THE ORIGINAL NOVEL WAS WRITTEN IN SPANISH, I APOLOGIZE FOR THE TRANSLATION. IF YOU WANT TO READ IT IN SPANISH LOOK FOR IT UNDER THE SAME PSEUDONYM AND BY NAME "EL SECRETO"

In case you're wondering if Christian is in the novel, is there, just won´t expected.

I carried a hand to my chest where my heart beat frantically as I continued to sit on the elevator floor. It was lucky it was empty. What it just happened? I said to myself as I remembered his intense blue look fixed on mine.

I looked at the shoes on the floor and laughed, this could only happen to me. I looked up at the elevator that was marking the floors one by one as it climbed all the way up without stopping.

How strange!

Soon he reached the top floor and I got up from the floor picking up my shoes as the doors opened. I'd have time later to think about what happened. I got out of the elevator and headed for my office.

—Ana! —someone yelled at me in surprise.

—Kate! You're back! —I said as I went to her and dropped my shoes and greeted her with a big hug.

—I only left for a few days, not forever. —she said to me as I let her go.

—The apartment felt empty without you, and I missed our usual output very much.

—Well, we have this weekend. What happened to your shoes? — she said pointing to the ground.

—Oh! —I forgot about the shoes. — A little accident. I told her as I picked them up again.

—I see. How was your week? —she change the subject, which is normal for her.

—You know about the new boss yet?

—Yes, I heard some comments in the elevator on the way up. Have you met him yet?

—No, Grace is still showing him the company, I think we'll meet him today or tomorrow.

—This is very strange, don't you think.

—That's what I think. I only know his name, I don't know his appearance. I don't know how, but he's managed to make sure there's no picture of him anywhere. It's a complete mystery. —I said while meditating a little.

—Don't even think about it, Ana, I know that look.

—What look? — I said, playing innocent.

—That's one, the look of "I like mysteries that can't be solved".

—I'm just curious, that's all. — I don't understand how he's managed to practically disappear.

The best thing was to forget about it.

—How's your father? — I said, remembering the reason she was away.

—Well, it was just a scare, he's already in home.

—Anything you need just let me know.

—All right. What are you going to do with the shoes? —she asked me curiously, changing the subject drastically, she did not want to talk about what happened with his father apparently. —You're not going to be all day without shoes, are you?

—No, I think I have some emergency sneekers somewhere. —I told her as we both laughed and I headed to my office. —Do you know if Grace come up? —I asked her pausing in the middle of the hall and turning to her.

—I don't know, if he did it, it was before I got here. —she told me as I resumed my march.

Here in the office I call my mother as Grace, no one knew she had raised me and adopted me when my parents passed away. When I started my internship here, I asked her to keep our relationship in secret. To everyone I was just an old acquaintance of my mother's, who in the end was the truth really.

But just a half-truth.

There was no sign of my mother anywhere; apparently she hadn't arrived yet, if she ever came up at all. I went to the bathroom in my office where I had a locker to keep my purse and there I looked for some sneekers I left once. I put them on and headed for my desk. I turned on the computer and started checking the e-mails and organizing the week's schedule.

It was 10:00 a.m. and she hadn't arrived at the office yet. I got up from my chair and got for a coffee. There was a machine in one of the corridors, but like my mother, I preferred the homemade coffee prepared by myself. I headed towards the pantry and although there were staff available to prepare it for me and take it to my office at any time I requested, I liked to prepare it myself. No one was against it. And my mother loved it when I took it.

There was no one there, and after I finished the coffee I threw it in a cup and went back to my office. As soon as I sat down, the phone rang and I answered it without looking at the screen.

—TecFall, good morning. — I replied with a smile on my face.

—Hello Ana. Is there anything on the agenda for today?

—Not much, you have a meeting at 2:00 p.m. with the manager of Park Hyatt Chicago.

—Change it for another day, I don't think I can do it today, so unless it's very important that you can't postpone it you let me know.

—All right. Where are you?

—Showing the new technological innovations to Mr. Chasting. I'll call you tonight and we'll talk.

—Okay, I'll talk to you tonight. —I told her as she finished the call.

Well, I think I should change my habits now. I opened the mail and texted Kate.

From: Anastasia Steele

Date: Monday, 19/10/2015 10:25 AM

To: Kate Kavanagh

Subject: Lunch.

Can we have lunch together today? Please tell me you do, I don't want to have lunch alone.

Ana.

The truth was that I didn't know if Kate was in the mood to go to lunch with me, we almost never could, I was always too busy and had lunch with my mother to speed up the schedule. I wanted to take advantage now that we could. His answer came a few minutes later.

From: Kate Kavanagh

To: Anastasia Steele

Date: Monday, 19/10/2015 10:28 AM

Subject: Lunch!

I'd love to go to lunch together, we haven't done it in a while, you pick me up on the way out. I'll be behind the desk.

Kate.

I loved Kate's sense of humor, maybe that's why we got along so well.

The day passed slowly. I spent the rest of the morning taking calls and changing meetings to next week. I didn't like sitting here doing practically nothing. At least when my mother was in the office we didn't stop all day from one place to another. She liked to supervise everything with her own eyes, and always asked me to accompany her and take notes.

The agenda was gradually filled with events for next week, meetings and discussion of new projects. And it was only Monday. At noon I left in search of Kate and we headed to a coffee shop that was very close by in front of Millennium Park.

We sit at a table at the back of the coffe shop, away from everyone. Kate sat facing the door, as usual, and I turned my back on this one. Next to us was a huge window that gave us a beautiful view of the park. They took our order and served it to us quickly, so we started chatting and making plans for the weekend until she stopped in the middle of a sentence.

—Wau! Who is that god who just came in. — she exclaimed as I turned to where she was looking.

And then I saw him. Same suit, same black hair. He looked taller now that I saw him from here.

My heart started to beat wildly in my chest as I was having my stomach tied in a knot, or it was butterflies fluttering around, I don't know. I turned around again looking at my half-eaten burger now. The truth was, I didn't think I could eat it anymore. I'd lost my appetite. And I tried my best to ignore Kate's comments.

— It's so handsome, isn't it? — she told me to look at it briefly one more time before I turned to Kate.

—Is not bad. — I said, pretending to be indifferent.

— Let's take a good look at him, look so yummy.

—Kate! —I told as I scolded her.

—It doesn't hurt to look, and I don't want it for myself, it's not my type, it's more like yours.

—Mine? And since when do you know the kind of men I like? — I asked incredulously.

—Exactly like that one. The dangerous ones out of your league, and they're all drooling over him. —she said as she pointed to one of the waitresses who looked at him gawking.

—You're right, all women drool over him. —I said as I pointed at another one and we both laughed.

—Including you.

—Me? You're wrong, he's not my type at all. —I told her as I picked up a French fry and took a bite out of it trying to avoid the comments I knew came next.

—Yes it is, accept it.

—All right, he could be my type. —I accepted resigned waiting that she would stop bothering me. But I was wrong.

—Then if he asked you out, you'd say yes. —she said very excited.

—Of course not, I hardly know him. Besides, in what universe he'd ask me out, look at me, I'm not a big deal. —I answered without giving her any importance as I tidied up my glasses.

But sometimes I forgot that Kate knew me very well.

—Are you nervous? Why I feel like you're hiding something from me. Do you even know him? — she asked me to look up from my burger and look her in the eyes.

If I had learned one thing from Kate in the time we knew each other, it was her perseverance. The best thing to do was to answer at the first time or she would not stop asking and insisting until got the answer. She was able to go and ask him if he knew me, just to get out of doubt.

—Why do you think I know him? —I said trying to avoid her, but I knew it would be in vain.

—Because since you saw him, you've been blushing. You've also stopped eating and your hair and eyeglasses have been set more than four times since he arrived. Come on, let him go. What happened?

—Yes, you could say I know him by sight. — I said indifferently as I turned a potato chip over on my plate.

—How did you meet such a sexy and attractive guy? — she said intrigued as she continued look to where he was.

And I looked at him one more time. He probably didn't recognize me or remember me. It always happened. He was standing in front of the bar ordering something. I was just waiting for he leave without realizing I was here. I turned around again and picked up a chip and shoved it in my mouth.

—I don't really know him, Kate.

—What a pity, he's leaving. —she said as I turned around and watched him walk out the door with two cups of coffee in his hands. —Then you will tell me what you know about him and what he has done to affect you so much. —she told me bluntly as I turned to her one more time.

—I met him this morning. It just helped me. —I replied with a shrug.

—Did it help you? — she asked curiously.

—Remember my broken shoes? —I asked her as she nodded. —I didn't tell you how it happened.

—Why I have a feeling I'm going to laugh with this story.

—My heel broke in the lobby and I fell to the ground losing my glasses. He helped me up and handed me the glasses. —I didn't want to specify that he had put them on me, I kept that detail to myself.

—I knew it. —she said with a laugh. —These things only happen to you. And what else happened? —she said now excited and stopped laughing.

—That's all, I thanked him, too many times indeed, and took the elevator to the office.

—You didn't think to ask his name? —she said to me as if it was the most obvious thing.

—Not really, I was more worried about running away without shoes. The situation was embarrassing enough to also ask him the name you don't think.

—The next time you cross him ask his name, if he helped you it's because he works for the company. And maybe you could invite him over for coffee or something to thank him for.

—Invite him for a drink! You're out of your mind! Besides, I doubt he works at the company I remember a face and a body like that if he worked with us. —I quickly covered my mouth.

I think I over-talked.

—So you take a good look of him! Tell me, I'm curious now. —Me and my big mouth. I have to learn to keep my mouth shut and not think out loud.

—I'm not blind the truth, at least not when I'm wearing them. —I said pointing to the glasses as we laughed. —Yeah, I noticed him, who wouldn't, he's to die for. —Keep your mouth shut, I remembered myself once again.

—What's he like? —she asked excitedly.

I didn't have to hide anything from Kate. We used to talk openly about men.

—He is strong, firm arms. But what's most impressive is its dangerous appearance that makes you want to get away from it as quickly as possible. But his piercing blue look keeps you from moving from the place. It's a very frustrating thing, really. Wanting to run away and not being able to at the same time. And his voice, his voice is very sexy, I think I had an orgasm when I heard him talk. —Kate laughed as I tried to get out the memories of her eyes and her warm hands.

I started to spin the soda in my hand.

—Sounds like he turns your life upside-down. —she said to me as I stopped what I was doing and looked at her.

—It was nothing, it just upset me a little bit. —I said as I tried to convince myself that nothing else was going on. —No one has ever disturbed me like that before, and I may never see him again.

—It's the second time in a day, I think the odds are up. —Kate said very optimistic.

—Everyone comes to this coffee shop, Kate, it's just a coincidence. —a strange coincidence, actually.

—All right, if you say so, I won't insist anymore. But I know there's a lot more in this story than what you're telling me. No one had ever managed to make you lose your appetite, not even that idiot of José. —and the truth was, she was right.

Not only that José was an idiot, I realized that too late. The stranger who had helped me had made my heart race by just touching me and staring at me. Not many people could do that, only one person had done that before this morning. "The idiot", as Kate had nicknamed him, had turned my world upside-down.