Chapter 18 – Dine and Dash

The handsome man in a suit glances at his watch, wondering how much longer he would have to wait. He had arrived at Grey House fifteen minutes ahead of schedule, but the head honcho, who called the meeting, was running fifteen minutes behind.

The wait wasn't all bad. He had time to make a dent in his emails and catch up on all the news he'd missed in the morning. Also, his surroundings were pleasant to the eye. The waiting room on the top floor was slightly posher than the one on the main, and it also came equipped with an attractive blonde or two. The sofa he's sitting on was starting to get a little too comfortable. He would doze off if it weren't for his insane nerves and extreme hunger. He had skipped lunch to be here.

A gentle, feminine voice calls his name, and he looks up to see the woman standing before him. She had been walking to and from her boss' office many times since he'd arrived, so he paid it no mind and continued browsing his phone. But now, it was time.

"Mr. Grey is ready to see you now. Right this way."

He trails behind the shapely blonde, careful not to let his eyes fall below her hair. Even if he decided to watch her bottom sway, he wouldn't be all that interested. For many years, his mind was on one girl. He couldn't for the life of him shake her from his thoughts—she was always there. Which brings up the question: Why am I here?

Even though he was told that this was a 'good news' meeting, he remains suspicious. How often were people called to a meeting with one of the most powerful men in the world? And in the middle of the day, no less. The man wondered why his boss hadn't told him this alleged 'good news' himself. What did the owner of this huge conglomerate have to do with this particular man's career?

The woman leads him into the grand office suite, past a vacant large executive desk, and into an impressive but intimidating conference room. Christian Grey is already there, sitting at the head of the table. He stands and shakes his hand. The gesture takes the visitor by surprise since Grey hadn't done that the first time they met.

"Douglas—"

"Please, call me Doug. It's good to see you again, Mr. Grey."

Christian offers his guest the seat to his left. Doug hesitates before taking it. He was waiting on the 'Call me Christian' line, which didn't come.

"Can Andrea get you something to drink? Water?"

"Water is fine, thank you."

"You, Mr. Grey?" the woman asks.

"I'm fine, Andrea. Thank you."

Once Andrea walks out, Christian turns his chair and gives his guest his undivided attention.

"Did your management explain why I asked you here today?"

"No—they only mentioned that it was good news," Doug says with a shrug.

"I've reviewed your resume, and it's impressive. You managed a team of twenty employees at your previous job, a much larger insurance firm. Any reason why you decided to leave a good job in California to work at a smaller company for far less pay?"

The fact that this man knew how much Doug got paid makes Doug smirk involuntarily.

"I was homesick?"

"Oh?" Christian arches a brow.

"My entire family is here in the Seattle area, and I'd been in California for four years. I missed them."

Christian can't control his grating thoughts. You're sure that's all you missed, asshole?

"Also, the cost of living is much lower here, believe it or not," Doug adds. "Hence why I could afford to take a pay cut."

"I see," Christian responds with a forced smile.

You should've stayed in California. You're on my turf now, fucker.

Doug smiles back as Andrea briefly reemerges with his water. He thanks her before readdressing his host. "So, what's this good news?"

I will do ten cartwheels right now if you tell me you ended it with Ana, and I can have her back. I've waited so long to make things right with her.

"I'm offering you a position at GEH as a key member of the SafeDriver team. Your job will be to help launch the initiative with future insurance brands after our agreement with Mylegent ends. The job is eighty percent travel. United States, Canada, Europe—you name it."

Doug's eyes open wide from disbelief.

I may have been born on a day, but it wasn't yesterday. I know what you're doing. Nice try, rich prick. I'm going after your girl. She was mine first, anyway.

If you think she likes all that fancy stuff, then you really don't know Ana Steele. She wants a guy who is humble and relatable—and Christian Grey is none of those things. Ana enjoys camping, hanging out with friends, and dinner at dives. When we were together, I made her so happy, which was why she took our breakup especially hard.

I'd broken her heart the summer before our senior year of college. In the fall, I would watch her from afar and see how much she yearned for yesterday, with me. I came close to giving in again, but I thought that we should experience life apart. We were so young and were getting too serious. I thought it was wise to let her go.

Worst mistake ever.

I can't say that my experiences afterward made leaving her worth it. I discovered much too late that I already had the best and realized that there was no other girl like her. Since graduation, I have thought about her every single day. When I found out from a mutual friend that she also worked in insurance, I knew it was destiny.

I waited for the perfect opportunity to return home. Now that I'm back for her, I'll be damned if anyone tries to send me away.

FUCK this guy.

Doug squares his shoulders. "I'm honored you invited me to join your company, but why did you choose me out of everyone at Mylegent? I'm brand new. There are plenty of others there who've had far more exposure to your project."

"As I said, your resume is impressive," Christian states in a firm tone. "I've already spoken to Bill Marsden and Don Ricard—" The loud ring of the Polycom speakerphone interrupts him. He picks up. "What is it?"

"Sorry for the interruption, Mr. Grey," Andrea speaks. "Miss Steele is here to see you."

"Send her in."

Doug's eyes grow wide. "Ana's here, too?"

"My fiancée, you mean?" Doug flinches at the possessive nature of the billionaire's tone. "She's here to drop off my lunch. I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere."

Christian exits the meeting room, leaving the door wide open. The only thing Doug can see on the other side is a wall. To view the front of Christian's office, he would have to stand and turn the corner. However, he could hear a door opening from a distance.

"Hey," a sweet female voice calls out.

Ana, Doug immediately guesses.

"Hey, baby," Christian croons. Doug hears a smooching sound, and he flinches.

"I've brought you lunch," she says.

"Thank you."

Doug hears a paper sack of something hitting a hard surface.

"Wow," Ana laughs. "I had no idea you hated pastrami on rye that much. My bad."

"I'll eat it later. Right now, I'm in the mood for something else."

"Christian… I've got a meeting—"

"Just one taste, sweetheart," he moans. "Then, you can head back to work."

Doug hears the ruffling of clothes and Ana groaning in protest. Sixty seconds later, her protests turn into something else.

"Yeah? You like that?" Christian provokes. "Tell me what you want."

Doug thinks, What the hell is he doing? But when Ana lets out a long, sexy moan, his cock jerks in his slacks. He tries hard to blink some sense into himself, but as soon as he hears a series of lip-smacking and sensual sighing, it was a lost cause.

"Tell me," Christian demands once more.

"I want… to… be your lunch," Ana stutters. "I want… you… to eat… my pussy… Ah!"

"Holy SHIT!" Doug mouths to himself.

"You're my favorite meal, Anastasia Steele," Christian growls.

A series of loud thumps and bumps ensue, and Doug's brows reach for his hairline the entire time.

"Oh, yes—God!" Ana says in a hoarse cry.

Doug adjusts his slacks as a result of the noises she makes. Listening closer, he can make out faint smacks and masculine hums.

"Oh! Christian—I'm gonna come…"

Fuck me, man! Doug tugs at his hair with both hands out of anger and frustration. Alright, man, I get it. It isn't just about the money… At this moment, he second-guesses his entire life.

"That's it," Christian gruffs.

"Ah! Ah! Ah! Ahhhhhh…."

Shit! Doug stifles a groan and squeezes his erection hard. He recalls the sounds that she used to make for him back in college, and they sounded nothing like this.

"Mm… I can't wait to plunge my dick inside of this for your four customary orgasms before bed tonight," Christian croons.

Doug gapes. Four orgasms?!

"I can't wait," Ana breathes.

"Thanks for bringing lunch. See you at home tonight. I love you, baby." *smack*

"Love you, too."

One final lip-smack was heard before a door closes. Doug pulls his suit jacket over his bulge as footsteps were coming his way. He scoots his seat, so his entire lap is hidden underneath the table.

That was on purpose, Doug roars inside. He was just marking his territory.

Game recognizes game.

The sound of footfalls come close, then suddenly move in another direction. Doug thought Christian was on his way back to the conference room, but the sound of running water debunks that. He was obviously washing up after giving his fiancée oral. A minute later, Christian returns to the conference room while drying his hands with a paper towel.

"Sorry about that." He takes his seat as before. "Now, where were we?"

Doug is stunned speechless at the sight of him.

"What is it?" Christian frowns.

"You…you have…" Doug waves around his own mouth area.

The area around Christian's mouth was glossy and wet.

"Oh—I have something on my mouth?" Christian takes the paper towel and wipes around it. "Thanks. Sorry about that. I get greedy when my bride-to-be brings my favorite meal. I eat that shit like the goddamn Cookie Monster."

Doug is aghast.

"Alright, let's cut the shit," Christian says, putting away his earlier façade of kindness. Fire replaces his initial easy-going demeanor. "I know you want my girl."

Doug turns twelve shades of red. "Mr. Grey…I—"

"Never bullshit an alpha, son," Christian venomously warns. "I can smell it from a mile away. You want to fuck my fiancée, don't you?" He glances at the table, knowing well that the man he's speaking to is hiding something under that table.

Meanwhile, Doug is unable to look the man before him in the eye. Even though Christian washed his hands and wiped his face, the scent of Ana's sweet sex wafts in his nostrils. Doug is on the verge of tears.

"Look, I'm sorry if I led you to believe that. Ana and I have a history together. A history that we can't erase. I've known her for longer than you have—"

"So, we're playing that game," Christian smirks, cutting him off. "You get first dibs? That's the same shit my brother said. But he fucked up, and you did, too. Now, Ana belongs to me. The rightful man owns her heart. Her heart…and her pussy."

Christian stands, then leans against his palms, which are flat on the table. He looks Doug Dorsey straight in the eye, not blinking. Ana's aroma is so potent, Doug fights with all his might to keep his eyes from shutting and allowing his mind to drift off to forbidden places. Christian flashes him a knowing grin.

"She was the best lay you ever had, wasn't she? You thought you'd find better. After all these years, no other girl even came close to her. You fucking knew she worked at Mylegent before you took the job, you asshole! You knew she was engaged to me. You're not as dumb as you've led others to believe. You know exactly what you're doing—you're committing suicide. I could throw your ass against that wall right now, paint it red, and not even bat an eye."

To say that Doug was stunned would be a severe understatement. Not only was Christian Grey was reading him like scripture, but he was threatening his life.

"I'll tell you what, Dorsey—how about I give you a fair shot? How about you show me several billion dollars in assets on your smartphone and throw your elephant dick on the table for good measure. Then maybe—just maybe—I'll let you fist fight me for her."

Doug wants to defend himself verbally but stammers in the process. Christian continues to read him the riot act without mincing words.

"By the way, I'm a trained boxer, so you'd never beat me in hand-to-hand combat. I would beat any man to a bloody pulp for that woman. No need for you to worry about that stage of the game, though. I don't think you have the power or the dick size to move on to round two. And even if you had those things, you'd still need to know what to do with your tongue. Can you make her come at the drop of a hat multiple times, Douglas? Can you make her toes curl and have her cursing like a sailor, even though she's too ladylike to use such language? Can you fuck her cunt so good that you make her asshole jealous?"

"Mr. Grey—"

"I don't think you can, because if you could, Ana would be with you right now, wouldn't she? But she isn't. She's with me. So, I suggest you keep the FUCK away from my fiancée. The only way that happens is if you leave Seattle or you take the job that I'm offering you so I can keep a very close eye on you. There is no door number three, so choose wisely, Mr. Dorsey."

When Christian told Ana yesterday that Doug would be making a decision today, she was sure that Doug would take the GEH job offer. Instead, he had opted to leave Seattle altogether. This morning, General Manager Bill Marsden announced that Doug Dorsey resigned from Mylegent and that he would be returning to his previous job in California.

The news stuns Ana, and it unsettles her all morning. She knows this decision didn't come lightly for her ex. He was leaving his parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews again. She can't help but feel guilty for being the reason why he had to uproot once more and separate from his family. He even left without saying goodbye to the team.

At lunch hour, Ana lacks an appetite, so she skips lunch with friends and opts for a solo walk in the park in the chilly, late-October air. Deep in thought, she ponders Doug's ulterior motives. He tended to bring up memories from college to tug at her nostalgia. But what Doug didn't know was that Ana saw those things as distant memories. Those days with him no longer had a hold on her. So much has happened since the time Doug broke her heart. Her heart would break even more before Christian would save her and restore her faith in love.

There isn't and will never be another man for me but Christian Grey.

If Doug doesn't see that, then he is blind.

Ana knows that Doug's departure from the company was for the best. Working alongside him was becoming extremely awkward. She tried fooling herself in the beginning, thinking that they could simply work together in harmony and keep things professional. But Christian quickly nipped that whole idea in the bud. He had made an excellent point—had it been him working with his exes, regardless of how platonic things were, that would have driven Ana totally up the wall.

In her eyes, she did the right thing by agreeing to let Christian remove Doug from the situation. What she didn't know until later was that Doug had been present at Christian's office yesterday when she had dropped off Christian's lunch. When Christian revealed that sordid detail later that evening, Ana was beside herself.

Then, she got turned on.

Am I a voyeur?

Jesus…

There was something about her fiancé that turned Ana into this animalistic being. A feeling deep down in her core wanted the world to know how amazing love and sex was with this man. From the videos that Elliot had found to the sounds Doug heard from the conference room, it was proof positive that Christian was in tune with Ana's body and soul like no one else, and she loved that others knew about it.

Ana rounds the pond, passing other walkers and park benches with a handful of people eating bag lunches. She was so deep in thought that she didn't realize she'd run out of trail and was now walking on grass. She no longer saw people, but there were plenty of trees.

A low whistle makes her heart stop.

Shit.

Instantly regretting the wilderness walk instead of doing lunch with Tammy and the gang, she turns slowly, knowing all too well who followed her.

"You used to love taking long walks here," he says.

Ana stands still with her arms folded, eyeing her ex from head to toe. Elliot looked tired and miserable. He had dark circles around his eyes, and it is evident from his sunken face that he wasn't eating.

"Why are you following me, Elliot?" Ana frowns.

"You know why. Because someone won't let me talk to you. He knows that once you hear the truth, you will ghost him."

"I already know the truth," Ana snaps back. "I don't know what you are trying to pull, but it needs to end—now."

"It will end when you end it, Ana," Elliot says in a low, ominous voice. He takes one step forward, and Ana takes two back.

"Why are you doing this?" she asks softly. "You have a child and another on the way. You impregnated my best friend. Why aren't you with her?"

The self-assured ruse falls immediately from his face, giving way to vulnerability. It's a face that Ana no longer fell for. To her, his entire front was a lie.

"I was stupid. I don't know why I did the things I did. I hurt you, and I'm sorry."

Ana's expression hardens. "I don't want your apology, and I don't want you."

Elliot presses a palm to his chest to still his beating heart. "I know I don't deserve you, but neither does he. He's a womanizer, too."

"Go away!" Ana screams into his face, intentionally sounding the alarm. Elliot doesn't budge.

"Tell me what I can do to fix this, Ana. I don't know how…"

This time, Elliot brings tears into the equation. Seeing him this way was so foreign to Ana. She felt sorry for him but from afar—as long as he stays right there. But once he moves again, so does she.

"Elliot… Don't!"

"Please, Ana—"

A roar charges through the bushes, and a flash of black has Elliot tumbling on his back. When Ana's eyes adjust to the lightning-fast movement, she sees Christian and his older brother tussling on fallen leaves. She gapes at what is unfolding before her. There was no Carrick to stop the fight this time.

"Fuck you, man!" Elliot grunts as his brother overpowers him.

Christian places him in a chokehold that increases in tension each time Elliot tries to breathe. Elliot's face turns red, and then it goes darker.

"Stop!" Ana tries hard to peel her fiancé's arm from his brother's throat, but Christian won't budge.

My God, he's going to kill him, Ana fears.

"Christian! Please! Don't do this!"

Ana begs for a minute straight. Not until she wraps her arms around him and pleads softly in his ear to stop does Christian let go. Elliot lets out a loud gasp and drops to the ground. He's coughing profusely as Ana helps bring her fiancé up to his feet and dusts the twigs, leaves, and dirt from his suit.

"You fucking follow her again, and I will kill you!" Christian shouts down at his brother.

Ana tugs at Christian's arm, taking him away and leaving Elliot on the ground, gasping for air.

Elliot hadn't learned his lesson. He was just getting started. Being thoroughly convinced that his younger brother was a psychopath and a sexually disturbed individual, he was more than determined to break Ana out of what he deemed to be Stockholm Syndrome. He has been working long and hard to build a case on his brother. Laying it out in front of Ana alone wasn't going to be enough. He needed reinforcements.

That someone must have the power to make Ana see how she would be making the biggest mistake of her life next summer if she goes through with the wedding. Elliot had less than eight months to turn this tide. If all goes according to plan, he believes that the engagement could end by next week.

That would be a sweet victory.

Elliot arrives at his parents' Bellevue home at dinner time. Grace opens the door and is shocked to see her wayward son standing there with a thick manilla envelope sealed with a red string in his hand. This was the same son who had refused to speak to her after she had sided with Christian. Grace steps aside wordlessly, allowing Elliot to enter. Carrick enters the main room and is surprised to see Elliot as well.

"Son. What brings you here?"

"We need to talk," Elliot says ominously.

"Alright." Carrick leads the way to the sofa.

Elliot sits next to his father, while Grace chooses the seat next to her husband. She wanted to be far from the child who has said some awful things to her and the people she loves.

"This wedding needs to be stopped," Elliot opens up while opening the envelope in his lap. "Ana is in serious danger."

"What are you talking about?" Grace groans in exhaustion.

"He tried to kill me today," Elliot says, pulling down the collar of his jacket to show his parents the purple strangulation marks on his neck.

As Carrick's eyes grow wide, Grace's slant in skepticism.

"What happened?" Carrick asks.

"I was only trying to tell Ana about what I know, then Christian literally jumped out the bushes like a lunatic and tried to kill me. Ana had to beg him to stop."

"Elliot," Grace sighs. "What did you do?"

"My God—are you serious?" Elliot gapes at her. "Two hours ago, my contact saw Ana's ex from college at the airport. Christian had threatened his life and ran him out of the state. I just told you Christian tried to kill me, yet you're asking me what I did! Your son is fucking insane, Mom!"

Grace bites her lips, resisting the urge to correct him as to who the insane son really is. Meanwhile, the attorney sitting beside her is intrigued by the evidence in Elliot's lap.

"Christian is a trained dom in the BDSM scene," Elliot says, dropping a bombshell. "I need your help to save Ana. Over the years, he has paid off many women, who are now afraid to talk." Elliot proceeds to show documents with redacted names and locations that spell out sexual agreements between Christian and two unnamed women. "He paid school tuition for some and gave a new life to others. One woman I'd met recently—a stripper, she has suddenly disappeared."

Carrick frowns. "How did you meet this stripper? You know what—never mind. I don't want to know."

Elliot huffs in frustration. "What you should be asking is how Christian found a shitload of women who were willing to be degraded by a billionaire. They were beaten half to death, tied up, and fucked like dogs." Grace gasps, but Elliot continues on his tirade. "I've done my research. I've visited some of these sex clubs that Christian would frequent. The shit is nasty. He would tie these women up and beat the living shit out of them. It's so bad—you guys have no idea."

The stunned look on his parents' faces was what Elliot was hoping for. He decides to pile it on. "Mom—when was the last time you saw Ana? Have you been checking her for bruises? I tried today, but she wouldn't let me get near her. The things that Christian has been doing to these women is awful… I'm so scared for her. She's a good person who doesn't deserve this."

Grace remains silent while Carrick takes some of the documents from Elliot's lap and thumbs through the pages.

"Here's the kicker," Elliot prefaces. "I went to Paris earlier this month to meet with Elena Lincoln."

His mother's eyes grow wide. "You what?"

"She came clean to me," Elliot reveals. "She told me all about how she trained Christian to be a sexual sadist from the age of fifteen."

Grace starts sobbing at the drop of a hat, and Carrick pulls her into him, hugging her tight.

"Son…maybe we should save the discussion for another day. This is devastating to your mother."

Feeling a tinge of guilt, Elliot reaches out to touch his mother, but Carrick pushes back his hand. "Not now, Elliot."

"Mom—I'm sorry," Elliot pleads. "But you need to hear this so you can save Ana."

"Elliot," Carrick warns. "Leave your mother be so she can process all of this."

Reluctantly, Elliot stands and looks down at his mother as she falls apart on his father's shoulder. He hated to do it, but it had to be done. Only she could talk sense into Ana and save her from her captor. The last thing he wants was to wake up find Ana missing, too. Did he actually believe it? No—but she might as well be invisible now because Christian would never let him get near her.

"I'll call later," Elliot says to his dad, who simply nods as he rubs his wife's back.

Dejected, Elliot sees himself out. As soon as the front door closes, Grace sits up from her husband's chest and stares angrily with bloodshot eyes.

"He is lying. He will try everything under the sun to break up Christian and Ana."

"I agree," Carrick says, holding his wife's hand.

"I am not breathing life to any of that nonsense he just spoke. I'm not telling Christian or Ana."

"As you shouldn't," Carrick agreed.

"They don't have time for this crap. They have a wedding to plan," Grace seethes.

After dinner and a night with the symphony orchestra, the engaged couple stands in their bedroom, preparing for their Friday ritual. Christian is still in his button-down shirt, free at the collar, and black suit pants, while Ana is naked from head to toe. Christian removes her fifty-million-dollar low-cut diamond necklace from a velvet pouch and drapes it around her neck. He is expressionless, but inside, he is in total awe of her. Christian removes another necklace from the bag. It is covered in diamonds that are graduated by size, becoming larger as they approach the center.

Ana's eyes grow wide. "What's that?"

"A million-dollar Harry Winston." When Christian moves forward to put it on, Ana steps back. He winces. "What's wrong?" Without saying a word, Ana holds out both of her wrists to him, and a satisfied smirk takes form on his face.

Not long after, the two are naked in bed with Ana facing down. Ana is still catching her breath from an earth-shattering orgasm, while Christian works lubricant all over his erection and Ana's tight pucker. She gasps at the sound of a hum right before Christian teases her sex with her million-dollar vibrator. After torturing her long enough, he places the still-buzzing device on the mattress to free his hand for what he had next. He parted her ass cheeks, and slowly, he glides his way into her back opening. Ana gasps at the familiar intrusion. Once fully seated, Christian reclaims the vibrator and proceeds to wreak havoc all over Ana's body.

Every nerve ending she has is stimulated to the max. The pillow muffles her screams, but she lifts her ass higher in the air, urging her lover to do his worse. She wants him to make her sore until next week. Not only did she relish in the feel of him now, but she knew the aftereffects would continue to give her so much delight. Each ache would remind her of how roughly he took her. She loved being owned by Christian in every way imaginable.

Ana explodes around the vibrator and him, but Christian doesn't cease the torturous thrust of his hips or the tease of the wand. She crashes, then rises again, and the vibrator falls from his hand. He grips her by both hips and thrusts into her wildly.

"Fuck me, Christian! Yes! Yes!" she cries out.

Suddenly, both of his strong hands wrap around her neck, and he squeezes hard, making Ana reach euphoria quickly. She comes so hard that she snaps the brand-new million-dollar Harry Winston necklace in two. Christian climaxes with a roar, seeing stars as he rides Ana like a prized jockey across the finish line.

When Christian is lucid, he pulls his lover and best friend close and kisses her all over her face and neck. Ana lays there with a satisfied smile. Christian was preparing to answer it with one of his own until he notices blood on the sheets. The sight of the broken necklace leads his eye to her wrists.

"Shit—are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she giggles. "That was so amazing."

Christian wasn't convinced that she was fine. Before Ana can stop him, he leaps out of bed and hurries to the en suite. He returns in less than a minute with the First Aid kit and hastens to patch her up.

"Baby, you alright? You're bleeding good."

"It doesn't hurt," Ana assures him.

To Christian, it looks much worse than how Ana was leading on. As he bandages her second wrist, his eyes zoom to the purple marks on her neck, and he feels like complete scum.

"Fuck, Ana. I choked you hard," he said, fingering the fresh bruise on her neck.

As soon as he tapes the final bandage, Ana sits up and climbs in his lap. He looks dejected, and she wraps her arms around his neck, showering his face with kisses.

"I've been trying for years not to be that man," Christian murmurs. "I don't ever want to be too rough with you—"

"How dare you deprive me of all of you," Ana whispers back. "I love everything about you—your sweetness and your nasty; your soft and your hard. I don't want you any other way. I love it rough, so don't ever feel bad about giving it to me that way. And I love it slow, too. As long as it's only with you."

He snakes his arms around the small of her back and holds her body tight. "I don't deserve you."

"You deserve to be loved to the fullest, Christian—and I love you more than words can describe," she pleads.

Not long after, he lays her down and proceeds to make sweet love to the love of his life.

"It's party time, party time!"

Jubilant Marlowe dances in the middle of the arts and crafts room wearing her favorite pink dress with flowers made out of golden beading. All the children are enjoying pink cupcakes, celebrating Marlowe's last day at the hospital. Earlier, Grace told Ana and Christian that the little girl was doing exceptionally well and that her medical team expected her to make a full recovery from her illness.

As the kids enjoy their treat, Ana and Christian share a quiet moment several feet away.

"It's a miracle that you got Tyler liking broccoli," he smirks at his fiancée. "Maybe one day, he'll eat it without all that butter and cheese."

Ana looks contemplative. "I adore these kids," she murmurs. "Coming here on Saturdays and spending the day with them fulfills me."

Her hesitative expression immediately gets picked up by Christian. He narrows his eyes at her. "What are you trying to say?"

She sighs. "I'm saying that we don't have to have children if you don't want to. I think I'm supposed to be here, caring for these kids."

He holds Ana's warm face in both hands and gazes into her eyes, searching for something. Still, she remains silent, waiting for his words.

"One day, I want a baby with you," Christian says. Ana exhales, not knowing how else to respond. "But not now. We can wait ten years if you want. Will that be okay?" he asked. Ana nods, taking his hands with her. His tender expression hardens. "But I want that IUD out of you. It's not safe. Get the shot instead, okay?"

"Okay," she agrees. Christian leans in and kisses his future bride on the forehead, and she closes her eyes, taking in his warmth.

"Don't eat Miss Ana," little Everett says, tugging on Christian's pant leg. "We have lots of cupcakes left, Mr. Grey." The adults chuckle and then follow the boy over to join the rest of the group.

Fifteen minutes later, Ros rings Christian's cell for urgent GEH business.

"Go," Ana urges him. "I have everything all under control."

"You sure?" he asked with an arched brow.

"Yes, I'm sure. See you at home."

"Love you, baby," he whispers in her ear, placing a soft kiss on her temple.

"Love you, too," she answered back.

Christian hugs all the kids and promises to see them next week before giving Marlowe an extra special hug.

"Don't be sad, Mr. Grey. I will be at you and Miss Ana's wedding next June."

"I look forward to it, Marlowe." Ana chuckles at her fiancé's rigidity with such a young girl.

"I'll be wearing this dress so that you can find me," Marlowe says.

"Good, because if you wear a different dress, I'll assume that someone is pretending to be you. Then, I'll have to ask them to leave for impersonating my little friend."

Marlowe laughs. "You're so silly, Mr. Grey."

When the little girl hugs the kneeling man tighter, Ana feels something tugging hard at her chest. She knows how badly Christian wants to be a father, but Ana isn't ready. For the first time in her life, she was happier than she has ever been. If only she could embrace this moment for a little while longer with her one true love and these sweet children in need. Waiting was worth the risk for her. And if conception becomes more difficult as she gets older, Ana was open to fertility treatments and adoption.

She already has everything she'll ever need in this one man, so her heart will always be full.

Thirty minutes later, Grace appears and starts helping Ana tidy up the empty room after the party.

"Where's Christian?"

"Oh—he wanted me to tell you that he'll give you a call later. Ros called him with a work emergency, so he's at Grey House. It's all under control, but he's stuck in meetings for the next two hours," Ana explains.

"Boy, oh boy—that demanding company of his. I hope him being in the office during off-hours isn't a habit."

"It isn't, thank goodness. And guess what? He comes home to me every night." Ana shrugs and then pauses once she replays her words back in her head. Instantly, she wants to take them back. No matter how wrong he had done her, Elliot was still Grace's son.

"I'm so happy you and Christian found each other," Grace says with a warm smile as she takes Ana's hand in hers. "I guess it's just us two for lunch, then."

Ana groans. "Marlowe insisted that I have one of her cupcakes, which was full of rich, cream cheese frosting, so I'm not all that hungry at the moment. I can go for tea, though."

Fifteen minutes later, the women are seated in the cafeteria. Grace starts on her salad, and her eyes flit up to Ana. Her future daughter-in-law lifts her steaming cup to her mouth, and Grace catches a glimpse of a fresh scar peeking from the cuff of her long-sleeved shirt. Grace frowns as her eyes dart down to Ana's arm on the table, where she spots a matching scar.

Before moving her mouth to ask Ana what happened to her wrists, Grace's sight lands on a purple mark on Ana's neck, hidden under lots of makeup. Grace follows the trail and knows that this mark must go far.

"Ana is in serious danger."

Elliot's ominous warning rings loud and clear in Grace's head, and she nearly drops her fork.

A/N: Hey there, faithful readers. Thank you so much for your patience. I've been extremely busy putting out books as well as trying to navigate life during this crazy pandemic.

For those of you who have read and enjoyed my fanfiction Family Business, I am preparing to release it as a two-book original in December and January. Advance review copies for book 1 have already gone out, and book 2 will be distributed next week. Make sure you are in my Storie Tells All Facebook group to find out how to get an ARC, as well as to qualify for my special paperback giveaway coming late December/early January!

Now, back to AMT. I wanted this chapter to be nice and long like the rest, but I'd hit all of the marks I wanted to. Anything more would've just been drawing things out.

As promised, I will be ending this story in chapter 19. The title of that chapter is "Two Weddings and A Funeral," haha! I hope to wrap up this long journey quite nicely for all of you who have stuck around since the beginning. The story will be completed before December ends. Will there be an epilogue? Yes! In fact, half of it has already been written.

Until next time, thanks for reading! – ST2 (aka TK Cherry)