Ana was sitting in the living room of her home with Christian and Ray on each side of her while Carrick was in the armchair on her left side and four security guards were in the room while Taylor and Gail escorted Carla into the room.
„Oh my, I had no idea you are that scared of me." Carla chuckled and Ana glared at her.
„Well, if it wasn't for you lurking around trying to get a chance to harm my unborn child none of this would have been necessary." Ana hissed back. She had been going back and forth between being upset and angry over the past four days, right now, anger was all she could feel.
„You don't know what you are talking about."
„But I do, Carla... and just to make this clear, neither you nor I will have any of the Lambert money. I have dealt with the inheritance... it's over."
„What have you done?!" Carla asked horrified.
„50 million will go to the Cross Roads Foundation, which was founded by Gideon to help victims of sexual and physical abuse. Another 50 million will go to Coping Together a charity founded by Grace and Carrick Grey to help people with addictions and their families. And the remaining 20 million are going to Ray."
„Ray?!" Carla screamed in outrage and jumped to her feet.
„Yes, Ray has been the only real parent I ever had, he has raised me, was always there for me and did all he could do to make me the person I am today. Thanks to him I have learned values, to work for what I want and be kind and gracious... all things I didn't learn from you."
„He is not your father!"
„Yes, he is, he may not be genetically but Ray is my father in every sense of the word."
„I cannot believe this... you ungrateful brat! I have given birth to you and..."
„And nothing... you never been a real mother to me... you left me with a pedophile... you never cared about me... you were never there when I needed you..."
„I may have left you with Steve, but it was just to scare you of men and I made sure that you wouldn't get pregnant by sneaking the pill into your food..."
„Oh my god... you knew... you knew and left me with him... I can't do this..." Ana said not able to even comprehend how terrible her mother truly was.
„Come, Annie, let's get you out of here. Christian kick the bitch out or so help me I'll kill her." Ray said helped Ana up and led her out to the patio where Gail followed them.
„Is there anything I can do?" She asked.
„Yes, can you get a tea for my daughter!" Ray asked and Gail nodded before she hurried off.
Ana was pacing she just couldn't believe her mother knowingly left her with a pedophile.
„Annie, come here." Ray said and as soon as he had his daughter in his arms she burst into tears.
„It's alright, Annie, I got you." Ray said as the shouting inside between Carla and Christian escalated. He would love to go back inside and do some yelling himself but he also couldn't leave his daughter in this condition by herself and she was always his highest priority.
After a while, Ana had calmed down enough so he could look at her.
„Annie, I need to know, has Morton touched you?"
„No... well, sometimes as if by accident and he would say really inappropriate stuff. The day I called you I was in the shower and when I got out he was in the bathroom touching himself."
„Why didn't you tell me?"
„Because when I told Carla she didn't... well, she acted like she didn't believe me and I got scared you wouldn't either... or that you did and went to Texas to kill him."
„I would have... dear God... if something was to happen to you." He muttered and pulled her back into his arms. He had wanted a family of his own when he had been still very young, but at the age of twenty-two, he had been told by several doctors that he couldn't have children. So, when he married Carla and became Ana's father it had been a dream come true. This girl was his daughter and if Carla would ever come anywhere near her again he would kill her.
After a few more minutes Christian came outside and pulled Ana into his arms.
„Are you alright?"
„Yes... but if I never have to see that woman again it will still be too soon."
„Believe me, she is not going to come anywhere near you." He said.
„Is she finally leaving Seattle?"
„I don't know, but I have her followed so we will know soon enough." Christian replied and for now, this was enough for her to know.
Ana was simply tired. She didn't want to think about her mother and because she had so many people in her life that she loved she knew she wouldn't miss her. After all, Carla never really been a mother to her... so there wasn't much to miss anyway.
Three weeks later, however, Ana was really annoyed that Carla was still in Seattle. Of course, she knew that until the baby was born there was no way to finalize Ana's plans for her inheritance, but still, it was over. With security and her never going anywhere alone there was no way for Carla to approach her.
On this day, she was just ready to head out for lunch when she looked around outside her office and couldn't find Sawyer in his usual spot.
„Hunter, have you seen Sawyer?"
„Yes, he is in the bathrooms again."
„Again?"
„The guy is sick as a dog, sweating bullets and puking his guts out."
„Oh..." She said just as a visibly sick looking Sawyer appeared from the bathroom.
„Ready to go, Mis..." and with that, he made a mad dash for the next paper basket to vomit.
„How about you send him home and I take you to lunch, Miss Lambert?" Hunter offered.
„Seems like a good idea... can you get him a water while I make a phone call."
„Sure."
Ana got her phone from her purse and called Christian.
„Hi, baby."
„Hi... listen, Sawyer is sick I have to send him home."
„Sick?"
„Yes, he is currently puking his guts out... can you send someone else over, I'm going out to have lunch."
„Alone, no way!"
„Hunter offered to go with me. He is your size and build, so I'm sure he can protect me if necessary."
„Damn it, can't you wait until I have Ryan or Reynolds over at CP?"
„I have a meeting in forty-five minutes and I don't want to order because these days I don't know what I want until I'm at the Deli."
„Ok, I have Ryan over at CP by the time you are back."
„Good, will you pick me up tonight?"
„Yes, I love you, baby."
„I love you, too." She said and told Sawyer to go home and that Ryan would be there soon before she left with Hunter and sat down with him at the Deli to have lunch.
„I was meaning to talk to you, Hunter."
„Really, have I done something wrong, Miss Lambert?"
„No... I guess I have to make a confession first. When I was looking for a new assistant I had my choice narrowed down to three people before you came in for the interview. When I looked through your social media I came across your short stories." She said and smiled when he actually blushed.
„Oh God, I didn't know they were even still online... I wrote those when I was fifteen." He muttered embarrassed.
„You should be happy they are still online... after all, it were your short stories that made me hire you."
„But why?"
„Because you have an extraordinary talent, Hunter. Your stories are captivating, whenever I finished one I wanted more... I was hoping you would eventually publish more but you haven't... so why haven't you?"
„When I was in school all I ever wanted was to become an author... I was constantly writing and when I wasn't writing I was thinking about possible plots for new stories. My parents always encouraged me to go for my passions and writing is the only real passion I ever had... it changed in college."
„What happened when you went to college?"
„I took a creative writing class and my professor gave me everything from Ds to Fs he said I have no talent and shouldn't waste my time with writing any longer... I don't know why but since when every time I want to write all I hear is his voice in my head and I can't get anything to paper..." He said and Ana was shocked that anyone who had read something Hunter had written would be that harsh and above that wrong.
„Well, I happen to think you have an incredible talent... and if you ever get back to writing I want you to come to me and I promise you, you will be a best-selling author with your first published work." She said and that made him smile.
„I'll keep that in mind and thank you, Miss Lambert."
After their lunch, they left the deli and talked about Ana's appointments for the week.
„And Friday there is the meeting with... fuck!"
„Excuse me?" Ana said and looked at Hunter, who was staring at something and when she followed his gaze she saw her mother walking towards them.
„Shit." Ana muttered and before they could switch sidewalks or go into a store Carla had reached them.
„My my, does your billionaire hire children to watch you now?" She asked and Ana glared at her.
„Hunter is my assistant, now turn around and walk away, Carla."
„Not until you change your mind about the inheritance. I deserve part of it."
„For what? Being a horrible mother comes without any prizes." Ana said and wanted to move past her mother but then everything happened so fast, Carla grabbed her, Ana realized she had a knife, people starting screaming and Hunter managed to get between them just as Ana saw the knife coming closer and closer.
The only reason Ana didn't fall to the sidewalk was that a group of young men had come to their help and one of them caught her before she hit the ground while two of his friends stopped Carla from running and a third young man was calling the police.
„Are you alright, Miss?" The young man asked.
„Yes, thank you." Ana said looking around for Hunter to thank him but she screamed instead when she found him on the sidewalk the knife stuck in his chest.
„No... no no no... Hunter!" She cried out and kneeled next to him, where an older woman was already kneeling pressing a scarf around the knife to stop the bleeding.
„Hunter... please... look at me..."
„Are you... alright?" He croaked.
„Yes... oh my god... I'm so sorry..." Ana sobbed and held his hand until finally the paramedics arrived and a cop asked her to step aside so they could work on him.
„Do you know this woman?" He asked her pointing to her mother who was already handcuffed inside the police car.
„Yes, that's my mother... she stabbed him." Ana sobbed.
„Your mother?"
„Yes... it's a long story... please... I can't..."
„Alright... my colleagues take care of everything here... can I take you somewhere, Ma'am, I would hate for you to be alone right now."
„Grey House." Ana said and was so very thankful when the cop drove her to Grey House and left her there after she had given him her address and name so they could talk to her later in the day.
She got into the elevator to the top floor of the building and walked to Andrea's desk.
„Oh dear... Miss Lambert, are you alright?"
„No... can I see Christian please?" She whispered while tears were still spilling down her face.
„Olivia go get the boss, right now, it's an emergency." Andrea told the other blonde woman who rushed away and just seconds later Christian came running from a meeting room and stopped in front of her.
„Ana... what happened... is that blood?" He asked when he saw the blood on her hands and dress.
„It's all my fault... if he dies... I hate her, Christian... I hate her so much." Ana sobbed and suddenly Taylor came running from another office.
„Sir we..."
„What?" Christian snapped.
„Carla Adams managed to give our man the slip about thirty minutes ago."
„Ana... what happened?"
„Hunter and I were on our way back to the office. Carla was there on the sidewalk only a block away from CP... she had a knife... Hunter pushed me out of the way..."
„Fuck, where is he?"
„Hospital... the knife was still stuck in his chest when the paramedics took him away."
„Fucking hell... did Carla manage to run?"
„No, there was a group of young men... they saw the knife and came running to help, one caught me when Hunter pushed me out of the way, one called for help and the two others made sure she couldn't run... she's in police custody."
„Ok... come I'll take you home."
„No, I have to go the hospital... I need to find out what happened to Hunter... contact his family... please Christian... he got injured because he was protecting me... he saw the knife and still jumped in the way."
„Taylor, get the car, we are going to the hospital, arrange for the jet and Charlie Tango to be on standby so we can get the boy's family here in case they don't live in Seattle." Christian said and led Ana to the elevator, but she knew if Hunter would die because he was protecting her she would never forgive herself...