I get if you don't want to read Christian and Emma, but you will want to read this chapter. It explains all and make you all hate me and Christian and me a little less.
Where the previous chapter left off…
Christian's POV
The car ride home has been in complete silence, I'm barely keeping my temper at bay. Elliot was right, the way Emma spoke to Ana today was way out of line, but I sat there the whole time and couldn't do a damn thing. Emma knew it. She knew I wouldn't be able to say anything and she took full advantage of it. I know I'm close to losing it, but I can't, not until we're inside the apartment and there are no witnesses, Emma knows it too. Which is why she hasn't tried to break the silence, of the 20-minute car ride back to Escala.
Once we're inside the apartment, I yell for Taylor and Gail. When they appeared, I tell them to stay in their quarters and not to come out until I tell them. I know I sounded like a complete dick and I usually am less of tyrant when it comes to my household staff because I view them as family, but no, I had to be a complete ass today because I knew that they couldn't be present or hear any of the conversation I'm about to have.
I all but drag Emma into my office because this is the only room in the apartment with soundproofing.
"What the fuck was that?" I yell directly at her.
"What the fuck was what?" She says completely calm.
"You treating Ana like shit all night? The comments about her being family and about her parents when you knew damn well what happened to them?" Yeah, I lied to Elliot.
"You don't want to go there Christian because you know there is nothing you can do."
"That may be true but if you continue to treat her like that my family is going to know something is up because I would never let anyone talk to her that way. Ever."
"Bullshit you sat there all night, by my side and didn't say anything in her defence." She hisses.
"Because I couldn't, because you're fucking blackmailing me into submission!" I yell.
"I would watch the way you're talking to me because if you continue the way you are, you will not like what happens when I get pissed."
"I get it, you can destroy her but if you think I can sit by and watch you drive Ana away, then you have another thing coming. I love her, you know that, it's why you're here in the first place. You knew exactly what I would do when you showed me those files on Morton."
"Exactly, which is why I know you won't do anything, unless you want the whole world to know what happened to your precious Ana." Bitch! Absolute fucking bitch! You have to keep you calm, Grey.
"Yes, but what you don't realise is, that if you continue to treat her like you did tonight, my entire family is going to know that there is something wrong. Do you get that? Because no one and I mean no one, gets away with talking to her like that if I'm around."
"Whatever." She huffs with an eyeroll.
"No! Not whatever, Emma. You may hold all the cards, but your plan only works if I play along and I cannot and will not play along if I have to spend my time defending you and your actions."
"Fine I'll play nice when everyone else is around, but I am not pretending when there is no one else around. So, do what you will but I'm going to get my way because you know what happens if I don't."
"How could I forget, you keep the proof around your neck as constant reminder."
"You would be wise to remember that. See you Friday and remember, if you tell anyone, I will know and then you know what will happen next." She says fondling the memory stick on her necklace, taunting me with it, to show me she has the proof. Like I could forget.
"Goodbye Emma." I grit out before she leaves without another word.
I hate this, I hate it. I had to sit there throughout dinner and let my so-called, self-proclaimed girlfriend belittle the girl I love because she is blackmailing me, and it's all because I can't let that information get out. It would hurt her too much. I'm trying to hold myself together but all I want to do at this moment is throw my phone across the room and destroy it. Because right now watching it shatter would give me some gratification. But to what end? I can't help but think back to when I met Emma and how I ended up here. At this point the girl I love hates me and my family is none to please with me either for letting Emma treat her like shit all night. My life sucks and I have no idea how to get out of this mess! Think Christian!
Flashback
I'm sitting in a bar, drinking a scotch viewing the slim pickings of what's here tonight. I'm just looking for some bimbo to take back to her place and fuck her senseless, just to forget about the girl I love loving someone else. It's what I do whenever it hits me that I can't be with the girl I love, it's what I've done for so long it just seems normal now.
A petite brunette sits down next to me in the booth. She would be a welcome distraction if she didn't bare an uncanny resemblance to Ana.
"Hi, I'm Emma." Woman I am not interested.
"Hi."
"You are?" She prompts.
"Wanting to be left alone."
"Oh, Mr Grey I wouldn't do that. You might be interested in what I have to say." She says in a sickly-sweet voice that sounds innocent but it's almost threatening.
"How do you know who I am?"
"Who doesn't know who you are? Your face is always in the media, along with your COO Anastasia Steele."
"What do you want?" I say getting bored with whatever game she is trying to play.
"Do you know a man named Steven Morton?" She asks, and I spit my scotch all over the table. How the fuck does she know his name? I paid to have it buried.
"Who is he to you?"
"No one but he is someone to you."
"I'm going to assume that you didn't meet me by accident." I say not bothering to ask any questions she isn't going to answer. Yet.
"You would be correct, Christian. I do hope its ok if I call you Christian. Anyway, the reason I came here was because I have a plan." She says once again innocently but you can hear the double meaning.
"What kind of plan?" I say through gritted teeth.
"I have friend, an ex-employee of yours actually, he really doesn't like Miss Steele, so he used his skills to find out some pretty nasty material shall we say, that I'm sure she doesn't want the press to get their hands on. He used to work in your IT department, guy by the name of Henry Johnson."That fucker was using his access to sell SGE secrets to the highest bidder. That's why Ana fired the fucker. "Anyway, he dug into her past for information he could use against her and I'm guessing you know what he found? You and the judicial system may have tried to bury her name regarding the court proceedings, but if you know where to look you can find just about anything." She says pulling out a manila envelope from her purse. "These are copies of everything I have found so far. Should you try to alert anyone, including Taylor or Gail or your father then we will know and everything we have will go public. I know what's in those files isn't exactly charming, but would she really want the world to know what happened because I have a feeling that if those came out they would be front page news. Oh, and I have to say that you have a lovely Rembrandt hanging in your home office." Shit, shit, SHIT! How the hell can she know that? Henry was never in my home unless he hacked into my home security system? Fucker!
End of Flashback.
I tested it, a few days after Emma appeared, I asked Taylor if he could look into Ana's past to make sure it was still secure and sure enough the moment Taylor left my office I got a call. A call to remind me of what would happen should I decide to tell anyone. I stopped sleeping in Ana's bed after that phone call, because I figured it would be safer for her if Emma thought I was distancing myself from Ana. But it's torture, I haven't had more than two hours sleep a night in the past few weeks because every time I have a nightmare only it's about Emma killing Ana. I know Ana isn't sleeping well either, the sheer volume of books she is getting through is telling me as much. But that isn't the only reason why I know, I can see it in her eyes, it's a look I haven't seen in years and it's killing me knowing that I'm the reason why.
September 2018 (1 month before the wedding)
Still Christian's POV
Emma shocked the shit out of me, informing me that we were getting engaged. Immediately I wanted to say no, say that the only girl I will ever agree to marry is Ana, but I can't. I have a plan to take Emma and Henry down, but I still need a month or so to complete it. If I could only have access to Taylor and my IT department then it would have been completed months ago but I don't and they're still watching everything I do, so progress is exceptionally slow because I have to be extremely cautious. So, I said yes to the engagement, so that she assumes I'm still playing along. The hardest thing about this is having to tell my family but the toughest is having to convince my Dad not to run a background check once again, and then we need to sort out the pre-nup that's giving her a ridiculous amount of mymoney in the event of a divorce and that it's the right thing to do. That is going to go over really well with my Dad! Not! I'm also wondering what Ana is thinking about this whole debacle? I miss being with her more than I can say.
Emma has been less of a grade A bitch around other people since the first night, she was reluctant but when she saw the calls and messages I got from my family she soon began to play along. Tonight, we are all going to the Mile-High Club for dinner. Mia has hired a new head chef to take over for her, as she just gave birth to baby Samantha Rose Kavanaugh last month. Just like her cousin that little girl has everyone including me wrapped around he little finger. It's Ana's birthday Monday and we are all going out to celebrate, this Sunday's dinner is being held at the club because that's where Ana wanted to go.
When Emma and I arrive at the club the first thing she does is tell everyone we're engaged, and it takes everything in me not to scream and punch something. This is Ana's night and she deserve all the attention on her. Did I mention how much I hate this whole situation? Kate was quick to take the attention off of Emma and I and place it back on Ana by getting everyone to give Ana their presents. Kate and I may not have always gotten along but one thing I will always admire about her is her fierce loyalty when it comes to all those she loves. Kate's love for Ana has landed me in the hot seat more than once because of Emma's attitude towards Ana. Even though we have talked about it and Emma knows how my family feels about Ana, she still puts in a dig here and there that gets Kate all riled up and ready to throw the first punch. Would I like to see her do it? Hell yes!
Once we arrive back to my place Emma and I have the same fight we've been having since this whole thing started, which always ends the same way. Emma reminds me of the memory stick that she's blackmailing me with and then storms out. Taylor and Gail know something is not right. Their too astute not to notice, but every time they ask I just dismiss it. I'll tell Taylor but only when the time is right because as much as I'd love his help, I know that I can't tell him until absolutely necessary because if either Emma or Henry find out everything I have done in the last five months it will have been for nothing.
I'm abruptly woken by Taylor a little before three in the morning.
"Christian you need to wake up." He says gently shaking my shoulders.
"What did I have another nightmare?" I say sitting up.
"No, not this time. Sawyer called, it's Ana. She…" He says but before he has even finished his sentence I'm out the door and into Ana's apartment. Only to hear her screaming and crying hysterically. I rush towards the sounds trying to figure out what on earth is happening and where the fuck is Sawyer? When I get to her bedroom door Sawyer appears.
"I tried to wake her, but this time she won't, I've tried everything I normally do but this time she is just… getting worse." This has happened before? Why the fuck didn't anyone tell me?
I shove past Sawyer and into the room to see Ana in the bed. Shaking and screaming, she isn't using any words just screaming and crying. It breaks my heart to see her like this. I walk over to the bed, grab both her wrists and pin them to her hips so she doesn't hit me. Her screams quiet the moment I touch her wrists so now I can lean down to her ear.
"Ana, it's Christian. You're ok. You're safe. No one is going to hurt you. Follow the sound of my voice." I say as her movements slow and the shaking comes to a stop. "That's it Ana, come back to me. You're ok." I lean back because I know the moment she wakes she will shoot straight up and headbutt me and neither of us wants or needs that.
Sure enough she shoots straight up, looks at me and starts to cry. I release her wrists and pull her into my bare chest and rub her back not caring that she is caked in sweat.
"Hey, you're ok." I say into her hair, but her crying doesn't subside, so I begin to sing. Not caring if Sawyer is still in the room.
'I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I'll never let you go
When all those shadows almost killed your light
I remember you said don't leave me here alone
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight
Just close your eyes, the sun is going down
You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now
Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound
Don't you dare look out your window, darling everything's on fire
The war outside our door keeps raging on
Hold onto this lullaby even when the music's gone
Just close your eyes, the sun is going down
You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now
Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound
Just close your eyes, you'll be alright
Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound.'
Once her cries subside, she pulls back and looks up at me like she can't quite believe that I'm here.
"How are you feeling?" I ask.
"Shitty and sweaty. Sorry." She says pulling completely out of my arms.
"Don't apologise I don't care if you are."
"I'm sorry for waking you up too. I take it Sawyer couldn't?"
"Don't be and yeah he tried. He said this has happened before, why didn't you or anyone tell me you were having nightmares again?"
"Because I'm not."
"Then what the fuck was that?" I point to the bed behind her.
"I don't know, that's the problem. I can't remember what they're about. The moment I wake up, it's gone. I'm just terrified."
"Still, why didn't anyone tell me?"
"Because there is nothing you can do. I've tried therapy and other sleep treatments. Nothing works. It's ok, Sawyer only has to wake me once a week, other than that I usually wake up on my own."
"That's not really the point though is it?"
"I don't really see your point." She says shrugging.
"I just would have like to have known that's all."
"But like I said there's nothing you can do." I could've been here, I should've been here. If I was here she wouldn't be having them.
"Still, are you ok?"
"Yeah, go back to bed with your fiancée." She doesn't sleep with me.I should tell her that, I want to tell her that, but I can't, I don't know how to. How do I tell her that without allowing her to question why? The why, I can't tell her because I'm not allowed to.
I return to my bed and think to myself just another month and I can get back in her bed and stop all her pain, and mine. Just one more month.
The song that Christian sung to Ana, was 'Safe and Sound by Seth Layne Acapella male cover' in on YouTube.
The next chapter will be the wedding and then we'll be caught up to the end of the prologue. That chapter will be from Ana's POV only, the following chapter will be from Christian's POV. Then we'll see where we go from there?
Thanks, as always for reading. Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts.
FearfullyBrave.
Just in case it isn't clear Emma is threating to tell the world what Morton did to Ana and Christian is cooperating so that Ana doesn't have to explain the abuse to the world.