Too Late for Regret novel Chapter 35

It Keep’s Getting Worse

Chapter 35

Holden’s POV

The man in charge of my surveillance had contacted me to say that it had been compromised. I had just

hoped that no one had fallen while it was down. Seeing Ana with a segment of the footage that I was

missing had really concerned me. Had she been the one to do it? Then she played the audio, and I knew it

had been Tiffany. I had heard several loud blows, but Tiffany had sounded completely different than she

usually does. The hate she felt for Ana was evident. To hear her threaten her at the end was an eye–opener.

When Ana suggested that her mother and her best friends leave the room, dread crept in. What I just

witnessed and heard was pretty bad. What could be so much worse than that she had to send the others

away? Her brother and father were here, but Ana had a hard look in her eyes. I wanted to leave with them. I no

longer wanted to know why she hated me. I could tell from the look on her face that, as far as she was

concerned, she had a valid reason for it.

They exited the room, with her bodyguards exiting last. Both of them gave me a death glare, as if they were

warning me not to do anything to her while they were gone. I would never intentionally hurt her. The only

thing I have to look forward to is finding out what I did so I can fix it. I will help her deal with everything else.

Even against my own sister.

The room was quiet for a few minutes before Ana motioned for us to sit down. “You’ll need to take a seat. Just let me get through as much as I can. My head still hurts, and I honestly didn’t want to go through this just yet, but there’s no point in hiding what happened anymore. Might as well get it all out in the open,” she

said.

He father took the seat next to her and took her hand in his. She smiled at him, but it wasn’t the same smile

that she used to give. She is still pretty upset with the three of us.

“Okay, do you want me to bring you up to speed about what Tiffany did, or start with Holden?” she asked.

I knew for a fact that I didn’t want to start with my sins, so I promptly said, “Tiffany.” Thankfully, Seth said the

same thing.

“You and Holden told me to stay near Tiffany, that she would protect me. Except my Sophomore year, which was your first year at college, that wasn’t the case. That’s when the bullying started. You both knew that Tiffany had a thing for you,” Ana pointed at Seth, “and Gretchen had a thing for you,” she now pointed at me.” Knowing that, how could either of you seriously think that either of them would help me? Let alone protect me. How could you think it would end well?”

“She promised she would look out for you. Naomi assured us that she would also keep an eye out for you,” Seth argued. He was already trying to pin the blame on someone else.

“Right, because Tiffany always told the truth. Like how she told her parents she was a good girl because she didn’t date. She didn’t have to date; she did whatever she wanted at school. She didn’t have to date. You know first–hand about Tiffany, don’t you, Seth? She loved telling me how good you were. She then told me that one day she would be my sister–in–law and continue doing the same things she always did to me. It was the very

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“No, but they took more pictures of me. It was bad enough they were even there. Then Tiffany released photos she took that looked like I wanted to be in there with them. Hiding my face, so you didn’t see I was crying. That experience was the very reason I learned how to hack. I was isolated and tormented. I became anxious and depressed. Designing became the only thing that helped me get past it. I started to see a therapist in college, and that helped,” Ana answered.

“I am so sorry, Ana. I hope you know that I condemn her actions. I speak for my parents as well. None of us knew what she was doing to you, or we would have stopped her. I would never hurt you like she did.” I replied. I was so glad they hadn’t touched her. I know that would be something that Ana might not have been able to

get past.

“But you already have, Holden. Tiffany wasn’t the only Vaughn that hurt me back then. Why would I punish you for her actions? I didn’t blame you or Seth for what she did. She was just a horrible choice to assign as a protector when she was my biggest bully. Tiffany’s actions are just that, her own actions. Gretchen’s actions. were her own. Although Gretchen never put her hands on me. What she did, in my opinion, was worse,” Ana

said.

“Whatever you need, we will help you with. I will pay for your stay here. I will also pay for any therapy you need. I wish I could take it all away, but I swear to you that I never knew that you were put through so much. I

want to make this right,” I offered.

“Ana is a Caldwell; she doesn’t need your money, Holden. I won’t let Tiffany traumatize my sister any longer. We don’t need your help; we will handle this ourselves,” Seth advised quietly.

Things were going very badly, and I wish I had just listened to Seth and left. This conversation might have been better just between the two of us. I didn’t want to ask, but I knew that was exactly what she was waiting for me to do. “What did Gretchen do?” I managed to ask.

Ana’s low chuckle let me know immediately that I wasn’t going to like what she said, “What did Gretchen do? Funny how you would phrase it that way, Holden. Like it was all her fault.”

My scalp tingled at her reply. I could tell from the way Seth was glaring at me, he was waiting to find out exactly what I did to her, too. His hands were clenched into fists as he stared at me. I think Seth was actually ready to swing on me. Her father looked the same way. Like he was ready to burn the world down to protect

Ana.