spanng="EN"Holdens POV

    spanng="EN"Seth and I were sitting in a VIP room with women seated all around us. Usually, I would be fine with having a go, but not anymore. I dream about Ana now. The guilt I felt over what I said has kept me from sleep well since she told me what she overheard. I hated Gretchen and Tiffany for what they did. They knew that Seth and Ana wereing. Of course, Ana was going to try to dodge Tiffany; she always did.

    spanng="EN"It was a clear setup, and we fell for it. It didn’t matter that we never touched them again. I was furious that my sister had lied right to my face. She told me that she would take care of Ana. When I confronted her about it Monday night, before the police took her away, sheughed.

    spanng="EN"“I did take care of her. She was never worthy of you. I would do it all over again if I could. Make sure you get me bailed out. I did you a favor getting rid of her for you. You owe me now, brother,” Tiffany replied, as if she really believed that.

    spanng="EN"My mother cried so hard once she found out what happened. Dad didn’t cry, but he was angry. Angry that Tiffany had hurt Ana. He wasn’t going to bail her out. Mom told him that we needed to send her away. One of her friends had an older brother who needed a wife. He was ten years older than Tiffany, but he owned a business, and seemed to be a good guy from all reports.

    spanng="EN"He was strict with his business dealings, so he should be able to handle Tiffany. I was d that he hadn’t jumped at the chance. I was there when my mother was speaking to her friend and her brother. He didn’t sugarcoat his questions. But he was attractive and seemed to be Tiffany’s type, a man. So I was really hoping that he would take her off our hands. The fact that he lived ten hours away was perfect. There would be no drop–ins, I would make sure of that. The least I could do was ensure that Tiffany never hurt Ana again.

    spanng="EN"“What’s wrong with her. She’s attractive, I’ll give you that. But she’s never married, there’s got to be something you’re not telling us,” he said.

    spanng="EN"My mother was a terrible liar, so she told the truth. “She’s gotten into a little trouble here. She needs someone who can handle her. Clearly, I was too soft on her. But I want her to be happy.”

    spanng="EN"“I’ve never put my hands on a woman, and I don’t intend to start now. What did she do? I know it’s serious.

    spanng="EN"She is a member of a very wealthy family. I can’t have her personal issues affecting me or my business. I can’t allow that to happen,” he replied.

    spanng="EN"“She assaulted someone. Put them in the hospital with a head injury. I’m hoping that is all, but I honestly don’t know. I thought she was a sweet girl, but apparently, I couldn’t see her for who she is. We can help your business with any cash flow issues that you might have,” my mother offered, trying to sweeten the deal.

    spanng="EN"“If she manages to get released with no charges against her, I will ept her. But if this goes to trial, I won’t put myself, my family, or my business in jeopardy. I’m sorry, I have to draw the line somewhere. I want to help; it’s time to have children. But I don’t want someone with violent tendencies to be the mother of my children,” he said before dropping the call.

    spanng="EN"“You know that she’s not going to get a p on the wrist, right, Mom?” I had asked.

    spanng="EN"My mother was sniffling, “I’m hoping for the best, Holden. I’m so disappointed with her. We gave her everything. Why would she intentionally hurt Ana? I’ve never liked Gretchen. She probably had a bigger part in this and led Tiffany astray. I know she did wrong, but I’m hoping that Ana will let us send Tiffany away. It’s better than prison. Your father told me what Reid said. Ana had another folder containing other, worse crimes. What do you think is in there? Would a good attorney make it go away?”

    spanng="EN"“I don’t know what she did to Ana, Mom. But after listening to that audio clip of what she and Gretchen said to Ana, it’s probably really bad. She will need a good attorney, but Ana already has one. I honestly think that Ana just wants to expose Tiffany and her group. I think she’s angry that she tried to tell the school, and nothing was done. Ana may go after the school too, I would,” I answered honestly.

    spanng="EN"“I still want Ana to marry you. You didn’t realize it at the time, but she was the clear choice. She loved you, Holden. I won’t ask what happened between you. Your father said to leave it alone, but I don’t understand why it can’t work out. I think if you really tried to win her over, you could win her heart again,” she told me.

    spanng="EN"She brought it up again tonight, as I was waiting for Seth to text me when Ana arrived. It took me two days to convince him to help me. Now that’s all shot to hell. I knew why I wanted her so badly now; I hadpetition.

    spanng="EN"That jerk loved her. How the hell do you fall in love in less than a week? I admit, Ana is a quality woman: loyal, trustworthy, intelligent. She’s also beautiful now. I always loved the color of her eyes. I liked that she’s wearing makeup now and enhancing them. Seth told me how Roger kept her wearing hideous clothing and ignored her.

    spanng="EN"I downed another drink. I would call my driver toe get me. I really needed to calm down. Why in the world would Reid give his blessing like that? He was always so careful of their family name. Why isn’t he worried about her marrying her bodyguard? I swear, if I found out that he’s forced her or taking advantage of her, I will have him dealt with. I still can’t believe that he didn’t get knocked out. I hit him hard, as hard as I could. I can’t catch a break.

    spanng="EN"I was nning on knocking him out, grabbing her hand, and taking her with me to talk. Seth would have helped run interference for me. Now what are we going to do? She’s already agreed to marry him. How can I stop the wedding? I live in the real world. Tiffany won’t be dodging any charges. She is going to end up in trouble. She’s still in jail. Dad wanted to teach her a lesson, but she’s pissed. If the news gets out, Dad will probably bail her out. But honestly, he needs to leave her there. She is a flight risk. I know for a fact that she would definitely bounce.

    spanng="EN"“Holden, just stay calm. I’ll help you. Until Ana gets married, she’s still fair game. It’s going to take months to get it set up anyway. I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Dad just feels guilty for what she went through. So he’s letting her choose. You know what to do. The same thing we’ve always done when chasing thetest conquest. Charm her. Buy her flowers. Get her a thoughtful gift, but that’s going to be pretty hard. Ana’s happy with what she has. She is a designer; she makes what she likes. I saw her ring. Ana designed that ring for herself. He gave her the perfect engagement ring, and it wasn’t cheap. That ring is over three carats, and well over ten grand. I don’t know how he managed to buy it, unless Gwen gave him a discount,” Sethughed at the thought of it.

    spanng="EN"“So you’re going to help me win her back?” I asked, hopeful that he was still willing to help me.

    spanng="EN"“Yeah, you’re my best friend. I don’t know what’s going on, but Ana doesn’t act like this. She always thinks things through. So I doubt she is actually going to marry him. She’s probably trying to punish you for what you said. I screwed up, too. I had sex with Tiffany. I didn’t go there that day wanting to have sex with her. If I’d known what she and Gretchen were nning, I would have left. Not going to lie, Holden. I hate how much your sister has hurt Ana. Tiffany is the one who turned everything into apetition. She needs help, more help than just support. Like a ce she can be sent to get past this. She is a danger to others. I swear if she puts her hands on Ana again, I just might forget she’s a woman,” Seth replied.

    spanng="EN"I saw his face when Ana paused that video. I know that head wounds bleed, but it was a frightening sight to see. I also saw how scared her bodyguard was. That wasn’t faked. He was honestly terrified for her. I had gone back to work on Tuesday and watched him run outside with her and over to the vehicle. He clearly cared for Ana, which made him dangerous to me. He wasn’t just going to roll over or step back. He was going to fight me, physically if necessary.

    spanng="EN"One of the women next to me slid her hand up my thigh. But I shifted away from her. I could still see the betrayal all over Ana’s face when I think of her. I was searching my mind, trying to find a way to try to get her to care for me again. I know she’s too mad to love me right now, but the first step is bing friends again. Then move forward with single–minded focus. I will wear her down eventually. Our families have a strong connection, and marrying me was the right thing to do. She wille to ept that as the truth very soon. We will make sure that Tiffany neveres near her again.

    spanng="EN"We drank infortable silence for a while, after sending the women away. We both knew we needed to stop with the random hookups. We needed to focus on settling down. The thought of waking up next to Ana every morning brought a smile to my face. On the other side of the coin, waking up next to Gretchen would be a literal nightmare. I knew I had been drinking, but I had never once thought of Gretchen like that before I had sex with her. I guess I just needed to knock one out so I could think clearly. It had been over a month since I had slept with anyone.

    spanng="EN"Seth was checking his phone when he suddenly sat up and said, “Holden, we have a problem.”

    spanng="EN"“What’s going on?” I asked. No matter what it was, it couldn’t be more serious than trying to figure out how to win Ana back.

    spanng="EN"“Ana’s getting married,” Seth announced. I shrugged, I already knew that, why is he panicking.

    spanng="EN"“No, Holden, you need to listen to me. Ana is getting married at the wedding she prepared for her and Roger, in ten days,” Seth advised.

    spanng="EN"He turned his phone towards me, and I saw that his mother, Alicia, had sent him a message.

    spanng="EN"[Seth, you need a new tuxedo. Ana will be marrying Charlie in a week and a half. I know it’s short notice, but Ana can make you a tux. You just need to go get measured tomorrow.]