It is early Monday morning, it is too early for it to be light out yet. I have been packed and ready to go, waiting for Jack to pick me up. I am hopeful New York holds more information about my biological family, however with such little information I have no idea how I will ever find them. I feel a sting when I think about how hard it is to find any information about them. I feel rejected. I wonder why I was given up. I wonder why so secretly.

My phone lights up with a text from Jack. He is here to pick me up from my apartment.

I grab my navy blue suitcase and roll it down the hallway. The ever so common Seattle rain splashing onto me. Brisk air hits my nostrils, the scent of the sea and the rain are competing on who is more potent. It is refreshing. Jack's driver takes my suitcase and puts it into the trunk of the car. I slide into the car right next to Jack. The driver pulls out to the road and we head towards Seattle Tacoma international airport. We merge on the highway. The city sparkling behind us.

"How are you this fine morning Ana?"

I look at Jack, with sleep still in my eyes.

"It's a bit early for me, but I am excited."

"You'll love it there, it's beautiful."

"I imagine I will love it. Jack I talked to my mom this weekend and I found out something. I haven't told anyone but I need to tell someone."

I pause trying to find the best way to phrase it to him. It doesn't feel real to me.

"I am adopted. My mom told me I was adopted, that background report you ran was right... I was wondering if you had any other information you could give me?"

"Ana, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to invade so far into your life. I will forward the information I got from the background report to your work email if that is okay?"

"Yes it is, thank you so much Jack."

He nods and gives me a small smile.

We both stare out of our opposite windows. Rain splatters across my window. Twinkling lights of the city become blurry. I can still see Grey Enterprises looming in the distance. The skyscraper towers above a giant section of Seattle. My stomach drops. If Christian even knew what I was doing he would be so angry. He would have never let it happen. It's dark and quiet in the car, so I let a few tears stream down my face. I wonder if the ache will ever stop.

We arrive at the airport, Jack unloads my luggage for me. Jack is acting like quite the gentleman today.

"Ana, I am going to take a smoke break before we board if you don't mind."

Jack heads towards a blocked off section on the outside of the airport, it's covered from the rain. He pulls out a cigarette sticking it between his teeth and searching his pockets for a lighter. I keep my distance from him. I look down at the blister that is still on my hand from the last encounter I had with him while he was smoking.

"Sorry about that still." Jack motions to my hand.

When he is done smoking we head to security. There are long lines of people winding around the airport. I am lucky we are so early.

Jack and I are boarded. SIP has upgraded us to first class which is exciting. The only downside was the Jack is towards the back of first class and I am towards the front. These seats were the only seats available and the company had not put us directly together. I am fine with this. I open up my work laptop. I am desperate to open the information Jack has forwarded over to me.

My heart is racing as I read my birth information. The birth certificate originally states my mom and dad and then an updated version is right below it.

"Anastasia Rose Appleton Born to Aubrey Jane Appleton and Alden Joseph Appleton of New York City September 10th."

My mouth drops, I scroll for more information but there is nothing. I note their surname is very old English, and that they were the ones to give me my name.

Could have mentioned that mom.

I try to research their names. Information comes up with so many people, I have no way to know which ones they are. An article catches my attention and I scroll over and click on it.

"Appletons to expand hotel chains into the USA" I read through the article. The article was written before I was born. The people in the article seem well off. These people don't seem like the kind of people who need to give their daughter up for adoption.I have so many questions. I hope one day they can be answered. I close my laptop and tilt my head back staring out of the window of the plane. We hit a little turbulence, I'm usually jumpy, but I'm too exhausted. The rocking lulls me to sleep.

"Ana, hey, Ana, wake up, we're landing." Jack is leaning over the aisle passenger shaking me gently.

I stir awake, adjusting in my seat, preparing for landing and thanking Jack for waking me up. The plane lands with a thud, screeching across the wet runway. The rain has followed us across the country. I reach instinctively for Christians hand. I sigh in annoyance that my body still automatically responds like he is with me everywhere.

It takes Jack and I a few hours to reach the hotel. Traffic is impossible to get through but neither of us is comfortable enough to navigate the subway system our very first day here. We arrive at the large hotel "The Big Apple '' it's a skyscraper that sits tucked near time square. A huge picture of a green apple surrounded by leaves is etched in the center of the building. I cringe slightly at the cheesy name but it's an incredible location. Stepping out of the car, the smell of the city overwhelms me, musky smoke and fried food. There are thousands of people around us, cars honking for us to get out of the hotel porte-cochère. Jack and I take our luggage into the lobby thanking our driver for their treacherous journey.

My hotel suite is huge, plush beige carpet, windows from floor to ceiling, giving me an optimal view of the city skyline. A king bed sprawled with a large white down comforter sits in the corner. The bathroom is all white tile, a walk in shower with double shower heads. Jack walks in behind me to compare my suite to his.

"SIP really has some money for business travel." I say to Jack as I flop onto the bed.

"Yeah, it's usually not this kind of luxury, but upper management approved a big budget for this trip." Jack walks towards the surrounding windows looking down.

"I am in room 118 just across the hall and over if you need anything."

I nod in Jack's direction and he closes my door behind him. I unpack some of my outfits into the hotel closet. We have an important meeting at our sister location here. I do my best to look presentable. My suite has a mini bar, it's filled with small glass bottles of various Liquors. I grab the first tequila one and shoot it down my throat. I'll need a lot of these to get myself through this trip with Jack.

Jack and I are sitting across from each other at the large oval table, awaiting our partners from New York Independent Publishing. I swivel in my chair. I tap my pen across my notebook distracted and bored. Most importantly I am avoiding too intense of a conversation with Jack.

Finally, two people enter the meeting room. A tall brunette woman, hair pinned back, pencil skirt glued to her legs, she's older than me, and wears thick glasses. The other person is a man who takes his seat directly at the head of the table. Scruffy black hair frames his face, he looks at me with striking brown eyes.

"This must be Ms. Steele." he looks over to Jack and back at me.

"Yes, sorry Paul, I forgot to introduce you two. Paul this is Anastasia, Anastasia this is Paul Ratcher, he runs the New York Division." Jack motions to me and Paul.

Paul leans over the table to shake my hand

"Nice to meet you Anastasia."

"Please, call me Ana."

We shake hands and both adjust into our seats.

"Okay give it to me straight Paul how much trouble are we in?" Jack crosses his legs leaning as far back into the chair as it can go.

"No trouble at all Jack, quite the opposite actually."

Paul looks up from the stack of papers he is studying.

"SIP is being bought out, the seattle division."

Jacks mouth hangs open

"Why the sudden buyout?"

"There isn't an explanation, just someone interested in going into publishing. Based on the reports here, it will be in good hands. The new management is looking to update all of your systems and move publishing into a newer and cheaper form of technological publishing. It will help you guys keep up with the competing publishing houses in the Seattle area."

Paul takes a sip of coffee out of his styrofoam hotel cup, I notice his wedding ring gleaming on his left hand.

Jack is staring dumbfounded at Paul. Jack runs his hands through his hair over and over. I wonder briefly if his hair is really slicked back or if he spends his entire day doing this to get that look.

"Okay, well that is a surprise, is that all we are meeting about?" Jack seems nervous suddenly.

"It's the main reason, but there is one more thing I have been asked to bring up with you."

Jack nods, swallowing hard.

"Upper management has asked me to talk to you about your assistants, specifically why they keep all quitting." Paul looks jack up and down in disapproval.

"Some people can't handle the job, I ask a lot out of my assistants."

"Okay Jack, it's being watched though, I thought I should let you know." Paul gets up from his chair, gathering his materials.

"Oh I am so sorry, I forgot to introduce you two Ana, this is my wife Hailey." He gestures to the women sitting at the table silently.

"Nice to meet you." we exchange a smile at each other. They both leave the room before Jack stops me at the door.

"Join me for a drink Ana?"

Guilt shakes my body, I have felt like I've been giving Jack the wrong idea. I feel like he is expecting a lot more out of me than just an assistant. I did come here to assist him though, and I do need my job.

"Yeah sure."

The hotel bar is laid back and quiet, business men and women whispering to each other. I start to relax with so many other people around.

"I still don't know how to process the buyout." Jack says, sipping his beer.

"I mean, companies get bought and sold all the time...right?" I swirl the little umbrella in my cocktail.

"No, not publishing companies."

"Are our jobs in danger at all?" The sudden realization makes me just as nervous as Jack appears. The thought hadn't even crossed my mind.

"It depends on what the new owner wants. I wouldn't worry about it right now Ana. There isn't much we can do about it now anyway. Come, I need a smoke break."

I hide my annoyance of following Jack outside once again for a cigarette, it's getting on my nerves. Jack is taking a drag from his cigarette and looking at me intensely. I turn around to admire the twinkling lights around me. It's at that moment Jack grabs my neck. I first think it's playfully until the walls start closing in on my vision.

Fuck