After Kelly and Anna ate, Kelly encouraged her to get dressed and head over to Ethan's house to clear the air."This kind of conversation is best done in person. You need to go see him," Kelly had advised.As soon as she was dressed and ready, she got in her car and pulled out of her driveway. Kelly waved to her from Anna's porch, smiling. She stayed behind to make sure everything was locked up securely, since Anna had been through such an emotional time lately and might forget something. Kelly worried for her friend's safety after hearing how Alan had been acting.***Anna pulled up to the farmhouse, parked her car, and headed up to the door. She had a whole new perspective on the small, charming home knowing what was hidden underneath.Her knock on the door went unanswered, and she assumed Ethan was downstairs and would take some time to answer, so she wandered around back into his garden.The view was stunning, as the garden was situated in the bright sun on top of a large hill. It

Chef Benjamin had prepared a special dinner to welcome Anna back, and the whole team was excited to see Anna and Ethan back together. The team members were close friends of Ethan, and they had watched him care for so many others over the years while never taking care of his own needs, so they were excited to see him finding love. They had never seen him this way, with a measurable spring in his step and a sparkle in his eyes that told the world that he had finally found the one woman for him.For Anna, all those feelings of uncertainty had washed away when she discovered the true reason behind Ethan's secret underground mansion, that it was a place for a team of dedicated people - with Ethan at the helm - who worked quietly to make the world a better place. None of them asked for recognition. They did it with a sense of duty and responsibility, and the team was a true reflection of its leader, Ethan."This is amazing," said Anna."I'm glad you like it. Benjamin is truly a genius," Etha

"He was here," Anna told Ethan when he answered the phone. He instantly knew who the "he" was."What?! I can be there in five minutes," Ethan said, panicking and running toward the parking garage."I'm okay. It's okay. He wandered off and he's not here anymore. I'm locked inside."He slowed to a walk. "I can still come over and make sure he stays away. Or you can come over here, where I can protect you.""I'll be over later for dinner, but I'm not going to let Alan Shangle run me out of my own home. I've worked too hard for everything I have.""I can respect that. I'm just worried about you. Will you let me at least send some security people over to keep an eye on things? No one will even know they're around, but they'll confront him if he comes back," suggested Ethan."Okay. That would actually make me feel better. I don't want him doing anything to my house, or to Sammy.""It's as good as done. I'll have a team assembled, and they'll be there in ten minutes. I'll keep them there unti

Anna awoke early the next day as the sun streaked in between her bedroom curtains. Half-awake, she gave Sammy a quick pet and laid still for a while, thinking about her relationship with Ethan. Would she move into the mansion with him? If he asked, she could hardly pass up the opportunity. But looking at all the little decorative touches she'd acquired with so much care, she wondered how she could leave the little home she'd worked so hard for.She had promised that she'd help at the school for one more day, so she put her thoughts about the future aside for now and ate breakfast, got dressed, and headed to the school.Finished with their day, Anna and Kelly left the school and headed over to Kelly's house for dinner. Ethan was out of town on his business trip, but he had texted Anna often, showing pictures of some of the sights around Los Angeles."I'd love to visit there," she told him in one of her texts, and he agreed to plan a trip when they both had some time.Anna loved having t

Ethan and Anna were thrilled to be together again, falling into each other's arms as he met her at her car."I missed you so much, Ethan!" Anna exclaimed."And I missed you, my beautiful Anna, so very much," said Ethan, barely finishing the sentence before their lips met with a long and passionate kiss. Their lips parted but their arms stayed interlocked, squeezing each other tightly, happy that they were back in each other's embrace."How was your trip? And what did you do to Alan? Will he bother us anymore? What happened?" Anna greeted him with a barrage of questions, anxious to know everything after their brief time apart.Ethan chuckled, "Walk with me, and I'll try to answer everything." He took her hand and led her toward the elevator, where they descended into the mansion's main hallway. "The business meeting went well, and we landed the client. I just wish they'd been good with making the deal on a video conference, but the owner of that company is really old-fashioned," he expl