"Sawyer!" Anastasia yelled, grabbing her cell phone to call Christian.
Sawyer, who was standing guard in the hallway, opened her door and rushed in.
"What is it, Mrs. Grey?"
"Shut the door and come here!"
Christian's phone was ringing. "Come on...answer..." she whispered.
She turned the computer monitor towards Sawyer. "Look! Look at these pictures! Look where they were taken!"
Sawyer took her chair and pushed her and the chair to the side so he could get better access to the computer. He started clicking away on it and Christian's phone went to voicemail.
"Shit. Of all times to not answer the phone!" Anastasia complained, hitting the redial button.
"I'm calling Taylor, Mrs. Grey." Sawyer told her, putting the phone to his ear.
This time, Christian answered. "Ana? Ana, what's wrong?"
"Someone has been taking pictures of me from inside SIP." Anastasia answered, trying to stay calm. She was freaking out, but she knew that if she showed that she was scared, it would only make Christian worse.
"What? Shit. Is Sawyer with you?"
"Yes. He's right here. He's talking with Taylor now."
"Where are you?"
"In my office."
"Were any taken in your office?"
"No...I don't see any."
"Stay there. We're coming. Stay in the office, Ana." Christian sounded panicked.
"Hey...it's okay. Just calm down. We aren't going anywhere. Sawyer is with me. It isn't like anyone is trying to kill me, Christian. Just breathe, baby." Anastasia said, trying to calm him down.
"I'll be right there, Ana. I love you." Christian's voice was noticeably calmer and it made Anastasia calmer.
"I love you, too. Drive carefully."
She hung up the phone and watched Sawyer from her spot beside him. He was on his knees still clicking and typing.
"Sawyer...why don't you take my chair. I'll sit on the other side." Anastasia told him, getting up.
"No, no. Stay right there, Mrs. Grey."
Anastasia shook her head and plopped back down. "You boys are so stubborn!"
She saw him smirk, annoying her more. She scowled at him, but he ignored her and continued to work.
It only took Taylor and Christian ten minutes to get there, which meant that Taylor had sped.
"Most of these are taken in the lobby...only a couple are taken in the hall and in the breakroom." Sawyer told Taylor as he crouched down next to him in front of the computer.
"Let me see." Christian demanded, taking the mouse and scrolling through the pictures. "Olivia..."
"NO!" Anastasia yelled, surprising the others. "She would not do this! Olivia isn't that kind of person."
"Anastasia..." Christian started.
"No, Christian! I know it isn't her! She doesn't even carry anything with her to do that with! She's the only employee I know that doesn't carry any electronics. It has to be someone else."
"We'll interview everyone, sir." Taylor announced.
"Alright. We'll start with Elizabeth...Anastasia, why don't you go-" Christian was cut off.
"Absolutely not! This is my career! MY OFFICE! I am going to stay and sit through the interviews with you." Anastasia challenged, standing up.
Christian looked surprised by her outburst. "Ana...please. You don't need this stress."
"It'll be more stressful not being in here. I am staying. This isn't up for discussion, Mr. Grey." Anastasia set her jaw and scowled at him.
Christian sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Fine."
Anastasia gave him a nod. "Good. Now, I suggest that we go into the conference room since my office is rather small."
Taylor nodded. "That's a good idea, Mrs. Grey."
Sawyer opened the door and allowed Taylor and Anastasia out. Christian stood there with his mouth open for a moment, before he clicked it shut and hurried after them. Sawyer shut the door behind him, trying to conceal the amusement on his face.
XxXxXx
"Olivia...did you take these pictures?" Christian asked, holding out a few printed pictures.
"No, sir. I wouldn't do that to Ana." Olivia said, shaking her head.
"Are you sure? You know that we can trace it directly from your phone if you are lying to us." Christian told her.
Olivia shook her head. "I did not take those pictures!"
"Then tell me why most of them are from the vantage point of where you sit Miss Parker!" Christian yelled, bending over the conference table at her.
Olivia sat back, her eyes full of tears.
"I...I don't know! I didn't! I swear I didn't!"
Christian growled and slammed his fist on the table, making Olivia jump.
"CHRISTIAN! ENOUGH!" Anastasia yelled, jumping up. "Olivia...I am so sorry. Please, take a minute in the women's restroom to get yourself together and then you can go back to work."
"I haven't dismissed her, Anastasia!" Christian barked.
"She is my personal assistant, Christian!" Anastasia barked back.
"She works for my company! She is my employee!" Christian spat.
"OH! Now we're doing this 'my' shit? What happened to 'we' Christian? I am your wife, remember! I believe you said everything is 'ours'!" Anastasia could not believe she just played that card. She didn't believe it...and to be honest she didn't want it, but he was scaring Olivia and she knew that it would be a miracle if Olivia didn't put in her two weeks notice after that.
Christian's eyes widened and he sat back in his chair. His chest was heaving and he looked down at the table. "Fine. Olivia...go. Send Benjamin Baker in."
Anastasia felt her shoulders relax once Olivia was out of the conference room. Taylor and Sawyer sat on either side of them, looking like they wanted to be anywhere but there.
"Christian..."
"Not now."
Benjamin knocked on the door and Christian waved him in.
"You wanted to see me?"
"Have a seat Mr. Baker." Christian told him. Once he was seated, Christian held up the pictures.
"Do these pictures look familiar, Benjamin?"
Benjamin swallowed thickly and rubbed his hands on his trousers. "I...uh...of course not...why would they?"
Christian's eyes narrowed. "Because, Benjamin...they were taken in the same spot where you sit and you look awfully uncomfortable for someone who is innocent." Christian retorted.
"Are you aware, Mr. Baker, that when you signed your new contract with Grey Publishing that you stated that you understood that pictures were not to be taken under any circumstance while in and around Grey Publishing's property?"
"Uh..."
"Mr. Baker. I will be needing your phone." Christian told him.
"My phone?"
"Yes. Your phone."
"You can't do that."
"Yes, I can. Read the contract you agreed to. It states that an employee will give up the right to his or her electronic device if there is probable cause of a breach of contract. Let me have it." Christian answered, holding out his hand.
Benjamin reached into his pocket and handed Christian his iPhone. He chewed his lip nervously while Christian went through it. "Just as I thought. Tons and tons of pictures of my wife...videos...VIDEOS? You taped my wife? Shit. You even taped our interaction this morning..." He handed the phone to Taylor. "Get rid of all of it; make sure he can't access it from any other place and then destroy the phone." It took everything in Christian to keep his cool. His arms and hands were shaking.
"Anastasia...please step outside and make sure that Olivia is alright. I don't want you hearing this." Christian said, pulling out Anastasia's chair and giving her his hand.
Anastasia automatically took it and allowed him to escort her to the door. She saw the pure rage in his eyes and she was not going to fight him on this subject.
She found Olivia crying in the bathroom and hugged her.
"Olivia...I'm sorry. Christian can be such an asshole sometimes. Please don't leave; I love having you as my assistant." Anastasia said, holding the girl to her and rubbing her back.
Olivia sniffled and pulled away. "I swear it wasn't me, Ana."
"I know it wasn't. We found out who it was. I want you to know, I never doubted you for a second. I told Christian from the very beginning that it wasn't you. Christian was just looking for someone to blame. He's sorry. He even sent me in here to make sure you were alright." Anastasia took a Kleenex and wiped Olivia's tears off her cheeks. "I hope you can forgive him and stay."
Olivia let out a watery laugh. "I'm not going anywhere Ana. I love working for you. Mr. Grey is just so...intimidating. He's kind of scary sometimes."
"I'm sorry. I know he can be. He doesn't mean to scare you."
Olivia blew her nose. "Who was it?"
"Benjamin."
Olivia's eyes widened. "Oh, wow. Oh...Ana! I'm so sorry! I mentioned to Ben this morning that you had an OB appointment and that you'd be coming in late! Oh...this is all my fault!"
"No, no. It is not your fault! He was your co-worker and you thought you could trust him. You had no idea what he was doing. This is his fault and his fault only." Anastasia assured her. "Everything will be fine from here on out. Now, splash some water on your face and we'll go back out there together and in one piece." Anastasia said, grinning.
Olivia laughed. "Okay."
Once she had washed her hands and splashed cold water on her face, Olivia and Anastasia left the bathroom together, just in time to see security escorting Benjamin out of the building.
"Oh, wow." Olivia muttered.
"Olivia..." Olivia jumped at Christian's voice.
"Yes, Mr. Grey?" Olivia turned toward him with her chin down.
"I want to apologize for my behavior in the conference room. It was very unprofessional of me and I'm sorry. My wife has nothing, but great things to say about you and I hope that my outburst does not force you to look for employment outside of Grey Publishing." Christian said.
Olivia looked up and smiled at him. "I forgive you, Mr. Grey. I love working for Ana and I plan to stay right where I am."
He gave her a nod. "Glad to hear it."
Anastasia smiled at Christian. She was so proud of him for apologizing himself. After Olivia took her spot behind the desk, Anastasia wrapped her arms around him and leaned up on her toes to kiss his lips. "That was very lovely, Mr. Grey. Thank you."
He grinned at her. "Let's order some lunch really quick so that I can get back to work. I have a lot of paperwork this afternoon."
XxXxXx
Anastasia sat at the breakfast nook later that evening, nibbling on a fruit and cheese tray while she waited for Christian to get home. There was soup warmed on the stove and salads sitting on the counter waiting for them, but she wanted to wait for him before she ate dinner.
She heard the elevator ding and the keys jingle and Christian came walking in with his briefcase. She frowned. Usually that meant he'd be up late going over stuff.
"Hi, baby." Christian greeted, kissing Anastasia. "I've got some things for you to sign...after we eat."
"You do? What?" Anastasia asked, hopping down and grabbing bowls for their soup.
"Just some paperwork to put you on different things now that we're married." Christian answered.
Anastasia's eyebrows furrowed. "Like what? We've already done the bank accounts and the Puget Sound house." She ladled the soup into their bowls and set them on the counter.
"They're for my companies."
Anastasia's eyes widened. "Oh, no! I don't want that! They are yours, Christian!"
His eyes narrowed. "You told me today that everything is 'ours' now. I spent all afternoon preparing the paperwork!"
"Christian...I didn't mean it! I just wanted Olivia to be able to go. I knew she wasn't the culprit! I was just angry. I don't want to sign that paperwork. Those are your companies."
Christian slammed down his bowl, making Anastasia wince. "I see...so you want access to the cash without having to worry about any of the liability of having the company!"
Anastasia's eyes widened. "Excuse me?! Money? You are honestly going to bring that up, now?! When have I ever cared about your money?! I've only ever wanted to be with you! You are such a jerk!"
Christian snorted. "Those diamonds in your ears and Louboutins on your feet tell a different story."
"How dare you!" Anastasia reached up to take her earrings out. "I have never ONCE asked for any of it. I have never even hinted to you that I wanted it! YOU bought it! WITHOUT EVEN ASKING ME!" She threw her earrings at him and then took her shoes off one by one and threw those at him, too. "You are a complete asshole! I can't believe you really think that I want your money! Why? WHY did you marry me, then if you thought I was some gold digging woman?!"
He continued to give her an icy glare while his chest heaved, but he didn't say a word.
"You know what? Fine. I will show you that I don't need your money!" Anastasia stomped into their bedroom and into their closet. She pulled off her blouse and pencil skirt and grabbed one of the three Eliza J's she had before they got together. Those three dresses, a couple pairs of running shoes, and a couple pair of leggings and sweatshirts were the only things that weren't ruined from Leila and that was only because they were in the dryer.
She slipped on the first dress and let out a frustrated growl when it wouldn't zip up. She hadn't realized just how much weight she had gained since being with Christian. She looked at the tag and saw that it was a size 0.
"Holy shit." She had forgotten just how small she got after taking the Editor position and forgetting to eat. She was to the point now where she almost needed a size 4.
She threw the dress on the ground and checked the other two and saw they were all too small. She grabbed her leggings and a sweatshirt and put them on, along with her Nike's. She grabbed one of her old Nine West handbags and took it into the kitchen, where her Fossil was and poured the contents into her Nine West.
"What are you doing?!" Christian asked.
"Showing you that I don't need your money...or want it." Anastasia pulled out her wallet and pulled out two credit cards and four debit cards, all connected to his accounts and set them out on the counter. She left the credit card and the debit card she had before they got married in her purse and grabbed her keys.
"And you think that the Audi doesn't count?" He commented.
She regarded him for a minute and then set down her keys. "You're right." She started towards the foyer.
"Where are you going?!" Christian sounded half-panicked.
"I am showing you that I can live on my own. I am going to stay somewhere tonight and then find my own apartment and pay for everything myself." Anastasia said, calmly.
"So you don't want me anymore?"
"I didn't say that. I am merely showing you that I don't need or want your money."
"You can't leave. You have no car!"
"Oh, I believe I can. It's called feet, Christian! You see...if I stay here, you're just going to say that I'm only with you to enjoy the luxury penthouse and to take advantage of the staff."
"Fine...if you're leaving then you better take off that one-hundred thousand dollar ring set that I bought!" Christian spat.
Anastasia turned. "What? These are my wedding rings!" She was shocked.
He cocked an eyebrow at her and clenched his jaw.
"Fine." Anastasia felt her chest started to compress, but she tried to ignore it. She slipped her rings off and placed them on the foyer table, clenching her jaw, trying to keep her tears from falling.
"You're going out dressed like that?" Christian commented as she hit the button to the elevator.
Her jaw started to tremble and she turned to him. "Yes. I am. It's the only thing of mine that fits right now." She told him, wiping at her tears and turning back toward the elevator.
Christian's shoulders slumped and his face fell. "Oh, Ana...I'm sorry! Please don't leave!" He rushed towards her and pulled her to him. She sobbed into his chest while he rubbed her back. "I am so sorry, Ana. Please forgive me. I was just so angry that I spent all that time getting the paperwork together. I'm so sorry." He kept kissing the top of her head.
"I swear I don't want your money Christian." Anastasia said, between sobs.
"Sshh...I know...I know you don't. I was angry and said things I shouldn't."
Anastasia sobbed into his chest for a couple minutes before calming down.
"I'm sorry I said that today...when Olivia was in there. If I wouldn't have used that low blow, none of this would have happened." She pulled away from his chest and looked up at him. He wiped at her face, drying it the best he could.
"Do you forgive me?" Christian asked.
Anastasia nodded. "Yes. I promise I'll be more careful about buying my own things. Do you forgive me?" She asked, guilt-ridden over the money situation.
He gave her a small smile. "Don't worry about it, Ana. And there's nothing to forgive, baby."
Her breathing still had some hiccups in it and she took a deep breath to try and stop them. "Can I have my wedding ring back?"
He nodded. "Of course."
She smiled up at him and turned to grab her wedding band.
"Aren't you forgetting one?" He asked.
She shook her head. "You keep it. I didn't realize how much money it was. Right now, I feel too guilty keeping it."
Christian groaned. "Oh, Ana...please don't. It's yours. I bought it for you." He picked up the engagement ring and grabbed her hand, sliding it on her finger.
"I feel really guilty, Christian. I don't deserve this." Anastasia frowned, staring at it.
He leaned down and kissed her. "You're just really emotional right now...and it's all my fault. Why don't we put this on the shelf to pick up at a later time? Just like Dr. Flynn taught us. Just visualize putting it away. Let's go have dinner and try to relax. It's been a very long, emotional day."
She nodded and sniffled. "Fine."
They sat at the breakfast bar, eating their dinner in silence. Christian placed a hand on her knee and squeezed it.
"Thank you for not leaving." Christian said, between bites.
"It's on the shelf, remember Mr. Grey." Anastasia mentioned.
He nodded. "Right. Sorry. I love you, Anastasia."
She sighed. "I love you, too, Christian."