Chapter 21
“Dad, I’m telling you that there is something going on between Natasha and Harold. I saw the man leave her building with my own eyes.” He was sitting in Malcolm’s office discussing what had transpired the day before.
“They attended college together, and didn’t she mention that they were friends?”
“Yeah, but just how close are they?” Ari wondered aloud.
Malcolm settled back in his chair. “Have you asked Natasha about this?”
“No, I wanted to talk to you first,” Ari stated. “I’m pretty sure that Harold was behind the company wanting to buy the hotel chain. So I can’t help but wonder what else they are plotting.”
His thoughts were disquieting. It had occurred to him that maybe Natasha’s interest in him wasn’t real. Ari felt his heart ache at the thought that she was using him.
He called his assistant and said, “Could you please ask Natasha to come to my office?”
“You wanted to see me?” Natasha asked, walking into his office.
“Please come in and shut the door behind you,” Ari said.
Natasha did as she was told. “Is there something wrong?” she asked, sitting down in one of the chairs facing his desk.
“I need to know something,” Ari said.
“Okay,” she responded.
He decided the direct approach was best. “Natasha, what’s going on between you and Harold DePaul?”
“Are you serious? Ari, it’s nothing like what you’re thinking.”
Ari responded, “I’ve never been more serious. I need to know if there is something between you and Harold.”
“No,” she uttered. “Harold and I went to college together and I thought he was a friend, but this is the extent of our relationship.”
“No, I’m sure there’s more to that relationship than just attending the same college with the man. Natasha, I am not a fool, so don’t treat me like one. Harold and his family are the ones wanting to buy the hotel chain, right?”
The animation left her eyes as she realized where this conversation was going. She nodded.
Ari settled back in his chair. “Tell me something, Natasha. Where do your loyalties lie?”
“I am on your side, Ari,” she responded a little too quickly. “I am on your father’s side.”
Her telephone rang, interrupting their conversation.
“I’m sorry, but I need to take this call,” she announced. “It’s the hospital.”
“Hello, this is Natasha.”
Her facial expression changed to one of shock. “I’m sure there must be some type of misunderstanding,” Ari heard Natasha tell the doctor. “I need to make a couple of phone calls and I’ll get back to you.”
When she hung up, Natasha asked, “Can we finish this conversation later? I really need to take care of something.”
She was clearly upset.
“Sure,” Ari said. “We can talk tonight.”
“Thank you.” Natasha turned around and walked briskly to the door. “I have to go out for a while.”
Ari waited until she stepped into the elevator. He caught the next one and headed down to the lobby.
Harold had placed a stop payment on the last check he sent to her, which caused her payment to the hospital to be returned.
As soon as she walked out of the building, Natasha placed a call to Harold. “Do you want to tell me exactly what is going on?” she demanded. “You are playing with my son’s life, and I don’t like it.” Her voice broke miserably.
“I warned you, Natasha,” he responded tersely. “It’s pretty clear to me that you’ve chosen Malcolm Alexander and his brood over the DePaul family, so why don’t you get them to foot your son’s doctor bills?”
“Harold, how could you be so cruel? This is an innocent child. I did everything you told me to do. I held up my end of the bargain.”
“They still have the properties, Natasha. They are not going to sell off shares—how can I get my hotels back, Natasha?”
“I can’t make them sell if they don’t want to, Harold. I told you from the beginning that there were no guarantees.”
“And I told you that I wanted results. Why should I pay you when I’m not getting a return on my investment? Although I’m sure that we can come to some sort of agreement. I can take care of you and Joshua if you’d—”
Natasha hung up on him.
As she wiped away her tears, Natasha’s mind was busy at work, trying to figure out her next move. She turned around to find Ari standing there.
The expression on his face told Natasha what she feared had come true. It was obvious that he had heard her conversation with Harold DePaul. Added to her disappointment was a feeling of guilt.
“Please let me explain,” she began.
Ari held up his hand to silence her. “I guess everything we suspected about you is true. We did have a traitor among us.”
“It’s not what you think.”
He shook his head regretfully. “I beg to differ. I have no tolerance when someone is out to hurt my family.” Ari’s expression hardened. “I don’t like being used, either.”
“Please, just listen to what I have to say before you judge me, Ari,” Natasha pleaded. “Please.”
“I’ve heard enough. Oh, your services are no longer needed. You’re fired.”
“Ari…”
He didn’t respond and just kept walking.
Natasha considered going after him but decided that he needed some time to calm down. She prayed Ari would find it in his heart to forgive her.
Ari wasn’t surprised when he didn’t hear from Natasha. I knew she couldn’t be trusted, so why did I let her into my heart? The question reverberated over and over in his head. I should’ve seen this coming, he thought. I knew Harold was up to something, but I had no idea he would take it this far.
The doorbell sounded, cutting into his thoughts.
Ari went to answer the door. He was surprised to see Sage standing there. “What are you doing here?” Ari asked. “I thought you were supposed to be in Santa Barbara today.”
“I’m going up later this afternoon,” she responded, walking inside the residence. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
Ari closed the door behind her. “I guess you talked to Natasha.”
She nodded her head. “She called me and told me everything.”
“Don’t you feel just a little bit betrayed?” he asked her.
Sage met his gaze. “Yeah, I do. I told Natasha exactly what I thought of her and Harold. I really let her have it for the way she hurt you.”
“I haven’t said anything to Dad yet.”
“What are you going to tell him?”
Ari shrugged. “I don’t know. The truth, I guess.”
“I don’t think you want to say anything to Zaire. You know she wasn’t too thrilled to hear that you were involved with Natasha. She never trusted her from the beginning.”
“Turns out she was right,” he mumbled to himself.
Sage placed a hand on his arm. “Ari, I’m angry with Natasha, but everything she did was for Joshua.”
“She could have come to us at any point and confessed what was going on, but she didn’t. Natasha continued the charade. Had she just come to me with the truth, we could have worked through it.”
“I agree with you, Ari, but I also see Natasha’s side of it. She was scared.”
“I don’t trust her, Sage. If I can’t trust her, then we can’t be in a relationship. What Natasha and I had is over.” Ari shook his head. “I’m not sure it ever really began.”
Ari continued to deal with his broken heart by working long hours. By the time he made it home, he was too exhausted to think about anything other than going to bed.
After his shower, Ari checked his iPhone to see if he had missed any calls. He opened his email and saw one from Joshua.
Mr. Ari
I am riting you to say I am sory for makin you mad. I don’t no wat I did but I am v
ery very sory. I hope we can still be frinds. I miss you.
Joshua
Ari wrote him back, explaining that he had been very busy with work and that is why he had not been by for a visit. He assured him that he was not mad and that Joshua would be hearing from him soon. He wrote in his email that Joshua could email him any time.
Despite what was going on between him and Natasha, Joshua could not get caught up in the middle. He would have to sit down with Natasha to see if there was a way he could remain in Joshua’s life.
Ari considered calling Natasha, but he really wasn’t ready to talk to her. He was still very angry and disappointed.
He didn’t sleep well that night. Ari tossed and turned, his mind plagued with dreams of Joshua calling out for him and of Natasha pleading with him to forgive her. He loved her and without her in his life, Ari felt as if there was huge hole where his heart used to be. He felt her absence as deeply as he had felt April’s death.
Ari got up before his alarm clock sounded. He made breakfast, although he didn’t feel much like eating.
Blaze walked out of the bedroom. “Something smells delicious.”
“There’s more than enough food,” Ari said.
“I just spoke to Dad. He wants you and I to attend the meeting with Ira this morning.”
Ari nodded. “That’s fine.”
“How are you?” Blaze asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
“I’m okay,” Ari responded. A pain squeezed his heart as he thought of Natasha.
“I’m sorry.”
Ari looked over at his brother. “For what?”
“I pushed you to get with Natasha. I had no idea she was working with Harold.”
He shrugged in nonchalance. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“You’re in love with her,” Blaze stated.
“I’ll get over it.” Ari finished off his juice and then said, “I’m going to the gym for about an hour.”
Blaze nodded as he spooned scrambled eggs onto his plate. “Thanks for breakfast, man.”
“Enjoy,” Ari uttered as he made his way to the door.
He returned home an hour later to shower and dress for work.
Malcolm, Ari and Blaze met with Ira Goodman at his law firm. They were there to discuss the situation with the Nevada hotels.
“The applications for the permits are pending,” Malcolm announced. “I offered fifty thousand dollars to get this thing settled. Harold really left a mess behind.”
“I think it’s time we had a meeting with this man,” Blaze said. “We’ve kept this quiet to protect our grandfather’s name, but we don’t have to protect Harold. This was all his doing.”
Ari agreed.
“Not just yet,” Malcolm interjected. “Let’s get this settled once and for all. Then we will meet with Harold DePaul.”
Chapter 22
“Mommy, did I do something bad?”
Natasha shook her head. “No, baby. Why do you think that you did?”
“I think Mr. Ari is mad with me.”
She felt an instant’s squeezing hurt. Natasha picked up her son, holding him close to her. “He’s not mad with you, Joshua. He’s been very busy at work. That’s all.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am. He will come by to see you soon.” Natasha was not going to let Joshua be affected by her actions. She knew that Ari cared deeply for him.
“I sent him an email, but I don’t know if he emailed me back.”
Joshua hadn’t been feeling well over the past couple of days, so he hadn’t been working on the computer.
“Would you like for me to check for you?”
Joshua nodded. “I hope he wrote me back.”
I do, too, Natasha thought. She knew that Ari would never take his anger out on Joshua.
“You have an email from Ari,” she announced.
“Mommy, can you read it to me?”
“I sure can.” Ari’s words touched her heart, bringing tears to her eyes. “He promises to see you very soon.”
She stayed with Joshua until he fell asleep.
Natasha left the room quietly and walked across the hall to her bedroom.
She picked up the telephone and dialed. “Ari, it’s me, Natasha.”
“I recognized the number,” he said.
“I won’t keep you,” she quickly interjected. “I wanted to thank you for emailing Joshua. He’s been worried that you were angry with him. I know that we are at odds right now, but I’m hoping you will continue to have a relationship with Joshua.”
“I’d like that, Natasha. I know that I can’t see him right now, but maybe in a couple of weeks or so.”
“Ari, I’m not sure Joshua can wait that long. You are welcome to see him anytime. I can arrange to be somewhere else.”
“I’m not going to run you away from your home,” he told her. “We are both adults. I’m sure we can be cordial to one another.”
“I just didn’t want you avoiding my son because you’re angry with me. He looks up to you, Ari, and you have been the closest thing to a father he’s ever had.”
“How about I come by sometime this weekend?” he offered. “Will that be okay with you?”
“That would be great. He will be so excited.” She paused a moment, then added, “Thank you, Ari.”
“Tell Joshua I will see him on Saturday.”
Natasha hung up the phone, tears rolling down her cheeks. She had lost the one man who ever truly loved her.
Hearing Natasha’s voice on the other end of the line only increased his heartache.
He wanted to hate her, but he couldn’t.
His heart wouldn’t let him.
William DePaul knocked on his door.
Masking his hurt, Ari gestured for him to enter.
“I thought you might want to see this,” William said as he handed Ari a press release. “And for what it’s worth, Natasha was just as much a victim. My brother only cares about himself. Uncle Robert knew about some of the underhanded things Harold was doing, but before he could do anything about it, he became ill.”
“Did you make your uncle aware of what was going on?” Ari asked.
“I did,” William acknowledged. “But Harold kept me in the dark, as well.”
“I am glad to have you on board, William.”
He smiled. “I am grateful for the opportunity to meet other members of my family. Your father is an extraordinary man and I’m glad we’re getting to know one another.” William turned and headed to the door. “I need to get back to my office. I’m meeting with a new vendor.”
“Thanks, William,” Ari said. He read the press release in his hand.
Blythewood Appoints Harold DePaul Director of Operations
Blythewood Hotels & Resorts, the premier manager of ultra-luxury properties throughout the world, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Harold DePaul as Director of Operations of The Rosen Hotel Hollywood, which is scheduled to open early next year. The hotel, currently undergoing a full restoration, originally opened in 1901 and was and will be again Hollywood’s most elegant and historic hotel. Mr. DePaul will oversee all areas of the hotel, which is being developed by Blythewood Development Ltd., which is part of the Wilmington Group.
With a decade of experience and success in the management of luxury hotel operations, DePaul joins Blythewood Hotels & Resorts following his most recent position as Managing Director of the DePaul Hotel Group. DePaul will manage Blythewood’s newest addition and second California property to its already outstanding collection of notable properties.
“Blythewood is committed to creating world-renowned hotels and resorts, and we are pleased to have the protégé of Robert DePaul open this spectacular property,” said David Hanson, Chief Operating Officer of Blythewood Hotels & Resorts. “His years of experience and wealth of knowledge in the hospitality industry are well suited to lead efforts at the Rosen Hotel Hollywood.”
“Maybe this will keep Harold busy and away from my f
ather,” Ari uttered. “One thing for sure. It’s definitely time for a face-to-face.”
He pushed away from his desk and walked down to Malcolm’s office. “Dad, I know how to get Harold DePaul to stay away from us permanently.”
Malcolm removed his glasses and settled back in his chair. “I’m listening.”
Malcolm had his secretary contact Harold and demand a meeting within the hour. While they waited, Ari and his father went over what they planned to say to Harold. Blaze joined them a few minutes later.
The telephone rang.
“He’s here,” Malcolm announced when he hung up.
“What is this all about?” Harold questioned. “Have you finally come to your senses and decided to walk away from the hotel properties?”
“Why would we do that?” Malcolm asked. He sat in his chair, arms folded across his chest.
“Then why did you summon me over here?” Harold glanced over at Ari and asked, “How is Natasha?”
Ari didn’t respond, although deep down he wanted to rip the man to shreds.
Malcolm removed his eyeglasses and set them on the desk. “I don’t know if you’re aware that this company is under investigation, or should I say, was under investigation.”
“What have you done?”
“The appropriate question is what have you done?” Ari interjected. “The Nevada State Contractors Board was investigating a report that remodeling had taken place at the two properties there, without permits.”
Harold’s eyes registered his surprise. He struggled to regain his composure. “Where did they get that ridiculous information?”
“From a former employee of the construction company you used,” Malcolm stated. “Apparently, he phoned four local regulatory groups back in April.”
“Obviously, there’s been some mistake,” Harold said. “We have permits for everything we’ve done.”
“Those permits were forged, Harold,” Ari stated, “by you. We had the handwriting analyzed. An employee with Licenses and Permits confessed that he was paid a large sum of money to file the forgeries, but he never filed the falsified documents for fear it would all lead back to him.”
Five Star Attraction Page 18
