<spanng="EN">Holden’s POV


    <spanng="EN">I was surprised to see Ana arrive so early. I wasn’t actually sure if she woulde tonight. I saw her reaction to hearing that Tiffany and Gretchen would be here. I had been watching for it, and I know for a fact that they’ve done something to Ana now. It was just a sh, but I saw the fear in her eyes before she masked it. I knew she was serious about them staying with her. I’ll allow it if it makes her stay, but I don’t like it at all.


    <spanng="EN">She hasn’t had a security team for nine years. Now, all of a sudden, she has two men with her. Which was an unpleasant surprise. Not just any men, either; they were both attractive men, and neither wore a wedding ring. It seemed like she had chosen them because they were handsome, which didn’t make me happy. They were both very fit and looked like they were good at their jobs, which didn’t help matters. The fact that she said that she felt safe with them was the worst news she gave. They will be spending a lot of time with her, which I really don’t like.


    <spanng="EN">I recognize that look on her face. She’s trying to hide her emotions, but if I refuse to allow them in the room, she is going to leave. She’s not bluffing right now. We don’t know where she lives, and she has Seth and me blocked. If we lose her this time, who knows if she’ll block her parents? Then it will be radio silence unless we go to Fashion Forward to try to see her. My hands were tied; I needed her to stay. I have to get her to agree to ept the arranged marriage.


    <spanng="EN">“Tanya, I will need Justin to add two more chairs to the private room, and potentially a table if needed. He will need to check the room to see. I will also need two more menus,” I asked. She quickly hands me the menus before going to find Justin. I escorted Ana and her bodyguards to the private dining room.


    <spanng="EN">“Go ahead and make yourselffortable. I’ll send a server to take your drink order soon,” I told them.


    <spanng="EN">I watched as they all walked over to the far side of the table to sit down together. I watched as they took the chairs on either side of her. Well, I guess Seth and I will be finding somewhere else to sit. This was supposed to be my chance to smooth things over with Ana. I wanted to sit next to her. I wanted her to look into my eyes and see the truth, that I care a great deal about her, I think it’s love, but I’ve never been in love before. I just know that I want her in my life.


    <spanng="EN">I walked out and was d to see Seth standing at the Hostess desk. I quickly exined that Ana wasn’t alone and that she was insistent on her bodyguards staying with her. I told him to go in there and make sure to get the seats across from her. At least then I can be near her and get to see her. Seth didn’t waste any time and headed in. I stayed with Tanya for a few minutes and told her who wasing. She knew my family, and everyone in the city knew who Reid and Alicia Caldwell were.


    <spanng="EN">I headed back to the room. I wanted to be there when Tiffany arrived. I needed to see how Ana reacted. They were speaking when I entered. I held the door for Justin as he brought the two chairs into the room. I had originally left the room with both families to be sitting across from each other. I had deliberately left the chairs at the heads of the table empty. I didn’t want things to turn into a power struggle. I was trying to make it more like afortable dinner between our families.


    <spanng="EN">Justin turned to us to take our drink orders. Ana ordered a Crown and Coke, and her bodyguards ordered water. I had a feeling I was going to need a drink too, but I just ordered atte. I needed to be focused tonight, so I wouldn’t be drinking. Seth followed my lead. We spokest night after the auction. We were both going to focus on getting answers and repairing what was broken. Unless Tiffany was at the root of it. If she were, then I won’t be going easy on her, and Mom better do what she said she would. I won’t be giving her a free pass for hurting Ana.


    <spanng="EN">Justin had just put thest of our drinks down in front of us when the door opened, and my parents walked in. My mother ran over to Ana to hug her tight. “I missed you, sweet girl. I love you, Ana. Whatever happened, I swear we will make it right,” my mother told her.


    <spanng="EN">“I missed you, too,” Ana whispered back. She loved my Mom, and I saw tears shining in their eyes.


    <spanng="EN">The cozy atmosphere disappeared when Tiffany’s voice filled the room, “Why is she here? I thought this was supposed to be a family dinner.”


    <spanng="EN">“It is a family dinner, Tiffany. Your opinion doesn’t need to be shared if it is going to be something vile. I told you before we left the house that you didn’t have toe for dinner. You chose toe, so choose to be quiet if you have nothing nice to say. Our families are about to be joined through marriage. I’m so d that we will be getting such an aplished and lovely daughter–in–love.” My father, Holden, announced. I was d that Dad had already stopped Tiffany before she could really start up.


    <spanng="EN">Ana was tense and quickly picked up her drink to take a long sip. I guess she did that instead of arguing. But I could tell she was preparing to say something. She was just going to wait until her parents arrived. I didn’t take her silence as eptance at all. I wanted to see what her father was going to say before I said anything.


    <spanng="EN">I was willing for him to be the bad guy, and I would swoop in as the voice of reason. I would much rather her be mad at him than at me. So I just drank mytte and kept quiet. Reid and Alicia arrived a few minutes before six.


    <spanng="EN">By that time, Tiffany had taken the seat next to Seth. Unfortunately for me, Gretchen was sitting in the seat next to mine. They both kept trying to speak to us, and we both steadily ignored them. I found out this afternoon that Tiffany had demanded that Gretchen be allowed toe with her. I know that even after I get married, they will probably still try to force me to be around them. But if they did something to Ana, I would deal with them. They had both been quietly checking out Ana’s bodyguards. They weren’t discreet about it either. My mother had to clear her throat several times, as they weren’t taking the hint.


    <spanng="EN">Justin had everyone’s drinks served and started taking the food orders. Her bodyguards refused, and Ana did as well. “This is supposed to be a dinner with your family, Ana. Why aren’t you eating?” her mother asked.


    <spanng="EN">“I was nning on eating, but something came up, and I was taken to the police station for a few hours. Since I hadn’t eaten today, we had ate lunch at four. I’m not really hungry right now,” Ana replied.


    <spanng="EN">“What did you say?” Reid shouted. He was furious that Ana was arrested.


    <spanng="EN">“It made the news. I’m surprised you hadn’t heard about it, Mr. Caldwell,” Tiffany said innocently.


    <spanng="EN">“Your arrest was on the news?” Reid was so angry that the veins on his neck were standing out.


    <spanng="EN">“Yes,” Ana answered. She gave no exnation as to why it happened.


    <spanng="EN">“Mr. Caldwell, she was arrested because of a lie. They made several allegations against Ana, all of which were untrue, which is why she is here now. Roger left with Ana, so his mother, sister, and wife all took the opportunity to nder Ana,” I defended.


    <spanng="EN">Ana looked at me in surprise, but didn’t correct me. Reid calmed down before speaking again, “Did it involve what we nned?” he finally asked.


    <spanng="EN">“Joyce felt I humiliated her son, so she wanted to humiliate me. I sold the vi and my apartment. So you can all call the investigators off. I won’t go back to either ce. Sasha decided to nder me because I had Rodney serve them with a letter to force them to stop all production of my designs. Several of the contracts had expired, some for over six months. Roger refused to sign the renewal contracts when they were sent. That’s on him, I’m d he didn’t know, or I would have to pay even more to breach the contracts,” Ana answered her father.


    <spanng="EN">“That’s not the whole truth. ording to thepany, you stole their copyrighted work. That’s why they made sure no one else would hire you. Quite convenient of you to forget that part. They also said that if they were used, they would sue. I think that’s the most important part in this,” Gretchen announced to the silent table.


    <spanng="EN">“Why are you here? You don’t know anything about what’s going on, so sit there and stay quiet. This doesn’t involve you at all,” I snapped out.


    <spanng="EN">“Holden’s right. You know nothing. Ana has been the driving force behind Cook Custom Jewelry. Ana was smart and copyrighted all of her designs. There is too much tant theft and giarism going around. So she protects her work. Ana will survive the allegations. I can assure you that Roger can’t, because it’s Ana’s work that put them on the map,” Seth advised her. He was pissed at Gretchen for trying to cause an even bigger issue.


    <spanng="EN">“You don’t need to try to interfere again, Gretchen. We can all tell what you’re doing. You and Tiffany can both leave and go somewhere else for dinner,” my mother stated with ice in her tone.


    <spanng="EN">My mother loves Ana; she barely puts up with Gretchen. She’d better watch it, or else she won’t be wee in my parents‘ home anymore, which would be great for me. Tiffany and Gretchen were both upset at my mother’s attempt to kick them out.


    <spanng="EN">“They don’t bother me. They are still angry and me me because they didn’t get hired to work for Fashion Forward. They’re still resentful, so they keep trying to cause trouble for me. I’m not a teenager anymore, and neither are you. It’s time to grow up. I’m not scared of anything they can do to me.” Ana replied as she stared at Tiffany.


    <spanng="EN">I looked down the table to make sure my mother heard that. She was looking at Tiffany, too. Well, Ana as good as said it. Tiffany and Gretchen were definitely involved in why Ana was angry with us. Had I missed something? I still don’t have an answer as to why Ana would be mad at me for something Tiffany did to her.


    <spanng="EN">I nced down at Gretchen. She was staring at Ana with hate in her eyes. I knew they didn’t get long, but Ana had never done anything to them. The fact that they both clearly hated her was news to me. Is that why Ana is mad at me? Because we ask bullies to watch out for her?