<spanng="EN">Holden’s POV


    <spanng="EN">“You’ve known him all of three days, Ana. You don’t know him at all. You can’t fall in love with someone like him. You’re so desperate to find someone to rece Roger that you’re willing to ept anyone. I’ve known you from the day you were born. I’ve loved you your whole life. How can you just write me off like that? You’re a Caldwell, one of the five main families in the city. Anyone else would jump at the chance to be with me. Why can’t you forgive me?” I asked.


    <spanng="EN">“You don’t have to beg. I’m not going to change my mind. Physical pain fades, but emotional pain stays with you. It eats at you, causing you to change who you are. It makes you doubt yourself, and you’re value. You can’t erase all that because you suddenly decided that I’m eptable now. You lost me a long time ago. I’ve had your own words drilled into me for the next two years, just in case I’d forgotten them,” Ana refuted.


    <spanng="EN">“Seth and I both dropped the ball on that. I know you’re angry at us, and I get it. I’m sorry for thinking Tiffany had gotten past her jealousy. I swear that I’ll never let her hurt you again. But you knew what both Seth and I were doing in college. If you can let that go, why can’t you let go of what happened with Gretchen?” I asked in disbelief.


    <spanng="EN">“This isn’t about Tiffany. Stop trying to shift me. This is about you, and your own words, Holden. You belittled me in front of Gretchen. You crushed me seeing that you want to be with her. You made a conscious choice, one you didn’t want me to find out about. Don’t im ignorance, Holden. You spoke to her about me behind my back. Disgusted to be engaged to me because I was overweight. Apparently too grossed out to even consider me your fiancé. Don’t you remember? I’m just like a sister to you. You could never imagine sleeping with me. It doesn’t matter if you forgot, Holden. I didn’t, and I won’t. I feel the same way now, disgusted at the thought of being with you,” Ana replied with venom.


    <spanng="EN">Her eyes flickered over to the man who was sitting at the other end of the table. “Sir, I’m sorry for being so forward in front of you. But I will not sit here and allow someone to try to change what I know to be true. He’s trying to twist things around and control the narrative. I’m not ignorant, I know exactly what happened,” she said.


    <spanng="EN">“You haven’t offended me at all, my dear. I happen to believe the same thing. Honesty is always the best way to go. I’m sorry if my presence here tonight has caused you any embarrassment. I assure you, you’ve done nothing to be embarrassed about. I’ve seen a lot in my years. I’m actually quite impressed with you, Analise, for standing your ground,” he replied.


    <spanng="EN">Ana shed a smile. Her actual smile, not one that she’s been using over the years to us, but a real smile. I couldn’t look away from it. I missed seeing her smiling at me. I missed her hanging on my every word. I messed up, but she doesn’t even know who that man is. I don’t either. Seth didn’t even mention that there would be guests joining us here tonight. I wouldn’t havee here and done this if I had known. I’m humbling myself for her, but she’s not bending at all. She’s digging in, and I know it’s because he’s here.


    <spanng="EN">I hate that jerk is getting to sit next to her, like she somehow now belongs to him. Who the hell does he think he is anyway? Sitting there, smirking at me like that. Like he’s already won Ana over. That will happen over my dead body. I smiled back at him. Tomorrow, I’m going to look into purchasing the security firm he works for. Then I’m going to fire him and ckball him here in the city. He will be forced to leave with his tail between his legs. He should never have made this so hard for me.


    <spanng="EN">Ana always listened to me and Seth before. Why is she all of a sudden refusing to listen to anything we say? I can tell that she feels safer with him by her side. That’s why he has to go. She’ll be sad for a little while, but she wille to feel safe by my side soon enough. Tiffany will be sent away to prevent her from causing any more trouble. My parents already agreed to it. They were horrified when they found out what she had done.


    <spanng="EN">They’ve arranged a marriage with a family that lives five hours away. As long as Tiffany doesn’t get prison time, she can still marry him. Seth hasn’t told me what Ana has, but we both knew it was going to be bad. Especially if she was working with Rodney about it. I tried to go by and speak to him, but he wouldn’t tell me anything.


    <spanng="EN">“Ana, I’m sorry you saw Gretchen and me together. I know it was painful. I never wanted to hurt you. I was speaking out of turn. I was frustrated at the time. I didn’t want Gretchen; I just needed a release. I’d been drinking that day. I know it’s not an excuse, but I wasn’t myself. I was young and ignorant of what held value.


    <spanng="EN">Seeing you with this asshole makes me upset, too. Is there no room in your heart for you to forgive me? I want to make this work, Ana. I’m invested. I only want to be with you for the rest of my life. I see the mistakes I made now, and I am taking responsibility for them. Please, just give me a chance to make this right,” I told her.


    <spanng="EN">She ignored what I said and ate her dinner like she was just trying to find a way to leave. I knew I was running out of time. Seth was pissed because his father had red at him for telling me she wasing tonight.


    <spanng="EN">Seth and I weren’t back like we used to be. I felt like I was losing my best friend, and Ana as well.


    <spanng="EN">“I want us to go somewhere together and talk this out. Somewhere private so it’s just the two of us. I’m sorry for not valuing you for who you were. You’re right. I caused you pain, and I get that I can’t take that back. But I can work every day for the rest of my life to show you that I’ve changed,” I spoke gently, maintaining eye contact. I wanted her to know that I was absolutely serious right now. Ana was it for me, I’m not going to lose her again.


    <spanng="EN">“That’s the thing about trust, Holden. Once it’s gone, it’s impossible to get back. You say you care. That you want us to go back to where we were before, but where is that exactly? The ce where I follow you and Seth around like a loyal pet, waiting for either of you to notice me? Begging to be included, but knowing I wasn’t wee. How long did it take you to realize that I left that day? You didn’t even check on me, Seth, or ask what happened. Neither did you, Holden. Because you’re bottom line was you. I walked home on my own, and no one noticed or cared. All anyone noticed in the months toe was that I gained weight. No one cared about my well–being or why I was gaining weight. You just had a problem with it because you’re embarrassed by me. No one ever cared to find out the reason for it,” Ana asked.


    <spanng="EN">“I came back here for you, Ana. Even before I knew what that piece of crap you were engaged to was nning to do. I was trying to figure out a way to see you, to make you mine again. You had me blocked, but I still cared about you. I’m ready to step up and be the man you need me to be. I would happily rece Roger in a heartbeat. I want to marry you in a week and a half in his ce, to take his spot as your groom. I want to let the whole world know that you’re my wife. The only woman I’ve ever wanted as my wife,” I told her.


    <spanng="EN">I didn’t care about baring my soul to her. I was absolutely serious about what I said. But it didn’t escape my notice that the jerk had leaned over towards her and started to rub small circles on her back. He knew she was upset, and he was trying to calm her down. She allowed him to do it. Right there, in front of me, like she didn’t even care that she was hurting me.


    <spanng="EN">I had been honest with her about everything. I messed up. I owned it. I wasn’t out there fathering children, she needed to let this go. I was a well–respected businessman. One of the city’s most coveted bachelors. The sooner she realized that, the better. Since she seems so bent out of shape over Gretchen, maybe I can take her out. I’m sure Gretchen will be only too happy to help me make Ana jealous. I wasted so many years thinking I knew what was best for me. I’m not willing to lose any more time with Ana. I know what I want now, and I’m ready to make her mine.


    <spanng="EN">“Are you done now? It seemed like you had a lot on your mind. I’d like a turn to speak if you’re through,” the jerk said with a smile.


    <spanng="EN">“Can I say something first, Charlie? I also wanted to tell my parents and Seth something,” Ana asked.


    <spanng="EN">“Of course, Ana,” he replied smoothly.


    <spanng="EN">Ana leaned forward and looked from her mother to her father before she finally spoke. “I’m going to be in the uing ad, along with Emily. We just filmed the new ad for mytest collection. We also did something new this time around. Since it’s almost wedding season, we filmed amercial, as well as print ads. I’m going to have them start running next week. You should all be warned that Charlie stepped in, acting as my‘ fiancé‘ for the ad. He will be with me in themercial. Drew will be with Emily, acting as her ‘fiancé‘. I just wanted to tell you before you saw the advertisement and got upset,” Ana said.


    <spanng="EN">My heart almost stopped at her words. Why would she choose him when I would have done it? I was about to point that out when my attention was grabbed by a small jewelry box being passed to the jerk from one of her other bodyguards. I know what he was about to do, and I can’t allow him to do it. He can’t have her; she was always meant to be mine.


    <spanng="EN">“That is so exciting, Ana. I can’t wait to see it,” my mother chirped.


    <spanng="EN">“Charlie is a good man. I’m sure themercial is going to do well,” my father agreed.


    <spanng="EN">“Are you out of your minds? How can you support this? I would have done it, Ana. You didn’t even ask me to be in amercial with you. I’m more well–known. Why wouldn’t you allow me to act as your fiancé? Why would you allow him to touch you? What were you thinking? You don’t even know him,” I asked, horrified.