"I don't believe that your father had any hand in this at all, Victoria," Grace assured her as they walked around the large lawn in the evening time, hearing the roar and laughter of the people in the marquee. They knew that their presence would soon be missed, well; Grace's would when Carrick took to the dance floor. "I just want him to tell me as much, sweetie."

"I know," Vicky nodded in agreement with her grandmother.

"And I didn't want to tell you here...but...well...I didn't know what else to do. I knew that you had to know but I rarely see you anymore, Vicky."

"It's okay," Victoria promised her, taking a seat on the swinging chair as Grace watched her push it back and forth with her feet, her eyes looking vacant and distant as she did so. "I'm supposed to feel something, aren't I?" she checked with her grandmother who arched a brow in her direction, sitting down beside her granddaughter as she did so.

"What do you mean, honey?" she wondered and Vicky shrugged, feeling the chill of the air as she did so.

"She was my mother," Vicky stated, a lack of emotion showing in her voice as she did so. "I was supposed to feel some kind of emotion when I heard she had died...but there was nothing...I don't feel sad...or that I've lost someone special...I just feel numb."

"She was never a real mother to you, Vicky," Elena drawled out, moving closer to her granddaughter and wrapping her arms around her shoulders as she did so. Victoria moved closer to her grandmother, resting her head on her shoulder as she took in her elegant scent and sighed gently.

"I sometimes wish I did have one," Vicky mumbled. "Just to see what it would have been like."

"I know," Grace assured her. "Life with your father has never been easy. I know that. But, Anastasia seems to have done him the world of good, don't you agree?"

"She has," Victoria said; her voice full of agreement. "And with them both getting married I only hope that he will see how good she has been for him...I just hope he's not rushing into anything...Grandma...if they traced it back to him...why hasn't he been...well..."

"Arrested?" Grace wondered and Vicky nodded at her, sitting upright as Grace sighed, dropping her head into her hands as she did so. "I don't think there will be much time until he is," she admitted to her granddaughter. "I should have told him tonight. I just didn't think that I could handle it. Christian can be cold and stiff...but he couldn't do this. He wouldn't do this to her."

"I should go home," Victoria informed her grandmother. "Someone needs to tell him."

"No," Grace said, standing up and jutting her chin out, the stubbornness of this matter showing through in her. "You shouldn't have to tell him, Victoria. I will do it. Don't worry."

"Well," Vicky drawled, "we need to go now. He needs to know, Grandma."

"I know," she nodded and offered her granddaughter her hand. Vicky took it, allowing the elder woman to wrap her arm around her shoulders in comfort. "Everything will be all right."

...

Grace made her leave from the party, insisting that she had a headache as Carrick fretted around her and she smiled kindly, assuring him that she was okay. Victoria grabbed a hold of Andrew, pulling him away from the buffet and towards the front of the Manor where the car was situated with Taylor.

"What's going on?" he asked her and she paled slightly, thinking about what was happening as he looked down at her. "Vicky." He complained.

"My mother's been murdered," she hissed slightly as Grace spoke to Taylor, waiting for the two teens to keep up. "They think my dad hired someone to kill her."

"What?" Andrew blurted out, shaking his head as he did so. "That's insane. Your dad's...well...we both know what your dad is...but he's not that."

"I know," Vicky agreed and stood still, looking up at him as she did so. "If the press get hold of this then it will all come out, Andrew."

"How? Your dad kept your mother a secret for years."

"I'm sure they'll find a way to find out...and they can do math...they'll know how old my dad was...and my mother...and things...well...they could get ugly."

"What are you saying?" Andrew asked and she looked away from him as he bent down, drawing her chin back to look at him. "Are you giving me an escape route?"

"I'd understand," she simply whispered and he rolled his eyes.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not going anywhere?" he snapped. "I'm here to stay."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

...

"Oh no," Grace whispered as Taylor drew up to the side of Escala, the flashing of camera moving everywhere as people yelled out questions, demanding answers as the doors opened and two men in uniform moved down the steps. They stood either side of the tall, muscular man, his face one of confusion and anger as the flashes were thrown in his face.

"Is it true, Mr Grey?"

"Why would you do it, Mr Grey?"

"How do you know her, Mr Grey?"

Victoria jumped from the car, pushing through the crowds of photographers as she tried to reach her father as he slowly moved down the steps of the building.

"Dad!" Victoria snapped as soon as she reached the front and Christian looked at her, his eyes wide as she noted the handcuffs on his wrists. His suit was dishevelled, looking crumpled and crinkled as she moved down the steps beside the officer, looking at her father as he spoke to her.

"I don't know what is going on, Victoria," he told her. "It's not true. None of it is true."

"I know," she promised him, a flash going off in her eye.

"You need to stay here and be with Anastasia. Both of you need to...you need to be safe...for me..." Christian demanded from her as they neared the cop car and one officer opened the back door as Victoria was pushed to the side, having nothing else to do but stand on watch as they drove her father away. Some paparazzi decided it would be wise to chase after him, but, others turned onto Vicky.

It took a moment for Andrew to get to her, pulling her close to his side and then moving back up to the steps of Escala and into the foyer where Anastasia was stood, her dress loose on her body and her hair a mess as tears streamed down her face.

"He's gone," Vicky said to her and she nodded once, gulping loudly as she did so.

"He didn't do it," Ana said stubbornly.

"I know."