A/N: Thank you to everyone who left encouraging comments and respectfully critical comments telling me what they didn't like and why. Another thank you to those who didn't even critique the story, but just left me personal attacks and announced their departure, for removing themselves from this space. I don't want you here if you think that's an appropriate way to act just because you didn't like something in a story.

That being said, I appreciate everyone who stuck it out, even if you were upset by last chapter. And if you didn't like what I did and told me that without being abusive, we're good. Thanks for the feedback. Now, we get some answers. I'll see you again at the bottom. xo

Chapter 30

Christian

Ana hangs up and it feels like the world is imploding around me. No. No. No. This can't be happening. This has to be a bad dream. Is this really how we go down? We manage to start to rebuild after the monumental fuck-up that I actually did, only for this set-up to be the thing that ends us?

Ever since this news broke, that's made me wonder if mind control or alternate realities exist, I've been in my office at Grey House. I called my entire tech team in, without giving a single fuck that it's late on a Friday night.

I wrack my brain for a shred of calm. What would Flynn say? Compassion-focused. Pretend it's Teddy. What would I tell Teddy if he was in trouble?

I re-imagine the scenario if my son were in my shoes. That's fucking it. I don't lay down and die now. I'll take the flack for the shit I've actually done, but I refuse to go down for this. I refuse to lose her over this.

There's a knock at the door. "Come in," I yell, my voice sounding strangled.

Barney peeks his head in. "Sir, I have news. Actually, very conclusive news."

I nod and he steps into the room further, closing the door behind him. "I analyzed the footage for about half a second before I knew it was a deepfake."

"A what?"

"A deepfake. In essence, it's technology that can create a completely new video or image from scratch. They're typically used to swap celebrities into pornographic videos, but they're more commonly being used to attack and manipulate public figures. In your case, this isn't even a quality deepfake. It seems like it was rushed and done by someone who was new to the technology." He clears his throat uncomfortably. "Could I play the video and point something out to you?"

I shudder, having no desire to see the sacrilegious footage a second time, but nod again. He opens up the laptop tucked under his arm and pulls the video up. "You can clearly see your face, which would be easy to replicate, given that your image is easily Googleable. The usual markers of a poor deepfake would be awkward facial movements, patchiness, or getting the finer details such as your hair wrong. They got those down pretty well, while still making it look like a shitty security video. But if you look, you never blink. It's a fairly long clip and you never blink, not once. The algorithms often don't account for facial movements such as blinking, because people usually don't in photos.

"Not only that, but whoever made this forgot to account for timestamps, which is just a shockingly sloppy mistake. They might have been confused about time zones, but the timestamp on the video is for a time that you were already in the air. I'm not surprised that the media jumped at this and didn't recognize it as fake, and in fairness, a bunch of laypeople watching it wouldn't either, but anyone who's familiar with the technology could smell this a mile away."

"So, what do we do?"

"Well, the hotel you were staying in has already reviewed and released the real footage from that time. Not sure why he didn't see that coming. Also, the articles are full of comments of people pointing out the inconsistencies. But, if you want to handle this more personally… our guy made another mistake. Like, another ridiculously sloppy one. I traced the IP address of the original email sent out to tipster lines, and the ironic part is this guy encrypted all his data while making the video, but forgot to use a VPN when he sent the actual email. This was sent from a room in the Fairmont Olympic. A quick hack told me it's booked under the name of Bill Brown... paid for with a credit card linked to Nathan Norwood."

I slam my fists down on the desk, making Barney nearly jump out of his skin. "Motherfucker."

"Yeah, my thoughts were similar," he mutters.

"Get Taylor. Thanks, Barney."

His eyebrows skyrocket. "Uh… you're welcome, boss. No problem."

Barney steps out and Taylor quickly steps in. "Sir?"

"Nathan Norwood."

His eyes narrow in disgust. "That wouldn't have anything to do with Brian Norwood?"

"His dumbass father. Barney traced the IP address to a room at the Fairmont. He couldn't even use cash?"

"I'm not surprised. Arrogance ensured that he was sure he wouldn't be found, which only made it easier for us."

"Do you know what a deepfake is?" He nods. "Could you and Barney explain it to my family? They'll all be ready to serve my ass on a platter if they think it's real. Hell, I would let them."

He nods again. "Have you spoken to Mrs. Grey?"

My mood plummets again and the voice that comes out is very small. "She wants a divorce."

Taylor's normally stoic expression slips to reveal sympathy. "I thought that might happen. I'm going to take the liberty of informing Sawyer of the truth of the situation." He clears his throat. "Sir… it's late, and that footage was very shocking. Especially with the progress you and Mrs. Grey had been making. She's a reasonable woman… but this was bound to be a blow. Even a reasonable woman would react emotionally."

I roughly run my fingers through my hair. "I know. I don't blame her. You see how I went after just seeing a photo of her with the producer, not even kissing? This was a fucking video. I just… she has to see the truth, doesn't she?"

"Barney and I will meet her at the airport. She'll need extra coverage anyway. The paparazzi are going to have a field day with this."

"Norwood?"

"Oh, we'll send people there too. He's fucked."

"People?"

"Lawyers. And security. Just in case."

"Thank you. Taylor?"

"Sir?"

"You'll talk to her yourself? She trusts you."

"Yes, sir. May I speak freely?" I nod once. "Of all the idiotic moves you've made in your marriage, I'll be damned if the one that nails the coffin isn't even real. You are a lot of things… but you're not unfaithful."

There was once a time that my CPO roasting my nuts like that would have resulted in an immediate termination, but at this moment, it just serves as a welcome bit of comic relief. "Get to work, Taylor."

He smirks. "Sir."

He exits the office and closes the door behind him. The city is still quiet, the dawn gently enveloping the buildings around it. Now we wait…

I'm pacing in my office, watching the sun rise, waiting for my phone to ring. Ana's plane should land within minutes. Suddenly, my phone starts to buzz. I see that it's my mother. "Hello?"

"Oh, Christian. How are you doing?"

"Hi, Mom. I don't really have much time to talk. I'm waiting for Ana's plane to land."

"I won't keep you, dear. I'll admit, I was unhappy with you for a moment when I saw that footage, but the truth seems far more sinister. Why would someone want to do that to you?"

"I have a theory, but I'll find out for sure soon."

"Have you seen the news? All the stories are being retracted now and they're running pieces about deepfakes. It seems like your name is being cleared."

Well, that's something. "No, I haven't looked. But that's good to know."

"We're all behind you, darling. Are you still coming tonight? We thought about postponing, but I think we need to provide a show of strength after this."

I find that it sends me into a panic to look any further into the future than the next few minutes, so I deflect. "I'll let you know."

"Okay, sweetheart. And I'm sure whatever Ana thought initially, she'll be understanding once she knows the truth. Try to keep your head up?"

"Thanks, Mom."

As I hang up, I get a text from Taylor. Wheels touching down now.

My heart rate climbs. I set the phone down and go back to my pacing. I wish I had a moment to call Flynn, but I wouldn't even know what to say at this point. I don't want to speculate scenarios until I know my fate.

Time passes, though I feel in limbo from it as I pace, as if moving quickly enough will keep me ahead of it. Maybe far enough ahead that this will have never happened.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, but was probably twenty minutes or so, my phone rings. It's Taylor. I lunge for it. "Yes?"

"Sir, Mrs. Grey wants to speak with you. She asked if you could meet her at the house."

Oh, cue the choir of angels singing. "Yes, I can. How did she take the news?"

He pauses. "She seems… upset at this turn of events. But was quickly willing to accept the explanation. She required less convincing than I expected. Her car is on its way to the house now."

"I have to go. Thank you, Taylor. I owe you a fat fucking raise, don't let me forget it." I hang up and head down to the parking garage. I'd bungee-jump out the window if that was an option right now, but the elevator will have to do.

The traffic surprisingly works out in my favor and I'm pulling through the gates in about twenty minutes. Now is not the time to let nerves derail me, so without hesitation, I get out of the car and walk into the house.

I find Ana pacing in the living room, rubbing her forehead like she has a headache. She notices me in the doorway after a moment and we just stare at each other. Her expression is raw, and abruptly, she crosses the room and wraps her arms around me.

It takes me a moment to process the shock that this action brings me, but then I deeply exhale and circle mine around her. For the moment, the only feeling is relief and our heartbeats thrumming against each other, and the only sound is our breathing slowing down.

I don't know how long we stand like this before Ana speaks, gripping me a little tighter as she does. "What I said…" She pulls back to look at me. "I'm sorry. I reacted emotionally. It was… I was so confused. I couldn't make sense of how this could be happening, it was the middle of the night, and I just… I felt so much at once, and I lashed out. The least I could have done is hear you out."

I caress her cheek with my thumb. "I can't imagine my reaction to a video like that of you would have been much different, given the circumstances. But I would never do that to you, Ana. You're the only one I see. Don't you know that?"

She drops her gaze. "I know that the person I married is not a cheater. I just… feel like I'm getting to know him all over again. Like I said, what we're lacking now is trust." She takes a deep breath. "So, what now?"

"What do you mean?"

"What should we do? About this?" She gestures between us. "If you aren't interested in counseling anymore, I understand. I can't imagine how painful it must have been for those few hours to have most of the world not believe you… including me. But after how painful that experience was, I can't pretend I'm indifferent to you anymore. I can't pretend I don't care. I could say that I would like to have a decent relationship, if only for the sake of our kids, but it's also because you are the only person that I've ever loved, and those feelings don't just go away. You've been accommodating to my requests throughout all of this… so tell me what you want."

I feel the soothing balm of relief at her words, loosening the tightness in my chest. "Ana, we've both made the same mistake. We both saw sensationalized stories and reacted without thinking. We betrayed each other, but we both snapped out of it quickly. I think we can call it even, and I still want to work on us. All I want is to try to move forward. I don't give a fuck what the world thinks as long as you know the truth. Still, emotions seem to run high between us… I think we need a moderator." I half smile at the intensity of our situation.

She smiles back. "I always thought that we seemed like a strange pair on paper, but maybe we're more alike than we seem. I meant what I said before. I want to work on it, too." She steps back and takes my hand, pulling me over to the couch. We sit down side by side and almost unconsciously lean into each other. "Who would want to do this to you? This seems so… personal," she murmurs.

I pull her a little closer. "We actually seem to have that pretty much figured out. About a year ago, I was in a foul mood and took down some family tech company. They'd been in business for a few decades, but had gotten complacent with the industry and were going downhill. We kept their CEO at the time, Brian Norwood, onto our technology team, but he almost immediately terminated after he tried to hack our system and sell high-clearance company information to our competitors. Fucker didn't use a VPN when he gave all these outlets the video, though, so we tracked him to his hotel room. I'm not surprised he wanted to fuck me over. My lawyers are on their way there. Actually, they might be there already. I don't know exactly why he decided to do this, and now, but I intend to find out."

Her brows knit together. "Norwood? That sounds really familiar..." She shrugs and snuggles closer into my side. "Are you okay? Really? Does your family know everything?"

I shrug. "I'm okay now. Taylor and Barney talked to my family just like they talked to you, and Grace informed me that the media is backpedaling now."

"You know, Ezra called me before I got on the plane and told me that his sister saw the video and she thought it was faked. She works for Microsoft and is part of a team trying to come up with a technology to debunk deepfakes. So… the whole plane ride, I felt like there was more to this. And then when Taylor and Barney talked to me when we landed… it just all fell into place. I didn't know if you'd even want to see me after the way I spoke to you."

I put my finger under her chin and tip her head up so she makes eye contact. "Hey. I'm serious. We're calling it even."

She smiles sadly. "I might be annoyed with myself a little longer. But I'll try. So… what about tonight?"

"What about it?"

"The last 12 hours or so have been… eventful. Is the gala still happening?"

"Mom said she thinks a show of strength would be best. What about you? Are you still performing?"

"I guess. I honestly just want to hide from the world and take a nap after the last day, but I don't want to let them run my life."

"I should go, then. Let you get ready." I say this, but make no move to leave, and she makes no move to get up either.

"Wait a minute…" She sits up and gets a gleam in her eye, the kind that always signals that she's plotting something. "I have a thought."

"And what is that?"

"A show of strength… what if we go to the gala together? You would think everyone would expect us to be at each other's throats after the shit they've said about both of us. So, what if we give them something to talk about?"

I am in absolute shock. Just a few hours ago, I thought I'd lost her forever, and now she wants to go to an event together. Did I bungee-jump out the window, die, and go to heaven? "You want to go together?"

She smiles and takes my hand. "Yes. Everyone assumes they know everything, and I'm sick of it. Whether or not we can stay married to each other after we work through this, we're still on the same team, aren't we?"

I nod, though I have no intention of not being married to her ever, but that's a conversation for inside a therapy session. "Team Ana for life."

She smirks. "Team Christian for life. They're going to talk anyway… let's have a little fun."

She holds out her hand for a handshake, and we seal the deal.

A/N: So someone really wanted to push them apart, but it looks like it's only brought them closer together. More info on that later. Next, we'll have the gala, and we'll see how Ana and Christian have some fun. The media has thrown nothing but shit at them this whole story. Time to take back their power.

And I haven't forgotten about the Kate issue. We'll talk about that too.

I hope this was satisfactory for those of you who've been begging me for more drama. And I'm sorry to those who I freaked out. I hoped that my author's note would alleviate some of the shock, but it's probably easier for me because I know how this ends, and you don't. I also understand that many of you felt like this was unrealistic drama, and I agree that it would be for you and me, but Christian and Ana lead very different lives from most of us. This doesn't seem like it's that out of the realm of possibility for them.

Anyway, this was a potential idea I had from the beginning. I wasn't that excited about the placement of it either, as I liked the progress they were making, but this is a learning experience. To be very clear: I will keep this as one book. I said it will be longish not because there will be more twists and setbacks like this, but because I anticipate that working through their issues and rebuilding their relationship will take some time. I'm ready to do that, and I hope you are too! Finally, remember that this is my first writing that I'm sharing, and I'm not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but I'm not here to be abused. I actually wondered for a second if this is even worth it. It's not easy on your soul to be here sometimes. But cyberbullies don't win this round.

Interestingly, I got a bunch of anonymous reviews just saying they hate me and they're done reading, but I didn't actually lose any followers. So, 0 points to anonymous trolls. I appreciate those who shared their views, even dissenting ones, respectfully!