Author's Note: Hey all, thank you for your patience. I've finally gotten around to editing and uploading these. I'm still in school but have made this my project for the summer. Thank you all again!

Also: Christian will be a very, very, possessive, domineering, and at times a bit crazy… but only for Ana. ;)

And Ana, will be a bit more of a ball buster, she will make him work for it. I apologize about the swearing, but I sort of like her like this. What do you guys think?

Anyway, until next update! xo

I woke up the next morning feeling pretty revived since the large curtains were still drawn and the room was dark, I grabbed the remote on one of the side tables and pressed the curtain buttons letting the mid morning sun come shining through. I love automatic things they always make me life so much easier. I really do love New York and living in one of the idyllic buildings is a pretty big perk. If I had moved on my own as I had planned, then all I could afford would be a very, very small apartment in the city adjacent or a questionable living arrangement with a few roommates.

When I graduated high school at sixteen, I went straight to university and graduated at 20. I quickly moved out on my own and started working to save up for graduate school. After a few years of living a "normal" life, I forgot how nice it was to have actual things and live in a nice place. Don't get me wrong I do love and mostly prefer the simpler things, but I don't take for granted the lifestyle I was born into. I don't really know what my father or my family really does. From the snippet I read in Forbes about my father it said he was the billionaire thinker of our century… yup, a billionaire thinker. Too bad he didn't have enough brainpower to remember he had a child waiting for him. HA.

My childhood wasn't all that bad. I had a wonderful live-in nanny. Her name was Lucy, she was so wonderful that I use to call her mama. Shit, I use to pretend that she was. The woman was amazing, she cooked, baked, and cleaned, but was always there for me if I ever needed her. On top of all that my mom would have Lucy take her place in during those student-teacher conferences. She used to get away with it until around the ninth grade, but when the jig was up my mom just stopped sending her period. If I only base my childhood on the memories, I have with Lucy then I had a pretty great one, but if I based my childhood on everything else, it was pretty awful. Honestly, I've made peace with it and I don't need a therapist to figure out why I have "daddy issues", I'm pretty adaptable. This is also why I want to become a clinical psychologist; I want to be able to help people in need.

Finally, ready to get up and start a new day I got out of the bed and quickly headed into shower. Heading out in a white tank top, black jean shorts, some chucks, I then headed for the kitchen. I called out for my uncle, but he wasn't there, I wonder if he ever came home? I stayed up pretty late last night, but he still hadn't come home when I retired to my bedroom. What sort of business would be conducted at 1 in the morning? I grabbed a bowl filled it with Special K and some milk, surprisingly the pantry and fridge were both pretty stocked up. I walked around the house while I ate trying to figure out if he was actually at home, he wasn't.

Walking out into the terrace I sat on the chair and watched the people in the other buildings get ready for their day. A few floors down across the next building there was a couple having sex and five windows away some guy was getting ready for his day. I look further down and there was a couple arguing pretty heatedly, god I'm such a creep. Knowing me I'll probably watch these three every morning now. Laughing to myself as I finish my breakfast and head back to the kitchen where consequently my phone had began ringing.

"Hello?" I answer.

"Hello, bambolina, I'm calling from my office. Sorry that I wasn't able to come home last night."

"It's okay," I reply.

"Do you have any plans for the day?"

"Nope, probably just walking around."

"Can we have a re-do of last night?"

"Sure, what time do you think you can be home?"

"Around 6, I'll call you if there are any changes."

"Okay, see you later," I reply, but the line was already dead. Ass.

Washing my things, I left them in the dishwasher and headed down the elevator and into the lobby. The valet and the concierge both said very warm good morning and opened the door for me, while people were bustling around the streets trying to get through their day. Right across from where I stood I notice the same black SUV outside, but the other one wasn't anywhere to be seen, probably a coincidence.

I walked the opposite direction of the café I had went to yesterday, due to the fact that their coffee was pretty lacklustre and I didn't want to bump into "Grey" again. Who is Grey? I wish I had more friends, shit I wish I had friends to talk to about this shit in my head. Is that sad? It's sort of sad. I don't make friends very easily, I guess I have trust issues and the people I grew up with weren't the type of friends I wanted to have. If I'm being honest with myself I do like being alone, it's how I've been for most of my life, why should it change now?

Getting lost in the city's hustle and bustle it took me awhile to realize that I felt someone following me. I turned my head but saw no one that looked conspicuous. Shaking off the paranoid feeling I continued on my trek. I wasn't really a tourist to the city, but I wasn't a native either, what should I do now? I should have just stayed home is what I should have done. Maybe looked for a job? I hailed down a cab and got in, but the fact that a black SUV was there too didn't go unnoticed.

I really didn't have a destination in mind so I told the driver to take me to Central Park, I think I want to enjoy the scenery and the relatively lengthy ride uptown. As our silent ride continued on I kept my eyes straight forward, but the same black SUV was still tailing us. It was only a few cars down, but now I definitely know that I was being followed. I think this is my uncle's doing. I'm really not sure how I feel about this, I get he's paranoid, but honestly I don't know why he's going this far. I really need to talk to him and soon, this is ridiculous, what an utter waste of gas. If he wanted me followed then why would he give me keys to his car, unless he did want to keep this from me, which makes me angry as hell that he thought he could get away with it. Annoyed at the audacity of the situation I told the driver to try and lose the black SUV, without another word he agreed and began speeding through the streets. Take that.

Twenty minutes later we arrived at the east side entrance, giving him a large smile and a generous tip, I walked out and inhaled the fresh air. Popping my head phones in I got lost to some Ella Fitzgerald, and after a leisurely walk I notice that the zoo was open which I immediately bee-lined to. Upon entrance I stopped at the sea lions in the central garden, then slowly making my way into the penguin exhibit.

"Funny animals, huh?" a man said behind me. I should have known exactly who it was, that same velvet voice. Grey.

I turn to my right and face him quirking my eyebrow at him, "What?"

"The penguins," he motions to the animals in front of us.

"Oh yeah, funny," I reply dryly, "what are you doing here?"

"Enjoying the exhibit," he says feigning innocence.

"Really?" I asked in complete disbelief, "What are the odds of you being in the same place as me two days in a row?"

"Pretty amazing coincidence," he states.

"Well I should get going," I turn to move, but he catches my arm sending a tingling sensation up my arm.

"We could go through it together."

"No thank you, I was just about to leave."

"But you just got here," he says, like it was the most obvious thing.

"What the fuck?" I asked incredulous, "Have you been following me?"

"No," he shrugs.

"You are a psychotic prick," I say as my voice raises an octave.

"I'd like to say passionate," he laughs, "come on, Ana." He grabs my arm and pulls me away.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," I say trying to squirm out of his grasp.

"I won't bite," he says with a smile.

"I don't think so, you're practically kidnapping me," I yell. Where are my uncle's guards when I need them? Well, Ana, maybe you shouldn't have played that stupid game of chase with them.

"I'm not kidnapping you."

"Let me go, now," I say harshly, "you're hurting my arm."

A look of worry ran across his face, "Ana, I'm sorry."

"What is wrong with you?" I asked rubbing the spot he had a hold of.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay from our last couple of interactions."

"So following me was how you would go about doing this?"

He shrugs, "Can we start over again?"

"No, you fucking nut," I spat out and with that I step away from him and bolt the other way.

"Ana, can you stop?" he says catching up to me after a few minutes, pretty much running right next to me. "Relax, I'm not going to hurt you."

"Grey, that isn't what a girl wants to hear from a guy who's following her," I roll my eyes at him.

"You are incredibly beautiful when you get mad, do you know that?" he says ignoring my statement all together.

"Ugh," I groan, "I'm going home."

"To your uncle?"

"Why does it matter to you?"

"Everything involving you matters to me," he says matter-of-factly.

"No it doesn't, you spilled coffee on me and then somehow ended up in the same restaurant the same night, I don't know you. Thus, my well-being is none of your concern. If you please, I'm going to go," I say turning away from him. "Have a good day."

"Ana, I apologize," he says grabbing my hand, "I apologize for being so abrasive."

"I have to go," ignoring his apology.

"As you wish, Ana," he kisses my hand and walks away from me. What the hell? He put up that huge fight, then just lets me go. Don't get me wrong, I wanted him to, but it was weird how abruptly he did so. "Have a good evening."

xx

That evening my uncle actually came in at a decent time and arrived at 6:30 pm. Giving me a kiss on my forehead he goes to his bedroom to get changed, he had already ordered dinner for us.

"How was your day, bambolina?" he asked taking the seat next to me.

"It was okay, nothing exciting," I reply.

"That's too bad, what are your plans while you're here?"

"Not sure yet, I know I need to start getting into things, but I'm sort of lost on where to start."

"Katherine can help you."

"Okay, that sounds good," I reply, after a few minutes I decide to grow some balls and ask him what was up with the tail. "So uncle Berto, why did you have someone follow me today?"

He chokes on his wine, guilty. "Let me explain-"

"It's okay, I get it. You're paranoid, right?"

"Yeah…" he trails off, "did your father ever talk to you about our family?"

"What do you mean?" I ask.

He looks into my eyes and doesn't speak for a few minutes, "It's nothing, bambolina."

"Tell me," I persist.

"It's about our family business."

"Nah, no one was ever around to talk about that stuff."

"It's not important," he gives me a forced smile. Now I've grown suspicious, what is he hiding?

I'm probably not going to get anywhere with that topic tonight so I decide to change my line of questioning, "What's up between you and that guy from last night?"

"An old acquaintance," he says a bit too casually.

"Doesn't seem like it to me," I muse. "The people around us were all being so nosey, but what I remember the most was how afraid they looked, like you were about to shoot him down," I laugh at the absurdity.

"Yeah, that's probably it," he tries laughing, something's definitely up.

"So what's the story?" I continue to prod.

"Old news really," he furrows his eyebrows, but I remain silent, coaxing him to continue. "We use to be business partners, but things turned sour."

"You were being pretty aggressive."

"Maybe, but he really wasn't welcomed in my restaurant," he says simply. Too many questions popped into mind, but I know I need to relax and figure it out on my own. Like my father he wouldn't want to "bother me with the mundane details." Letting go of the topic, the conversation dwindled down until the food arrived.

Dinner was a quiet affair, he didn't receive as many calls and messages, but still seemed rather distracted. When we finished he quickly excused himself to go into his office, I offered to clean up, which he gives me a kiss on my forehead and headed out the kitchen.

After I got ready for bed, I went to find my uncle to wish him a goodnight. I didn't find him in his bedroom, so I deduced that he was still in his office.

"She's my fucking niece, Vincent, your daughter," he yelled so loud I could hear him through the door, he's obviously talking to my dad. "How could you keep her in the dark for so fucking long?" So they are keeping a secret from me…. wanting to know more I pressed my ear to the door, abandoning any ill feelings about invading his privacy.

"I thought she knew since you let her move out here, for fuck sakes. You are an asshole, you didn't think of informing her about the family she's in?" I hear a loud crash coming inside that made me jump, but before I could make a sound I covered my mouth and listened closer. "That was your responsibility, I am neck deep in this shit Vincent and you place her in the middle of a fucking war zone!" War zone? "I know you were a shitty father, but this is beyond even your capacity. What am I suppose to say? Sorry dear, I can't come to dinner because I'm going to kill some fucking Columbians?" Killing Columbians? It has to be a joke, right? My uncle was in telecommunications… My mind immediately ran into different directions as a chill ran down my spine.

"She's now a liability," he seethes, breaking my line of questions.

Whatever it is my uncle and probably my father are into some sort of illegal activities. I need to learn more, but I don't know how I could manage that without alerting them. Am I safe? Wait, of course I am, my uncle has me followed, but then again what if my uncle isn't the one who I should be afraid of? Shit. My head begins to start spinning, but before I could turn around to run back to my room I heard another loud crash and the door swinging open.

"Ana?"

A/N: Are you guys still enjoying it?