My dear little broccolis 💚💚💚

💚 So remember that this pic is RATED M, and it is not only for the sexy times. Some dark moments will be approached in this story, and they can trigger some people. This is a fair warning to remind you that this story sets place in a dark world, which means it is bound to mountains dark themes.

Love, Mina 💚💚💚

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Chapter 43: Confrontations (4,5K)

‼️PLEASE DON'T BE A SILENT READER AND LEAVE A REVIEW

IT REALLY DOES HELP‼️

💚 I just want to take the time to thank all of those who review on this story. You have no idea what this means to me. And I truly hope you won't go chop my head off or seek a poltergeist on me after this chapter …

💚 To be honest, I cannot wait to read your reactions to this chapter. So even if you usually don't leave reviews, let me know what you thought of this chapter. Really

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Christian's PoV

I need to see you as soon as possible. Jose

No can do. I have a date waiting for me. Maybe tomorrow. Christian

You seeing Ana, tonight? Jose

Well, I don't see with who else I am going to have a date. Christian

I talked with her yesterday …and, well I think that Ana's afraid of you leaving her. Jose

What do you mean? Christian

I promised not to repeat what she said, but basically, she's scared that if you were to choose between Raymond and her, you'd pick Raymond. Jose

Why would she even go there? Christian

Because if you come out in the open, it's a possibility. A very HIGH possibility. If Raymond learns about you and his daughter, he might not like the lie, or even that YOU are dating his daughter. I mean, let's be honest, you're not perfect son-in-law material. And you might bend to him because your loyalty to him would be stronger than your feelings for Ana. Jose

That's ridiculous. Christian

No really. You've known Raymond for more than twelve years, and Ana for a year or so. And you're not the easiest person to read or to talk to. I doubt that you're ever putting your feelings out there. Even with Ana. No matter how much you love her, how can she be sure you won't ditch her when you will have to choose between Raymond and her. Jose

From the back of the cab, Christian stared at his phone, reading over and over Jose's last text. He knew that Jose wasn't all wrong, he didn't come across as a person one could read like a book. But he was working on it, especially with Ana. He opened up to her about things he never told anyone, not even Raymond. And he knew for a fact that he was less in control of his emotions when it was only the two of them. He wouldn't go as far as to say that he wore his feelings raw on his face, but he didn't hold back as much as he usually did.

And yet, Ana doubted his commitment to her. She was the one holding them back, but he was the one who had to prove he was in this relationship for the long run. There was no logic in this reasoning, and all Christian could make of it was that he and Ana needed some conversation about those insecurities she confided in Jose.

Don't go home and start blabbering about all of that. I'm not even supposed to tell you half of this. And to be honest, I don't think Ana would be convinced by anything you would say. She would be more of a gestures kind of girl. Jose

How bigger of a gesture than risking it all to tell her father!? Christian

I don't know Christian. I'm just telling you that words won't help you. Maybe you should just wait and let her see for herself that she's getting worked up for nothing. Let her see that she's overthinking it and that everything will work out, in the end. Jose

Christian loudly sighed, closing his eyes and resting his head back as the cab neared the Washington airport. This was not something he had expected. Sure, a part of him was feeling better that Ana didn't put a leash on their relationship simply because she liked the secrecy better, but … he wasn't sure how he felt knowing that she doubted him like that.

On several occasions, Christian had chosen Ana over Raymond, or at least done his best to honour both of them, but since he never told her the whole truth, she didn't know. Like when she asked why he killed her Godfather, and that he told her that she'd rather not know, avoiding having to tell her that he had simply been following her father's orders. For good reasons, but orders still. Or when he edited so much of the truth that it almost became another reality when it came to her brother and his demise.

And suddenly, something else came to Christian's mind, annoying him even more. Why did Ana confide in Jose, rather than him? Though Jose and Ana weren't estranged, Christian knew that they weren't close as well. It felt weird to Christian that Ana would rather talk about her insecurities to Jose, than to him. If it had been Katherine or Elliott, he would have understood, they were her best friends. Even Mia was a more plausible outcome than Jose. Jose was his best friend, not Ana's, so why did she confide in him?

There was also the matter that Jose thought that Raymond wouldn't approve of them, and Christian had problems arguing with him on this one. Several times already, Jose mentioned the fact that Raymond had always done his best to protect his daughter from his world, and keep her in the dark. Christian being his second in command, and his most likely successor, it was hardly plausible that Raymond would gracefully take his daughter being with him. Despite the betrayal and the sneaking around. It was ore the fact that Raymond wouldn't let his daughter end up with a criminal.

Raymond himself confirmed this at Katherine's wedding when he and Eamon reminisced of the past and talked about the bride and groom. Christian remembered perfectly how Raymond nonchalantly said that would a kid like Elliott go after his daughter, he wouldn't be so hard on the young man. And Christian was anything but like Elliott Cohen. Elliott Cohen was a straight-A student, who did charity and went to the synagogue on Saturdays. Christian was a criminal who stole, killed, tortured and laundered money without batting an eye. still, if he had to choose, Christian would still always take the path of his own life. Elliott Cohen's life was too pristine and predictable for him.

As he was nearing the airport, Christian thought of how he could reassure Ana on her fears, without selling his friend out. And the more he thought about it, the less he came up with a solution. Until he decided that he would stop trying to make her go his way. If she wanted to take the slow and reassuring road of secrecy, making sure of his feelings for her this way, that's how they would go. He couldn't see what else he could do but wait for her to be ready to be public. Any attempt on his part would feel like he was forcing her toward a light she was not ready, or willing, to face.

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Christian's PoV

When Christian got home a few hours later, he skipped on his meditation ritual and went straight to the shower, ignoring Bastille who came to greet him. His wash was quick, and before he knew it, he was in his bedroom, slipping in his bed next to Ana. This was probably one of his favourite part of his relationship with Ana, going home and finding her sleeping in his bed, whether it was planned like this night, or unexpected. It was something simple, and yet, it made him feel like it wasn't only his apartment, but their home.

With a goofy smile on his face, he snuggled against her, taking her in his arms and gently kissed her. But what he had intended as something chaste and innocent arouse in him something hotter. He felt himself harden, and trailed his kisses to her neck, right where he knew she was the most sensitive, while his fingers went down to her sweet little nub.

Slowly, but surely, he worked her up, only encouraged by her moans of pleasure. He could tell she wasn't sleeping anymore, but she wasn't awake yet either. She was just in between, probably refusing to take the final step toward conciseness, afraid to wake from a good dream.

Just as he increased the speed of his fingers inside her, his thumb playing with her sensitive button, Ana let out a gasp, arching herself and finally opening her eyes. Christian let go of the breast he was suckling on, looking deep into those blue eyes he loved so much. She smiled to him, her hips moving at the rhythm of his hand before she let out an 'oh' of surprise, her eyes opening wide and her body suddenly all tense as her climax washed through her.

Christian smiled to her, slowly retrieving his hand to lubricate his member as he kissed the brunette, but as he was about to penetrate his girl, Ana stopped him and pushed on his shoulders, forcing him to lay on his back. Then, she straddled him and rode him as she pleased. Christian let her take control, doing his best to not take by the rhythm of their lovemaking by losing his hands in her hair. He loved when she was on top, because he felt her on a whole different angle, even more after they decided to forgo condoms. But he also knew that she liked to set the cadence while in this position.

He felt her walls spasm around his shaft and soon, she was screaming, milking him before she fell limp on his chest. Christian didn't even let her breathe for a second and flipped her so she would have her front laying against the mattress. He upped her reared just a little, so he could dive into her warm and wet entrance, being nothing but gentle about it.

Ana screamed with pleasure, making Christian smile as he mercilessly pounded into the girl. He loved how vocal Ana had gotten over the months. At first, she had always been rather quiet, doing her best to keep it down; but now, she would scream so loud that Christian was sure that Mia on the first floor could hear her. As droplets of sweat started falling from his hair, Christian grabbed Ana's hair, making her arch so the curve of her smaller back would be even more marked.

She screamed several profanities, her hand fisting the sheets, and when his name came from the depth of her throat, he slapped her backside several times, earning pleasured groans each time. Without ever stopping, the hand that was grabbing her hair left to get a hold on her neck, and he reached his climax as she moved her ass, creating an unexpected friction and making him come earlier than he had intended. Ana came seconds after him, moving at her speed and claiming her orgasm on his still leaking member.

"You should definitely leave town more often," She said with a dopey smile, still trying to catch her breath.

Christian didn't reply anything, simply slightly shaking his head as he smiled back, pecking her shoulders and removing the sticky hair from her face. She had already told him several times that his lovemaking was always more intense when he came back from a business trip, even if it was a trip he handled within a day.

Without having really moved, the two of them laid on their stomachs, still linked by their most intimate parts. Christian lovingly watched his girlfriend, and before he could even process the words properly in his head, he blurted out, "I love coming home to you sleeping in my bed."

"I love when you come back, period," She joked, obviously referring to his near-death experience a few months back.

He chuckled a bit, before slowly retrieving himself from her. He saw her wince a little and went to the bathroom. After quickly relieving himself, he rinsed it out and took a towel out of the drawer so he could soak it with hot water. When he got back to his room, he gave it to Ana who thankfully smiled and rolled on her back, before putting the towel between her legs.

"Monster-cock strikes again," She teased, playfully pretending to be in agony, which made Christian roll his eyes at the young girl.

"Don't pretend, I know you love it."

She smiled, slightly blushing, both of them perfectly aware that she liked it better when he was rough on her. Apparently, it was in those moments that Ana felt that Christian completely let loose and stopped trying to be in control. But though Christian liked the intercourse in itself, he didn't particularly like that she ended up sore in the end.

He had always made a point of staying focused when he was with a woman because he knew that his well developed 'monster-cock' was a lot to handle. But sometimes, he let himself go with Ana, especially when she moved a certain way, and all he could do about it was care for her afterwards. A few time, he did mention to her that they should avoid certain positions (the ones who set him 'wild' as she would say), but Ana always refused. She always said that it was more a discomfort than a real pain and that at the given moment, all she felt was the pleasure.

For a moment, the two lovers did not say a word, Ana on her back with her towel between her legs while her head rested on Christian's laps who gently caressed her hair, his eyes lost into space. Minutes passed before Ana broke their peaceful moment with the sentence she always used after they started having sex without condoms,

"I have to pee." *

* For those of you who aren't … experienced, always pee after sex! Especially unprotected sex. Nature did things right! Even if you don't feel like it, always use the bathroom.

Christian slipped beneath the sheets and watched Ana pick up her gown from the floor when she came back. She put it on, crawling back into bed, and he muttered, "You could have let it on the floor."

"What if there is a fire? Do you want a fireman to see me naked?" She retorted with a small smirk. And though he knew she was joking, he had to admit that he wasn't that thrilled at the idea of her being naked in front of other men. Actually, he wasn't thrilled at all, and as long as he could prevent it, he would.

"What are you doing tomorrow evening?" She asked, tracing lines on his naked chest. Christian mentally checked his agenda, before letting her know,

"I have a few errands to run during the day, but I should be free around seven, and for the rest of the night. Is that good for you?"

She nodded, before turning the conversation toward a whole different topic, "You know that Dad is out of town for the week, right?"

Christian made an affirmative sound, wondering where this conversation could lead. Raymond had gone to Vegas the same day he left for Washington, because Gigi, the new manager, had called for an emergency. Christian had proposed to Raymond to fly straight to Vegas after he handled his Washington business, but Raymond assured him that there was no need for it, he would take care of everything himself.

"I was thinking … maybe we could eat out."

This ought to stop Christian in his soothing circles over Ana's skin and look down on her. Sure this wasn't the officialisation he had been hoping for, but it was a start. At least he could take his girl out on a date, in town.

"I know a cute little place in Coney Island. It's really good," She insisted, though she did not look up to meet his eyes.

"Wherever you want to go," Christian told her, too happy to really care where they would eat, or the fact that though she had lifted her head, she did not look at him in the eyes.

"But you have to keep an open mind once we're there," She warned him. Christian promised, bringing her lips to his before laying her on her back and forgetting the fact that she was still a little sore. That night, he did not give her even the slightest rest.

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Christian's PoV

Christian checked the text Ana sent him, to be sure that he had the address right, before pulling over and leaving his car to a valet. The place was what Christian had expected of Ana, some fancy restaurant that probably served expensive exotic food that couldn't hold a candle to Mrs Parvati. Though, he had yet to find a cuisine he found as good at Mrs Parvati's.

As he walked to the reception, he considered calling Ana, to know if she was already there and if she made a reservation. She had told him that she would cab it so they would be able to come home together, and still do whatever they had to do before. But as he took his phone out, he saw that Ana texted him that she was already there.

So he told the hostess that he was meeting with a pretty brunette, not sure under which name Ana presented herself; and he followed the hostess to a secluded table at the other end of the restaurant. As he walked to his table with the hostess, Christian had the surprise to see that Ana was not alone, but with an older couple.

He told the hostess that he would take it from there, and made the rest of the way alone, trying to figure out where he could have seen the couple before. They seemed familiar, and since they were with Ana, it probably meant that he had seen them at one of those functions he hated so much to go to.

The man was quite tall, his hair brown, though it was thinning on the edge, and greying at the roots. He was probably in his mid-fifties, small reading glasses on his nose to prove his defaulting vision. The woman was taller than Ana, her hair copper and tied up in a bun, and her face looking like one of those porcelain dolls.

But it was only once he was at the table, clearing his throat to make himself known that Christian recognised the two strangers at the table. The both of them looked up at him, Christian observing the same shade of grey in the man's eyes as in his. The woman's eyes immediately filled with tears, her lips quivering, but Christian couldn't care less.

For a moment, he did nothing, his brain blocking everything as he was trying to comprehend how his parents ended up crashing on his date when he hadn't heard from them for over two decades. And finally, he started connecting the dots. Ana was the one who organised all of this. She probably found that piece of shit that Christian threw in the trash without ever opening it, and coordinated this whole masquerade, pretending that she wanted for them to have a date night in order to get him to meet … them.

He snapped his head to her, his features horrifyingly cold, and she had the nerve to try and give him a small hopeful smile. He clenched his jaw, refusing to make a scene in a restaurant; but when the man took a step closer to him, it was the last straw.

"Son …"

Christian turned his head to the man, looking at him from head to toe, and making the older man thankful that looks couldn't kill. He stumbled on his words, forgetting what he wanted to say, and Christian looked at his wife as if she was vermin on his shoes before turning on his heels and walking away.

He was just in the middle of the restaurant when Ana caught up with him, and stopped him, simply by putting her hand on his arm. He refused to look at her, keeping his anger at bay as she said, "Just sit with them, even if it's just for a moment. They did not leave you. It's not their f—"

"I am not interested in sharing a meal with dead people. But you do you, Ana."

"Christian, please," She pleaded, making him snap his head at her. He glared, making her shiver at the coldness he emanated. He knew that she had never seen him so cold before, but he had never been so angry before, either. At this right instant, he didn't care much about protecting Ana from his work habits, and the tole they had on him.

He couldn't believe that she went digging into his trash. He couldn't believe that she contacted the last people in the world he ever wanted to talk to. He couldn't believe that no matter how many times he had told her to drop it, she still pushed the issue of his parents. He couldn't believe that what he thought would be their first date in the city ended up being a set-up to meet them.

And most of all, he couldn't believe that she went behind his back! This was the thing he had the most difficulty to swallow. Everything else, he could take. But having Ana go behind his back when he told her on more than one occasion that it was the one thing he would not tolerate … it made him want to punch someone. Especially when she double-crossed him to make him talk to his parents. A topic that had been talked about over and over again with the same ended, he was not interested.

He took a deep calming breath, glancing around in the restaurant, only to see that people were all minding their business, or at least pretending. He saw that the man and woman at his former table were hopefully looking at him, wishing that by some miracle he would walk back to them, and then he left the restaurant, without sparing a glance at Ana.

Still, Ana followed him to his car, silently hanging her head low. As he drove them out of Brooklyn, Christian did not utter a single word, seething with rage and barely containing it. Ana respected his wish for silence, but still, when she saw the road he was taking, she blinked, and asked with a teary voice,

"I'm not going home with you?" He was driving her back to her mansion, and no matter how sad her voice was, it didn't change his resolve for even one bit,

"I don't want you near me, right now," He said in a deadly cold whisper.

From the corner of his eye, he saw tears roll down her cheeks, but he kept his eyes on the road until he finally pulled over in front of her mansion. Without saying a word, he tapped the code that would give him access to her driveway. Once there, he stopped the car and waited for Ana to exit the car.

When she didn't, he demanded of her, "Leave. Before I say something that I might regret."

"They didn't leave you, Christian," She tried to plead, playing with Christian's nerves. "They—"

"I DON'T CARE! You had no rights to make this little arrangement, just like you had no right to look into that file!"

She hiccuped while he glared at her, his breath short. This was not going the way he wanted. He wanted to go home and cool down, or at least let his anger out on someone else than Ana, but she was pushing him, and with so many faults on her, it was so easy to let it all out on her.

"I just wanted to reunite you with your parents. Like you did for me," She sobbed, making Christian clench his fists hard to keep at least a little bit of control.

"What don't you understand in 'I don't care'?! Don't try and turn this into something sweet! This was anything but sweet! Twisted, backstabbing, corrupted, but it wasn't sweet! Who the fuck do you think you are to push me into something I told you over and over I had no interest in?!"

"I thought that —"

"What? You thought it would be like in one of your movies?" He sarcastically cut her off. "You thought I'd tear up a bit and that I'd hug them, and I would end up thanking you for fixing all the problems in my life and bringing me my parents back?! Life isn't sweet, Ana! How many times will I have to tell you?!"

Ana's tears were endless but barely moved Christian. Mostly because he avoided looking at them. He set his eyes on the windshield, waiting for her to finally leave his car so he could go on with his night.

"I'm sorry," She sobbed. But all Christian did was lean over and open her door.

"You should leave, now."

Ana blinked, holding a whimper in the back of her throat, while her tears never stopped to fall, "Are you breaking up with me?"

Christian clenched his jaw, ignoring her question on purpose. In all honesty, he was so angry at this instant that he would rather not make any decision that he could regret come morning. And breaking up with Ana would be one of them. He saw that she expected an answer, hiccuping more and more as she tried to hold back her cries.

"You should leave, now." He coldly repeated, not sparing her a glance.

A strangled wail came out of her, but she still left, and once he was sure she was inside her house, Christian drove back to his own place, calling Luke using the Bluetooth of his car to do so. He didn't even bother with being nice about his request, and immediately demanded,

"I want everything you have on Jason Taylor. He's an FBI agent. You have an hour."

"An hour? But Christian —"

"An hour, Sawyer," He roared, before ending the phone conversation.

Then, he drove back home, his anger never flattening, and once in his flat, he paced, waiting for Luke to text him with the information he wanted and completely ignoring Bastille who was observing him go from on end of the apartment, to the other. When he checked his phone for the umpteenth time, he saw a text from Ana.

I truly am sorry. Please, don't leave me over this. Ana

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‼️PLEASE DON'T BE A SILENT READER AND LEAVE A REVIEW

IT REALLY DOES HELP‼️

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚

💚So, … I know you hate me. You hate Ana. Some of you might hate Christian for what/how he said. But … remember that Christian told Ana to never go behind her back. All the way back in Okinawa, he explicitly told her that he did not take that course of action well. And remember that Ana often told Christian that parents were important, and always loved their children, no matter what. So both are entitled to how they acted, it stays in their character arc … Even if you hate it

~ Anyway, question time:

💚 What did you think of the sweet moment we had at the beginning?

💚 How about what Jose did?

💚 How do you feel about Christian and his last moments?

💚What did you think of this chapter overall? And what do you think will happen next?

💚What was your favourite part?

💚Anyway, E L James owns the names of the characters from the Fifty Shades franchise, everything else is mine.

Love, Mina💚💚💚