<spanng="EN">Analise’s POV


    <spanng="EN">It was almostughable that Tiffany and Gretchen were able to get my father so angry. “Dad, didn’t you realize that Roger and his family would try toe after me? I’m a powerless orphan, as far as they’re concerned. So why wouldn’t they? They don’t know who I am yet. Of course, they would try to control the narrative. Mr. Griggs is already on it. I have copyrighted each and every design, including the newest ones that Sasha ims are hers. I’m not going to have Rodney rush. I want the facts to be undeniable. It’s my work, and they stole it. Sasha and Roger will be the ones humiliated by this. My arrest? Allows me to sue them, and Joyce, for several things. No one knows I’m a Caldwell. If and when ites out, I won’t be the one in the wrong. I’m just ying along until it’s time to destroy them,” I announced to the room.


    <spanng="EN">“I thought you loved that vi?” my mother said sadly.


    <spanng="EN">“I did, until he let her move in over two months ago so they could y house together. I no longer want it. It’s been vited, and I don’t want anything more to do with it. It’s already sold, and I’m moving on. I bought a new home, and it’s being prepared for me to move in,” I replied.


    <spanng="EN">“Where are you going to live?” Seth asked. He was trying to sound nonchnt, but she wasn’t fooled.


    <spanng="EN">“I will let you know when I’m ready,” I replied.


    <spanng="EN">“We’re your family, Analise. We haven’t seen you, and didn’t even know if you were okay. You’re treating us like outsiders, and it’s uneptable. You even dare to have two strangers sitting at the table with us. We have our own security outside, out of respect for the room and the nature of our discussion. Yet you sit there between them, keeping us away from you, like they belong. They’re not family,” my father shot back at me. I knew he wasn’t going to be happy that they were here.


    <spanng="EN">“Gretchen’s not family either, yet she sits there like she belongs. She also keeps touching Holden every chance she gets. Holden, my alleged fiancé, sits there, allowing it yet again. I’m fine with my bodyguards leaving, but I’ll be leaving with them. I won’t stay here where I don’t feel safe. So, you go ahead and say whatever you want to say. But I won’t be bullied intoplying for much longer,” I shot back.


    <spanng="EN">Charlie and Drew had quietly slid their chairs back a few minutes ago when Tiffany started up. They knew what she was doing. It was obvious to all of us, yet her parents didn’t intervene. It was just like back in high school. Mr. Vaughn worked a lot, and Mrs. Vaugh fell for her daughter’s little Ms. Innocent act. It was one of the many reasons why clearing the air between our families was pointless. My bodyguards were both prepared to stand and defend me, physically if necessary. They were willing to protect me, even when my family wouldn’t.


    <spanng="EN">“Are you trying to threaten me, Analise?” my father asked.


    <spanng="EN">“Didn’t you threaten me in order to get me here tonight? So, how could you be so shocked that I’m unhappy about being forced toe? All I said was that if you make them leave, I’m leaving too. That wasn’t really a threat now, was it? It was a promise. Just say what you want to say, Dad. I know it’s probably going to be another threat, so go ahead and let me have it. I know what the real issue is: you’re trying to keep your reputation as a benevolent and loving father intact. But you don’t have to worry about Charlie and Drew. They won’t be the ones letting anything slip. If you truly wanted to keep things private, then Tiffany and Gretchen wouldn’t be here,” I replied.


    <spanng="EN">I stared back at my father as he struggled to maintain his anger. I needed him angry because I wasn’t going to sit here all night. Not going to happen. I have had a long and frustrating day. I’ve had to hold my tongue as I needed to do this step by step. I won’t warn Roger of what’s toe. It killed me not to throw his precious Sasha under the bus today. It was so hard not to tell him that the baby he’s so happy about isn’t his. But I need to do this the right way. I don’t want to give him any way to try to wiggle out of this.


    <spanng="EN">My father finally looked away and said, “I didn’t threaten you. But you have be increasingly hard to deal withtely. I helped you make the outline. Don’t you know that I love you? I would do anything to protect you.


    <spanng="EN">But you are digging in and can’t even see what’s best for you right now. You need to understand what’s at stake. People talk, even if you’re not at fault; there’s a stigma attached. You may never get past it. I know how the real world works, Ana. Please listen to me. Yes, I forced you toe, but what else could I do? You tell me, Ana. How else could I have got you toe here if I hadn’t?” my father asked.


    <spanng="EN">I feel a little bad, as I could hear the pain in his voice. I saw the tears on his face. He honestly felt that he was looking out for my best interests. I got up and walked over to hug him, and then my mother. I returned to my seat, but I didn’t pull my chair back up to the table. I was drained and done with the day. It had only been seven hours, but my strength was sapped. I needed to go back to thepany and rest.


    <spanng="EN">“I’ve had a hard day, and I just want to get some rest. Just tell me why I’m here,” I asked as nicely as I could.


    <spanng="EN">“We want to announce the change in your groom, Ana. We want to do it as soon as possible, so it looks like you realized you made a mistake in choosing Roger. Holden cares for you, and I know with time, you’lle to love him again. We also wanted to clear the air. We have been friends with the Vaughn family for decades. We want things to go back to how they were before. What do we need to do to make that happen?” My father asked.


    <spanng="EN">I was frozen in shock; those were two really big–ticket items, and my father just acted like they were nothing.


    <spanng="EN">My eyes shot right towards Tiffany, who was just as stunned as I was. Her eyes narrow at me, and the message was clear. I needed to keep my mouth shut, but I’m no longer a frightened teen. I hadn’t had them for a while now, and thest thing I needed was for them toe back.


    <spanng="EN">I looked at Holden, but he was looking at Tiffany. I could see that he was starting to put together that she had done something, but it was far toote to fix it. I can’t trust Holden, and Tiffany is thest person I want to be rted to. If they honestly wanted to find out, it should have just been Seth and my parents. I didn’t want to discuss this in front of the Vaughns. I already knew things would go very badly. I couldn’t afford for that to happen. Not right now, and especially not tonight.


    <spanng="EN">“I need time to think about this, I just can’t discuss it tonight. I am exhausted, and Ick the emotional stamina to handle this. I’m willing to talk about it. But right now, with everyone here, I just don’t want to get into it. Please don’t try to force me to do this,” I finally managed to say. I was so overwhelmed that I just couldn’t handle anything else tonight. I was about to burst into tears if I were pushed any further tonight.


    <spanng="EN">“Okay,” my father said slowly, drawing it out. He has been a leader in the business industry for a number of years. I think he was suddenly realizing something, and although he usually doesn’t concede to anyone, he was doing it for me.


    <spanng="EN">“If not tonight, how about lunch tomorrow? Or dinner tomorrow, just us,” Seth offered. He saw my eyebrow raise and knew exactly what I was asking. “Just our family, you, me, and our parents. Is that eptable?”


    <spanng="EN">“It is if Charlie and Drew are included. They will be with me every time I leave my home. I cane to the house to meet with you,” I replied.


    <spanng="EN">“Ana, I would like to be there, too. I’ve wanted to speak with you privately since I returned. I want to marry you, and not because our marriage was arranged. I want you to know that. No one would be able to make me marry them if I didn’t want to,” Holden said as he nced at Gretchen. “Look, I’ve had a lot of time to think about it, and I really miss you. I miss how we used to be together. How you used to love me, I want us to get back to that.” He was trying really hard to stay calm, but I could tell that he was anxious about how I would respond to his request.


    <spanng="EN">“I think that it would be best for me to speak to my family first, Holden. If you want toe over after we’ve talked, that is eptable. It really just depends on my state of mind. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to go over it twice. I guess if you can stay quiet and let me get through it, you cane, Holden. I will unblock you and Seth; just let me know when you’d like me toe for lunch or dinner. I’m leaving now. I will see you tomorrow. Mrs. Vaughn, it was lovely to get to see you and Mr. Vaughn again. I hope to meet up with you soon,” I said before getting up and walking over to exit the room.


    <spanng="EN">“I’m going to head to the restroom. I shouldn’t have had two drinks tonight,” I told them as I headed to the restroom. They both started to follow me, but I felt safe here in the restaurant. Even Tiffany wasn’t dumb enough toe after me here.


    <spanng="EN">“We will wait here for you. It isn’t safe for you to cross the parking lot on your own,” Charlie told me. They both stood across from the hostess desk to wait for me. I wasn’t going to argue with them. This was their area of expertise.


    <spanng="EN">I did my business and was washing my hands when the door opened. I stepped over to the towel rack to dry my hands when Tiffany’s voice filled the room. “Aren’t you still supposed to be leaving, Ana? You know what, let me congratte you on forcing Roger to marry you. How desperate do you have to be to do something like that? You know, when you have to push someone into epting you, it never works out. I can’t believe you’re still willing to show your face in public. You’re going to humiliate your family in front of the whole city. You need to make sure that my family doesn’t get humiliated right alongside you. You’re about to look like the pathetic loser you’ve always been.”