Just to clear a few things up. Roach was really about to fire Ana, and no, Christian is not going to sue her for slapping him... I know many of you have asked for Christian's pov and I would love to write it, but at this point of the story it doesn't fit in. At this point the focus of the story lies on Ana, but once Christian is back in the story you will get his pov... And lastly, wow I love to read all of your reviews and all the theories you guys came up with... there are clues in chapter 1, 2 and 4 about what has happened to make him feel that way about Ana, and I saw two reviews from readers who found those clues... and a little hint, it has nothing to do with Elena or the fact that Ana and Gideon are related, because Christian doesn't know that...
Ana
I've arrived in Georgia late last night and because I was really tired I decided to sleep first and ask my mom about Gideon in the morning. Bob is on a business trip, so it's just my mom and I until I have to fly to New York tomorrow morning. Leaving Seattle was hard, Kate and I both cried like babies at the airport, but I know this is the right thing to do. New York is such an amazing opportunity for me, I just couldn't let it pass.
"Ana darling, are you up?" My moms walks into the guest room and sits down on my bed. Well, I guess it is now or never.
"Yes, good morning, mom." I yawn and sit up in bed.
"Good morning, sweetheart, do you want breakfast now or later?"
"Actually, I am not really hungry, but I need to ask you something."
"Oh?"
"I've met someone while I was in New York, his name is Gideon Cross and..." I stop when my moms gasps audible, she is as white as a ghost and suddenly she grabs me by the shoulders staring at me.
"Ana have you been... I mean the two of you... you didn't ... you know?"
"Mom, what are you talking about?"
"Did you sleep with Gideon, Ana?" I am not sure if my mom is about to cry, faint or maybe even vomit, but she sure looks awful at the moment.
"No! My god mom, I am not in the habit of having sex with every man I meet!"
"I know, I am sorry... but Ana you can't be with him, do you understand, you can never be with him. I know Gideon is handsome and he is probably charming and..."
"Mom, do you want to know what the first thing was that he asked me?"
"What did he ask?"
"He asked me if you are my mother. Because apparently I look just like his aunt Carla whom he has not seen since he was a little boy."
For a second my mom just stares at me and the next second she starts to cry.
"Mom, please. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I'm just trying to figure out why you've lied to me, when you told me that you don't have any family besides me."
I hold my mom in my arms for a while, allowing her to cry to get it all out. I have never seen my mom like this. She is usually bubbly and full of life, growing up I've always felt like I am the adult and she is the kid, but I have never in my life seen my mother cry like this other than... no I must not go there.
"Mom, please. Tell me what happened?" I hand her a tissue and she wipes her tears away and blows her nose.
"Let's go downstairs, there is a lot I need to tell you, sweetheart"
In the kitchen my mom makes tea for us and I gape at when she pours some sort of spiced liquor into her tea.
"Mom, it's only a little after 8 in the morning"
"I know, but if you want me to talk about my family then I need it." she takes a sip and stares out of the kitchen window.
"I was born as the second daughter of Martha and William Wilkes. Shortly after I was born my family moved to New York. My family was very wealthy and my older sister Elizabeth... she was always my parent's favorite. I on the other hand was always a disappointment for them. I wasn't good in school, I didn't have ambition to go to college and what ever I did it was never good enough for them. When I was 12 Elizabeth had just turned 18 and she married Geoffrey Cross. He was... well you have seen Gideon and he is resembles his father almost exactly in his looks, only Geoffrey's eyes were sea green and his eyes are blue."
My mom stops and I can see fresh tears falling from her eyes. "He was a great guy, when Elizabeth and he came over he would always talk to me and make me feel like I wasn't the black sheep of the family. I loved him for that. Soon they had Gideon and he was such a beautiful baby, sometimes I was allowed to babysit him... such a precious little boy. Sadly for him my sister wasn't motherly at all. She had hired a nanny from the get go. Geoffrey was a successful man, but it wasn't enough for Elizabeth, she wanted her husband to be the most successful man in New York. I've spent the summer before I turned 18 in their home. They would always fight and Gideon would crawl into my bed at night scared of all the screaming between his parents. Geoffrey had changed a lot over the years, he became very silent and withdrawn, it was like my sister was slowly but surely sucking the life out of him. One night she was out and I was alone with Gideon and Geoffrey. After Gideon was asleep we sat together, had some wine and for a fleeting moment I could see the old Geoffrey and we ... him and I ... you know."
"Oh my god, mom, are you telling you've slept with your sister's husband?"
"Yes, you have to understand that I loved him, and I couldn't say no, and it was the best decision I have ever made in my life."
"How can you say that mom, I mean they found out, right? They found out and disowned you?"
"Yes, they did and they made me marry Frank Lambert to cover it up."
"Cover it..." Holy fuck, is she telling me... no it can't be. "Mom, are you trying to tell me that Gideon is my half-brother?"
"You have to forgive me, Ana. I just wanted to protect you... my sister and my parents, you don't know everything."
"Then tell me, please mom" I beg, how could she keep this from me, I mean is my father still alive? And why would she lie... I feel like the rug was pulled from underneath me. Is my whole life a lie?
"Geoffrey wanted to leave Elizabeth, he wanted to take Gideon and start over with me. They wouldn't let him, I had no idea what my family had against him to make him do as they told him, but he never talked to me again, so I was forced to marry Frank Lambert and leave New York. Frank's family was friends with my family for as long as I can remember, they gave him some money to marry me and to accept you as his child. He was a nice guy, but my heart was always with Geoffrey. A month before you were born he took his own life. He was the creator of a huge Ponzi scheme and when it all came crashing down on him he shot himself. Don't think your father was a criminal or weak for taking his own life, he was a good man, but my family did what they do best, they broke him down until there was nothing left of him."
"Is that why you didn't talk about them?"
"No, it's what happened at Geoffrey's funeral. I had to go, I didn't care what people would say, the love of my life had died and there was nothing that could stop me from attending his funeral. Of course, since the media was full with stories and lies about Geoffrey no one would even consider attending and he did not deserve this. I am convinced my sister and parents dragged him into this mess and he had to pay the price. When I arrived they ignored me and I tried to focus on Gideon, the poor boy had just lost his father and all Elizabeth did was to tell him to sit straight and that he shouldn't cry, because boys don't do that. I kept my mouth shut until the funeral was over but back at her house I snapped. I told her that it is all her fault and that I would do what ever I could to get custody over Gideon because she wouldn't care about him anyway and then it happened. She pushed me, I was nearly nine months pregnant and was standing at the top of the stairs and she pushed me. It's a miracle that I managed to stop myself from falling down the stairs and my parents they did nothing. All my father said was that I would have been better off had I decided to abort you. I left the house and never looked back."
"But why didn't you tell me. Why did you let me grow up thinking Frank Lambert is my father?"
"Because I never wanted you to find out, and I was afraid you would want to meet them and I didn't want you to get hurt. I love you so much, Ana. And those people, my sister and my parents, they are not family. I can't forbid you from talking to Gideon again, if he is anything like his father I am sure he is a wonderful young man, but please stay away from Elizabeth, she is not a good person."
"Okay, I can do this."
"Good, and Ana, when you meet Gideon, tell him I would like to see him again."
It's been two days since I had this conversation with my mother and now I am in one of the elevators in the Crossfire Building on my way to the top floor to meet Gideon. Well, I hope he has time to see me. I wasn't really sure what to do, so I just decided to come up here and see if he has time to see me.
I've just signed my contract and nearly fainted when I saw my annual salary, maybe it's because living in New York is more expensive by I earn far more than I did at SIP. I will start next week, so I have enough time to find an apartment. Kate's mother's cousin is nice, but I don't want to stay at her place for long. This woman is talking none stop and like Kate she knows no boundaries, this morning she came into the guest room while I was still asleep and locked through my clothes to pick out an outfit I could wear today. I know I am not good when it comes to picking an outfit, but I really don't need someone to lay out my clothes for me. So, I need a new apartment ASAP.
Arriving at the top floor of the Crossfire Building a red-head who is sitting behind the reception desk buzzes me through the glass doors and looks at me expectantly.
"Hello, my name is Anastasia Steele, I am here to see Mr. Cross."
"Do you have an appointment?" she asks sounding bored.
"No, I am family and I hoped he would have time to see me."
"Please wait a second." she makes a phone call and smiles when she finishes the call.
"Mr. Cross will see you in five minutes, please take a seat over there, his assistant Scott will tell when you can go in."
"Thanks."
True to her word a young man comes into the waiting area about fives minutes later and leads me to a Gideon's office. I step inside and find him sitting at his desk. I can't help it, I stare at him. This is my brother, well half-brother, but to me that doesn't matter. I always wanted to have a big brother and now I have one.
"Anastasia, it is good to see you again, how come you are in New York again?"
"Alice Brinkley offered me a job and I took it. And you know, I thought I'd stop by, I know I should have called... maybe this is a bad idea, you are probably busy and I am interrupting you ... "
"Do you like burgers?" he asks totally out of the blue and I blink at him.
"Excuse me?"
"Burger, you know a beef patty between a burger bun, with ketchup, onions, a bit mustard, some pickles, I like mine with lots of cheese..."
"I know what a burger is" I murmur, why are we talking food?
"Really, because you don't look like you had a good meal in a long while, how about we talk over lunch, how do you like your burger?"
"With cheese and no pickles."
"Onion rings or fries?"
"Fries and a milkshake, please."
"Perfect, sit down, I'll tell Scott to get our lunch." he says talks to his assistant over the intercom and then sits down opposite me.
"So, have you talked to Carla?" he asks and now he looks as anxious as I am feeling.
"Yes, and you were right, she is your aunt."
"So, we really are cousins." he says and I decide it is best to tell him right away.
"Not exactly." his brows furrow as I say this and I take a deep breath.
"Apparently the reason why her family disowned my mom is because she had an affair or one night stand or whatever with your Dad and I am the result of it."
Gideon just stares at me, I have no idea what is going on in his mind, but the next thing I know is that he is on his phone demanding for someone to show up here.
"Wait here, don't leave" he snaps at me and storms out of his office. Well, I guess I have to give him some time to get used to the idea... or I could just leave. But hell, he is my brother, I have to give him some time to warm up to the idea.
After 25 minutes alone in his office, I give up, take my purse and I am just about to leave his office when he returns and with him a beautiful woman in her early fifties, she sees me and freezes before a bitter smirk shows up on her face.
"Well, look at you, poor thing, you really can't hide who your mother is, can you?" she says and now I know who this woman is, it's my mother's sister Elizabeth.
"I would say that I am rather lucky, because my mother is very beautiful woman." I answer clipped and she continues to stare at me which is really unnerving.
"Mother, Anastasia talked to aunt Carla, guess what she told her?" Gideon hisses and I am not sure if he is mad at me, his mother or the over all situation.
"Gideon, I don't have the time to play any games, so the answer is yes, this girl is your half-sister, and if she is anything like her mother then my advise is to get rid of her." and with that she leaves the office.
Gideon and I just look at each other and then he says the one thing I really didn't want to hear.
"So, how much money do you want to go away and never come back?"
