A week later Christian was sitting in his study at home trying to work but his thoughts drifted back to Ana the entire time. She had been taking everything that had happened over the past week better than anyone could have hoped for.

The police knew now everything that had happened to her and was investigating to find the other women on the tapes Cross had handed over to them. They also had the copy of the tape that showed what Hyde had done to Ana. Rodriguez was in custody awaiting a mental evaluation before charges can be pressed. The crazy fucker truly believed that Ana was his girlfriend and even confessed to spiking her drink at the bistro which thank God Ana didn't touch. His Dad had promised Ana that he would make sure Jose would never be able to bother her again, which Christian hoped he did because otherwise he would make sure of it and it wouldn't end well for Rodriguez if Christian had to take matters into his own hands. Ana had been through enough for one lifetime, so he would make sure that no one would ever dare to hurt her again.

After Ray had visited to talk to her, they had been talking on the phone for at least an hour each day and it seemed that now that everything was out in the open Ana was doing a lot better. Christian was a bit weary that she was just trying to put on a brave face but so far it really did seem like she was alright and he figured the fact that everyone in her life had been supportive of her really did help her.

Today, however, he was worried because today her mother was coming into town to talk to her and since he now knew how she had acted towards Ana in her past he was worried that she would upset Ana. If she did, he would make sure that she wouldn't come near Ana again to upset her. The last thing Ana needed was for her mother to react poorly so he was hoping for her to do the right thing.

Ana had left work an hour early to pick her mother up at the airport. She knew Carla would have a breakdown. She knew her mother well enough for that. She just wasn't sure if the breakdown would be about what had happened to her or if her mother would find a way to make this about herself as she usually did.

When she saw her mother and she didn't hug her Ana knew something was up, especially after her mother refused to talk all the way back to Escala.

„Do you want something to drink, mom?" She asked at her apartment.

„No, but what I would like is to know what you were thinking, Ana. I know people like to film themselves while having sex but for the love of God how could you let that leak... especially now that you have two billionaires in your life who would make good husbands... but oh well, I guess after they saw that rather boring performance of yours you can kiss both of them goodbye." Her mother said and Ana felt sick.

„Oh my God... do you even listen to yourself... this tape was taken after my former boss drugged me so I couldn't move or defend myself while he raped me..."

„Ana, please, I get that you like to depict yourself as the victim but at least own up to your mistakes." Carla said and Ana had to get up.

„I'm going to leave for a bit because I'm too upset to even look at you right now. Maybe once I'm back and you had the time to think about everything you could for once act like a mother." Ana said grabbed her keys and left the apartment. Once in the elevator she wanted to press the button for the garage but instead entered the code for the penthouse. Christian had asked her to try and while she didn't feel like talking she could use someone just holding her for a second.

When the doors opened she wasn't even surprised to find him already waiting for her in the vestibule, wordlessly holding his arms open for her and she gladly walked into his embrace.

„What happened?" He asked once they were sitting on the couch.

„My mother believes it was a sex tape I recorded at some point in my life. And even with that she wasn't upset that it leaked but just cared about what she called my poor performance in it because now I could forget about marrying either you or Gideon. And when I told her what really happened she told me to stop playing the victim." She said and Christian got up.

„Can please have your keys?"

„Christian please, she is..."

„Ana, your mother has gone too far. You have enough on your plate as it is, so please let me handle this for you." He said still holding his hand out for the keys and with a sigh, Ana handed them to him. She knew that she should be the one handling her own mother but at the same time, she knew nothing she could possibly say would make her mother understand what truly happened, so she was also grateful that Christian was going to talk to her.

Christian was fuming. He knew first hand that not every woman who gave birth to a child also qualified as good mother but hell, what kind of woman basically called her own daughter a liar when she told her that she had gotten raped. He just couldn't fathom what was going on in Carla Adams head to act like that towards her own daughter.

When he stepped into Ana's apartment he couldn't find her mother and finally found her in Ana's bedroom where she was rummaging through Ana's jewelry box which he snapped shut and put into one of the drawers.

„Oh my, Mr. Grey, you scared me."

„Those earrings in your hand were a gift I have given to your daughter, please put them down." He said cooly and watched as she placed them on the nightstand.

„Ana has just left, but you can wait here for her, do you want a drink?" She asked while undressing him with her eyes.

„No thank you, we need to talk and just so you know your daughter is at my penthouse as we speak." He said stiffly and walked into the living room.

„Oh, Ana didn't mention that you live here too, but I would love to see your apartment while I'm staying in Seattle, maybe tomorrow while Ana is at work?" Carla asked and Christian wanted to grab and shake her.

„Mrs. Adams let's make one thing perfectly clear, I'm in no way interested in you. The only reason I'm not telling you exactly how I feel about women like you coming on to me is that I respect your daughter too much to do so. So, please spare yourself the embarrassment of getting rejected... you are a married woman after all." He said and Carla at least looked a bit contrite.

„Of course, so if Ana is at your place then why are you here?"

„Do you love your daughter?"

„What kind of question is that?"

„A good one, seeing that you just told your daughter who shared a very traumatic experience with you that she is playing the victim."

„Mr. Grey, you have to understand that I know my daughter very well and Ana is a pathological liar. She will twist and turn things to make people feel pity for her because she cannot stand not being in the center of attention." Carla said and Christian felt the urge to just turn around and leave but instead he stared at her.

„Mrs. Adams, that is the farthest thing from who your daughter truly is. The man you could see in that video has since turned out to be a serial rapist who would blackmail his victims with the videos he had taken while his victims were drugged and unable to move. Can you even imagine what your daughter has been through, she was fully conscious and still couldn't do anything to defend herself. How dare you tell her to not play the victim and call her a pathological liar, maybe you should get yourself evaluated because quite frankly right now you seem to be delusional!" He hissed.

„Ana lied about my third husband trying to seduce her and making inappropriate remarks... he left me over it. It was the second marriage she ruined for me!" Carla tried to defend herself.

„Ah, you mean Steve Morton, the man who since has been arrested and put through a trial because he raped the teenage daughter of the woman he married right after divorcing you? I've done my homework Mrs. Adams your third husband was a pedophile who would go after women with teenage daughters. The only reason that guy married you was to bring harm to your daughter who thank God could escape before it was too late and not thanks to your help. So please, do tell me how Ana ruined another of your marriages."

„She turned Ray against me so he would favor her."

„Mrs. Adams I hope to hell you are not implying that you believe Ana had any kind of inappropriate relations with her stepfather."

„No, but she would always try to come between us, she would take up all of his time while he never had any time for me."

„Maybe your ex-husband was just trying to be a good father for your daughter because clearly, you have not been a good mother."

„I was always a good mother!" Carla cried out angrily.

„Are you sure, because a good mother wouldn't miss both high school and college graduation of her only child and a good mother would clearly not call her daughter a liar when she told her she was raped!"

„It didn't seem like it in the tape, it just looked like she wasn't all that exciting." Carla said and Christian closed his eyes.

„One of my security guards is going to pick you up in fifteen minutes to drive you to the airport. I will have you on the next flight to Savannah and please, do not contact your daughter until you have found it within yourself to be the mother she deserves." He said and returned to Ana's bedroom which he locked and then left the apartment.

When he came back up to the penthouse he told Taylor to book a flight for Ana's mom and to have someone pick her up. Then he walked further into his apartment and smiled when he found her in the kitchen.

„Cookie dough?" He asked and he saw the three bowls in front of her.

„Yes, chocolate chip, peanut butter and vanilla pecan." She said pointing to each of the bowls before she got the cookie sheet.

„Can I help you?"

„Sure... so did you talk to my mom?" She asked avoiding to look at him.

„Yes, she is going back to Savannah. I tried to bring her to see the truth but she wouldn't do so and I don't believe she is good company for you."

„Thank you." Ana said and he looked at her in surprise so she continued. „When she said those things earlier, I wanted to kick her out but she is my mother and I didn't know how to do it."

„She said you are the reason for her divorce with Ray." He said and Ana snorted.

„I guess only she would twist it around like that, but I guess in a way she is right. Ray took me on a weekend trip... clumsy me tripped and I ended up with a sprained ankle so Ray took me home early, when we came home we found her in the living blowing some random guy. After that Ray just had enough and told her he was done with her. The court gave them shared custody and I requested to live with Ray but the judge told me since Carla is my biological mother I should at least give living with her instead of Ray a try that's why he had no troubles keeping me once I came back from Texas." She explained.

„Why are you still in touch with her Ana?"

„She is the only mother I have... and I always thought I had to look after her... but after today I just can't do it anymore... it's too much. I'd rather have no mother than a mother who doesn't act like one." She sighed.

„Maybe one day she'll come to her sense and until then you have enough people in your life who genuinely care about you." He said and pouted when she slapped his hand as he wanted to eat some of the dough.

„Don't pout, you can eat as much as you like once the cookies are out of the oven, just not the dough."

„Why?" He asked still pouting.

„Because there are raw eggs in the dough and I have decided to take you out on a date tonight... preferably one where you are not on the toilet for the majority of the time." She smirked and he shrugged.

„Alright, that is a valid point and what kind of date do you have in mind?"

„I thought we could go to the movies and have dinner. Do you think we can do this or is it going to be a security nightmare?"

„We'll make it work." He said because even though his security would probably freak out he was looking forward to having a normal date which was something he never had in life before...