<spanng="EN">Analise’s POV


    <spanng="EN">My door mmed open and hit the wall. I nced over and saw Holden standing there, with my brother right behind him. What are they doing here? I almost rolled my eyes, but I knew that I needed to deal with this jerk first. I held up a finger to tell them one minute, before turning back to Dixon.


    <spanng="EN">“Who the hell are you two?” Dixon fumed. “This is a private conversation.”


    <spanng="EN">“Private conversation?” Holden said with a scoff. “We heard you yelling at her the moment we stepped out of the elevator.”


    <spanng="EN">“Like I care what you two think. Elizabeth was in the wrong here, and she is being counseled for it. Once she signs, ПI leave. She goes around acting like she is better than everyone else, and she isn’t.” Dixon looked right at me while he spoke.


    <spanng="EN">“I’m not signing it, Dixon. I’m not a regr employee, and you have no authority over me. I’m not better than everybody else, but I’m better than you.” I replied with a smirk. “Also, I don’t care what Roger said for you to do. He and I are equals. If you have a problem with me, I can leave right now. I don’t mind, I have no ties holding me here anymore,” Ana coldly told him.


    <spanng="EN">“I might not have authority over you, but Roger does. So, sign it,” Dixon replied. He was insistent on my admitting fault.


    <spanng="EN">“Dixon, I’ve spent twelve–hour days here for the first three years, I worked hard to get this business off the ground. I wasn’t paid overtime for my hard work, for the long hours, or for pulling in investors. Roger put in seven–hour days, and still doesn’t know how to run thispany. Yet you stand there and act like I’vemitted some kind of unforgivable act. But you’re wrong. I’ve only been one and a half hourste this week. I had things to do for the first three days. But I was on time today; you probably didn’t check, you just assumed. Thispany no longer matters to me as much as it used to. Don’t push it, Dixon. Unless you’re willing to draft me a check for at least a thousand overtime hours, I won’t be signing that write–up,” I advised with a smirk.


    <spanng="EN">I enjoyed watching his mouth open and close repeatedly. He thought he would blow in here, yell at me, and bully me into signing that stupid write–up. Not going to happen. I sold every one of my shares. I was thankful that thepany had long passed the lock–up period. As anticipated, Roger’s father had bought half my stocks. His brother, Charlie, had purchased the other half. It was most likely at his father’s request, but I was thrilled. I got my initial investment back, and then some. I couldn’t stop the smile at the thought of their whole family feeling the burn when thepany copses.


    <spanng="EN">“Dixon, you’ve been put in charge for the first time. I know the actual reason you’re here. You signed for the deliveryst night. You and Roger both know that you’re not authorized to use my designs anymore. You know, the designs that put ourpany on the map. You’re just acting like a petnt child trying to punish me. I’m just making this a clean break,” I told him. I opened the bottom drawer of my desk and pulled out my purse.


    <spanng="EN">I walked past him and stopped at the door for Holden and my brother to step back to allow me to leave. I entered the bullpen to speak to my employees for thest time. “I have enjoyed working with you over the years. If you need a ce to work, you can apply to work at Fashion Forward in the future. I can promise you all that you’ll need to update your resumes soon,” I told them before turning on my heel and walking towards the elevator.


    <spanng="EN">“You can’t just quit. You need to sign this first, and I have no idea what you’re talking about. Thispany will survive just fine without you. We received no such letter,” Dixon huffed out as he ran after me.


    <spanng="EN">“Are you sure about that, Dixon?” I asked with a smile.


    <spanng="EN">“Very sure, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but all of your designs have a valid contract on all of them. You can’t just pull them out like that. It isn’t legal. You’re the one who’s going to be ruined, not thepany,” Dixon’s voice rose higher, trying to embarrass me.


    <spanng="EN">“Several contracts have already expired. I will be using the money I get from suing thepany to pay for the breach of contract fees. Don’t worry about me, Dixon. You need to worry about yourself and Roger. Because his house of cards is about toe falling down. I built thispany into what it is today, yet never been appreciated for it. I’m going to enjoy watching it all crumble to the ground,” I replied entered the elevator as soon as it opened. Holden and Seth wordlessly followed me into the elevator.


    <spanng="EN">Nothing was said until we reached the lobby. “Why are you two here?” I asked as I sat, and slid my heels off, putting on my ballet slippers, I knew I could never outrun them in the heels. I just needed to get to the parking garage first. I was d I had my windows tinted the other day. They wouldn’t be able to see me, even when I drove past them. They won’t give my new car a second nce because they’ll be looking for my old one. I put my heels into my bag and stood up to finish our conversation. I didn’t really want to speak to either of them.


    <spanng="EN">“We hadn’t seen you all week. We were worried. We just wanted to check on you,” Seth replied.


    <spanng="EN">“As you can both see, I’m fine. I’ve been busy. I didn’t feel like replying to any of you, as only Nana Wade cares about how I feel. The rest of you are doing what you do best, trying to force me into doing what you want me to do. You couldn’t care less about what I want to do,” I replied.


    <spanng="EN">I had actually been pretty surprised to see them burst into my office today. They both looked like they were ready to rip Dixon apart. I hadn’t expected them, but I had been expecting Dixon. I anticipated him showing up yesterday after thewyer’s letter had been delivered. I guess he waited to open it and then did what Roger told him to do. They were used to my deferring to Roger. Letting him hold the upper hand. They had no ideal that Roger had no hold on me anymore.


    <spanng="EN">I no longer had to y nice. The only thing the thought of Roger does to me now is activate my gag reflex. Hepletely disgusts me. I’m so d I waited to have sex with him until we got married. That was mom’s rule, and Roger hadn’t pushed. The thought of him touching me now had my stomach flipping. Thankfully, I had apparently disgusted him. I’m thankful that I waited now. I already knew I would have never felt clean again if Roger had been sleeping with me and Sasha at the same time. My lunch threatened to make another appearance at the thought of it.


    <spanng="EN">“If you don’t want to marry Holden, I’ll back off. I was just trying to keep Roger from humiliating you. You deserved to be loved and cared for. Holden was happy to help. You already have an arranged marriage. I thought I was doing something you would appreciate. I’m sorry, Ana. I love you and I won’t allow anyone to hurt you,” Seth told me.


    <spanng="EN">I scoffed before I could stop myself and blurted out, “You sure about that? Because it’s not true.”


    <spanng="EN">“What are you talking about?” Seth asked with concern.


    <spanng="EN">“We do care about you, Ana. I’ve always held a special spot in my heart for you. We did our best to protect you, even after we went to college. What are you even talking about? Because I know for a fact that Seth and I have always had your back ever since we were kids,” Holden snapped out.


    <spanng="EN">“You willing to bet your life on that?” I snapped back. I closed my eyes and breathed. I had to stop myself before I said something I’d regret.


    <spanng="EN">“Then tell us what happened? We will make it right,” Seth replied. His tone was careful as he knew I was close to losing my temper.


    <spanng="EN">I kept counting, as I tried to control my breathing. “I’m not getting into that with you two today. I’ve been as forgiving as I could be, but I won’t let you push me into losing my temper, not here. Things will go even more downhill if that happens. I’m already dealing with Roger and several other things at the moment. I can’t deal with this right now. So please, just leave me alone. I’m fine. You see it with your own eyes, just let me get this dealt with. I refuse to engage with you right now. Tell Mom and Dad I’m fine. I’ll contact you after the wedding. date has passed,” I replied as calmly as I could.


    <spanng="EN">“I was trying to protect you, Ana. It’s bad for business for you to be embroiled in a scandal,” Seth started to say before I could leave.


    <spanng="EN">“That sure hasn’t stopped you now, has it, Seth?” Her cold voice filled the lobby. “Have you been forced to marry during any of your scandals? This isn’t even my scandal. Roger is the one who did wrong. I’lle out just fine in two weeks‘ time. Don’t stand there and act like you’re doing this for me. I don’t believe it, and neither do our parents. You’re just forcing it because that’s what you do. I’m always the one having to ept crumbs. Well, no more. I’m worthy and I deserve more than that. I deserved to be cared for, protected, and loved. I deserve to be able to trust the man I’m engaged to, even if that hasn’t happened yet. I’m no longer epting the life you want me to live, Seth. Don’t follow me, or I’ll call the police,” I replied.


    <spanng="EN">I walked away quickly from them. I hope they realize that I was serious about what I said. I’m d to leave this ce. Justing here is a mocking reminder of just had far I’d gone to ept a few crumbs from Roger. My stocks are sold, and I’ve drawn first blood. The soonest Roger can return is Saturday. I signed the paperwork to sell the vist night. There was a bidding war over it, and I managed to sell it for three million. Right now, I’ve been made more than whole.


    <spanng="EN">Once I exited the lobby and made it outside, I broke into a run. They won’t be standing there for long. They will try to follow me at a discrete distance, to figure out where I’m staying. They both worked out and did cardio. They could’ve caught me quick, except I managed to make it to the elevator first, and I knew where I was parked. But the time they ran to the exit, I’d already pulled out and was driving away. They didn’t even nce at my new car. I’m done being bossed around. Those days are over, no matter what they think.