This is the end of the story, I hope you liked it.

BirdsandStars

ANASTASIA POV

I had my eyes blindfolded and a gag in my mouth as I sat in a chair with my hands tied behind me and my feet each on one leg of the chair. Most of the time it was completely dark, I only visualized some clarity when they opened the door, and they only did that three times a day. Each time it was just to give me water and food, and again they put the gag preventing me from screaming. Nothing more. Then the door would close again. No one spoke. At first I counted the meals so that I could tell how long it had been. But as the days went by I stopped and began to lose hope...

The door continued to open three times a day, but I no longer cared or paid attention to it. Sleeping was impossible in that position, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't fall asleep. The only thing that made me resist was thinking about Christian and that I would see him again. That was all I was trying to fight for. To see him again...

I didn't know what day it was today, I barely had the strength for anything. The lack of sleep was taking its toll on me. There were moments in which I lost the notion of the world and after a while I returned to myself again. But today, unlike the other days when they continued to open the door, something changed. The door opened and I felt the steps coming towards me but instead of removing the gag they hit me hard in the ribs and then in the face.

I couldn't breathe, the air was gone and I felt like I was drowning. I didn't know why I was being beaten, although it could be for no reason at all, just for pure pleasure and fun. Someone who liked to see me suffer that way. They hit me in the ribs again and while I was bending over in the chair I felt someone's breath in my ear.

—I hope you rot here, bitch. —a woman's voice said to me in my ear.

And at that moment I felt the voice of a man.

—We have to go.

The footsteps were heard again, but this time the door didn't close. I didn't have the strength to lift my head. Soon I felt everything spinning, as I listened to voices in the background.

—No one is going anywhere, raise your hands and drop your weapon.

—Is she all right?

—We have to get her to the hospital urgently.

That was the last thing I heard as I felt my legs and hands untie and I collapsed in someone's arms, completely unconscious.

The light in the room was very intense, it bothered my eyes and I closed them several times until I got used to the light again instead of the darkness that had reigned in my world in the last days. I didn't even know how many days had passed. My body hurt a little and I remembered the beating I had been given.

I looked around to locate myself. Apparently I was in a hospital ward. In my right arm I had an IV that pumped fluids into my body. I couldn't remember how I got here. Looking to one side of the bed where there was an armchair, I saw someone there. He was lying down sleeping. I got up in bed a little and could see who he was. Christian was so serene there sleeping. His face looked tired as if he hadn't slept for days. I think I must look the same way. He stirred in the armchair and opened his eyes as he ran his hands over his face.

—Even so tired you look very sexy.

He looked up and his eyes met mine. He stopped quickly and approached me.

—I'm glad you woke up, but you should lie down. —he said as he kissed me on the forehead, pushed me back to bed and covered me with the sheet.

—You're still very bossy. —I said to him as he smiled at me.

—You've been through a lot, you should rest. How do you feel?

—Well, just a little sore.

—Yes, the bastard gave you a good beating. —he said on his way to the door. —Now I'm coming back, I'm going to tell the doctor you woke up.

Christian went back with the doctor a minute later who asked me questions and checked on me to see how I was doing. After seeing that I was well, he left the room, leaving me alone with Christian again.

—How long have I been here in the hospital?

—Three days. We were all worried about you. You had to be sedated so you could rest. —he said while he sat in an armchair next to me.

—Yes, the doctor mentioned something about that.

I didn't remember how long I had been kidnapped, I had lost count.

—How long was I kidnapped?

—Twelve days. —he said as he stared at me. —I'm sorry we couldn't find you before.

—Find me? Did you go to rescue me?

—Yes, but the police were there too.

—How did you find me? Did you catch the kidnappers?

—It's a complicated story.

—What time is it? —I asked him as he looked at his watch.

—10:20pm.

—It was your turn to stay today then.

—Yes, everyone comes in the morning.

—Then why don't you tell me what happened, I think we have nothing better to do.

—All right. It all started a week after your kidnapping. You remember Elena, my ex. —he said to me as I nodded. —Well, she showed up at the museum because she had heard about your kidnapping and wanted to see how I was.

—Did he wait until I wasn't by your side to get close to you again?

—There was something in the way she found out about your kidnapping that made me suspicious, so I sent Elliot to follow her. First he followed her to a hotel near my apartment and then to one near yours.

—I can't believe it, so sometimes I had the feeling that we were being followed.

—We decided to take turns watching until one day we followed her to some abandoned warehouses near the dock where she met a man and the two walked in together. We got out of the car and looked out of a broken window that had the warehouse and we could hear the conversation they were having where they were talking about you and pointing towards a distant area of the warehouse. Then we called the detectives in charge of the investigation and they arrived with reinforcements. They wouldn't let us in, and they knocked you out.

—So your ex was the one who kidnapped me?

—Yes, but that's not all. In the warehouse they found some chemical accelerants, the same ones they used in the club fire. And there was a car there, hit from the side and the license plate matches it from your accident.

—Did she plan everything?

—But she didn't do it alone. Remember I mentioned to you that she met a man in the warehouse. Well, it was his brother. The police called me this morning that both had confessed, he was the one who caused the accident while she burned down the club. Don't worry, they'll both be in jail for a long time.

—Great, one less psychopath to take care of. I hope you don't have any more ex-psychopaths hanging around. —I said to him as he smiled at me.

—I don't think that was the only one. —he smiled at me tenderly.

There was something different in the way he smiled at me today, although it could well be my thing, it's been a long time since I've seen him smile.

—I see you very happy. Something I don't know?

—I'm happy because you're alive and safe.

—Yes, I'm happy about that too. —I answered him while he laughed out loud.

—But that's not all. I have several news to give you, I'll start with the oldest and then I'll give you the most recent.

—All right, start.

—Guess who the is the new Director of Restoration. —he smiled at me like an idiot.

—Really!

—Yes, for that was the meeting the day that happened what happened.

—Congratulations then, I guess you couldn't celebrate.

—No, I think you're the first one I tell, I don't think I've told anyone else. With everything that's happened, that's in the background.

—Well, we have to celebrate when I leave here with a good bottle of champagne.

—That reminds me of the other news, I asked the doctor not to tell you anything, that I wanted to do it. —he said as he got up from the armchair and sat beside me on the bed while he took the hand that he didn't have the serum in his hands and smiled at me like an idiot.

—You just said it, you're scaring me.

—You're pregnant. —he said to me while I screamed and laughed. —You're 6 weeks old. We found out the same day we rescued you after you were examined.

—But how?

—I really have to explain how. —he said to me as he raised an eyebrow.

—No, I don't understand how it happened, I always took the pill... forget it, after the accident I think I forgot I was taking it.

—The truth is that it is my responsibility too, it never occurred to me to think if you continued taking it. —I stared at him looking for some indication that he was upset, but on the contrary he was happy.

—Aren't you upset?

—Why it should be. There is a life growing in you formed by the love we both have for each other. At this moment I am the happiest man in the world. —he said as he gave me a slight kiss on the lips. —I had already thought of forming a family with you and apparently we are already ahead of the curve. —he said as I laughed and he put a hand in the pocket of his jeans looking for something.

After stopping to look for what he was looking for he sat down next to me while he held a black velvet box in his hands. At that moment my mouth dried up and my breathing accelerated as my heart pounded frantically in my chest. Christian opened the little box, showing the beautiful, simple ring inside. An alliance with a simple stone on top that sent flashes in all directions.

—You know, I know I should do this another way, but I've waited long enough. I've had this ring with me since the day you were kidnapped and I swore to myself that I wasn't going to take it out of my pocket until I found you. And when I did, I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to ask you to be my wife. So, Anastasia Stelle, will you marry me?

I was cold as he held the ring in his hand in front of me. It wasn't the proposal I imagined, but it was Christian, the man I loved, nothing else mattered.

—May I think about it. —I asked him, framing an eyebrow as he frowned and stared at me.

—Do you have to think about it. —he replied with another question as he brought his face closer to mine.

—Are you going to answer me with another question. —I said without being able to avoid smiling.

—Only until you give me an answer.

—I'm not going to torture you this time, I'm going to give you the answer right now, but first... —I said to him as I pulled with my free hand on him to kiss him.

I had missed his kisses very much, and I never wanted this one to end.

—Take it easy. —he said to me as he separated his lips slightly from mine. —That means yes. —he asked me while I smiled like an idiot.

—Yes, I want to marry you. — I said to him while he kissed me intensely devouring my lips.

—Take it easy. —I said to him, spreading our lips slightly.

—Excuse me, you're right. You have made me the happiest man in the world, again.

—Twice in less than five minutes, I think we've broken some records. —I said to him while we both laughed.

—You know that I really love you. —he said to me as he caressed my face sweetly.

—I know, I love you too, Chris. —I said to him as I stole a kiss from him.

—I love you. —he said as he caressed my belly where a new life was secretly forming, fruit of the love we had for each other.

END

Epilogue

5 years later

Things could change a lot in a short time, I said from my own experience. Time had passed quickly and it had been five years since we had been married. I still didn't believe everything that had happened...

Christian had given me a big surprise when I found out that the house next to my parents' was his, that he had bought it when he came back from London. So we decided to move. There were many changes to be made in our lives from now on. My belly was already noticeable enough, there was not much time left to give birth. So we had settled here permanently.

Christian had left his apartment in the financial district to Elliot after he got engaged to Kate. The truth was that they had taken a long time to do so. Now with Christian's new position as Director of Restoration he was very busy and didn't have much time to attend to his business so that was Elliot's full-time job.

I really couldn't complain about my life. Well, I only had a few small complaints, the accident, the memory loss, the kidnapping. But in the end it all led me back to Christian. So the truth was that I didn't regret anything.

Our daughter was born on the day of Elliot's wedding to Kate. I don't know if it was coincidence or fate that wanted it that way, but in the middle of the wedding while dancing with Christian I went into labor and our daughter was born two hours later.

We decided that if it was a boy he would choose the name, and if it was a girl I would choose it. So he had no choice but to settle for the name I chose. But I didn't tell him the name I had chosen until the day she was born.

Grace.

Christian cried when I told him the name I had chosen for our daughter. The name of his yacht. His mother's name. And then he hugged me as he smiled at me and kissed our daughter on the forehead who was in my arms...

The three of us were sitting in front of the fireplace. Grace was asleep on the carpet as she laid her head on Christian's legs and he caressed her head.

—I'm going to put Grace to bed. —he said as he stood up from the floor carrying our daughter to her room.

I really didn't know what I had done to be so happy. Christian came back a minute later and sat next to me again, this time hugging me instead of our daughter.

—You know I love you, don't you? —he said as he slid his hands around my waist and his lips around my neck.

—I know, you tell me every chance you get. —I said as I let out a groan from my lips.—I love you too. —I said as I stroked his neck and pulled his hair so he would look at me.

—Yes, but right now I love you even more. —he said as he slid one hand down my belly. I knew very well what he meant.

—Let's see if this time it's your turn to name him. —I said to him as he laughed against my lips.

—I hope so, or we'll have to try again. —he said as he silenced my lips with a kiss.

And we didn't say anything else that night, we just kissed and made love as only we knew how to do it, putting all our feelings in the way.