<spanng="EN">Analise’s POV


    <spanng="EN">“Wait, Elizabeth, don’t leave. They don’t speak for me or thepany. You didn’t need to bring them. This isn’t going to be a battle. I just needed to discuss the contracts. Please stay, we need to talk,” Roger pleaded.


    <spanng="EN">“You sure? They both seemed pretty sure that they were speaking for you,” I replied.


    <spanng="EN">“Juste up to my office with us, please,” Roger asked.


    <spanng="EN">“After you,” I said. I didn’t want to go up in the elevator with them. Sasha immediately tried to grab Roger’s arm as they walked to the elevator. He shook her off and looked back at me with a sheepish grin.


    <spanng="EN">“She’s still new here. She doesn’t know anyone else,” Roger advised. I guess he really did think I was stupid.


    <spanng="EN">“She knows Dixon. They were talking before I came in, but I don’t see her trying to grab his arm. It’s weird. I worked here for seven years, and Dixon could never speak to me properly. I guess he likes Sasha,” I replied as we waited for the elevator.


    <spanng="EN">The moment it opened, Roger stepped in with Sasha and Dixon, Roger held the door open. “Elizabeth, you can ride up with us.”


    <spanng="EN">“No, thanks. I’ll stay with the people I can trust,” I responded. Roger looked hurt, but Sasha looked like she was going to cry.


    <spanng="EN">Tears spilled out, “I don’t even know you. Why would you say something like that about me?” she sobbed.


    <spanng="EN">“Please try to end the waterworks before the meeting starts. Your crying is really distracting. Plus, they don’t know where they’re going,” I replied.


    <spanng="EN">“We’ll see you upstairs, right?” Roger asked. I guess he thought I was going to make a run for it. Not today. I needed to get this handled. Roger’s perfect world was about to copse around him, and I needed to be here to get the ball rolling.


    <spanng="EN">“Yes,” I answered. Roger took his hand off the door and let them shut. I could see he was worried. He should be. I’m quite sure that Sasha is not done, not by a long shot.


    <spanng="EN">“Let me get this straight. He reced you with her? Charlie asked.


    <spanng="EN">“He did,” I answered.


    <spanng="EN">“What a dumbass,” Drew muttered just loud enough for us to hear.


    <spanng="EN">“He is,” I said with a smile.


    <spanng="EN">“I think this job is going to go down as one of my favorites,” Charlie said with a lowugh.


    <spanng="EN">“I certainly hope you can hold yourughter. I’m sure Sasha is going to win an Academy Award today for her acting. She’s only with him because he has money now. She rejected him before. Once his money is gone, she’ll be gone too, but that won’t be my problem. There’s more, but just try not to react,” I announced as we entered the empty elevator.


    <spanng="EN">“I’m sorry this is happening to you, Analise,” Rodney told me.


    <spanng="EN">“Me too, Rodney, but once this is done, I’m not going to be the one who looks bad. I’m going to fight fire with fire,” I said as the elevator pinged, signaling we had arrived on Roger’s floor.


    <spanng="EN">I was surprised to see Roger standing there when the doors opened. He looked relieved when he saw me. He was unhappy that Rodney was there. He genuinely believed the conditions were clearly hidden in the contract, but not from an experienced attorney. I had given Rodney options. If I had security with us, he could point out the problems here in thepany. If we didn’t have security, he could im he needed to review the paperwork. This was thest time I’ll being back here, voluntarily, that is.


    <spanng="EN">“I’m sorry about what my mother saidst night. You know how she is,” Roger said as he led me to his office.


    <spanng="EN">A few employees greeted me as we walked across the floor. I replied, reminding myself to wish them well as I left today. I felt safe with Charlie and Drew with us. I knew that they would protect me and Rodney if it came down to it. We entered Roger’s office, and I wasn’t surprised to see Sasha and Dixon sitting in the only two chairs in front of Roger’s desk. I took a quick nce at Roger, and he was angry. I’m sure he asked them to behave. I wonder when he’s going to realize that Sasha won’t stop baiting me until their secret is out.


    <spanng="EN">I hope she’s not thinking I’m going to respond to her attempts to irritate me. I was already willing to leave. If she keeps pushing, I will. I was only here to let him know that he can’t use my designs anymore. It was a courtesy for me to even be here. But I didn’t have to stay.


    <spanng="EN">“What are you two doing? Get up. Those chairs are for Elizabeth and her attorney. Go sit on the couch,” Roger insisted.


    <spanng="EN">“Why do I have to sit on the couch? I’m your Design Director,” Sasha hissed out.


    <spanng="EN">“I was Design Director here for five years. Guess how many meetings I sat in on?” I asked. Roger flushed as he already knew the answer. I had never sat in on a meeting like this. Even when I spoke to investors, I met them either in my office or at a restaurant. Roger didn’t include me in this type of meeting. I sighed before saying, “I guess I wasn’t as talented as Ms. Elliott clearly is.


    <spanng="EN">We stood there for over a minute, but neither of them moved. “Roger, just give us the copy you wanted us to look at. Rodney and I will review at his office and get back to you about it. It’s clear they don’t respect me or Rodney, I’m sure that will change when you get served for thewsuit,” I stated, and opened the door of his office.


    <spanng="EN">“No! Wait, Elizabeth. They will move,” Roger cried out as he chased me to the elevators.


    <spanng="EN">“I no longer work here, Roger, and time is money. You told them to move, and they didn’t respect you enough to do so. I was already confrontedst night by my recement. I came here out of respect for what we had, but I’m still not respected. I’m done. I will not return. You can stop texting me. Pleasemunicate any further business with Rodney. He will be dealing with you from now on. We’re done, and I no longer have the desire to put up with the crap I did before. Lose my number. The wedding is off. I will make sure that it’s announced officially this week,” I told him.


    <spanng="EN">The look on his face was almostical. We stood there as Roger tried to figure out a response to what had just said. Rodney broke the silence. “Mr. Cook, either go get the paperwork or step out of our way. We intend to leave.”


    <spanng="EN">“The paperwork isn’tpleted, just yet, Mr. Briggs. Please give me a day or two to get back with you,” Roger managed to get out.


    <spanng="EN">“You made mee here and knew you didn’t have the paperwork ready? That doesn’t sound like you, Roger. You insisted Ie here. I think you believed that I would just show up here and sign whatever you wanted. There was a time when I cared about you, about thepany. But those days are over. I’m no longer a part of thispany, and I don’t care if it sinks. What I do know is that if you continue to produce my designs without a contract, I’ll see you in court. I will not settle, and I will ensure that it isn’t handled discreetly. I won’t stop until the whole city knows what Cook Custom Jewelry has done,” I replied as I looked Roger in the eye.


    <spanng="EN">I didn’t flinch, and that’s when he started to sweat. “Elizabeth, don’t be like that. Why would you do this? We were to be married in just two weeks. You’ve changed so much, I don’t even recognize you anymore. You returned my ringst night, and now this. You are a part of Cook’s; if not for you, thepany wouldn’t be where it is. I thought that once we were married, the designs would belong to both of us. Don’t you understand that if thepany fails, you’ll never get your money back? If thepany fails, we all fail,” Roger refuted.


    <spanng="EN">Before I could respond, the elevator door opened, and Joyce walked out with a pleased look on her face. “This is her officers. She illegally sold my son’s home. Please arrest her.”


    <spanng="EN">“Don’t interfere, I’ll be fine,” I quietly told Charlie and Drew.


    <spanng="EN">“Rodney, follow us to the police station. Call Gwen and have her call Christine to meet me at the police station. I warned Rogerst night, but apparently, he can’t control his mother. Oh, and I want to sue Joyce Cook and Roger Cook for false arrest.”


    <spanng="EN">I was very calm as I spoke. Getting arrested with my attorney standing right next to me was perfection. There’s no sense getting my security team involved in this. “Can you pick me up at the station. I’ll be tied up for two hours, so feel free to grab something to eat and pick me up around three–thirty. Can you bring me some food, too, when youe? That coffee is all I’ve had today.


    <spanng="EN">Joyce was just as stunned as the officers were. If she thought I was going to beg her not to arrest me, she could keep dreaming. The police officers apanying her looked very confused.


    <spanng="EN">“Mom, I told youst night that the house belonged to Elizabeth. Did you not hear what she said? If you push this, it will be bad publicity for not just mypany, but Dad’s too,” Roger cried out.


    <spanng="EN">“No, it was your home, you told me it was,” Joyce replied. “It’s illegal to sell what doesn’t belong to you.” But she was less assured about it now. I just wanted them to put the cuffs on me. Because the moment that happens, I wille after everything the Cook’s own. Stripping her of every shred of dignity she has. That is what will hurt her the most. Not being able to hold her head up in public is going to ruin her.


    <spanng="EN">“Officers, I’m sorry my mother got you involved. She is incorrect. Elizabeth and I were engaged to be married. She ended the engagement and sold the home that she had bought for us. My mother misunderstood who the actual owner of the home was. Thank you foring, but Elizabeth hasn’t broken anyws,” Roger assured them.


    <spanng="EN">“Yes, she has, Roger. Just because you’re too scared to punish her doesn’t mean I’m not going to. I warned herst night that she would go to prison for what she did. I know you think you need her, son, but you don’t. Elizabeth is only holding you back. I showed you the deed to the property. I demand that she be brought up on fraud charges. I want to share her mugshot so everyone will know what you did, Elizabeth,” Joyce said with satisfaction. She was looking forward to humiliating me, and as the handcuffs were ced on my wrists, I looked at Roger and smiled.


    <spanng="EN">“Don’t worry, I’ll be taking care of this myself,” I advised him.