Chapter two

Christian heard Ana breathing into the phone, waiting for her to say something but when she didn't he handed the phone back over to Elsa.

When she took it from him she blinked and looked away from him, putting the phone to her ear.

"Mom? . . . Are you okay? . . . No, we're at the deli across the street from this big building . . . Um, I think it says Grey House."

Christian caught her attention. "That's my building."

"Apparently it's um, his building," Elsa told her mother.

Christian asked for the phone again, and she handed it over once more. "Elsa and I will be at my building. I'd like for us to talk. I can cancel my afternoon appointments and we can talk privately in my office."

"Um . . . okay," she breathed. "I can, uh, be there in ten minutes."

"When you get there, just tell the receptionist that you're there to see me. They'll know what to do."

"Okay. Can I talk to Elsa again, please?"

Christian handed the phone back to his daughter. She had an expectant look on her face as she once again put the phone to her ear.

"Yeah? . . . I know, I'm sorry. I won't do it again . . . Okay, love you, too. See you in a few." Elsa ended the call and stuffed her phone back into her pocket then looked back up at Christian.

They took a few moments to just observe each other, adjusting to the fact that they were strangers but shared a special connection.

Christian cleared his throat. "So . . . shall we go now?"

Elsa nodded her head and stood up. Christian scooted off the barstool and stood next to her, noting how she only came up to his chest. He looked up and down at her and had to blink rapidly, having a hard time believing that this little girl who looked so much like Ana was his daughter. He wasn't sure what to do, or what to say. The only thing he could think about over and over again was that he and Ana had created a child and she was standing before him.

Christian turned without a word and exited the deli, looking over his shoulder to see both Taylor and Elsa following behind him. He caught Taylor's eye, but Taylor's expression was stoic as always. He made a mental note to brief him of the new discovery later.

Christian walked across the street with Elsa in step behind him, and then guided her into his company. He continued to walk toward the elevators but when he noticed she wasn't following him anymore he turned around. He found her still standing in the lobby, her neck craned back as she surveyed the area.

"You built this?" she asked him, her voice awed.

Christian nodded and then shrugged. "Well, technically my brother built it but I designed it."

"Elliot?"

Christian looked at her with a surprised expression. "Yes," he answered slowly. "How do you know his name?"

Elsa started in the direction toward the elevators. She shrugged as she strolled beside him along the marble floors. "My mom told me that I had an aunt and uncle when I was younger. I just remembered their names."

Christian stared down at her as they stepped onto the elevator. "Did . . ." he paused and adjusted his tie uncomfortably. "Did your mother tell you about me?"

She looked up at him with eyes so similar to his. "Yes."

Christian took a deep breath and looked forward. It didn't make sense. If Ana told Elsa about him, why didn't she tell Christian? He thought he deserved to know he had a daughter, and the fact that she kept her away all these years pissed him off more than he'd ever been. He missed fifteen years of his daughter's life because Ana, for whatever reason, kept Elsa to herself.

"She wanted me to know that I had more family. You know, just in case one day I wanted to find you guys," Elsa said.

He blinked down at her, a frown pulling his mouth down. What she said didn't make any sense. What did she mean by 'finding you guys?' It's not like Christian's family was the one that disappeared.

The elevator doors opened and Christian was the first to step out. Elsa slowly followed behind him, taking her time as she looked around.

"I can't believe you designed this place," Elsa told him as he led her to his office. "It kind of reminds me of Olympus."

A small smile pulled at the corners of Christian's mouth and pride swelled in his chest at her perceptiveness. When he was designing GEH he used ancient Greek architecture as inspiration. He wanted GEH to be the one place where people looked up to and thought of gods. The fact that the young girl astutely commented on the structure of his building brought home the fact that once again he was looking at his daughter.

"Have a seat." Christian gestured towards the white couch adjacent to his desk toward the back of his office.

Elsa plopped down on the expensive leather as her eyes admired the room.

"So what is it that you do here?" Elsa asked him.

Christian sat in the matching leather chair next to the couch. "I'm the CEO," he told her.

Elsa nodded her head. "I figured you had to be some important top executive to have such a snazzy office. But what is it that your company does?"

"GEH is a major Mergers and Acquisitions company. We deal primarily with telecommunications, agriculture, and ecological efficient manufacturing."

Christian watched as Elsa's brows rose and nodded her head in acknowledgement as she glanced around the room again. "What made you want to run your own company?"

He sighed and leaned back in his seat as he considered his question. He thought it was almost quite ironic how his daughter asked that question when it was her mother that suggested he start his own company.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I wanted to make a difference in the world. Wanted my voice to be heard and give back to those whose voices aren't loud enough."

"So in other words you're the world's most successful philanthropist?"

Christian chuckled. "I wouldn't say that, but I do take pride in doing charity work as well as seeing my company's name in Fortune 500's most successful businesses every year."

Elsa nodded her head and then looked out his floor-to-ceiling windows. Christian watched as emotions passed across her features, and he wanted to ask her what was wrong, but he was a little afraid of what her answer would be. He didn't know her, as horrible as he thought that sounded, and he didn't know how to console her. He didn't know how to console any young girl, really.

She stood up and walked toward his desk, letting her fingers trail along the cool glass. He watched as she went behind his desk, observing his computer and then plopping down in his leather seat. She looked up at him with a smile before she started to spin around in it. Christian stayed where he was and watched as she entertained herself.

Her hair was flying in her face and she held her arms out, and then she giggled.

It was almost like Christian had been knocked unconscious and when he woke up it was the summer of 1998 again, and he was at the beach swinging Ana around in his arms, relishing the sound of her girlish giggles.

Her giggle sounded so much like Ana's, and it was then when he realized how anxious he was to see her again. Despite the fact they had a daughter that Ana hadn't told him about, he still wanted to see her more than ever.

And just on cue his assistant alerted him to the arrival of the woman he hadn't seen in fifteen years.

"Mr. Grey, I have Anastasia Steele here to see you," his assistant said through the intercom.

Christian stood up and pressed the red button on his phone. "Thank you, Andrea. Please send her in."

He shifted his eyes to Elsa, and he was surprised by the big grin she gave him.

Leaping out of his chair, she came around the desk and stood next to him, her hand brushing against his thigh. He looked down at her as she looked up at him, but when the door slowly opened they both looked in front of them.

"Hi, Mom!" Elsa said as she stepped toward her mother.

Christian gulped hard after taking a deep breath and stared hard at the only woman he'd ever loved. He didn't have a good look at her face yet since her head was leaned forward as she talked to their daughter. He looked at her body and noticed the small differences, like her narrow waist, fuller breasts and wider hips. He thought the differences definitely complimented her. Her hair was shorter than he remembered. It brushed against her shoulders and had dark blond and honey brown streaks through it. Christian thought she looked more beautiful than ever.

"Well are you gonna talk to him or scold me for being a teenager?" Christian heard Elsa ask her mother.

Christian watched as Ana pursed her lips and then slowly lifted her head and looked into his eyes. She took a small step forward and then nervously tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

She gave him a small nervous smile that still had the ability to make his heart melt.

"Hi, Christian."

Christian took a step away from his desk, his eyes only on hers, not even noticing the young girl in the room anymore.

"Hello, Anastasia."

I was not expecting the reception this story would get but I'm happy and appreciative you guys seem to be enjoying it so far.

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P.S. I changed my username to TiedUpinGrey.