CHAPTER 5
Ana stood up and straightened her clothes up. She walked over to the two of them in her designer outfit and said, "I have not nor ever taken money from anyone my whole entire life. You may have thought I was a poor little farm girl by mistake, but I am not nor have I ever been."
Ana looked at Elena and said, "The next time you want to glean information from someone stop getting it from Mia's two little jealous bitchy friends that were standing outside staring me down and gossiping about me and the only ones to have seen me filling my car at Neiman Marcus today."
Ana looked back at Grace and said, "Let's set the record straight for everyone, shall we? I am a multimillionaire, well almost a half a billionaire to be correct in assets and finances. I own my own company called Steele Financial, Inc. and deal mostly in commercial properties, condos and apartment complexes. My father and I together built up everything to be self-sustaining and efficient. If you did a background check I'm sure that's what you'll see. I never bought designer fashions before because I was at school getting my master's degree in Accounting Forensics and did not see the need to rub anything in any noses letting people know that I had money. My father wanted me to completely outfit myself for years but I saw no need to. Until school was over two months ago I still hadn't used my money."
Ana looked at Elena when she said, "Yes, my money."
She looked back at Grace and continued, "My father died of pancreatic cancer three years ago. So today was my first spending spree at Neiman Marcus and my Audi R8 Spyder this week was also replacing the car I almost died in if I hadn't moved from the tree cracking in half and taking out me and my car when Christian crashed. The timing was in both our favors being, I was leaving for the grocery store at that moment. So now you know the truth about me. I am no man's whore or him my sugar daddy. I am my own self made woman who was at the right place at the exact right time, to help a person I have respect for, from out of a serious situation. That's it. Oh, by the way, you need a better friend, preferably one who doesn't lie to you like that." Ana turned and walked away.
Elena growled and said, "You little bitch!" Grace stood back and just stared at Elena like she had three heads.
Grace said, "I don't know who you are anymore."
Christian shouted, "Taylor!"
Taylor came around the corner and said, "Yes, sir?"
Christian just pointed at Elena. Taylor went after her and she started shuffle-running in six inch stilettos to the elevator. She was screaming, "I was just trying to protect and help you! You'll be sorry, mark my words!" The door closed on the elevator.
Ana said, "That woman is so vile. She even told Christian, yesterday, to pay me off and send me on my way. She said wealthy people do it, so you don't get hangers on. Can you believe she said that last night when I was standing right here?"
Grace sat down and asked, "What are you doing here, Anastasia?"
Ana sat down next to Christian and said, "Christian called me and wanted me to come to Seattle. I have a nice condo here on 1st Street and the Montesano property and New York apartment too. I go between the ones here. I was living in my condo while going to school. I had only been on the Montesano property for a day when everything happened. I was going to stay there until I heard from the last eight places I sent my resume to."
Christian said, "That reminds me. The girl in my personnel division of my HR department was fired. She was put there by another person to keep people with master's degrees from entering my company. That's why your resume was rejected, not that you were unqualified, Anastasia." Ana knew there was more to it and would ask later.
Grace asked, "Why do you want to work at other companies when you have your own?"
Ana said, "I want to try to do things on my own. I could just step in and do the CEO thing, but I want to learn outside of that. One of my father's dearest friends runs the company for us. He really likes his job and we pay him very well for it. I want to be someone who learns and earns on their own merit."
Ana looked down at her hands and said, "It may seem peculiar but it's who I am."
Grace said, "It can happen but not often in wealthy families that a child needs to prove themselves. Christian was one of those children." She put her hand on Ana's and said, "Just like you. You said you and your father built your company. It really is as much yours as it was his. Don't discount your part, Anastasia."
Ana looked in her eyes with emotion and said, "But I did it all for him. He was my hero, my savior, my teacher and the best daddy that any girl could want. I miss him so much and it all feels like his. I don't think I will ever not see him in everything around me for the rest of my life. He taught me how to read at storytime, write letters to Santa and count on my toes. My mother abandoned me at six years old. My daddy took me with him everywhere in the world through the Marines and still helped me with my homework. I took off six months from college to take care of him, in the end. He made me promise to go back and finish. I did it for him and me. Now I'm left all alone in this world with a big gaping hole where he used to be." Ana's tears were running down her face.
Christian had scooted down the couch and took her in his arms holding her tight against his chest and kissed her head. Grace had tears on her face herself. Grace couldn't imagine how alone this little girl was. She was attracted to her son, as much as he was to her. Grace felt bad for thinking anything that Elena said was remotely true about her. She wasn't after money, only love and acceptance. She was so very beautiful and had done so much for her family because it was the right thing to do.
Christian said, "Anastasia, you're not alone anymore. I'll be there for you and help you. You saved my life so now you have to watch over me and keep me out of trouble and feed my chocolate addiction and kiss me whenever I need it." She started giggling.
Ana looked up at him and sniffled and said, "My company could go broke because there isn't enough chocolate in the world to be enough." He chuckled at her and she giggled. He kissed her puffy pink lips gently. Grace was amazed at how adorable they were together.
Christian said, "Mom, she baked me eight dozen chocolate butter cookies yesterday and I have a killer top secret ultimate chocolate cake for dessert tonight. I'm going to have to work out extra hard but it will be worth every bite."
Ana said, "He pleaded with me to make him a 'make up for missing my birthday cake' cake." Grace laughed.
Grace said, "He was a little boy until he moved out he would help unload the groceries until he found chocolate cake, candy or whatever and then disappeared locking his bedroom door so he could eat all the chocolate before his brother and sister could get any." Ana giggled.
Ana said, "Mia called him an oinker when she told me that story today." They all three laughed.
Grace left and Mrs Jones finally was able to serve dinner. Mrs Jones said, "Miss Steele, Taylor locked his bag of cookies in the safe that only he has the combination too and won't share."
Ana giggled and said, "What did I tell you, choco-holic men go mental over their chocolate butter cookies in this house."
Christian said, "Wait, you gave him some of your cookies? Those are my cookies."
Ana said, "No, Christian, they were my share of cookies. I'm just generous like that."
He pouted, "That's only because you know how to make more. Those shoulda been mine."
Ana leaned over and said, kissing his lips lightly, "Don't pout Christian, you look too cute and it drives me crazy. You got the killer top secret ultimate chocolate cake anyway, but I get a piece because I made it and need to be paid for all the hard work. You may need a small refrigerator with an un-pickable lock on it in your room though. You only get one a year and I get a nice big piece of it every time." He looked surprised at her. She smiled at him. They ate their dinner. Christian about fainted in chocolate nirvana after dinner.
The next day Ana laid in her bed looking up at the ceiling thinking about last night. Christian told her that the woman was a plant by Elena Lincoln to keep all females out of his company because he had a lot of them and men too. He wouldn't go into details but Ana decided she wanted to know all there is to know about Elena Lincoln. There was just something so very wrong with her. It was creeping out her gut instinct in the worst way. She got up, went to the bathroom and made an Italian espresso latte, killer style and a bowl of muesli cereal with strawberries cut up in it.
She was going to have to make a few phone calls this morning. She got a pad of paper and a pen. She booted up her computer and ran a program her father had to do deep background checks. It would take a little while. She typed in Elena Lincoln's name and the city of Seattle Washington. Immediately, it came up with the basics: social security number, phone number, addresses, businesses, bank accounts, education, and cars. She owned three salons at 40% and Christian was 60% owner. Ok nothing unusual there.
After an hour, more came in. Ana sat down and was shocked. She had three aliases and two own BDSM nightclubs today, one in New York and one in Chicago. Her one alias that looks like it hadn't been used in a while was busted for sex trafficking minors in a nightclub in Los Angeles, 30 years ago. Large sums of money transferring around through accounts. WHAT THE FUCK! Why hasn't anyone figured this shit out? She just realized just how exclusive her software program really is. That's it, she had to call Uncle George.
Ana dialed the phone. A man picked up and said, "Special Agent Maxwell."
Ana said, "Uncle George it's Ana."
He said, "Hey kiddo. How are you? What are you calling on my work line for?"
Ana said, "I ran across a P6842. It's a cold one. Dad's program picked it up. I need stealth and discretion. This could hurt family's."
He said, "Most P68's do. I can dispatch Tuesday to your area. Name and address of the P68?"
Ana said, "Elena Lincoln, 3212 106th Avenue Southeast, Bellevue, Washington 98004. She is a 42 also. Under the name of Denise Richardson. She also has two others Carolyn Williams and Kathleen Covington. She still has assets under all IDs. You should send a cleaner in to make sure she can't run and there may be some evidence that might hurt a friend of mine I want to protect from her. I need to know about it before you report it or turn it over. Once you collect everything I need to know if there is anything leading to a Christian Grey that you find in evidence. Something is telling me she has gleaned information on him to try to control him. 42's always clear a path to a source or another ID as a failsafe. You taught me that, Uncle George." Ana smiled.
He chuckled and said, "That I did. Ray raised a genius daughter. Thanks for the tip off kiddo. We'll go stealth. Can you send a copy of the file and any reports to my secure email?"
Ana said, "Of course, is it the same one?" Ana started typing in an email and attached the file and the report before she hit send.
He said, "Yep. That was fast. I got it… oh my this is a nasty piece of work that slipped under the network somehow for 30 years. I hope she isn't stepping up her game now, this time? Damn… I'll deal with this, Ana girl. I'll call you if I need you, ok? You should drop a dime on Uncle Jeff to give him a heads up too on her."
Ana said, "Ok. Love you Uncle George."
He said, "Bye kiddo." Ana hung up the phone.
Ana called her Uncle Jeff. The man answered the phone, "Agent Thompson."
Ana said, "Hi Uncle Jeff."
He chuckled, "Ana? How have you been little one?"
Ana said, "Ok, I have a P6842. I called Uncle George and he said you may need to be read in. It's a bad one. I'm sending you the file and report to your email address, right … now." She hit send.
He got quiet. He said, "I see. Ok I'll put it on the wire and freeze the accounts while serving her notice of an IRS investigation. I'll coordinate with George. Thanks for the heads up, little one. Talk to you soon."
Ana said, "Bye Uncle Jeff."
Ana continued to read the report. Elena Lincoln had three offshore accounts amounting to a total of fifty seven million dollars and had been transferring funds around in the last week. Ana wondered who she had been stealing from? Three salons and two BDSM clubs under her two other aliases. She was doing something more shady. She just knew it in her gut.
Ana made a call to Taylor. Once she researched his phone number on her computer.
Taylor answered, "This is Taylor, who's this?
Ana said, "This is Ana. I need to speak to you off the record."
Taylor asked, "Why?"
Ana said, "I have access to deep underground information you need to be aware of. I know you want to keep Christian safe and he could be in more trouble and danger than most, if he doesn't cut ties with someone immediately. Do you have an email?"
Taylor said, "Yes. JETaylor at se157 dot com." Ana typed it in and sent the file.
She said, "Check your email. Read that file then call me back at this number but tell nobody, please I beg you." She hung up.
After a little while, her phone rang and it was Taylor. He said, "Ok, tell me how you found this kind of information, Ana."
Ana sighed and said, "My father and his team were more than just Marines, they are, even more than Spec Ops. They all had various honed skills and they all raised and trained me in various things. My father gave me software and information that is exclusive. I have access to my uncle's in key high positions from the Whitehouse to the FBI and can get access to things even your security techs can't reach within minutes. It is not something I do everyday but when necessary I do what needs to be done. I'm just a Marine brat with high clearances. Taylor you have to get him to sever ties with her right now. There is a hammer about to fall and I don't want him to be near her when it does."
Taylor asked, "How long do we have?"
Ana said, "A week at the most and three days at the least. A report I got hold of told me more of a cold case file on her one alias that looks like it hadn't been used in a while. She was busted for sex trafficking minors in a nightclub 30 years ago under the name Denise Richardson. The details are disgusting and the child traumas in the reports will make you lose your lunch. She is stone cold pure evil. That's all I can tell you. If you want, I can send you the report. Maybe that will motivate him to do it now. I can't tell him all that I know about this. He may not believe me and I don't want him to judge me for having a vendetta as motivation. She made my skin crawl when she was around. My gut twisted and my instinct told me she was bad news. Until I put her through my computer, I didn't realize just how bad. I'm doing this to help him I swear. I don't want a thing in return. Just get him out of harm's way." Ana hit send in her computer to send the report to Taylor.
Taylor sighed and said, "I'll read the report and make a plan of action."
Ana said, "Thank you, Taylor."
Taylor said, "I want another dozen for this."
Ana smiled and said, "You got it." He hung up. Ana sat down rubbing her head. She got up and took a long hot soak in her garden oversized tub. It took the stress in her body away but not her mind.
