A/N: Apologies for the typos in this. I have written my backside off to get it posted before I have to go out.
CHAPTER 55
Thursday
"Good morning," said Christian, as flanked by his wife and family he took his place at the clear acrylic lectern etched with the logo of GEH. There was a muttered reply from the assembled journalists. Andrea found a spot next to Melanie Clearwater in which to secrete herself and looked around to see if Marnie Moore had made it into the room. She had and she was seated behind a particularly tall man. Luke coming in caused a momentary disruption, but he spied his wife and made his way over.
"I hear you were on the radio this morning?" he whispered.
"Mmhmm," she replied.
"Care to explain?"
"Not right now," she said, noticing Christian aiming an angry look in their direction.
"First of all," said Christian, looking as immaculate as he ever did. "My wife and I would like to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to the Seattle Police Department for the safe return of our daughter. She's as irrepressible as ever and we're very grateful for that." A wry quirk of his eyebrow conveyed much to parents of similarly lively children in the assembled group.
"However, during the event, certain personal information was released that I would like the opportunity to clarify."
Flash bulbs went off as photographers snapped the Grey family united around Christian. Standing to the side, Andrea noted that all GEH's senior managers were there, bar one. Amos King was unsurprisingly absent.
"I'm married to a Publisher," said Christian, "so, you don't need to tell me that sex sells newspapers as well as books. What also sells newspapers are murder and scandal. If you can find a story with all three in one then you're onto a winner."
The door opened again and David Brannigan slipped through looking for and finding Andrea. He came to stand beside her.
"Have you seen Hannah this morning?" he whispered.
She shook her head and inclined it in the direction of Christian, who was giving David an icy look. But David ignored him and texted a message on his phone.
"I would like to make three points, after which I'll take questions. I'm making this statement in person because of the severity of some of the accusations made against me. I could have dismissed them as ludicrous and issued a press release. But, Faye Silvestri had a husband and children. Ola Marjec was the aunt of a close friend's daughter. I don't find their deaths ludicrous. So, firstly, I would like to correct the notion that because I once knew Roger Carter, who is currently a person of interest to the Seattle Police Department, that I had a hand in the deaths of both Mrs Silvestri and Ms Marjec. No, I did not." Camera flashes lit up the room but Christian held his nerve and his eye contact with the journalists. "I have not been in contact with, or seen Roger Carter for over fifteen years.
"Secondly, it has said that I abused the women that I was pictured with. No," he said with emphasis. "I did not."
"Finally, I have been accused of hiding my relationships with these women and as such, mislead the public about my integrity. I understand the fascination with things that fall outside the boundaries of what society determines as 'normal.' So, it's only on that basis that I am clarifying that all my previous relationships were conducted in a safe, sane and consensual manner. More than that I feel no need to comment." Christian looked up as Melanie Clearwater came to stand by him. "I'll take a few questions."
The room erupted in a cacophony of shouts, but Melanie had decided who got to ask Christian Grey a question. Whether they received an answer would be another matter. By her side David Brannigan received a text message that he read.
"Hmm," he mused.
"Problem?" asked Andrea as the Los Angeles Times were given the first question. The reporter, who looked barely out of High School, asked Christian Grey if his wife was a former submissive.
Andrea gasped.
"I don't believe the fucker asked that," muttered Luke.
The room went silent and Andrea looked from Christian to Ana and back again before the tension was broken by the sound of Christian giving a brief, incredulous laugh.
"No. Next question."
"The Washington Post," said Melanie, prompting a willowy blonde-haired woman to rise to her feet.
"Mr Grey, in light of her husband's arrest for abducting your daughter, will Susannah McDermott remain at GEH? Amos King has gone on record as saying that you should fire her. Also, please comment on the speculation that you and she are in a relationship."
Christian Grey stared at the woman. "That's two questions. Pick the one you want an answer to."
Attention turned to the Post's journalist who was clearly sweating from it. Andrea could see it was a battle for the woman to pick the sensible question over the headline-grabbing gossip one."
"Ana's standing right there," she seethed. "How fucking disrespectful!"
"Where's Susannah?" asked David.
Andrea shook her head. "She didn't come in."
Focus returned to the journalist who had finally picked her question. "Will Susannah McDermott be staying at GEH?"
"Good choice," muttered Luke.
"No," said Christian.
"What?" said Andrea, her eyes on stalks. "I just spoke to her! She said nothing."
"Mrs McDermott offered her resignation this morning and I've accepted it."
"Are you and she in a relationship?"
Christian ignored her.
"The Wall Street Journal," shouted Melanie above the clamour for him to answer the question, but it quietened as Ana Grey came to stand by Christian. He moved aside for her and she took the microphone, looking directly at the Washington Post journalist.
"No, he isn't," she said. "Some people find it difficult to understand why my husband would employ someone with whom he'd previously been in a relationship with. That's probably because they don't understand how my husband works. The day that I met him, one of the first things he told me was how he goes about choosing his senior staff. He chooses the best and Susannah McDermott is one of the country's most respected contract lawyers. GEH employs nearly one hundred thousand people on five continents, it needs good people at the top to ensure its continued success."
"Mrs Grey do you have an issue with your husband's past?" the Post journalist tried again.
Ana pursed her lips. "I have an issue with the fact that you have an issue with it. Now, I believe it's the turn of the Wall Street Journal."
She stepped back from the microphone, but she stayed by him as the Wall Street Journal asked a sensible question about the impact of these personal revelations on GEH's share price. Andrea admired them as Ana and Christian stood resolutely together as he worked his way through the final couple of questions. USA Today got him to open up about how the revelations had made him feel. He didn't give much away, but Ana by his side seemed to give him the confidence to share a little.
"Obviously, I'd have preferred to be standing here today welcoming you to the opening of Grey Plaza and telling you about the fantastic design and construction work that's gone in to this truly magnificent building which brings the Grey family companies together under one roof. Also, we want to provide affordable office space to those businesses that are just starting out. That was us once and my brother and I are keen to encourage entrepreneurship in the city. As for yesterday's revelations, my past is my past. It is what it is. I can't go back and change it. It's my hope that you'll all forget about it and go cover a real story," he smiled.
"Last question, from The Billings Gazette, said Melanie.
"But you can't forget about it, can you Christian?" said Marnie Moore, rising to her feet. "Or you wouldn't have spent time and effort developing relationships where you had complete control. Your life is quite a story. An abused little boy rescued from a crack whore mother. Growing up never sure of his worth. Driven by the desire to succeed in business and to control those around him to try and assuage the demons inside. I'd suggest you write a book about it but I think Blake Tyne got there first. Have you read White Tower? I have. Andrea has and I bet that most people in this room have. You wrote it Christian, didn't you? It's your story."
There were several gasps from around the room and half hidden behind her husband, Andrea Sawyer grasped his hand for security. At the lectern, Christian Grey looked at a spot in front of him and reached for his wife's hand.
xXXx
The blood pounded in Ana's head. She knew Christian was holding her hand, but right now it was numb. She was numb! How the fuck had this happened? Andrea had read it? How had Andrea gotten hold of it? She'd expressly told Hannah to delete it. It must have been Hannah! Where the hell was Hannah this morning? She hadn't even had the decency to call in sick. She could feel every eyeball staring at them, waiting for their reaction. What reaction could they give? How the hell were they going to get through this with any sort of dignity? She could feel Christian's grip on her hand tightening as the anger within him increased. Then a woman at the back slowly rose to her feet, holding up her tablet computer.
"A friend sent it to me yesterday," she said, in a soft British accent. "I was up all night reading it, I couldn't put it down. If it really is your story, then I'm so sorry you went through that, but it's one of the most incredible books I've ever read. Did you write it, Mr Grey?"
Christian looked at Ana with eyes that she couldn't fathom and then turned his attention to the woman at the back.
"Could I ask who you are, please?" he said in a voice that betrayed no emotion.
"Karen Turner. I know none of us are supposed to be here, but your sister-in-law got me in. I used to work with her when she was on the paper. I'm from the Seattle Times."
Beside her she saw Christian swallow hard and it was so quiet that you could have heard a feather come to rest on the carpet.
"Yes, I wrote it," he admitted. "Yes, it's mostly what happened. But I'm not good at writing."
"Well, I studied English at Oxford, I think you're a brilliant writer," said Karen. "And more to the point I can't wait to read more."
"Oh God, me too," said Marnie, turning to Christian. "Will you please put us out of our misery and tell us how the fuck it ends?"
Christian lifted Ana's hand to his mouth and kissed it.
"She's how it ends."
"Then for the love of God write it!" said his Mom. "I want to expunge the memory of Marlene from my brain!"
Christian and Ana spun round to face an indignant Grace Trevelyan-Grey.
"What?" said Christian, almost breathless. "You've read it?"
"Of course I've read it. I don't sit around reading Barbara Taylor-Bradford, you know. Mia sent it to me."
Ana looked at Mia, who was silently going pale.
"So, all the stuff that you sat and told us last night," said Elliot. "You wrote that up as a story and Mom's read it?"
"I would appear so," said Christian in a slightly strangled voice.
"Oh that's bad on so many levels."
"Tell me about it," said Christian. "How the fuck did we get here?" he turned to his Mom. "Why didn't you say anything last night?"
"Because I didn't think it was you. You never told me that your burns had affected you that badly. I'm so sorry, Christian."
"Mr Grey?" said Karen Turner, who was now stood behind him.
He turned round to her. "Yes?"
"Perhaps we can make amends for our dickhead photo editor splatting your private life all over our website. How about an exclusive interview with America's hottest new writing talent?"
Marnie Moore came over. "It's everywhere, Christian. Take a look at your atrium and then go up to your office and take a look at the city. It's covered in silver hearts. For you."
Andrea broke out from where she was standing and scrambled over.
"There's one for every person who read and loved your book," she said through tears as she held out David's phone to Ana. "He found Hannah. She's at the hospital. She tried to kill herself."
