All right to the characters of FSoG belong E. L. James
Thursday, September 24th, 2015
Vancouver, Washington
Ana's POV
Revelations
"Well, I do believe we have reached an impasse, gentlemen," Bee says, as I doodle on a legal pad. "The only thing our clients agree on is that neither wants the primary residence."
Bee and Allison look at the two suits across the table. I do not even bother. I am too busy drawing the face of a man with devil horns on top of his head. The suits are speaking to Christian in hushed tones. We cannot hear what they are saying, although Christian eventually shakes his head no. To be honest, the three of us could not care less what those idiots are whispering about.
"Gentlemen, how does your client want to proceed?" Allison finally speaks up. "We can continue negotiating until we reach an agreement, or allow the court to make a decision. We all know that will get messy since Mr. Grey and Ana do not have a prenuptial agreement. I am quite confident your client would prefer to avoid that at all costs."
"Ms. Kendall, we are confident that we can find a common ground. Our client wants to handle this privately and has no doubt that we can. I am confident that Mrs. Grey feels the same way." The old geezer Kirkland says.
I snort at being referred to as Mrs. Grey.
"Please refrain from calling me Mrs. Grey. For future reference, address me as Ana, please."
The two suits look at me as if I have two heads. They must be thinking that every woman in Washington State would die to be Mrs. Christian Grey. They have no idea that a woman must be willing to be handcuffed and caned to earn the title Mrs. Christian Grey. The serpent chuckles softly to himself, and my only wish is that I was close enough to stab him in the neck with my pen. My only consolation is the knowledge that Christian Grey will not be chuckling for very much longer.
Christian looks annoyed as hell. So far, he has sat quietly and glanced at his watch every other minute. I have caught him staring at me several times, although he averts his eyes when I pin them down with my own. I am guessing that he is going crazy since I refused to give him any answers over Elena Lincoln's arrest or getting those pictures from his red room of pain. He suddenly snatches Faulk's legal pad and scrawls what is surely another large amount of money to send me on my merry way.
"Jesus fucking Christ." Christian snaps, tossing the legal pad back to his attorney.
Faulk looks at him quizzically for a fraction of a second until the Grey glower scares the old man, who looks away and clears his throat.
"Our client now offers a flat sum of five billion dollars and monthly spousal support of one-hundred thousand dollars a month. The alimony would cease in the event that your client were too remarry." He says confidently.
A giggle nearly escapes my throat when I hear Faulk say spousal support. When was I ever that fuck's spouse? Allison kicks me under the table. Bee reaches around Allison's head, who is already whispering in my ear.
"Are you sure about this Ana?" Bee whispers the same question Allison just did. I throw her a look that asks her if she is crazy.
With our heads huddled together, and whispering to one another, I can see Christian in my peripheral vision. Sitting there like the cocky bastard he is with a smug look on his face, and looking quite confident that I will accept this pay off. Even I know that most women would jump on top of it and run straight to the bank. We face the suits at the same time, but then I blatantly stare into Christian's eyes, smirking at him. I think he believes my expression is an omen. He does not look happy whatsoever.
"Does your client need a moment to consider Mr. Grey's offer?" Faulk asks, sounding quite irritated that we have already spent a few hours going back and forth with the same bullshit.
"No, I don't need to consider anything. I find that to be unacceptable, Mr. Faulk. I reject it wholeheartedly." I reply, surprising each of the men by answering for myself, my eyes still on Christian, watching him turning this situation over in his mind.
"Mrs… Ana, perhaps you should take a few minutes to reconsider," Faulk says. "No one wants to…"
"I do believe our client just made her wishes known," Bee says, interrupting him as she opens a very large file. "I do have a question, however. I believe the documentation you provided shows Mr. Grey's liquid net worth as thirty-six point six billion dollars. Is that correct, Mr. Faulk? And that amount excludes all companies and properties, as well?"
Bee's statement grabs Christian's full attention. My eyes have never left his face. The cookie cutter blank expression remains, although he is gazing at Bee through subtly squinted eyes. Come on, Grey. Be like Pooh and think, think, think.
Suddenly, my face begins to feel the heat of the glare Christian is burning me with. I am all too familiar with Christian's astute mind…He knows that I am up to something, and it is probably driving him crazy that he doesn't know what. I can hear his thoughts, "She won't accept any settlement I have offered her and she knows..."
"Yes, Mrs. Darlington, that amount is correct."
"Hmmm…." Bee purses her lips together. "Ana?"
Allison takes her cue and retrieves the proverbial box of doom from the floor, takes the top off, and places it on the table, completely throwing Kirkland and Faulk off guard, as exhibited by their faces. Christian's eyes settle on the box that he saw me take Elena's pictures out of. Turning my head, I look his way and lick my lips. If he is apprehensive over the unknown contents in the box, Christian's face is indiscernible.
"Gentlemen and Mr. Grey, I will not be accepting any settlement offers," I say acidly. "But I will state my demands."
Christian has closed his eyes from what most likely is fury. He turns his entire body in my direction, violently scowls at me, and slams his fists on the table.
"I fucking knew it! Goddamn, Anastasia, just fucking spit out how much you fucking want?" He growls. "I knew you were going to try to take me for whatever you could get. Five billion isn't enough for you? How does seven billion sound to you? I SAID A BILLION, ANASTASIA!"
Christian is out of his mind furious. He has stood up, placed both arms on the table, and is looking at me as if he could kill me. I am sure he would not hesitate if we were alone in the room.
I resolutely hold his glare and shake my head.
"Christian, I heard exactly what you said. Sit back down and I will continue." I reply calmly.
He remains standing. I throw him a feign smile that only grows wider as I watch his fury rise.
"Christian, the first thing that you're going to give me is the four now vacant buildings that were previously Elena Lincoln's salons. You know, the salons you funded for Elena Lincoln, and had to close when she went to prison because she is a convicted pedophile," I say softly. "I know how humiliated you were when it became public knowledge that you had been propping up the business of a known child molester."
Christian is doing his trademark running a hand through his copper hair, and I can tell he is moments from erupting over that last dig I threw in. He somehow manages to plug up that volcano temper of his and looks at me suspiciously.
"Why the fuck do you want four empty buildings, Anastasia? You are turning down billions of dollars for empty buildings? What the fuck?" He yells, looking bemused.
"I am going to use them for a good cause. Of course, before any renovations begin, I will have to have them exorcised of you, along with the pedophile, of course."
"Mr. Grey, you should…" Faulk begins.
Naturally, if Christian's lawyers believe all I want is four fucking building's then they want their client to sit down and shut up. They are like the three blind mice.
"You can shut your fucking mouth," Christian hisses at him. "What kind of good goddamn cause? What the fuck are you playing at?
"I am not playing at anything. Like I just said, along with another property I have acquired downtown, I am going to use those four vacant buildings for a good cause."
My vague implication dangerously slips unnoticed in the air. Christian's unadulterated wrath is about to violently fulminate. Faulk and Kirkland have no doubt witnessed their volatile boss in action before, although Faulk's eyebrows are furrowed, and he shifts slightly in his chair, while looking between Christian and me. Beside him, Kirkland is scribbling away on a pile of papers. For some crazy reason, I wonder why I have not noticed his pen is red and think how fitting that is, seeing that I am out for blood. I decide that I have ADD and that is why my mind wonders so easily.
"Why won't you answer the stupid question, Anastasia…?" Christian starts, although it sounds more as if he is growling through gritted teeth.
I swipe my hand at him dismissively, narrowing my eyes, but smile at him sarcastically.
"Shut it, Christian. And for the millionth time in three plus years, stop calling me Anastasia."
"Anastasia, I have no idea why you have lost control of your senses and seem to be incoherent, but this meeting isn't about your anger toward me. We are here to settle…"
"Shut the hell up. And yes, I did interrupt you again, and I did not do it because I know your canes and belts are safely ensconced at Escala." I tell him softly, standing up.
Shock initially hits Christian once my softly spoken words register with him. Suddenly, he furiously starts to make his way around the table, looking like a bomb ready to detonate in my face.
"Shut the fuck up, Anastasia! Shut your mother fucking mouth!" He roars at me. His body is shaking with fury while he points his index finger at me. His insanity does not even make me flinch.
Kirkland grabs hold of Christian's arm to stop him, and Bee rises to her feet and walks within inches of where Christian is standing.
"Mr. Grey, I will respectively ask you to take your seat once. If you force my hand again, I will have my security forcibly remove you from the premises. Let the idea of that sink in, along with the fact that there is a throng of media and paparazzi surrounding the building." She says in a hard tone. "A picture such as that would bring some pap a lot of cash, don't you think?"
Glaring at her, Christian stares her down until he realizes the implications of her threat. With immense delight, I watch him tuck his tail between his legs and sit back down. If he were to get his hands on me, I would be six feet under. Those gray eyes that I once thought were beautiful are throwing daggers at me. Those gray eyes now disgust me. His entire existence disgusts me, and I hate myself for never seeing how disgusting and ugly this man really is. Why could I have not woken up each morning with the bitter taste of Christian Grey in my mouth? Surely, it would have served as a warning to my stupid ass that something was terribly wrong. Instead, I turned into a dumb ass, blinded by love and those hard fucks I had grown to enjoy. Just as I had told Christian earlier, I hate myself more than I hate him, although his psycho ass used and abused me for years while I was stupidly skipping down a fucking lollipop lane.
I take out three folders, and Allison removes the necessary paper from her briefcase and places it in front of her. Allison, like me, stares at Christian with open disdain. I think about the contents within each folder and wonder if these two old men even know what BDSM is. If not, they soon will. I stand and walk around the table to where the three men are sitting. I feel like a school teacher as I give the three assholes a folder. Christian's eyes follow me, although now they appear a bit uneasy. I return his glare with a sarcastic and fake smile, and long before I return to my seat, a loud growl erupts from Christian, and we all watch as he flings his folder across the room, its contents flying everywhere.
"You mother fucking bitch!" He screams, as he begins to lunge over the table, now being physically restrained by his two much older and weaker attorneys.
Bee and Allison jump to their feet to shield me, although I know their protection would not be worth a flying fuck. Christian's temporary loss of sanity does not frighten me though. I lived with that jerk off long enough to witness him act bat shit crazy more times than I can remember. In addition, if Christian did hit me, well…
However, as I see Christian, the maniac man, being restrained Kirkland and Faulk, I decide I probably should not be so sure that he would not hurt me, especially after what he just saw. Therefore, out of a now ingrained instinct, I yell out for the one person who I trust my life with.
"LUKE!" I scream loud enough that I nearly pierce my own eardrums. I imagine that our family, who are down the hall in another conference room, heard me.
I think Luke and Tom barge through the door the very second the letter 'L' leaves my throat. Quickly on their tails is the venomous cobra, Jason Taylor. Each man quickly assesses the volatile situation. I can hear Luke thinking I should have agreed to allow him to be in the room with me. Tom steps in front of Allison and Bee, while Luke immediately makes his way to me and firmly plants himself in front of me, standing so closely that his back is touching my chest. The fucking cobra takes hold of his psychotic boss, murmuring something in Christian's ear that makes him sit down.
"Mr. Grey, I already asked you to remain seated. I would have you thrown out of my law firm since you are obviously unable to behave in a civilized manner." Bee harshly barks at Christian. "Ana, do you want him thrown out, or do you prefer these two gentlemen remain in the room to protect you?"
"Protect her?" Christian retorts loudly. "Do you think my wife needs to be protected from me, Mrs. Darlington?"
Taylor squeezes Christian's shoulder, probably as a sign to shut the hell up. Bee steps completely away from Tom to look Christian directly in the face. This is like David and Goliath, only these two gorgeous people are dressed to the nines, and Bee does not have a sling shot. However, she does have a mouth.
"I most certainly think that, Mr. Grey. You have not done nothing but to attempt to intimidate my client and have more than proven that you cannot control yourself. We have all witnessed you physically lunge at Ana, and you have proven that my client was right when she described you and your behavior. I have been around the block many times with the type of man you appear to be, Mr. Grey. I would go so far as to describe you as an abusive husband. The only thing keeping me from removing you from my respectable business is that I know Ana's personal security is more than capable of protecting her from you." Bee's voice is low, but the menacing tone behind it powerful.
Tom goes and stands by the door, his arms behind his back, and Taylor has slithered to stand closely beside his boss. It takes me touching Luke's arm before he lets me around him, although he remains closely by my side. During all of Christian's insanity, no one has paid attention to the suits. Both men had sat back down when the three hulking men stormed the room, and obviously started perusing the contents of the folders I gave them. The folders contain copies of the excruciatingly descriptive twenty contracts that Christian made with his well-paid whores, along with his lovely collection of each whores photographs. To say they appear horrified would be the understatement of the century.
I catch Taylor glancing at the contracts and pictures from the folder that Christian slung across the room, which now litter the floor. He looks directly at Luke.
"Hi, Jason. How is Gail?" I ask, while he remains expressionless and stoic. Jason does have the decency to look at me while I am speaking to him. "Gail came to visit me a while back. I believe it was soon after she told you to fuck off and left your deceitful ass. She told me she wasn't too keen on Haley Sams, Christian's curre…Well, Christian's submissive. Gail also told me she was quite disgusted that you had been aiding and abetting Mr. Grey with the four subs that came before Miss Sams. Tell me, you son of a bitch, did you help him fuck me over for your over-the-top-pay, or because you are an amoral bastard? Whichever one it is, you sure have paid one fuck of a price for it, haven't you? We can all see that price must have not mattered much to you since you are over there holding back the Marquis de Sade. Please don't stand there like an emotionless robot, Jason Taylor, surely you do have a heart that was broken when your wife found out that…"
"Anastasia, stop this. It is ob…" Christian says loudly. He has his head thrown back and his eyes are closed. I am genuinely surprised he is not doing his fucking idiotic hand through his hair bullshit. If this has him freaking out, then I look forward to seeing Christian completely losing it as this little meeting continues its downward spiral.
.
"No. No, I will not stop this. I am far, far away from stopping. Back to you Taylor, did you ever lie awake at night with your wife by your side, feeling guilty that you were choosing your sicko of a boss over her? Did you ever feel a drop of guilt knowing that I cared about you, that I looked at you as someone I could trust my life with? I know that there is no way that you did though. What I want you to know, however, is that your choices have hurt an entire family, not only Christian's, but yours as well. Has Sophie asked where Gail is? What have you told your daughter when she does ask?"
There is something building inside of me, and I imagine it could be the same feeling that Christian has when he goes ballistic. I know that I am hissing the brutal truth at Jason Taylor, goading him to show any kind of reaction. I am standing here finding joy with every bullet I fire at Jason, knowing his impassive expression betrays what he must be feeling. He adored his wife. Jason had loved Gail for years. Nevertheless, he chose lies and deceit over her, and for Gail's benefit, I imagine those bullets hit him square in the heart. Although, what I admit to next will simply hurt his pride and prove him incompetent. Jason is like a dick that cannot get it up. My ecstatic pleasure knowing that Taylor and Christian's goon squad were running around trying to uncover who gained access to the penthouse, along with fucking up Christian's submissive condo, is about to reach a higher level.
Taylor has remained as a stone while I verbally eviscerated him, and I do not find that surprising. What I do find surprising is the dead silence that suddenly surrounds us. Christian's two lawyers have closed their folders and have pushed them away. Their upper crust, holier than thou attitudes, appear horrifically disgusted by what they have read and seen. What a shock it must be to see their boss in a different and disturbing light.
"I take everyone's silence to mean that you do not mind if I continue. Only now, I am not throwing out my opinions of you two mother fuckers," I hiss, gesturing to Christian and Taylor. "Jason, I noticed that look in your eyes once you saw Christian's contracts and his so-called insurance pictures. I am confident with what you are thinking; you think that I took them. So I will put you and your boss out of your misery and bumbling detective work and admit it."
Before I can finish, Christian lifts his head up and looks at me bemused.
Pleased by his expression, I genuinely smile at him before continuing. I am still quite proud of Luke and his flawless talent at getting me in and out of the penthouse that morning.
"Christian, it was me who took your rent-a- whore papers and busted into your safe and took your photographs. Little ole' Ana is the one who got into the penthouse undetected and has had you all behaving like The Three Stooges. Taylor, I already told your boss about the day this past April when I found everything out. When I say everything, I mean finding out about Christian contracting subs our entire joke of a marriage, and how you helped him get away with it. You missed the story about how I stumbled upon it one day, April the third to be exact, when I unexpectedly showed up at Escala. It was the next day that I was in Christian's study. The day I started making fools out of each of you," I say. "Christian, I got into the penthouse and have had all of that shit since the day after I found out what I was really married to."
Christian is staring at me incredulously, and only opens his mouth once and then shuts it. It is then that his eyes move from my face and up to Luke's. Of course, it was obvious from Taylor's previous reaction that he was all too aware of who got into the penthouse and why he has no visible reaction to my admission. Christian's eyes glaze over in anger as the truth hits him. All of these months, his security team's number two man has been fucking him royally, and right under his nose. I turn my head toward Luke and look up at his face. His eyes are burning with utter hate, and his body language is not denying he would, and could, rip Christian to shreds.
"You did it, didn't you, Sawyer?" Christian asks menacingly, and then ferociously glares at Taylor.
"Why didn't we ever consider it might have been Sawyer behind wiping out that entire hour of CCTV recordings?" Christian screams. "Taylor, you fucking know what Sawyer is capable of! You know who trained him! That is the goddamn reason he was your number two! How in the fuck did your mother fucking fuck up's get this so wrong?"
Trained Luke? Who trained Luke? What in the hell does that mean?
Before Taylor can even open his mouth, Christian is once again rising from his seat; however, his action is quickly put to a halt.
"Mr. Grey, I strongly advise you to remain seated as my colleague has requested of you." Mr. Faulk says with a sharp voice. Clearly, what he thought would be a cut and dry meeting to hammer out a divorce settlement has turned into something very dark that he wants no part of.
"I believe that I never considered Sawyer being involved due to his years of loyalty, Sir." Taylor finally replies to Christian, staring malevolently at Luke. Luke, on the other hand, looks as if he is proud these two have finally had the truth slapped in their faces.
"What a load of bullshit his so-called loyalty meant. Sawyer, you fucking asshole, I will make sure you never get a fucking job at Pizza Hut! What drove you to do this? Have you been fucking her all along?" Christian practically growls and points at me.
I swear that I see Luke turn into the Incredible Hulk before my eyes while he steps closer to his former employer.
"My friendship and loyalty to the woman I have protected for over three years drove me to act on her behalf, along with finding out what a sick and twisted bastard you are," Luke's voice is low and matter-of-fact. "And if you ever insult, or as much as utter a less than kind word about this woman, I will not hesitate to make you sorely regret it…Christian." Luke sneers, knowing how his ex-boss hates if anyone other than family calls him Christian.
Christian closes his eyes slowly, clenching his jaws so tightly they must be about to break before he opens them, and glares at Luke and I. He eyes me up and down as if I disgust him and scoffs at me. It puzzles me that Christian searches for whores that look like me if I abhor him so much.
"If you are fucking her, Sawyer, let me remind you of something. I was there first and you are getting my more than sloppy seconds. I understand why being around her would get your cock hard and wanting to get it wet. There is no denying she is a beautiful woman with a hot body that I have seen every inch of. It's just a shame that she can't please a man." Christian snarls threw gritted teeth.
Uh oh. Didn't Luke just warn him that it would be a bad idea to insult me again?
I swallow hard and go to grab Luke's arm before he can move. Obviously, Luke Sawyer has the speed of a Cheetah, and I am half a second too slow to attempt to stop him.
Before any of us can even process what is happening, Luke has made his way all of the way around the table, and when Taylor steps between him and Christian, Luke's right hand grabs Taylor by the throat. Within seconds of Luke's silent assault on his former friend, Tom has Luke's arm in a vice like grip, and I hear him murmuring, "The piece of shit isn't worth it, man."
Allison and Bee managed to remain seated and seemingly unaffected. I suppose educating them on the ways of the testosterone fueled and over protective hulks was a good idea. Christian's lawyers are positively puke green with disgust and must be wondering if they are in the Wild West.
Both of my hands are covering my mouth, although I have not been able to make my body move an inch. I hold my breath as we all wait for Luke to relinquish his hold on Jason Taylor's throat, and for Taylor to remove his hands from Luke's arm. It is only when I see him let Taylor go that I exhale the breath I had been holding and my body relaxes. The two men remain chest to chest and staring each other down, with Tom standing slightly behind Luke's right shoulder. I cannot help but wonder what it would be like if both men jumped Taylor. I immediately push that thought from my head when I remember they are all packing.
Luke turns his attention on Christian, who is shaking from fury and looks like a stick of dynamite that someone has lit, and we are seconds from feeling the explosion. Luke places his arms on the table and gets into Christian's face.
"I warned you to not speak an unkind word about Ana, and you did not heed that warning. I am going to be kind to you and let you off the hook for that this time. But let me tell you something, Grey. Everyone knows what a badass you think you are because you pay big bucks to roll around on a mat with some Olympic wannabe. Guess what? You are far from a badass, and you can become extremely angry and act like a violent maniac all day, but at the end of the day, you could be broken into half. I am sure Tom over there could do it with one arm behind his back. You are a joke. We already knew what a pathetic waste of breath you are already, but to speak about Ana in such a degrading way is further proof of the fact. I can only thank God that Grace Trevelyan-Grey isn't in this room to see her son's true colors," Luke says quietly. "You want to insult the woman you practically broke in half in a room full of people, Grey? Does that make you feel like a big boy? Well, let me say a few things about that woman over there. I have spent more time with her than you ever cared to. You want to be disgusting and say that you have seen this woman without her clothes on in front of your lawyers? Does that get you off, Grey? Let me ask you this, Grey. Does seeing a woman without her clothes on mean you have really seen her naked? In my opinion, naked means that you have been allowed to find out unadulterated truths about a person. Tell me about one of Ana's dreams. Tell me what breaks her heart. What is she passionate about and what makes her cry? Tell me about her childhood. Better yet, you mother fucker, tell me one story about her that your sorry ass is not in. Yeah, maybe you have seen the skin that covers Ana, and her body that you abused for years. But you know as much about her as all of those expensive books in your fancy library that you own but have never bothered to fucking open. Want to know something, Grey? All of those things I told you to fill me in about are facts that I can answer without thinking twice. In addition, they are not things that I have learned since last April. They are facts about that amazing woman that I began to learn the minute I was hired to protect her."
Oh my.
Luke stops speaking, but never removes his eyes from his former boss. Shaking his head in disgust, he gestures to Tom who is behind him. I am stunned and overwhelmed from what I have just heard him say.
"Keep the words that I was hired to protect her in your mind, Grey. Then take a cold and hard look at that man behind me. Protecting the woman you treated like garbage for years is not just a job to him either. He is as protective of Ana as I am and she knows that. Ana will never have to wonder if we are pieces of shit like this bastard whose been covering your ass since you were twenty-two. Ana's surrounded by a shit load of people who care about her safety, and that is more than just her physical safety. If you, or any of Taylor's so-called expert security team, so much as blink in Ana's direction, I will not need Tom or anyone else to break your neck, Grey. I will snap it like a twig with a smile on my face. Don't forget what I'm telling you and we won't have a problem."
Christian's furious eyes never left Luke's face, and I wonder if Christian is considering taking Luke's Glock and shooting him with it. On second thought, the pussy does not know how to shoot a gun. I clearly see that Luke rattled Christian. Somehow, he manages not reacting to Luke, who follows Tom as they both come and stand on either side of me. I wonder why Taylor didn't intervene. I inwardly roll my eyes and think that this must be how Obama feels about the Secret Service.
I raise my eyes to look up at Luke, but he is not paying me any attention. I am oddly disappointed.
Again, the room is deadly silent. Glancing back at Christian, I catch Taylor's eyes and see a glimpse of some unexpressed feeling in them. Not giving a fuck, I look back at his pathetic boss. Christian's elbows are resting on the table and his hands are steepled in front of his mouth. This day has not been very productive for him at all. What I can see is that he now looks disconcerted and angry. He looks very, very angry.
Christian's brows are furrowed as he stares at nothing in particular. He is studiously attempting to figure something out, and for a second or two, I am not sure what it is. Then the obvious hits me. Christian is attempting to figure out when he lost feeling as though he was the one in control of this situation. He realizes that it has turned on him and gone horribly wrong. Christian has no compass when it comes to understanding such a situation, or which direction he should walk toward to find that missing control.
Oh, my God. I love it.
His precious control has been covered with grease and is sliding away from him. He must be feeling crazed. Crazed and stripped of control is where I want him. I want him to teeter precariously on the edge of reason, I want to watch one of his feet slip, and demonically laugh once he lands on a hill of sharpened rocks. I want Christian's body to splinter into as many pieces as my heart did, and then I want to drag whatever pieces remain. Being in the same room with him, breathing the same air, and listening while he blamed me for these last disgusting three years, has unleashed my hatred that I had been pushing away. Remembering each time I cried, knowing deep inside of my soul that I was not what Christian wanted nor needed, has driven me to a place of strength, a place very much Christian Grey-like. If soul-shaking viciousness is nearing madness, I gladly accept being admitted to a mental institution.
"Allison, what was I about to say before Mr. Grey lost his shit?" I ask.
"You were going to clear up a situation."
"Oh, you are right. Mr. Faulk and Mr. Kirkland, I can tell from your expressions you are both shocked and puzzled over what you have seen. What I provided you with is a glimpse of Mr. Grey's very private life."
"Anastasia, keep your mouth shut!" Christian roars, finally finding his voice.
"Sir, please calm down." Taylor says calmly.
"Mr. Grey, I will not warn you again. It will be very unpleasant if you utter another menacing word to my client, and frankly, I am sick of you." Bee snaps, obviously sickened of dealing with the insanity that is Christian Grey.
Christian keeps his mouth shut, but I am sure he is planning my murder and how Taylor will dispose of my body.
"Christian, I won't go into the gory details of your BDSM lifestyle, or the fact that you are a self-proclaimed Dom, if you will simply sign this paper Allison has. You have no use or interest in those buildings, so sign them over to me. Jesus, Christian. I am sure you would just sell them anyway. They are going to be used for a good cause, along with my new downtown property."
The fact I said I would not out him and his penchant for BDSM and did so anyway, has Christian's hands fisted and he is pressing them tightly in his air. His knuckles are white. If it were not for his yes man, and being under the double threat of Luke and Tom beating him to a pulp, there is no telling what Christian would do.
"Mr. Grey, are you willing to relinquish ownership of your property to Ana?" Allison asks.
We watch the piece of shit grab the document and scrawl his name across it, and then he signs the copy that his legal team will retain. Christian was only being an asshole over keeping four empty buildings to feel like he had the upper hand. What an idiot.
"Mrs. Darlington and Ms. Kendall, may we inquire if we are proceeding with negotiations?" Kirkland asks hesitantly.
"Yes, Mr. Kirkland. We are proceeding even though I would not refer to anything as negotiating." Allison replies.
The lovely, yet despicable gray eyes of Christian Grey are mangling Allison Kendall. Allison is everything in a woman that Christian hates. She is strong, self-confident, mouthy, intelligent, and does not take anyone's shit. It is all of those same reasons that Christian despises Katherine.
I gently elbow Luke to get out of my way so that I can take my seat. Allison had always wanted to handle all of this and right now, I could not be more grateful. I am mentally exhausted from everything that has transpired thus far. I try to get Luke's attention once again, and again I fail. There is no doubt that he is ignoring me and does not give a shit that it is obvious. The fact makes me frown and, honestly, a tad emotional. The only thing that I can think of that could have pissed him off was being alone with Christian, but he knew that we were only talking, so why would that piss him off? Now I am getting pissed because he is pissed. When I catch a glance at Mr. I Wanna Fuck My Mother, he is pointedly glaring at us both. I want to flip him off.
Allison is efficiently gathering what she needs and placing them in neat little stacks. I notice that Bee took possession of the flash drives and placed them in her lap.
Standing up, Allison smoothes down the wrinkles on her green Dior dress and picks up two papers from one of the stacks she placed before her. She begins to make her way to the side of the conference table where the enemies are waiting.
"Gentlemen, we would now like to begin presenting a few more pieces of information. Mrs. Darlington and I know that this information should speed things up. I am quite sure that we all want to hurry up and end this eventful meeting."
"Certainly, Ms. Kendall." Faulk concurs, nodding in agreement and checks his Rolex.
Looking every bit like the school teacher that I had felt like earlier, Allison hands him a document and then proceeds to give Mr. Kirkland an identical one. Christian's forehead wrinkles when she does not present him with one. The big CEO does not like being left out of any situation.
Faulk and Kirkland quickly scan the document Allison has given them and glance in our direction. Both appear puzzled. Christian is chomping at the bit to see what they have been given.
"Gentlemen, the document I have given you does not directly affect the course of these proceedings, but our client feels that Mr. Grey should be made aware of the fact that she now owns this particular property." Allison says.
Both suits subtly shake their heads and look like they are about to speak, but Christian, being the ass fuck that he is, beats them to the punch.
"What property are you talking about? If this doesn't apply to our divorce, then why in the hell do I need to know?" He bites in an annoyed voice.
This time I cannot help but laugh, and luckily for me, Allison isn't close enough to kick me this time.
"Will one of you just give your copy to Captain Curious over there? I just want to enlighten him about something. Jason, I believe you will find this interesting as well." There is no hiding the amusement in my voice.
With his usual uncouth behavior, Christian simply reaches over and grabs Kirkland's copy. He scans it quickly, raises his head, and pins me with a scrutinizing look. He does not bother looking at Jason as he raises the paper to him. Jason takes it and I watch as its meaning sinks in. He cannot hide his annoyance.
"Why in the hell is this deed in your name, Anastasia?" Christian asks.
I roll my eyes at such a stupid question. For such a bright man…
"Ummm….Real Estate 101? Didn't they teach that at Harvard? No, I suspect that wouldn't be a subject some snobby Ivy League brat would require to know about," I reply. "My name is on the deed because I own the condominium, Christian. Before you ask another dumb question, I own it because I went to New York to meet Hillary Wilkins Declan and I bought it from her. It was a real bargain. It only cost me a dollar."
Christian does his trademark hand through hair crap. I am waiting for reality to strike Christian and hear him go off on Taylor and his goon squad. That should be entertaining.
"You went to New York and met with her?" He queries briskly. Christian actually looks surprised.
"Yes, Mr. Grey. Ana traveled to New York, and I traveled with her to make sure her legal rights were protected." Allison answers him. Christian glares at her for answering a question meant for me.
"When did you manage to pull this off? How did you even know where she..."
Sighing, I raise my hand and wave it at him in the hopes he shuts his hole.
"I will answer you the way I did earlier when you asked me something. How I knew where she lives is none of your concern. When did I manage to pull this off? Let the answer be the purchase date listed on the deed. Like you have always reminded me, Christian. Information is easy to get if a person wants it badly enough."
Christian exhales deeply, shrugs his suit jacket off, and deftly loosens his tie. Looking at the jacket reminds me of the playroom pictures that he shoved inside its inner pocket. I push that visual out of my mind. Since Christian still hasn't blown a gasket over what happened to his sub getaway, it is obvious he has not remembered.
Throwing a large fuck it into the wind, I decide to tell him myself.
"Jason, you are a smart guy, and I am pretty sure you have already jumped straight to the conclusion that I was the one who hired the construction company and had the entire condo gutted. I even contracted the company to begin its demolition before I left Seattle and headed to New York," I say.
I purposely giggle as I finish my little admission and look at Christian coquettishly. Before I continue, I notice that Luke is staring at me and looks highly pissed. I can feel my cheeks redden under his displeased reaction, although I am determined to needle Christian a bit more.
"Christian, you might think I acted brazenly by having that condo demolished before I actually owned it. That was not the case though. Even before I approached her, it was guaranteed that Mrs. Declan would be willing to sell the little sub shack you so kindly bought her. Let's just say I made her an offer that she couldn't refuse."
Christian jumps up, although this time it is to get into Taylor's face. It is situations like this that make me wonder why Taylor is standing here taking this shit and not in some nice, little home with Gail.
"Again! Again? Your goddamn idiots fucked up, again? How in the hell was this shit missed? You just took that bitch at her word, and believed her when she cried and whined about not knowing shit about what happened to that condominium? You even said the cunt had to have been behind it since she still owned the goddamn place! I swear to God, you are all fucking incompetent, and I should fire your ass, Taylor! FUCK!" Christian roars at Taylor.
I would say that Taylor took his chastisement in stride, but I have seen Christian go crazy and threaten to fire him so many times, it would be a waste of breath. Then again, saying anything about these two weasels is a waste of my breath. I raise an eyebrow that is directed at them both.
"Oh, Christian, give Jason a damn break! It isn't his fault that Luke found a team of super sleuths that are light years better than his," I laugh, rubbing salt in their wounds. "Maybe Luke's guys can give your inept bunch of idiots a few classes on having common sense. Maybe they need to be taught how to uncover who is two steps ahead of them."
Christian turns to me. His hatred is blatant and flammable. I am so glad that I have never used hairspray.
"Mr. Grey, you shouldn't speak so unkindly about your former sub. I promise that her crying and whining was not bullshit. Mrs. Declan had many reasons to keep her mouth shut." I say.
"Why would you say that, Anastasia?" Christian asks, his eyes are so narrow they resemble the slits of a snake's eyes.
How fitting.
"Because I can. I am sure you found that Mrs. Declan's life seemed quite disrupted, and that fucked up every one of your threats that you lambasted the woman with, and I will not even bring up the money you tried to bribe her with. The minute she turned down such a hefty pay off, I would have immediately thought she was afraid of something. I guess that slipped your mind since you were so enraged that you could not use your second playroom with Miss Sams. Pity, isn't it?"
Despite my words, Christian's expression has not changed. He has placed his palms on the table and is leaning in my direction.
"Are you inadvertently saying you are the reason for the disturbances in Mrs. Declan's life, Anastasia?"
I barely shake my head and shrug my shoulders at him. I am done with this topic. Let us move on.
"No I'm not. But you are," I look at Allison. "I think we can continue."
I smile at her as her eyes light up. Allison is not deriving pleasure from driving Christian Grey into a mental frenzy. She was a victim of domestic violence, and her abuser got off with a slap on his wrist. Since then, she takes the cases of abusive husband's quite seriously. Even if Christian's method of abusing me was not exactly the norm.
The pressure that Christian's body weight is putting on his palms have turned his entire hands a freaky shade of white. He looks drunk on his ire. The suits remain quiet as they watch this most confusing situation unfurl before them.
Once again, Allison starts handing out documents. This time she does have one for Christian and just places it on the table between his two arms. I feel Luke place a hand on the back of my chair, and I assume he has done it in a protective manner since Christian's volatile temper could very well explode as soon as he realizes what he is looking at. I train my eyes on Taylor as Allison practically tosses the same documents at him. He doesn't bother looking through the pages. The first one says it all. Taylor's lips become a thin line and he looks at Luke in a rather weird fashion. His anger is obvious, although I cannot miss a tiny glimpse of pride.
Christian, like Taylor, only reads the top paper. Nevertheless, Faulk and Kirkland do, and yet again, the poor, clueless souls look every bit of being a poor and clueless soul.
Getting no response, Allison clears her throat to get their attention and stands at the end of the table. I am not paying attention to her though; all of my attention is centered on Christian Grey. Whatever his reason is, he remains immobile and still has not looked up. His eyes are still on that piece of paper.
"As you can very well see, the documents I have given you are official hospital records from Swedish Medical Center, which we all know is located in Seattle. The first page that you have is a copy of the emergency room triage exam dated January 13th, 2013. The patient's pertinent information is located on the top of that sheet and tells us that the patient was a female by the name of Hillary Wilkins." Allison's tone is so matter-of-fact and blasé.
Before she resumes, we can all hear Christian lowly mutter, "Mother fucker."
"What was that, Mr. Grey?" Bee asks him sarcastically.
We are finally gifted with being able to look at Christian's face when he raises his head and looks directly at Bee Darlington. However, he does not reply. What he does do is slowly turn his head to me. In that one, eye-locking instant, there is no one else in the room other than the two of us. I discovered much more than he ever could have imagined, and Christian has no idea how to react or what to do.
Whatever is going on in the mind of this freak is unknown. Nevertheless, all one has to do is look at Christian to see that Christian recognizes the ball has long since been out of his court. I toss my hair back and look away.
"Before I was interrupted, I was going over the details of these medical records, which begin with Hillary Wilkins, now Hillary Declan's emergency room visit, her surgery and subsequent recovery. Miss Wilkins was admitted to the hospital and operated on for a fracture of her right arm. It was broken in three places. Her arm could only be repaired by having two metal rods inserted in order to stabilize it. Of course, those rods will have to remain in place for the course of Mrs. Declan's life."
Kirkland speaks up and interrupts Allison.
"I apologize once again, Ms. Kendall, but what bearing does this have on these proceedings? Mr. Faulk and I understand the situation between Mr. and Mrs. Grey now, and that this divorce is more complicated than we were aware of. But what does this woman's medical history have anything to do with your client or Mr. Grey?"
"Apology accepted, Mr. Kirkland. Mrs. Declan's medical history plays a huge part in our proceedings," Allison says, looking pointedly at Christian. "There is also documentation of where Mrs. Declan had home health provided for her after her discharge, along with a large amount of money that was deposited into her private bank account. Once healthy enough to travel, Mrs. Declan hurriedly returned to her home in Brooklyn, New York. If you will, please take out the deed to the property Ana now owns and compare that address to the address provided by the former Miss Wilkins when she was taken to Swedish Medical Center. You will see that they are one in the same. This may appear irrelevant, but the last two documents prove otherwise. They show the address on the property deed I have provided you with, along with the one Miss Wilkins gave the ER staff at Swedish, was purchased by Mr. Christian Grey. If you look through those earlier contracts of Mr. Grey's you were given, you can compare the dates of when Mr. Grey entered some sort of contractual sexual arrangement with the former Miss Wilkins. Look closely at the date Mr. Christian Grey terminated this contractual agreement with the former Miss Wilkins, and you will note that it was January 13th, 2013. We also have documentation that serves as proof that Mr. Christian Grey paid Hillary Wilkins, now Declan's entire hospital bill, her home health care, as well as depositing a large amount of cash into Miss Declan's bank account."
With that, Christian Grey turns into Christian Grey, the Dominant.
He faces Allison, and as I have always wondered how, seems to grow taller and more angular. Christian's lips twist in some creepy and evil form that I cannot even begin to describe, and his eyes are downright frightening. He tilts his head down a fraction before speaking.
"What. In. The. Fuck. Are. You. Implying. Ms. Whatever. The. Fuck. Your. Name. Is." He grits through his clenched teeth.
His words are a statement instead of a question. Hell, I would say they are more of a demand and no doubt a threat.
Allison Kendall purses her lips at Christian and meets his eyes dead on. She is as intimidated by him as she would be of a miniature Yorkie. He remains in that ridiculous pose for minutes, and it is only when Taylor once again saves the day that Christian must remember where he is.
"Whatever the fuck my name is, Grey, is Allison Kendall. You can rest your mind that no one is implying anything. There is not a need for implications when one has proof. My advice to you would be to listen to your yes man and take a seat. In addition, do not waste a breath and threaten my career or me as you tried to pull with Mr. Sawyer. You aren't in any position to do that, I can assure you."
"Mr. Grey, as your personal attorney, I believe it is in your best interest to calm down and take a seat. I am sure that we will be done shortly and that Ana is using this information for her own benefit to obtain whatever she described as her demands. I ask you to respectfully allow us to keep this professional." Mr. Kirkland says disparagingly.
This time I nearly lunge across the table. The ass fuck may be telling the truth, but he sure as fuck shouldn't talk down to me or look at me as if I am shit on the bottom of his shoe.
Christian throws him a fuck you look and begrudgingly takes a seat. His glare trained directly at me.
"Alright, Ms. Kendall, you've established that Mr. Grey provided Mrs. Declan with a home, along with paying her hospital bills, and providing her with a large amount of money. Is this the proof you referred to being proof of Mr. Grey's infidelity? Because if it isn't, then why are we even discussing these events?" Mr. Faulk asks.
Yet again, I laugh. Only this time, Bee glares at me.
"Mrs. Darlington, would you like to answer our colleague's question?"
Bee nods at Allison and places her folded arms on the table. Her lovely face unmarred from any sort of emotion.
"Mr. Faulk, what Ms. Kendall was so kindly trying to say is that it was your client that inflicted the ghastly injury to Miss Hillary Wilkins."
My twinkling eyes directly strike their intended target and said target is returning a heat-seeking missile of his own. From the corner of my eye, I notice that Taylor is slightly rocking back and forth on the heels of his shoes.
Yeah, Taylor, I know all about your part in this shit, you fuck stain.
The suits clear their throats uncomfortably and look at their eerily quiet client.
"What has led you to believe that? That is quite an accusation to make against someone, even in the confines of a legally confidential meeting," Kirkland irritably snaps. "This is yet another fact that has nothing to do with the Grey's divorce, and I am almost at the point of advising my client that we should conclude this meeting."
Bee pays no mind to his threat.
"We weren't led to believe anything. Hillary Wilkins Declan told us what happened to her on January 13th, 2013." Bee replies, although she is not looking at Faulk and Kirkland while she speaks. Her eyes are focused directly on Christian.
Christian leans forward in his chair. He is an odd shade of green with some of that red Grey fury mixed in.
Kirkland throws him a look of warning before Christian can open his mouth.
"So you took this woman's word that our client is responsible for her injury? Again, such an accusation based upon the word of a scorned woman is pure hearsay. Not to mention treading on dangerous territory." Kirkland says.
"I am treading on dangerous territory, Kirkland? Have you read a page from your client's handbook and are now attempting to intimidate me?" She asks. "Because I promise you that is a tactic that will not work on me."
My, God, this is like watching General Hospital on steroids. The only thing dampening my good mood is the ugly truth of why this is all happening. Yeah, Ana. Revel in this short-lived game of cat and mouse; because once it is over, it is back to reality. Reality being your fucking life. The reality that hit my brain stem earlier when I recognized the truth over what I still had not dealt with and what I had been hiding from my heart. That is one reality that I will have to deal with and suffer through once I leave this law firm.
"Of course not, Mrs. Darlington. I am simply stating a fact. Do you have a copy of Mrs. Declan's accusation? I have to once again voice the obvious; your client does not have to make her point in this way since we all can see this is nothing more than an attack on Mr. Grey. It may be a private one that is meant to embarrass him in front of his legal counsel, but it is still a personal attack nonetheless."
I nearly bite my tongue off trying not to verbally tear this bastard apart. However, it is the smug look on Christian's face that infuriates me and once again fueled my desire to slice that look off his face. ,
"Mr. Kirkland, the only person in the room who has embarrassed himself is your client, and you have witnessed his behavior yourself. We are blue in the face from explaining that what we are presenting to you and your client is an essential part of this meeting. If our client has proof of Mr. Grey's infidelity, that is pertinent to this meeting. I understand you are reticent that other information may be disclosed, along with your desire that Mr. Grey does not fire your ass the minute this meeting is over. I assume that your client approves to keep this confined to these four walls," Bee replies softly. Her eyes pierce into Kirkland's, and then she turns to Christian, her eyebrow raised. "Am I correct, Mr. Grey?"
The very same smug expression covers Christian's face, and he smirks at Bee and merely nods at her. Puzzling.
"As I thought."
Bee pulls her laptop closer, and I watch her remove the flash drive from her lap and hold it up so the four men of the Apocalypse can see it. Kirkland and Faulk made no show of hiding their displeasure and their apprehension. I cannot help but throw a provoking glance at Christian, who is now eyeing Taylor curiously.
"What I have here is one of the detailed descriptions that Mrs. Declan gave concerning the night of January 13th, 2013. This one was given to my partner, Allison Kendall, during a meeting on July 30th, 2015, in Brooklyn, New York. My client was present at this meeting as well. Please turn your attention to the projection screen so you can all hear and see it for yourselves. Will someone lower the lighting and push that button on the left wall, please?"
Christian's head whips to mine so fast I will be shocked if he does not end up with whiplash. The tinge of a smile plays on the corners of my lips before I mouth, "Just watch." at him, as he glares at me furiously.
Seemingly, from out of nowhere, a large projection screen falls from the ceiling. It is on the wall closest to Christian and Taylor.
Tom seems to be the one who turned down the lights and lowered the screen. Bee inserts the flash drive into her computer, but before she can bring up the footage, Mr. Faulk stops her.
"Mrs. Darlington, I won't bother bringing up the necessity of this dog and pony show, but may I inquire what you meant by one of the detailed descriptions you referred to earlier." He asks.
Bee continues the task and answers him without looking in his direction.
"You just did inquire and you will have your answer shortly. Now let's proceed."
Within a matter of seconds, the recorded footage that Craig, the IT genius, cut so it begins with Allison showing Hillary Declan her medical files from Swedish, along with the fact that I am sitting beside her. It continues with Mrs. Declan telling the details of how and where she was when Christian Grey broke her arm. From there, we watch pixie cut point out Taylor's picture, and says he was the one who drove her to the hospital, and how she never saw or heard from Christian again. Hillary Declan continues her story and explains when and where she met my joke of a husband and that he moved her to Seattle and purchased her a home. On and on it went, even to the stupid fact that someone had to have been feeding her damn cat. After that useless bit of information, the recording ends and I suppose it is Tom who turns the lights back on. The projection screen remains lowered.
When pixie cut identified Taylor as the man who took her to the hospital, I pointedly looked at him with eyes full of disappointment. He looks back at me and his face is full of remorse. Remorse? Remorse over what? Remorse for sticking like super glue to one twisted son of a bitch, or being so callous that he took this woman to an emergency room and essentially left her there? I wouldn't spit on that woman if she was ablaze, although I can imagine how afraid she must have been, seriously injured and an entire coast away from everyone she knew. Then again, I cannot apologize when I think she deserved it.
Christian had not looked at the screen the entire time the recording played, but I looked away almost immediately. Hearing it was bad enough, and I sure as fuck did not want to look at the rent-a- whore ever again. Having to listen to her voice again was enough to make me want to vomit in my own lap. If asked to tell the truth, I would have admitted to the fact that I really did not want to be in the room when the recording was played. Not because it hurt me, but because it embarrassed me. It was visual and audible proof that I was the idiot that I always knew I was. Having a lurking feeling of insecurity only crashes into you harder when you discover that feeling was the truth and you just never listened to yourself. I chose to ignore my feelings and look where that led me. Back to months pain, and never ending thoughts of revenge. Can I attribute the fact that I didn't act upon my instinct because I was so young when I met and married Christian? No, I don't think so. I had been in relationships before, and one was a very ,serious long-term relationship. I understood my natural insecurities, and acted on them before allowing myself to become a doormat. Can I blame it on Christian and how he dazzled me to not act on my insecurities? I honestly cannot say. The only truth that I do know is that any feelings of self-doubt that I had prior to meeting Christian Grey were nothing compared to the gut instincts I felt while we were together. Whatever that may or may not mean. It takes me a while to realize that Luke's hand is on my shoulder before I tear my thoughts out of a dark and confusing place.
Bee Darlington wastes no time jumping from our joyful movie time to having two documents in her hand. Even if she had, the suits have once again been stunned to the core listening to Christian's ex sub detail his fondness for suspending women as he flogs and fucks them.
"Gentlemen, what I have here is the second detailed description of the occurrence of January 13th, 2013. Again, the former Miss Wilkins gave this description and documented that one. Christian Trevelyan-Grey, is in fact the man that caused her injury. Mr. Kirkland, after you read that, tell me if I am still treading near dangerous territory." Bee says in a tone that would slice through a block of ice.
Having turned his body away from the projection screen, Christian now turns to look at Bee as she hands a single piece of paper that Mr. Faulk takes. Faulk visibly pales within seconds.
"What the fuck is it?" Christian demands, his arm reaching across the table to grab it. As always, Taylor stops him.
Mr. Faulk does not answer his boss, although he looks at me, and then slowly moves his eyes to Bee, his eyes relaying his every thought. Faulk knows that Christian could be fucked either way. He slides the affidavit to Kirkland and his expression morphs from the belittling one he had while staring at me into one of alarm.
"Mr. Grey, what I have presented to your counsel is a sworn legal affidavit by the former Hillary Wilkins. She drew up this affidavit prior to leaving the state of Washington. An intelligent man such as yourself knows what an affidavit is, but your counsel should explain the two choices that the current Mrs. Declan is making at this time." Bee says flatly.
I am surprised by Christian's reaction. The impatient anger he was showing moments ago has deflated into shock. Naturally, the CEO knows what an affidavit is, and I have no doubt that he understands it is something one should not take lightly. Christian is running both of his hands through his hair and his gray eyes are wide. Taylor has even been caught off guard.
"Mr. Grey, Hillary Wilkins Declan made a sworn affidavit against you in February of 2013. Everything in this written complaint matches the statement we just heard her describe on the recording Mrs. Darlington has in her possession. This affidavit is a valid and legal document and became one when Miss Wilkins, as she was known at the time, took an oath before a public notary in King County, Washington. All of the needed information, such as her address, is the same as what we already know. I am referring to the address on the home you purchased her, along with the one on her medical records." Mr. Faulk says. His eyes have hardened while they take Christian in and it would seem as if Mr. Faulk had just made some sort of decision concerning his employer.
For a fraction of a second, Christian does not utter a word as his now wild eyes fly over everyone in the room.
"Meaning?" He finally manages to ask.
"Mr. Grey, simply put, Mrs. Declan can use this affidavit to take you to civil court and sue you for the abuse she suffered at your hand, or she could use it to file criminal charges against you." Allison replies.
"FUCK!" Christian yells loudly, rising to his feet. This time he manages to get around Taylor, although he has no intent to do anything other than pace the room like a caged animal. Which of course he is.
"Why in the hell would she choose to do this shit now? Two fucking years later? This makes no goddamn sense." Christian is muttering to himself and then he suddenly stops and turns to me.
"What in the fuck did you do, Anastasia?" He growls, pointing at me. "What. In. The. Fuck. Did. You. Do?"
Luke turns and faces Christian, although he has not moved from the spot in which he planted himself. I turn my upper body around so I can stare dead center on Christian Grey. My face is an empty canvas.
"Tell me, Anastasia. How did you get her to do this? This is why she was petrified when she was contacted by Ta..."
Slowly, I shake my head at him. The untold depths to this man must be cavernous and only concern self-preservation. Is Christian correct accusing me of being the one behind this large stone of trouble that could potentially roll his way? Yes. Was it forced upon Hillary Declan and I left her no room to refuse? Yes. But it was all the truth, wasn't it? Perhaps it wasn't intentional; perhaps at the disgusting time Hillary Declan was enjoying having my husband pound her in such a fashion, but was it right or even humane how Christian treated that young woman? No. Is that the opinion of ninety-nine percent on the United States? Yes. Do I understand why a young woman such as the former Hillary Wilkins turned tail and ran away from the Pacific Northwest? Absolutely. She knew whose whore she had been and the wealth and power Christian has. Is that why she never came back to Washington to seek retribution or sell that condominium? Yes. Were my actions motivated to place Christian right where I wanted him, which is right where he is? Of course. I have never blamed those submissives for Christian's horrific choices and fucked up mind, although if they were anything like Hillary Wilkins Declan, they each did deserve some retribution. She had secretly kept Christian's pay off money and spent it behind her husband's unknowing back. She nearly had a coronary when she was stripped of the money my sick husband provided her with. Hillary Declan may have stopped allowing Dominants cane her, but her little Catholic soul had not turned pure again. Did she deserve everything she got? Did the other four deserve everything they got? I do not give a fuck who you are or what your opinion is. I did what Christian Grey would have done, only I actually did not do as much harm as he would have. They got what they had coming to them, and while I know those Christian Grey, CEO decisions were harsh; I have zero regrets and would do it again. I, after all, did not deserve a drop of the pain that was poured down my throat. That same throat that swallowed the cum of that bastard, Christian Grey. My God, I should drink some bleach.
"Mr. Grey, our client had nothing to do with the former Miss Wilkins filing that affidavit. You can read it and clearly see it was drawn up in February of 2013, and unfortunately, our client was not aware of the contracted sexual relationship you had with Miss Wilkins at that time. Perhaps you have forgotten Ana only became aware of your contracted relationships in April of 2015. There is no way she played a hand in this matter. Obviously, Mrs. Declan was so traumatized by her treatment that she felt the need to protect herself against you if she needed to do so in the future." Allison says, not even bothering to turn around and look at Christian while she speaking to him.
Christian glowers at her back. The man never likes to have the truth pointed out to him. How can one part of his brain be so brilliant and the other side so ignorant? Christian has done so many wonderful and humanitarian deeds for the poor and hungry around the world, yet he cut his family out of his life for years and then used my life as a tennis ball he was throwing against a wall for fun.
Christian, breathing deeply and nostrils flaring, slowly closes his eyes in an attempt to control himself. Amazingly, it works. Luke and I watch him stroll back to take his seat. Taylor looks extremely relieved. Christian looks at the suits. Kirkland has lost his attitude that this meeting is just a game to make Mr. Grey look bad. Kirkland and Faulk both know how real everything has suddenly become, and are looking at Bee and Allison in a brand new light.
Kirkland clears what sounds like a golf ball from his throat. He is thoughtfully tapping his pen on the pad before him, and there is a pregnant pause in the air before he speaks.
"Ladies, since your client has discovered the existence of this disturbing bit of information, "He says, gesturing around the room. "Let us just lay this all on the line. We have been here hours and your client does not want any settlement offer from Mr. Grey. She plainly said she has demands. There is no doubt that this damning affidavit is to have those demands met. Can these demands be requested now so we can wrap this up?"
And Bee said Faulk was the prick.
"Mr. Kirkland, our client has simply shown Mr. Grey what she has run across over the course of several months of uncovering her husband's multiple betrayals. We have not uttered a syllable threatening to use any of this against your client in order to get what Ana wants, have we? If that is the way you and your client see it, then that's your prerogative," Bee replies tersely. "And no, Mr. Kirkland, we do not want to wrap things up yet. We aren't quite done here."
Kirkland sighs deeply.
Both of the suits turn their heads slowly to their client's face. Their body language says it all. They are both screaming, "What could possibly be worse than what we have already found out?"
I swear Faulk is beginning to foam at the mouth.
"Mr. Grey, is there anything that you need to tell us before Mrs. Darlington continues? I am not up to anymore shocking surprises." Faulk's words are thick with disgust.
Yep, he will be looking for a janitor's position tomorrow.
Christian blinks rapidly and tosses a suspicious glance at me. My expression has not faltered; I appear emotionless. The deafening silence in the room blasts my ears. The longer Christian and I stare at one another, the more my eyes freeze into arctic ice. Everyone else around us has melted away, and it is just two people who disastrously met at the Fairmont Hotel one morning.
"Can you answer Mr. Faulk's question, Anastasia?" Christian hisses from across the table.
I remain quiet. As quiet as I should have remained that very first time this man called me. But there is no need for me to say anything now. Soon our surroundings will be abounding with the repugnant lifestyle of Christian, and I would do anything to wake up from this nightmare so that I do not have to sit and hear it.
"I'll answer for my client, Mr. Grey. Ana will address you shortly. Yes, there is just one more thing that we would like to share with you and your counsel. To answer your question, Mr. Faulk, it is shocking. Well, shocking is an understatement," Bee replies in a short and clipped tone.
The eyes of Christian and his three amigos land on me when they see Bee placing another flash drive in her computer. They all know what to expect and whip their heads to that fucking bigger than life screen. Dread etched upon each of their faces. I catch Taylor throw Luke a questioning glance, although I cannot see Luke's reaction since he has resumed his place behind me.
"The footage you will be shown has a time and date stamp down in the lower right hand side. I will begin with the first recording, and after that, I will randomly select a few others, and then conclude with the last one which, as the date shall show you, was yesterday afternoon. This was all done legally since our client is the wife of Mr. Christian Grey, and also legally owns half of the penthouse at Escala. I warn that this is graphic, pornographic, and unfortunately, shows your client, actually, it proves that your client is physically abusive. I do not care if Mr. Grey did have a contract deeming this behavior consensual." Allison's profoundly strong words even shake me up a bit.
Christian has once again swung his head to face mine. His eyes are wide and lips are in a thin line. The look of panic on his face is priceless. He knows. He knows what Allison's words meant because the majority of people would describe the way HE practices BDSM exactly how Allison described it. Christian's idea of a BDSM relationship fell far away from the actual theory that such a lifestyle is based upon trust, and two people partaking in acts because of that trust. A real BDSM relationship is not driven by the violent urges of a man to practically shred the skin off of a woman's back or ass, whether it is consensual or not. How and why there were any submissives so willing to allow themselves to be treated so terribly escapes me. I can only assume for every off kilter sadist, there must be an equally off kilter masochist.
Even before Tom turns the lights down again, I turn my head and lock eyes with Luke. He knows that I never asked to see this shit, never wanted to see this shit, and never even wanted to imagine what that flash drive was tainted with. Whatever the reason he was so pissed at me earlier seems to have dissipated. He is looking down at me with eyes that are telling me to stay strong and that I will be fine. There is not a hint of pity or sympathy in them. That is why Lucas Sawyer is and has been my rock. The solid foundation upon which I am re- building myself. Of course, Katherine is the other half of that foundation, and I can hear her telling me, "Tear him to shreds, Steele."
There is nothing that I can do to prevent from hearing it. If I were to get up and leave the room, I would feel as if Christian saw me as being weak. I do not want to hear it. Hear her. Hear him. Hear them. I do not want to hear it. I do not want to leave. I do not want to appear weak.
Therefore, I remain seated, looking up at Luke, who places his large and reassuring hand on my shoulder.
Less than a second passes and I can hear it. Hear her. Hear him. Hear them. My guts churn and they feel as though that have been lit on fire. I keep my eyes locked on Luke's and try, try, try to think of anything or anywhere in this world where I could pretend to be, rather than where I am.
I can see in his eyes where I am: A sullen thirteen-year-old girl, wearing a pink dress with a lacy collar because Ray always made us go to church. Luke's eyes reflect when I was a shy sixteen-year-old dressed in a pale blue prom dress and being stabbed in the boob from the pin of a corsage that my nervous prom date was trying to put on me. Luke's eyes are showing me the nineteen-year-old WSUV student, reading Hemingway while Kate drags out every slutty outfit she owned and tries them on before a hot date. Luke's unwavering eyes are showing me everything that I need to see and remember, in the hopes that it blocks out the sounds of sickness that have surrounded me.
I have reached through the armrest of my chair and have grasped onto the fabric of Luke's pants. I have to focus on what is real in my life and what has been real in my life these three plus years. Luke has been there and he is real. What I am trying to shut out of my mind was never real to me. Yes, it was happening and I was oblivious. I am no longer lost in oblivion. My life is now real and tangible. What is filling the air is not me and it never was about me. It is a simple and pure fact of my life. A mountain that I had to find a way to maneuver around or climb over.
Once that mountain is in my rear view window, I will never look at it again.
I vaguely hear Allison's words as she directed everyone's attention to dates and times. I vaguely hear the roaring of a man on a murderous rampage who is being man handled by Taylor. I vaguely hear the mutterings of disbelief and antipathy from the suits. I vaguely hear Bee ordering Tom to come to Taylor's aid, and I vaguely hear Christian hurling every awful and degrading word my way.
Then it all stops.