spanng="EN"Holden’s POV

    spanng="EN"I hired a different private detective to follow Ana around. I couldn’t get close to her. That jerk and his co–workers were always with her. I’m sick of it. I needed to speak to her, but when I pulled up at Fashion Forward, they refused to allow me entry. It didn’t matter what I said; I couldn’t get in. The same thing happened with the securitypany. They refused to sell, and the ownerughed at me on the phone.

    spanng="EN"There was one positive that came from having her followed. I know where she’s about to live. I managed to find a home near hers, just a block over on another street. I could walk over to her house in just a few minutes if I needed to. My backyard is near her side yard, which works out well for me. I’ve purchased the home and started moving in the same day. I hired a designer to transform my house into a home.

    spanng="EN"I wanted it to be weing. I wanted Ana to feel safe in my home. Plus, buying the house allows me to enter the gated subdivision. I had the same bedroom suite I had in the penthouse set up in my new master bedroom. Just because she’s marrying her bodyguard means nothing to me. Once she realizes he’s after her money, I’ll be able to help her get a divorce. I made her wait for me; it’s only fair that I have to do the same. I’m not giving up on having Ana as my wife.

    spanng="EN"I’ve been around, just not close enough to alert her. Her little boy toy has seen me and always lets me know that he saw me, and it’s infuriating. He doesn’t fit into her world. He is even lower than Roger was, so how in the hell does he think he deserves someone like Ana? The worst part? I can tell that she loves him. He’s her knight in shining armor.

    spanng="EN"I have tried to get Seth to help me get past the gate, but Ana refuses to let me through. It’s like she’s decided to cut me out of her life entirely. At the very least, we should still be friends. I’ve known her my whole life. I can’t even get an invitation to her wedding. The old invitations have been canceled; you now need a new invitation to gain entry. Guess who’s handling security for the wedding? I know he will probably have my picture posted to block my entry.

    spanng="EN"My parents received an invitation, but my sister and I weren’t invited. I could see it for Tiffany. But I’m very insulted that I can’t seem to get anyone to let me be their plus one. I know that someone had to have said something. I was going to cause a disruption, but I have calmed down a little bit now. I realize that I need to y the long game. I need to be patient and wait for him to slip up.

    spanng="EN"Then I can rush in and take her away from him. I had the private investigator look into him, but there was nothing there. I know his background is deliberately hidden. I wanted to be able to expose him before she married him, but I remember her tears in the hospital. I can’t force this. All I can do is let her know that whenever she needs me, I’ll be there for her.

    spanng="EN"I told Seth I was backing off, and meant it. There’s nothing better about him than me. I know that someday soon, Ana will figure that out for herself. I n to be there, waiting for her with open arms, when that happens. He can smirk all he wants because Ana will be mine in the end I can tell that he makes her happy. and I absolutely hate it. I wished that I hadn’t been so cruel to her. I wasn’t actually angry with Ana, I was angry with the situation. I took it out on her when she was innocent in all this.

    spanng="EN"I lied to Gretchen. I was interested in Ana, and I had been fighting it. I felt guilting for wanting someone I watched grow up in front of me. I knew she was into me, and I used to mess with her because of it. She used to look at me when we were at the pool. She thought I didn’t notice what she was doing. But I knew, I always knew. I made sure she had a good view, too. I was just messing with her at the time; she was young, but it was vanity on my part.

    spanng="EN"It’s those moments between us that I know she will take me back. I know she wille around again. So, I make ns while I have downtime at work. I think about what’s important to Ana. I try to figure out what I need to do to get her back. What she liked best about me. I spoke to my mother about it. She was willing to help me. Despite everything that’s happened, Mom still has faith that everything will work out between us.

    spanng="EN"My phone rang, and I rolled my eyes, it’s Tiffany, again. She keeps calling me, and I’m so tired of it. It’s always the same thing. “Hello?” I answered.

    spanng="EN"“Holden, have you thought about what I asked? Can you help me get an attorney? Dad’s still refusing to do anything to help me out. I can’t go to prison. Everything I did, Holden, I did for you. To help you, I had to drive her away. Stop ignoring me. I need your help,” Tiffany pleaded.

    spanng="EN"“I’ve thought about what you asked, Tiffany. I never asked you to step in, and I didn’t need your help. The marriage was set in stone, and because of your actions, I lost–Ana. Things are so tense now, I don’t know if Ana will ever look at me the same again,” I replied.

    spanng="EN"“You wanted her gone, Holden. I made it happen. Stop trying to put it all on me. You told Gretchen and me that you couldn’t stand Ana. We got you out of a bad situation. The least you could do is hook me up with Seth for assisting you,” Tiffany replied angrily.

    spanng="EN"“You took that upon yourself, but I know that Seth will never be with you. He is just as angry with you as I am. Don’t act like what you did to her was a good thing. You intentionally hurt Ana. I never wanted you to do that. Stop trying to shift the me onto me. You did what you wanted to and took your anger and jealousy out on an innocent teenager. You act like she came up with it when you know our parents did. I won’t be helping you. You deserve to be punished. Your actions scarred Ana. All you care about is trying to dodge the punishment you deserve,” I replied.

    spanng="EN"“Fine, don’t help. I just want you to know that I have dirt on you, big brother. Video of you in action at college from some friends of mine. So, if I go down in mes, you will too. I know you’re trying to get her to forgive you. What do you think your chances are if she sees you with more girls than Gretchen? How do you think she’ll feel about that?” Tiffany asked.

    spanng="EN"“She knows I messed around in college. If you want to do that, it’s fine. She’s about to marry another man. Once that happens, I believe we will be on equal footing. She slept with someone else, and so did I. The number of times doesn’t matter, Tiffany. None of those girls mattered to me, only Ana does. So go ahead, do your worst, Tiffany I’ll make sure that if I see, or Ana sees any of them, I know who to tell the police who leaked them. This isn’t high school anymore, Tiffany. You can’t bully people into submission anymore. No one’s going toply with your wishes. I won’t, our parents won’t, and Ana won’t. Do your worst, but don’t cry to us when Reid Caldwell destroys you for hurting Ana,” I replied cooly.

    spanng="EN"“You’re an asshole, Holden. I’ll figure out another way to get out of it,” Tiffany replied before hanging up on me. Good, maybe she won’t call back, but I already knew that was just wishful thinking. Tiffany didn’t have many friends. She burns bridges and then has no support system. Then she wonders why everyone is against her.

    spanng="EN"I was headed back to my penthouse to pack up some clothes when I saw it. A huge billboard in front of me, with a print ad for Ana’s wedding ring promotion. I almost drove onto the curb. I had to pull over so I could get out and really look at it. She looked sexy. She was in some kind of slinky dress that I had never seen her wear before, but that wasn’t the problem.

    spanng="EN"Her fiancé was with her. He was looking down at her, and even from a distance, I could see he was looking at her with adoration. He held her possessively in his arms, and you could tell that he wasn’t just a model. He cared for her, and anyone looking at the billboard would be able to see that for themselves. I didn’t want to admit they looked good together. She was looking up at him like he hung the moon, and that was what hurt the most. She used to look at me like that. Now I seriously wondered if she ever would again.

    spanng="EN"Someone honking repeatedly brought me out of my thoughts. I was double–parked, and apparently, they were tired of waiting for me. I snapped a picture of the billboard before getting back into my car. As I drew closer to my penthouse, my decision to move was set in stone. There was another billboard, and this one was even worse. The jerk had her dipped over, and the look on her face that was captured hurt me to see.

    spanng="EN"Her face was that of a woman in love. It was real, and it was likely to spark a frenzy of purchases at herpany. Her hand held his bicep as she clung to him, her ring prominent in the shot. But it was the clear chemistry between them, the realness of the moment, that pulled you in. It wasn’t just an ad. It was a stolen moment between them captured. There was a clear longing between them. One that made it more than an advertisement, it made it real.

    spanng="EN"My gut twisted. I can’t me anyone else for my mistakes. I wanted to me Tiffany and Gretchen for what happened. But just like I had just told Tiffany, she had to suck it up and ept her punishment. I did too. I didn’t have to sleep with Gretchen. I could have turned her down. Did they set me up? Yeah, they did. They knew I was out there drinking while I hung out at the pool, and waited just long enough to get me to make a bed decision.

    spanng="EN"I messed up royally. But that’s not where I was going to stay. No matter what, Ana loved me once. I believe she could again, and that is what I’ll do. I will slowly grow our friendship again. I would be there for her and support her in anything I could. Then I’ll wait for him to make a mistake. That, or force him into one if he takes too long. All I know is that one day, Ana will be Mrs. Holden Vaughn. No matter what I have to do to make that happen.