Holden’s POV

    The previous week

    Seth said that they would being back soon. I saw his things being moved into the house by his men, and the sight made me sick. I wanted to punch that jerk again, but I knew that wasn’t the right route to take. I needed toe at him another way, from an unexpected direction.

    Mom and Dad had bailed Tiffany out. People were starting to talk. They did it to save face, not because they were backing Tiffany. I had visited herst week when I came for a family dinner. She asked to speak to me in her room. She had me hooked, telling me that she needed my help with Ana.

    I had originally gone up to tell her to leave Ana alone. That her little vendetta was over. But Tiffany had a better n than I had. She told me about Charlie’s ex-fiancée and how we could use her to drive them apart. In my heart, I knew that she was doing this to hurt Ana. But it made sense to use this woman to get Charlie out of my way. I would be there tofort Ana and win her back. It was actually a good n.

    Tiffany needed me because my parents had cut her off. They told her to get a job, and she was furious. She seemed fine with marrying the man that Mom was setting her up with. However, the oue of her trial was still uncertain. Tiffany had assured our parents that she really didn’t do anything. It was just regr teenage bullying, but I knew differently. Ana had totally changed. She was no longer the fun-loving girl she used to be.

    Our parents reminded Tiffany that she needed to disclose everything to her attorney before the trial. But even a week out, Tiffany was still sticking to her guns and saying that Ana was just a weak crybaby. She told Mom that it had been Gretchen, not her, who had hurt Ana. My mother had clung to that statement. She had never liked Gretchen, and she felt that she was a bad influence on Tiffany.

    Dad and I knew that she was lying through her teeth. Dad had stopped all her cards. If she wanted something, she had to ask for it. Dad was fine with all her hygiene items. But he wouldn’t let her go shopping like he used to. No more clothes, bags, or shoes. He reminded her that she had two closets full of items to wear, and to find something in there.

    Tiffany had a full-on meltdown. She insisted that she needed clothes for court. He attorney told her to dress modestly. That the jury would be looking at her and judging her from the start. Tiffany was right. She only had skimpy dresses and high heels. But Dad refused to give his card to Tiffany. I wouldn’t have either. He gave it to Mom and told her to go get her two outfits and low heels to wear to court. Tiffany hadn’t expected him to do that. But the days of her fooling Dad were long gone. This was just to protect our family name and thepany’s reputation more than anything else.

    Finding Samantha had been easy. She even agreed to meet me at a coffee shop in town. She arrived with her bodyguard, and it was soon very clear that this was more than a boss-employee rtionship. Which quickly pissed me off. I was furious at Ana for choosing him over me. I knew I hurt her, but I knew he managed to seduce her when she was vulnerable. I just don’t know how she fell for it so quickly. I was confident that she was just angry with me and had chosen him just to spite me.

    But I saw the pictures and videos from their wedding, they were everywhere. He had charmed the whole city by moving to watch her walk down the aisle. Any doubt that this wedding was for her to save face was quickly dispelled. He loved her, and he didn’t try to hide that fact from anyone. He wanted her, and that was in to see.

    My heart clenched at the thought of my Ana giving herself to him. Well, fair was fair. God knows that I had my fun with other women. She deserved to have her fun, too. But I’m not just going to let them be happy. I’m going to show up to every event I can, to remind her that she once loved me, too. I know I can win her back with patience and care. She would learn to love me again.

    Samantha had cleared her throat after I sat down, but I didn’t speak. I didn’t mean to get caught daydreaming, but seeing her with her bodyguard was a nasty reminder of what I’d lost.

    “I would like you to try to win Charlie back,” I stated. Getting right to the point. I shocked her and her bodyguard with my forwardness. But his face barely changed expression. Sheughed at my bold request.

    “Mr. Vaughn, I’m a married woman,” she replied with a smirk..

    “I know that, but I also know you have, let’s say, several men on the side. I don’t need you to sleep with him. Surely you want to get him back for dumping you? Don’t you? He won’t sleep with you; I already know this. I just need you to make it look suggestive enough to drive them apart,” I replied.

    “Oh, so you want his wife. You need me to paint him as a cheater?” she asked. “I don’t know if I can do that. I don’t think my husband would understand.”

    “Does he have to know? I wasn’t going to put anything in the local gossip magazines. Not unless I have to. I think just a few well-angled photos would be what we need to give the hint of impropriety. We could have other pictures taken to show that nothing happened. I just need to get him away from her. I’m willing to pay you to do it. Half a million to break them up, and you get the pleasure of hurting him, like he hurt you,” I answered her.

    I could see the wheels turning. I could tell that she wanted to get back at him. Their breakup had been a scandal. He left soon after it happened and went into the military. Leaving her behind to face the brunt of it. Since returning, hey low to avoid attention. She didn’t even know that he was back. She lived in another city and hadn’t even known he got married until I told her.

    “If I did decide to help you, Mr. Vaughn. What exactly do you need me to do?” she asked.

    I knew I had her at that point. Her eyes burned with malice, and I could tell that she wanted to help me out with this. It wasn’t about getting back together with him. Reading about how he publicly shamed her, she wanted him to feel the same disgrace she felt. She wanted him to regret what he had done. She knew that by doing this, she would destroy his brand-new marriage, and she wanted to do just that.

    “Not much. Just make sure that he’s on your security detail, and keep my private investigator informed of all your itinerary. He will take care of the rest. Just act normally. Perhaps remind him of how it was when you were dating. Back when he loved you and wanted to marry you. I just need him to get close enough to you so we can send the pictures to Ana. She needs to know who he is at the start before he breaks her heart. I won’t allow him to do that to her. She is mine, and I want her back,” I replied.

    “Do you think that she’s willing toe back to you. You know rumors are flying all around, even weeks after the wedding. I even heard that Charlie had you arrested, to keep you froming to stop the wedding,” she said with a smirk.

    “I would do anything to get a second chance with Ana. I messed up. I’m willing to admit it, but there is no f*****g way he fell in love with her in less than three weeks. I just don’t believe it. He doesn’t deserve her. Only I’m worthy to dry her tears, to love her the way she deserves to be loved,” I snapped.

    She held her hands up, palms toward me like she was trying to calm a skittish animal. “I was just teasing you. I see it’s a sore subject. I’ll try, but I can’t promise you anything. Charlie no longer wants anything to do with me. He was angry because he felt I used him. Anyone would want to catch an attractive and wealthy man. I’m sure you have people chasing you as well, wanting to get you tomit. I truly cared for Charlie, but he humiliated me when he ended our rtionship. I had memes made of my picture when he caught me by surprise. People recorded him breaking up with me. It was one of the most humiliating experiences of my life. I would be d to repay him for that,” she replied.

    “I will give you half of the money once you make sure he’s your security detail. I will give you the other half once we have the necessary evidence. I don’t want just one set of pictures. Additionally, he will be suspicious and not rx initially. It will probably take him at least two weeks to settle down. You just need toe up with a valid reason for him to escort you. That part will be up to you. Once we have at least five or six different days of pictures, that should be enough. We can’t just show the same day. Ana is smart; she would realize that. We need to show a progression. Different days, different outfits, and different actions. Tell him some jokes, get him to smile at you. I need you to remind him of the time you had him wrapped around your finger,” I responded.

    “You seem certain that I can do this, Mr. Vaughn,” she replied. Her voice was low and throaty. She was trying to flirt with me, but she was barking up the wrong tree.

    I’m not interested in her at all. I learned that I am totally screwed if Ana refuses toe back to me. I’ve started therapy, but I can only rise to the asion if I’m thinking about Ana. But thinking about her doesn’t always allow me to finish. I can when I’m dealing with my hard on. But if there is another woman involved. I can’t finish, even with thinking about Ana. She has ruined me. I need her back, and as soon as possible. I can’t continue to live like this.

    The guilt I felt in the hospital alwayses back to me. I remember her tears and her pain. I screwed up so bad. I don’t know how to fix it. But I will figure something out. I have to. I’m desperate to have her back in my life. I swear, if I had known this was what would happen, I would have never had s*x with Gretchen. I would have hidden what I did at college from everyone. I would never have left. I would have stayed and married Ana after she graduated from college. But it’s toote to go back. I can only move forward. No matter what I need to do, I will get Ana back by my side.