Too Late for Regret novel Chapter 90

You’re Going to be a Daddy

Chapter 90

Charlie’s POV

As Ana walked away with the ladies. I thought about speaking with Holden. I couldn’t do it at the courthouse We might have come to blows during our discussion, and I didn’t want Ana to be caught in the middle. The gloves are off now. Holden’s suggestion that Ana date him, while we’re married. I almost punched him today. The only thing that stopped me was that I didn’t want to do it where I knew it would be recorded. I’m not leaving Ana unprotected, that’s not going to happen.

Ana had shot him down hard. He was hurting, and that was enough for me, as far as the day went. She told me on the way to the SUV that we were going to dinner with her parents. I had assumed as much. Now that they knew more about what she suffered through. They were going to want to circle the wagons and shut the

Vaughn family out completed. Which I fully support.

I pulled up to their mansion and saw that my grandfather’s SUV was parked outside. I guess this was the whole family for dinner tonight. I was fine with that. I appreciated the fact that they had included them.

It showed me that they had accepted me and my family as a part of their family. They were trying, and I’m not going to make it harder on them. I must say that I really appreciate how invested they were in showing Ana how sorry they were for not realizing what she was going through. Her nightmares are lessening, but I hate it for her each time they occur. Her cries for help break my heart.

That’s another thing I wanted to discuss with Reid tonight. I want those boys who came into the girls‘ locker

room to be punished. I can’t stand the fact that they saw Ana naked. I really hated that one of them kept that footage all these years. There is no telling how many people he has shown it to over the past ten years. The thought of that makes my stomach turn. Ana would be crushed if she ever realized the probability of his having shared it was high. Especially back in high school.

Ana is now much more relaxed entering her parents‘ home. I saw how tense she was the night I proposed to

her. But today, she was calm and collected. As soon as we entered, her mother ran over to hug her, followed

closely by my mother and grandmother.

“Charlie, go speak to the men, while we talk to Ana for a little while. We will be in soon,” Alicia sang out. It

was odd for her to be so happy, especially after how today had gone. But they all looked so happy to see Ana, so I let it go. They moved down the hallway speaking excitedly, and I stepped into the living room.

“Charlie, my boy, how are you doing?” my grandfather asked with a smile.

“I’m fine. A little surprised to see you all here when we just saw you at lunch. We missed you there, Dad. But you don’t usually come to dinner with us unless it’s important. So, who’s going to tell me what’s going on?” I asked as I looked around.

My father smiled at me, but stayed silent, just like my grandfather, Reid gave a smile and turned to head back to the bar to top off his drink. Seth seemed just as out of the loop as I was, so there was no line to tug there.

“So Holden actually tried to break into your house?” Reid finally asked.

“He did. He had someone install a gate so he could slip into our backyard whenever he wanted to. I had a storage shed built in front of it today to stop him. He’s losing it. I was going to deal with him today, but things

You’re Going to be a Daddy

got out of hand. We need a place with witnesses and cameras. I’m not going to take a chance with him. He’s already assaulted me once. I let it go at the time, because I needed him out of the way for the wedding. But won’t let him get a second shot at hitting me,” I replied.

“We have cameras here,” Reid suggested.

“I don’t want him around Ana. She’s had a hard day. She’s calm now, but I’m not going to let him come over and upset her again. Plus, my men aren’t with me. I’ll find a place to meet, but if you want to come with me, Reid, I will make sure to include you when it happens,” I replied.

“I’m glad she has you, Charlie. I can see how much you love her. I know that she will always be safe with you,” Reid told me.

That meant a lot to me. I loved her more than anything. The fact that she loves me back, especially this soon, is everything to me. Without a doubt, I would risk my life to save hers. I sat down on another sofa with my

grandfather, as my father and Reid discussed business.

My Grandfather seemed to be deep in thought, but we sat in a comfortable silence together. I was just

counting the minutes until Ana returned. They had seemed so happy to see us. Usually, Alicia was in the living room or puttering around the house. She’s never greeted us at the door before, so I knew she had something she wanted to talk to Ana about. My mother and grandmother were just as excited, despite having just seen us at lunch.

Ana was my priority. I’m not going to allow Holden to upset her. She made it clear to him that he was a part of her past. He should be glad that she even thanked him for the warning he gave her. I appreciated him doing that, but I see where this is headed, and things could get dangerous. I won’t be putting my guard down. Twon’t give him an inch to work with, because I won’t give Ana up for anything.

I was proud of her for telling him that he was the one who was unworthy. She was right to tell him. I saw his expression when that comment landed. He was hurt that she hadn’t just jumped into his arms for them to run away together. The fact that he thought it was a possibility was the funniest part of it all. He really thought she was just wanting him to accept her. I love how confident Ana has become since we met. She is much more secure in her own skin. I’ve watched/her confidence grow, and I love how she responds to me,

building her up.

She was uncomfortable with the last ad campaign. I know the next ad campaign is going to be something that causes her a little concern. But knowing that I will be with her every step of the way, she accepted the ad. I can’t wait for her to be the bold woman I saw peeking out when I started to work for her. She’s in there, but she’s been pushed down for so long. She had been trying to be what Roger wanted her to be, not who she truly was. She tried to fit herself into a mold that was never meant for her to fill.

My Ana is bold and fearless. I can see that when I stare into her eyes. She is smart, kind, and loving. She was even going to allow Roger to buy three of her designs. She has picked out seven of them for him to choose from, and she has been more than fair to him. Two of those designs had already been some of his best sellers. I already know that she will guide him in choosing the ones that are best for him. That is to say, cheaper to produce. Not just the pendants, but also the necklaces.

I gave a smirk as I remembered exactly why she decided to give him a break. What he had done brought me into her world. We both owed him a debt of thanks, just for that. That was the only reason for her change of heart towards him. I owed him a debt as well. So, after discussing things with Ana, I agreed with her change of heart. We wouldn’t have found each other if not for his mistake. That said, he’s even weaker than Seth. His

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You’re Going to be a Daddy

mother was the reason for his bad decisions. Ana let me listen to the recordings of his mother plotting against her. She and Sasha led him to where he ended up.

But he’s opened his eyes to what was actually happening, and he’s corrected his mistakes. He divorced Sasha, who was nothing but a leech. He moved out and cut contact with his mother. His father is in the middle of a divorce. Joyce is fighting him every step of the way, but she isn’t going to be able to avoid the end result. I know she’s fuming. She is having us followed, at least, I’m pretty sure she’s the one behind it. Someone is following us, but there are a few suspects as to who could be behind it.

We already took down his tag and traced it back to a private investigator named Wilber Franklin. If needed, we will pay him a visit to see who paid him. I told Ana that it was either Joyce or Sasha, as this was no high–dollar P.I. who had been hired. Their trial is scheduled to start the day after tomorrow.

I was looking forward to their trial to begin. I knew that it would be much less stressful for Ana than having to see Tiffany. She had been hurt by what she went through, both physically and emotionally. More than anyone else would ever realize. I knew because I was there for Ana when the nightmares came for her in the middle of the night. I hope that when Tiffany finally gets the punishment that she deserves, the nightmares will finally stop.

I heard footsteps approaching and saw Ana standing at the door, smiling. I guess she received good news. She came right to me, and I stood to wrap my arms around her. I had missed her. Her eyes were brighter than they were before. She seemed even happier now than she was when we got here. I was going to ask her what was going on, but I wasn’t sure if it was something she could share at the moment. Her mother made a beeline for Reid, and my mother and grandmother followed suit, heading for their spouses. I didn’t have to wait long to find out why everyone was so excited.

“Ana, before we head into the dining room, do you have anything that you would like to tell Charlie?” Her mother’s voice sounded excited.

All eyes were on us, and as I looked back at Ana, I saw tears in my grandparents‘ eyes. They were almost shaking with excitement. Barely holding back from being the ones to tell me the news. Wait. Wait just a minute. There was only one thing that they truly, wanted. I looked down at Ana with hope and excitement. I was almost scared to say the words, but I couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Are we?” I started to ask. I didn’t even want to say the words. I didn’t want to be disappointed if the answer wasn’t what I was thinking.

“You’re going to be a daddy,” Ana replied happily.

I picked Ana up and gently swung her around. I put her down and kissed her before eagerly repeating. “I’m going to be a daddy.”

KatVonBeck

#Vote# Tomorrow we will get to see Roger, and of course, his mother, and Sasha. So stay tuned for the drama.

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