Eventually,Isabellafellasleep.
He’d talked to her for almost an hour, soothing, encouraging, going through all her options, which included reporting the death threats to her social platforms as well as to the police.
But ultimately, the truth was clear.
Isabella’s career and her squeaky-clean popstar rep were up shit creek.
He knew it.
She knew it.
Just like she’d known that the best way to snuff out those rumors and gossip was to flaunt another hot love story in front of the world.
Too bad he was the love interest in that story.
Dan scrubbed his face.
Libby would have ideas about what to do.They could brainstorm all the options.Together.But the easiest one for Isabella would always be for Dan to go along with their fake reunion.
Maybe he could do it?Such a story would drive an insane amount of traffic to Libby’s platforms.It would be very lucrative for her and that kind of money would benefit her and Karim.
No.No way!
Dan hated the thought of lying to the online community he and Libby had built these past couple of weeks.Lying and being tied to lies was wrong.Nothing good ever came from it, and Libby would absolutely hate it too.There was no way she’d ever go along with such a plan, no matter how much money she’d earn from it.
Quietly closing the bungalow door behind him, Dan went in search of a cable to charge Isabella’s phone.He didn’t know Libby’s number off by heart to call her, but as soon as he had access to the internet again, he would email her.But the backpackers he asked didn’t have a cable that was suitable, so he headed to the reception desk to ask Serita or Hehu to call Tia Rosa.
Hehu was on duty, his feet crossed on the desk as he leaned back in his chair watching TV.
“Mr.Jones,” he said, with that warm, broad smile that showed all his missing teeth.“I hear you’ve been a busy boy with another pretty woman.”
“Not so much.”Spending the entire afternoon listening to his ex-fiancée crying her heart out over the man she’d had an affair with was not how Dan liked to be kept busy—and the polar opposite to what Hehu thought he’d been up to.“I’ll tell you all about it the next time you have trouble sleeping.”
Hehu chuckled and dialed Tia Rosa’s number.A few moments later, he was speaking in Maori.His eyebrows shot up, and with a shake of his head, he hung up.“She’s not there.Rosa said they’ve gone to the airport.”
“The airport?Why?”
Hehu shrugged and gave him a sour look that said,Isn’t it obvious?
Blood drained from his head.
Oh, no, just no!
Libby could not be leaving the island!
Then things she’d said before jabbed into his mind.Her lifestyle.How she could move on from place to place if she didn’t like somewhere.That she wouldn’t hang around the next time she sniffed any I-don’t-want-you vibes.
Had seeing Isabella given her those vibes?
“I need a cab to the airport,” Dan said.There was absolutely no way he’d let Libby fly away—definitely not without at least saying goodbye, and absolutely not without him telling her the truth.
Nothing was happening between him and Isabella!
“What time is the next flight out?”
Hehu dialed as he glanced at the wall clock behind him.“The next flight out leaves in two hours.”He spoke Maori again into the phone, cackle laughed, then hung up.“An express cab will be here in five minutes.I told them you were a silly boy in a hurry.”
Chapter 35
