With David and Leona on board, the helicopter flew straight to the nearest hospital. David was taken directly to the emergency room.
Leona waited outside anxiously. She wished that it was her rather than David who was lying in the emergency room.
Later that afternoon, he was transferred to the general ward, but he was still unconscious. Leona sat by his side, holding his hand and watching him carefully.
She waited patiently by his side. Later that evening, she was ecstatic when saw that his eyelids moved, and he slowly opened his eyes. She cried, "David, you're awake. Doctor, come quickly. David is awake!"
"You don't need to call a doctor, I'm all right." He smiled and whispered, "Leona, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Leona replied, still far more concerned about him. Her eyes twinkled as she said, "David, you shouldn't always try to protect me. If you hadn't, you wouldn't be so hurt now."
"No. If you had been injured, it would have hurt me far more than I'm hurting now. I'm very happy that I was there to protect you," he said as he shook his head and smiled.
She looked into his eyes and felt that he loved her.
Over the last days, Leona had sensed that he felt more for her than just friendship. But he was still her sister's fiancé. She had thought that he was deliberately ignoring any affection that he felt for her.
"David, you need to rest. I haven't told Lindsey what happened. I didn't want to scare her. Now you've woken up, I'll call her and get her to come here to take care of you." She sighed softly, and then stood up to leave.
"Leona," David said as he reached out and grabbed her hand. Her heart lurched. He stared into her eyes and said, "You must see how I feel about you?"
His words made her heart flutter. She looked at him but didn't know what to say. Her heart was a mess.
"Do you really think that I visit you at Richmond University every day because I want to experience a peasant's life? Do you remember when we ate paella together by the lake? Because you were with me, I now find paella the most delicious food in the world. When I go to dinner with clients at fancy restaurants, I find all other food bland. In my eyes, you're just like the paella. After meeting you, other women seem dull to me. Leona, you must understand what I'm saying."
Leona turned to him, and two tears fell from her face to the floor. She wiped away the tears, sighed, and said quietly, "Of course, I know. But you're engaged to my sister, how can I—"
David looked happy and said, "That's what you're worried about? Then I'll cancel the engagement with your sister."
"What?" Leona was stunned. She thought for a moment and murmured, "How can I let you do that? If Lindsey knew that you canceled your engagement because of me, she would hate me."
David said, "No, I think you're wrong. I don't love Lindsey and I don't think she loves me. She will thank you for giving us a reason to break off the engagement."
Leona stopped at the door and looked at David. She thought, "Lindsey, did tell me that she had to marry David, not because she wanted to, but because her family wanted her to. She was only doing it to join her family with his."
"Leona, will you marry me?" David asked.
"I—" She didn't know what to do. She wanted to agree, but she still didn't think that she should.
"I've made up my mind that I am going to marry you. If you don't accept this time, I will keep asking until you do. Even if things like today have to keep happening until you are convinced about my love for you. Leona, do you want me to get hurt again?" he said.
"You know I don't want you to get hurt protecting me," she replied.
He smiled and said, "Since you do love me, let's go together and talk to Lindsey and your father."
Leona was too ashamed to face her family. "Please don't make me go. You can go by yourself."
He took her hand and asked her to sit beside him. He said with a smile, "I'm not going alone. If you don't go with me, I'll keep going to your school and pretending to be a peasant. Everyone will laugh at me again. As long as you don't mind your future husband being mocked, that's fine."
Leona blushed and said, "You come from such a good family. Why do you still want to pretend to be poor?"
"I'll pretend to be anything for you," said David.
He caught her eye and smiled, eyes twinkling. Soon she couldn't help but smile back.
His ploy had worked.
**
The following day, David couldn't wait to speak to Leona's father, Charles Marvel, and her sister, Lindsey.
He wanted to go that very night, as soon as Leona said yes, but Leona was worried about his health.
The next day she was still worried about him. But he told her that his health was fine and that the hospital had used the most advanced drugs for him. He assured her that he was now fully recovered. Leona said no more about it.
David met with the three members of the Marvel family in the luxurious Continental Hotel. Leona was too ashamed to speak.
Charles thought that David was just inviting them all to dinner. He had no idea what kind of discussion was in store for them that evening.
"Mr. Marvel, Lindsey, I invited you here today because Leona and I have something we need to tell you," David said solemnly.
Charles and Lindsey looked curiously at each other. David's serious tone made them feel uneasy. They each wondered if it was about Lindsey's engagement. Leona only blushed and lowered her head.
Charles said reassuringly, "David if you have something to say, that's fine. Please go ahead."
"Then I'll come straight out with it." David paused for a moment, and then said, "I want to break off my engagement with Lindsey."
"What?" Charles was shocked. He dropped his glass, which fell to the ground and broke into pieces. He said with trembling lips, "David, we've been telling everyone about your marriage to Lindsey for such a long time. You are about to get married. How can you? Why now?"
Charles wanted Lindsey to marry David Drake to help him win his bid for the development rights of the Heaven and Earth Theme Park. He knew that without the support of the Drake family, he could not complete the project. Moreover, the news about David and Lindsey's marriage had spread all through Washington D.C.'s upper classes. David's decision could ruin the Marvel family for good. They would be seen as a joke.
When Lindsey heard that David wanted to cancel their engagement, she was surprised. She tried not to let it show on her face, but secretly she was very relieved. She didn't actually like him that much. She had only agreed to the engagement for the sake of her family.
"I know it's sudden, but please forgive me, Mr. Marvel. The fact is that I've met a girl who is much more suited to me than Lindsey," Darryl said.
Charles's hand trembled as he asked, "And just who do you feel to be more suited to you?"
David looked at Leona and answered affectionately, "She's your eldest daughter, Leona."
"Leona?" Charles and Lindsey were equally shocked. They looked at Leona and David in astonishment. They couldn't understand what was going on. However, Charles's heart stopped racing. As long as David was still prepared to marry into his family, it didn't really matter which daughter he chose.
David said, "Mr. Marvel, Leona and I really love each other. I want to propose to her. Do you approve?"
"You have to listen to Leona's own opinion on this matter," Charles replied. He looked at Leona and asked, "Leona, what's your heart telling you? Do you want to marry David?"
At that moment, everyone turned to look at Leona, and it made her feel very uncomfortable. She blushed with embarrassment and stuttered, "I, I—"
She glanced at her sister.
Lindsey quickly realized that Leona was reluctant to accept David for her sake. She took her hand and whispered, "Leona, do as your heart is telling you. I won't be angry."
When she saw that Lindsey was smiling, Leona realized that she was not upset at all about the engagement being called off. Obviously, she had not really wanted to marry David anyway. She told her sister, "David is so perfect, I want to marry him."
Charles said to David with a smile, "Since Leona wants to marry you, what else can I say? David, I agree. I can see that you and Leona are very much in love. Shall we agree on a wedding date now?"
David took Leona's hand and said with a smile, "I think our original date is still fine, September 15th. Everything can go ahead as planned. We've just changed the bride."
Charles thought for a few seconds and then said with a smile, "Okay. That should be fine."
"Leona, David is a good man. I know you'll be really happy together." Lindsey hugged her sister with a smile.
When David saw how happy Lindsey was, he felt aggrieved. He realized that she had never wanted to marry him. She didn't care at all that the engagement was off. In fact, she seemed to be grateful to him for setting her free. He was disgusted that she was so happy not to be marrying him.
Feeling rejected, his natural inclination was to try to win Lindsey back. To ask her for another chance. The rejection made him feel belittled and worthless.
But although he felt extremely angry with Lindsey, he knew that he couldn't say anything in front of her family.
After the meal was over, Charles said goodbye to David and left the restaurant with his two daughters.
Watching Charles's car drive away, the smile on David's face gradually faded. He murmured, "Lindsey, you stupid cow. You laughed so happily just now. How dare you celebrate that I broke off our engagement? Well, don't worry. Even though I'm going to marry your sister, I'm not planning to let you go so easily. I've been thinking about you for too long."
He took out his cell phone and sent a message to a group of his wealthy male friends in D. C. The message said: [Treat at Continental Hotel tonight, all come here.]
**
That evening, everyone from the group arrived at the Continental Hotel. David announced to them all that he was engaged to Leona. He told them that he would marry her. Besides Darryl and Colin, who had helped him with his schemes, everyone there was awed that David win Leona's heart in such a short time. They all praised and congratulated him.
"David, you're amazing," one said enviously.
Another said, "That's great news. We can't compete with you."
"David is like Adonis," said another.
The group of young men had several drinks and began to brag amongst themselves.
In private, David thanked Darryl and Colin for helping him win over Leona and told them that he would do his best to help them in the future. They complimented David and told him that he would have won her even without their help. They were both very happy for him.
David had a few drinks, and then called another of his friends, Jason Morley, to his side. He whispered, "I've got an offer for you. There's something I want you to help me with. I know your company is in debt. If you do what I ask, I'll sort it out for you and save your business."
"Of course, thank you. I'll do whatever you ask." Jason's heart lifted. He had owed money for such a long time that his family was in danger of losing their entire business. It had been weighing heavily on his mind.
"Very good. What I want you to do is to go after Lindsey," David told him.