the omissions, the second phone, the trip to Paris…it was all adding up in a way that made me nervous.

And Andrew was making me nervous. Even now, he was staring at me and getting bothered by the fact that I still didn't trust Allison, which meant I didn't completely trust him. It had been a long day, and I didn't want to get into an argument.

"I want to get back to you and me," Andrew continued. "I hope you want the same thing."

"I do want things to be the way they were before," I said with complete honesty. Because those days had been good, much better than the last few I'd lived through.

His tension eased at my response. He put his hand on my shoulder and leaned in for a kiss. Then he said, "I'm glad you feel that way, Lauren. When I saw you in the water, so far away from me, I felt a distance I'd never felt before. I didn't like it. I want us to be together always."

"Then maybe you should tell Allison to go home. Or maybe you could ask Victor to terminate his deal with her," I suggested.

"That would raise questions, and I don't think Victor would appreciate me telling him what to do with his business."

"So, she stays," I said, feeling deflated by his response.

"Look, I'll talk to Allison about leaving. And if she doesn't want to leave, I will tell her that she needs to stay away from you and me for the duration of our time here. We're only here until next Sunday, unless you want to leave earlier?"

"We can't leave before Thursday at the earliest. The grand opening on Wednesday has events running all day and into the evening."

"Exactly. But it's Monday night and Thursday will be here before we know it. Then we can go home or anywhere else you want. We can have a real honeymoon."

"That would be nice. Let's talk about it later. I'm hungry. Do you think you could order room service?"

"Of course. What do you want?"

"Anything sounds good. Chicken or fish."

"I'll order a bunch of stuff. Victor is picking up the tab, and I'm sure he'd want you to have anything your heart desires."

"As long as I tell the right story," I said cynically.

"You've always told me your job is important to you. But whatever you want to do, I'll support you."

I wasn't sure that was true, but Andrew knew I was going to go along with the spin, because that's what I had to do. "I'll be a good team player," I said.

"I'm sure that will be appreciated. I'll go order us some food."

As he left, I couldn't help thinking that while I loved my job, I didn't want to die for it. And I really hoped I was making the right decision by staying silent.