Scott POV

The wait was terrible. He was an impatient man, used to getting what he wanted. And he would, again, have what he wanted. What he coveted most. Ana. He needed to find a way to get to her, and soon. He wished he could wait, wished he could bide his time until things calmed down, but the longer he waited, the greater the chance that someone else got into her head and started fucking with the thought processes he'd spent years carefully cultivating in her. He still had no idea how she ended up in the hospital. He'd tried to find out, calling the hospital hoping for the one idiot employee that would divulge too much information about her. But nothing. It was driving him mad. He'd attempted to see her, physically gone to the hospital, but without her patient code they wouldn't even tell him what room she was in.

When Ana hadn't shown up for work in morning after he'd sent her to Grey's, the morning he'd gotten in the altercation in Grey's office, he'd assumed it was just due to the long night she'd had. She'd likely been at Grey's late, then came home to discover the torn up college application and it had probably caused a lot of heavy emotions for her. She was probably just exhausted and needed the morning to recuperate. He was pissed that she just didn't show up, no call, no note. But he was willing to let it slide for a couple of hours and just add it to the list of infractions she would be punished for already. He had bigger things to worry about at that moment. Namely, he wanted to meet with Grey, feel out how the situation went last night from his perspective, make sure everything was kosher on that end. And he preferred to do that without Ana present anyway.

The fight with Grey has distracted him, and although Ana's presence was obviously missing, he also had a seemingly endless list of other things to focus on, like, for example, the pain radiating from various spots all over his body, and more importantly, the implications of Grey being in love with his submissive. It wasn't until late in the day, when he received a computer generated note from the hospital for her work file, that he became aware that Ana was at Seattle Grace. He'd immediately typed the physician's name into Google, hoping for some kind of clue as to what she was being treated for, but he was met with a generic title at the hospital, a house doctor. It was a dead end.

But the next day, he arrived at work to a second note. The one extended her leave of absence and had been forwarded by a different physician. A psychiatrist. Whatever had happened to her was more than just physical, it seemed. If she was seeing a psych doctor, he could only guess that she'd had an actual breakdown. He was kicking himself now for letting her find her torn up college application alone. He should have been nearby to make sure something like this didn't happen. Psychiatric care could only spell disaster for him and his chances of returning things to the way they'd always been between them.

Every time he thought about it, he was still hit with waves of shock that things had fallen apart at the rate they had. If he could go back and do it all over again, he'd never sign with Grey Enterprise Holdings. He's had other offers from other companies, so he still could have made lots of money somewhere else. But no, he'd wanted to best, and GEH was the uncontested best. But the cost of losing Ana, of losing her submission, of losing his precious control over her life, was a too large. He was floundering now, without her, without the sex, without his little play toy to dance around on her strings. He needed things to be back to the way they were before.

Ideally, he didn't want to make any moves right now. The best course of action would be to lay low and use that time to really think of a plan that he could then execute with precision. There was too much going on right now, and with Grey waiting in the wings for him to mess up, he had to be careful. No one had anything on him, nothing tangible to use against him legally. He needed to make sure that was how things stayed. Plus, if Grey had people watching him before, he was surely going to be having people watching him now. He needed to be hypervigilant of that. So initially, that had been his plan. Let some time pass before making any moves.

But Ana being in contact with psych doctors was a game changer. He'd thought all he needed to do was find a way back in Ana's mind. If all he was worried about was reprogramming her and reforming that connection in their relationship, he could have afforded a few weeks or even months to let things die down before making that move. In the meantime, he figured he'd have her close, right there at work. He still owned her place, her car, still had that total control over her life. He had enough patience to ease her mind back into that role again, especially when he had everything in her life to use as leverage against her. But if she was being seen by someone, if she told a psychiatrist about their relationship, they could try and make her see the realities that he'd meticulously groomed her not to see.

"Fuck!" he seethed, picking up the nearest thing to him, which just so happened to be a lamp, and threw it at his living room wall.

Losing Ana was not an option. It just wasn't. He's spent all that time, all those years cultivating their relationship. It was perfect… He groaned, thinking about their time together. She was perfect. Everything about her from day one had been perfect. She was in the ideal mindframe at the beginning of all of this, the ideal candidate for a plan he'd never even knew he desired to actually pull off. Until her.

And goddamn if she hadn't been better than anything he could have dreamed. She'd done everything he ever asked of her with very little question. She'd enjoyed how he manipulated her body, enjoyed the downright obscene things he said and did to her. He didn't want things to change. Not anytime soon. Things were too perfect with her. They were in their prime. Her working for him afforded him so many opportunities he'd never even thought of when he took her on as his assistant. Initially it had been a way to keep her close to him and simultaneously away from her step-dad. But it had morphed into the ideal situation where she knew him so intimately that it made her the perfect PA. She anticipated all of his needs, knew what he needed, when, where, and how. And when he had a shitty day, she knew it and was prepared to relieve that tension after hours. The groove they'd gotten into these past years had been flawless.

Until GEH. Until Christian Grey.

Scott wanted to squeeze the life out of him. If there was a way to get away with murdering one of the most prominent people in the country who was always surrounded by security, Scott would do it in a heartbeat.

Christian Grey had fucked up everything. Scott knew that Ana was an attractive woman. He knew men looked at her, but she really never gave any of them a second glance. She seemed widely oblivious whenever someone was flirting with her, and dismissed people who asked her out without a second thought. While he wasn't a particularly jealous man, he was a possessive one, especially when it came to Ana, and for a litany of reasons. It was a culmination of the time he'd spent on her, of the fear he felt of her every branching out and leaving him, of her being young and possibly someday swayed by someone willing to come in and offer her romance and a real relationship. He'd handled men-boys- hitting on her worse in the early years. But as time went on and she proved over and over she'd been perfectly content with him and had no interest in anyone else, he'd learned to let those possessive feelings relax a little.

But that day when she first met Grey- his hackles rose even now thinking about it. It was different. She was different. Whereas she'd always been indifferent to attention from other men, she'd been clearly affected by Grey the moment she'd laid eyes on him. The way he looked at her, like she was some ethereal, heavensent being. Scott had watched him take her hand in his, holding it for way longer than necessary as his eyes stayed glued to her. He felt the wash of pride that he owned this little beauty who even the great Christian Grey admired, and waited for Ana to dismiss him the same as she always did.

But she didn't. In fact, she seemed just as taken, her eyes sweeping his features. He watched her lips part as an almost imperceptible breath left her lips, a tick of hers, one of which he was keenly aware, one that hinted at arousal. Whether either of them knew it or not, their bodies slowly shifted toward each other, wavering a touch closer, as if there was some pull between them. And it was in that moment, when he watched the light dusting of pink adorn Ana's cheeks, followed quickly by gentle nip of her bottom lip between her teeth, that Scott knew exactly what was happening right before his eyes.

The unbridled fury that raged in his veins had him ready to snap, and it must have been some divine intervention that kept him from punching Grey in the mouth before taking Ana over his knee right then and there. How fucking dare she disrespect him like this, right in front of him, with a man that would be her boss, would be his boss.

And Ana knew the moment he'd told her to sit down that she'd made an egregious error. He was sure she knew she would be punished severely for this, but she had no one to blame but herself for incurring his ire. And boy, had he punished her. To her credit, she took it all without complaint, without safewording. He'd flogged her, spanked her, caned her, then fucked her raw for over an hour. She'd been a red, welted, shaky mess by the time he'd finally allowed himself to finish on her face, leaving her there without her own sexual release. She wouldn't be forgetting anytime soon who she belonged to, who was actually deserving of her admiration and attention.

God, how he wished she'd learned her lesson that day. But it soon became apparent that she hadn't. She still thought about, still pined for Grey, and it hit Scott in a piece of him that didn't often take hits- his ego. He was a wealthy, intelligent, charming, handsome man. Women fawned over him left and right, and as much as he loved to have his ego stroked by their dreamy-eyed looks as they pressed their breasts out in his direction, hoping for a sliver of his attentions, he loved even more the idea of leaving them disappointed, leaving them lusting after him. He loved the admiration, but no one, no one admired him like Ana did. And on top of earning a place in his life by being loyal, she allowed him to truly be himself with her. He had little desire to just fall into the beds of random women, no matter how beautiful. What he wanted was to truss them up like a Thanksgiving turkey and fuck them six ways from Sunday without so much as a peep from their pretty little mouths. Ana gave him that. And she'd earned his loyalty by giving him hers.

But her sudden attention to Grey was something he took much worse. He'd have been furious if she'd shown any other man attention, but Grey was… Grey. Christian fucking Grey. He was everything Scott was, but more. Scott was wealthy, but Grey was a billionaire. Scott was intelligent, but Grey was like a boy wonder. Scott was charming, but Grey exuded charisma. And Scott was a very attractive man, but Grey was literally voted as one of the most attractive people in the country by various asinine magazines and internet sources. He had the face and body of a top tier model, all while still having one more thing Scott would never have again- youth. The fact that this man caught Ana's attention shouldn't have been surprising. If someone was going to, it made sense that it would be someone like him, someone wanted by probably every woman in the world. But at the end of the day, Scott gave two shits about the fact that Grey was at least deserving of the attention, that Ana hadn't just fallen for a nobody. He didn't want Grey around her. Ever. He knew he'd had to nip it in the bud before either of them could get the idea to pursue the other in any way, shape, or form.

He'd punished her harder in those weeks that he ever had before. He'd been angrier at her that he'd ever been before. He even punished her for things that weren't actually her fault- for the flowers Grey sent her and his trips to come and see her. Grey pursuing her was a direct result of the attention she'd given him that very first meeting. He wanted her to be ashamed for ever having given him a second glance that day. And he'd thought it had worked. He really had thought the punishments had done the job of putting her back in her place. Until he discovered the truth that day in her apartment.

He realized now, looking back, that he had been his own worst enemy in the whole thing. He had let emotions control him, had let his rage and his possessiveness fuel his actions. And instead of bringing Ana to heel and exorcising Grey from her life himself, he ended up adding fuel to the fire of the situation and it all had exploded spectacularly in his face. He should have just removed Ana from her position at GHI. He really relied on her work as his PA, but he could train another PA. What he'd needed more than anything was to keep her close to him on a personal level. He should have laid her off, then kept her at home where she was sequestered away from anyone who could influence her outside of him. She probably would have fought back on him a little, but she would have gotten over it, and in the end, he would have had her right there, where he needed her.

So now he just needed to figure out what to do to get to her, and to get her back. He needed to get her alone again, to himself, for an extended period of time. Somewhere out of her comfort zone, where the only thing comforting to her would be him, and then he could start working on reshaping her mind again, back from all these changes she'd had recently, back to the way things were before.

And then, like a miracle had been bestowed on him from above, he heard the ping of his email. It was Ana. Quickly, he opened it, reading the contents as quickly as his brain would allow.

To: Scott Kennedy

From: Anastasia Steele

Subject: Missed Work Days

Mr. Kennedy

I apologize that this is the first time I have been able to get a hold of your regarding my absence from work, though I did approve for the hospital to provide you with a note at least letting you know I was hospitalized. I just wanted to reach out to you personally, and inform you that the physician has let me know I am to remain here for two more full days, after today. Upon my return to work, I will provide you with an addition slip from the hospital with all dates of the stay listed, for HR purposes. Thank you for your understanding.

Anastasia Steele

The email was disappointing to say the least. Strictly professional. That didn't bode well for him at all. He stewed about it's contents for a while, reading it over and over, until his phone pinged with another email. But this one from his personal account, not his work account.

To: Scott Kennedy

From: Ana Steele

Subject: Sir

Sir,

I am so deeply sorry about my lack of communication with you. I wasn't allowed access to any of my things for the first while I was stuck in this godforsaken place. I am desperate to get out of here, but the doctor's won't allow me to leave.

I must apologize to you, sir, because it was a broken rule that landed me here. I know I have greatly disappointed you over and over these past weeks and months, and I am devastated to think of what I have put you through. But starting this moment, I promise you honesty. I was so distraught over the situation with Mr. Grey, with allowing another man to touch my body the way that I have only ever allowed you to do, that I went home and drank an excessive amount of alcohol. I drank so much that I ended up violently ill. I guess I somehow managed to call 911 and have an ambulance come for me, because the next thing I knew I woke up in the hospital alone, restrained to the bed. I guess in my drunken state, I said things to the nurses that I do not recall, things about being depressed, and they thought I needed psychiatric help. It is under the psych doctor's orders that I am being held her for a mandatory amount of time while they continue to assess my state of mind.

But I just want you to be aware that I have said nothing about us, and that I never would. I want to make up my behavior to you, however you see fit, sir. Please accept my deepest apologies. I will be returning home in the early afternoon three days from today. And I will await instructions from you of how to make this up to you.

Ana

The email caused his mood to soar. She was coming back to him. She wanted to repent. She was willing to do whatever he asked of her to prove to him that she was sorry. It was better than he ever could have imagined. He sent her back a clipped email telling her to call a cab to bring her home, stating he didn't have time to pick her up because he'd been dealing with the hellish officework he'd been forced to incur in her absence, and that he expected her to email him when she got home and be waiting in her apartment for him on her knees.

Then, the plan just fell into place. He would do what he should have done with her the first time around. He would remove her from her position at GHI and isolate her. Move her somewhere else. Somewhere new. An apartment without added amenities and luxuries. Somewhere basic, in a plain neighborhood, away from the trendy places and good restaurants. He felt himself get excited as the plan started to unfurl in his mind. He'd sell her car. Sell her stuff. He'd tell her they were all gifts bestowed upon her for being so devoted to him all these years, and that now she no longer deserved them. But taking away everything was really about taking her out of her element. She'd have to get used to a new home with nothing familiar, nothing comforting. He'd get rid of all of the nice things- the jewelry, the designer clothes, the makeup, the salon visits. He'd replace everything with generic furniture, drab colors, plain clothes. Nothing too stimulating. Nothing exciting. He'd take her books. No phone. No TV. He'd keep her bored. He would be her only source of entertainment, only break from the terrible monotony he would create for her.

He'd come to see her strictly under the guise of providing her necessities, groceries and such. Not for conversation or entertainment. Certainly not for sex or affections. He'd make it seem like he didn't want her anymore, didn't need her, all while forcing her to want and need only him. He would breeze in, drop off whatever he had for her and go. Make her yearn for contact with him, make her desperate for his attention. He'd done that before, withholding attention from her as punishment. Ana didn't like to be lonely. She didn't like to feel isolated. It was the basis of what spurred their relationship in the very beginning. He would wait for her desperation to become so consuming that she would beg for him to look at her, to talk to her, to stay with her. He'd deny her, tell her his time was only for those who deserved it. She obviously hadn't cared about his attention when she was wrapped up with Christian Grey, even after all he'd done for her these past years. He'd make her feel immensely guilty.

In the end, she herself would beg for atonement from her transgressions. That would open the door again for punishments and sex, which would be a relief for him. Once he had that back in his life, for his own sanity, and in his arsenal to use against her, he was certain he could get her right back to where he needed her to be in his arrangement between them. Eventually, over time, he could start rewarding her as long as she kept up her diligent submission to him. He could give her back her books, TV, buy her some nice things. She'd be so grateful for those things again, that they would keep her happy for a while. And if she ever craved more, well, he'd deal with that when it came long. But never again would he loosen the leash enough to allow a recurrence of what had happened here. She would never work. She would never be allowed unfettered access to a phone or internet or anything that allowed her to communicate with other people that he himself wasn't monitoring closely.

Finding her a new place was going to be the hardest thing right now. He needed to find just the right combination of limited size and appeal while still remaining in a safe but not too nice area. He wanted everything to make her feel like she was depressed and suffocating in a disappointing, lonely, and slightly unsecured home without actually compromising her safety.

The email from Ana had stated that she would be held in the hospital for a mandatory additional two days. It wasn't much to work with, but at least he actually had a timeline to work with. Pulling out a pen and paper, he jotted down a quick To-Do list, then began planning how to pull this off in such a limited amount of time.

*Three Days Later*

Scott stood in front of the mirror, dragging the razor blade with meticulous care along his jawline. In his mind, he played back the events of the last few days, recounting each event, making sure he had everything in place for what felt like the thousandth time.

Car: Towed

Job: Resignation Letter Prepared

Old Apartment: After Ana sees it empty, to be rented out

Belongings: As good as gone, movers coming this AM

New Apartment: Secured

Doing all of these tasks from afar was the biggest issue. It would have been plenty to do if he'd been able to do them himself, normally, but he was very certain Grey had eyes on him right now, and that meant he couldn't do anything himself that would arouse Grey's suspicions. He couldn't have Grey know he was planning things regarding Ana, which meant he couldn't go near her place, or her car, or do anything that would make Grey look into what he was doing. He had to make it seem like everything was business as usual, and that meant everything he did had to be done by others under his direction. So, for example, instead of just removing Ana's car from the lot, which should have been fine since technically it was his car, titled in his name, he was forced to find someone willing and slip them cash to tow it under the guise that it was parked illegally. That task and been rather easy to accomplish, and was the first thing he scratched off his list.

Her resignation letter was the easiest task, and one he got done the first night while he was still planning. He drafted it and printed it, and all he would have to do was tell Ana to sign it, to make sure it was official, before he delivered it to the HR department. If she was really looking to make amends to him like she said she was, she should be willing to accept and carry out any action he ordered her to, including quitting her job.

He'd known figuring out her future living arrangements would be the most time consuming and complicated endeavor, as well as being the most important thing on the list. He had to have a dismal place to put her in as soon as she was released. He couldn't allow her to be provided any creature comforts, even for a short while. It would ruin the whole effect of the plan if he allowed her to, for example, go back her her place, or come stay with him for a while, while he found the right place. It just couldn't happen that way. So the night he received her email, he began to tackle that as well, perusing multiple rental websites, trying to find something that appeared to meet his needs for Ana's new apartment. Then in the morning, in some of the precious few minutes he'd managed to scrape together at work, he phoned the various property managers to see if he could be provided with any additional, in depth information about the properties via email. Of course, it was not ideal to shop apartments without seeing them, but he simply had no choice. Grey had tons of resources at his disposal, and Scott couldn't risk Grey seeing him looking at places, and putting two and two together that he was moving Ana out.

While he'd waited for more information to be complied by the couple property managers who were willing to work with him, he arranged movers to come at the earliest time available, which was, unfortunately, not until the morning of Ana's release date from the hospital, to transport all of her belongings to a storage warehouse until he had time to go through it all and properly get rid of it. He tried everything to get them to come earlier, but the manager insisted they simply did not have the manpower on such short notice. This part of the plan was integral. He wanted her to come home, to find nothing left, to let that visual of everything in her life being gone to resonate with her before he showed her her new place. So he accepted what they offered, and just hoped they could complete the job in time before she was released.

In the early evening the night before her release, he was finally forwarded emails about two of apartments he'd inquired about. He wanted to make sure they carried the same lackluster appeal that they did in the original photos, as well as verify the surrounding areas and make sure they didn't offer much in the way of entertainment.

After scrutinizing the photos and specs of the two places, Scott had found an acceptable, tiny one bedroom with only the most basic accommodations. The area didn't offer much to do, which would likely keep Ana right where she should be- at home. And the neighborhood wasn't dangerous by any means, but wasn't particularly warm or welcoming either. The apartment came furnished with basic, cheap furniture, so he didn't have to worry about trying to find time to purchase anything new, since he wasn't allowing her the comfort of her own pieces. She would be able to cook small meals, shower, and sleep, and that was all he cared about. He'd accepted it immediately, and offered cash upfront, plus extra so he would be allowed access to the apartment that very day. Once he made the offer, the owner was enroute to drop off the keys and have the paperwork signed then and there, in the lobby of his own building.

Securing the apartment had felt like a huge weight off his shoulders at the time, but the weight was back this morning as reality set in of what really rested in the hands of the movers. He knew nothing was packed and ready to go in Ana's place, and there were things he really didn't want them seeing, touching, or going through, like her underwear drawer, for example, or the place she kept their toys and equipment hidden. He really wished he could be there to oversee everything and make sure they were working as efficiently as possible. Plus, he was entrusting them with one more task that would end in disaster if they failed to do it- they were to leave an envelope in the middle of the empty living room floor, with Ana's name on the front. Inside she would find a note telling her to meet him at the address for the new apartment. He was missing everything else, he wanted to be there when she saw the new place for the first time. And since he hadn't been linked to it yet, even if Grey's people saw him go there, and saw Ana meet him there, it would be too late. He would already have her back. But, again, with Grey's goons likely lurking, he had to concede the responsibility to the movers, regardless of whether or not he wanted to. It was be in his best interests to keep everything status quo and show up for work in the morning like it was any other day.

He smiled a little to himself as he finally, for the first time in days, allowed himself to relax, feeling like everything that had seemed impossible just a few short days ago had come to fruition just in time. Sure, he still had to handle some of those things permanently, like getting her car out of the tow lot and physically selling it, but those things didn't need to be done right now. All he needed to have done right now was make sure she didn't have access to those things in her life. And he'd done that.

After a quick shower, he got dressed and left for the office, intent on being there before the movers arrived at Ana's, just so whoever was likely following him was lulled into a false sense of certainty about what he moves he was making.

He worked, sometimes able to fully immerse himself in what desperately needed to be done, and sometimes sitting there doing nothing at all as he let his mind wander to all the things he would do to Ana. He came up of snippets of ideas, things for now, things for later. He imagined her reactions, imagined, breaking her down again and reforming her. He thought of the what's and the how's of making that happen, and then imagined the ultimate goal of bringing her back into scenes.

He knew Grey lurked in the background of his foreseeable future, and that pissed him off. But as long as Ana was agreeing to come back to him, there wasn't anything Grey could do about it. Legally, Ana was an adult and she was consenting to whatever Scott had in mind. It wasn't illegal. Grey would likely be waiting in the wings for him to slip up in some sort of way, so he could bring him down, but Scott just knew that meant he had to be extra careful not to make any mistakes. The biggest concern he had was letting Grey anywhere near Ana again, but keeping her away from Grey House and isolated while he broke her in again would hopefully greatly decrease any chance Grey had of even coming in contact with her ever again.

Late in the morning, just before noon, Scott got a call from the moving company, stating that they were finished with the job. The apartment was empty, and the note had been left as directed, in the middle of the living room floor. Scott felt the excitement bloom in his chest. It had all worked out. It was actually done. Ana would be released soon, and she would come home and find the empty apartment, then the note, and then it would be a matter of time before she would arrive at the new place and start to fully learn what her fateful decisions had cost her.

*A Few Hours Later*

Scott had stayed in the office until about 2:30 PM before leaving for a meeting that didn't actually exist which he had added to his schedule two days ago. Ana had said she would be released in the early afternoon. The cab would get her from the hospital, bring her home, where she would discover the note and have to call them back to take her to the new apartment. That would take some time, so he aimed to be there at 3PM just to ensure he was there when she got there.

He parked his car around the back and accessed the main building through the rear doors. He entered the apartment, making a face as he did. It was perfect for what he wanted for Ana, but the idea that he was going to eventually be fucking her here was unappealing. Maybe by then he could buy her a new mattress or something, under the guise of earning some luxuries back through good behavior. Something would have to be done. But that wasn't something for him to worry about right now.

He chose to take a seat on one of the cheap wooden chairs at the small dinette set rather than on the dingy looking couch. And he waited.

And waited.

Three-thirty rolled around, then three-forty-five. By the time four o'clock hit he was going out of his mind. He didn't want to reach out to Ana, because he didn't want her to even think she was on his mind, but in the end he caved and sent her an email asking if she'd been released on time. He waited, and found himself become increasingly agitated as the minutes ticked by with no reply. The agitation turned into a phone call, which went straight to voicemail, and he started to get the feeling that something wasn't right.

He debated back and forth on leaving, but in the end decided that he couldn't sit in this apartment for another moment, just wondering what was happening. What if Grey had intercepted her? He couldn't risk her being alone with him for too long.

He got back in his car and sped to her old place. At least he could find out if she had come home and seen the letter. If she hadn't then she was likely still at the hospital. If she had, then he would have to try and figure out what had happened to her.

Turning the key in the lock of her old place, he stepped into the room, and felt a wash of relief when he saw the envelope still sitting there. He picked it up, flipping it over to see if it was still sealed, which it was. Okay, so there must have been a hold up at the hospital.

Putting the letter back down in the middle of the floor, Scott turned to leave, to go back and wait for her eventual arrival at the new place. Until he heard a throat clear behind him. He spun around quickly, on high alert, and found someone standing in the kitchen doorway, smirking at him.

Taylor POV

He was standing there in his typical attire, sans jacket, an unimpressed look on his face as he watched Kennedy jerk around to looked where the noise had come from. Lazily, he hiked his thumb toward the envelope sitting in the middle of the floor, the one he'd inspected to the best of his ability after he'd broken in here after the mover's had left. It was sealed, but just felt like it had paper inside. "She's not going to see that."

"And why is that?" Kennedy asked, cocking his head slightly, trying to remain calm and unaffected, though they both knew he was shocked to find him standing in Ana's apartment.

"Because she's not coming here," he said slowly, like he was talking to an idiot. He'd been watching every move this guy had been pulling over the last couple of day. He'd tried to make it seem like nothing was going on, but it would be stupid to assume that Kennedy was just going to let Ana go without a second thought. Taylor knew about his trips to the hospital, knew about the emails and phone calls to property managers and moving companies and tow truck services. He wasn't entirely sure what the endgame was for this plan Kennedy was in the middle of executing, but he was aware of all of the pieces being moved around to execute it. And it all started happening after the email from Miss Steele. The email he had drafted, and sent from Miss Steele's phone, which he had been tasked with getting rid of by Mr. Grey.

The last thing Ana had needed was Kennedy intercepting her at the hospital, or worse, after her release. Taylor had eyes on Kennedy himself, of course, and with the help of Welch and Barney, had eyes on all of his email accounts and phone logs as well. In an effort to keep Kennedy from discovering Ana's true discharge date and allow her a headstart out of Seattle, Taylor had sat with her and helped draft a fake email that would throw off Kennedy's scent. Then he had the phone disposed of, and a replaced with a new one.

Ana had been released and safely arrived in Montesano yesterday before noon. The evening before, Taylor had gone to her apartment and packed up some clothes and anything else she told him she needed, and had had her belongings delivered to her step-father's house before she even arrived. The rest, she said, she didn't want or need. So there was plenty there when the movers showed up at her place to pack up, just not anything she actually wanted to keep. But since Kennedy was obviously trying to lay low, he had no idea Taylor had already been in there and removed all of her essentials. She said she didn't need nor want her car, and had signed a resignation letter drafted by Mr. Grey, which he offered to turn into the HR department personally.

From the looks of everything that had been carried out, Kennedy seemed to be punishing Miss Steele by removing all of her possessions, though Taylor wasn't naive enough to believe those were the only 'punishments' he'd planned for her to endure. It gave him great pleasure to know Ana would be none the wiser to all of it, and that Kennedy had gone through all of this, and likely paid a lot of money to pull it all off in time, and for nothing.

"What are you doing here? How did you get in here?" Kennedy hissed, watching as Taylor pulled a keychain out of his pants pocket. He swung them around on his index finger once, then tossed them to Kennedy, who clumsily caught them. He knew he'd recognize them as Ana's keys. She'd given them to him when he'd gone to get her stuff, and she'd refused to take them back when he'd returned. The ring had her car key, her home key, and her office keys on it, and she'd told Taylor to keep them or destroy them, for all she cared. She just had no desire to have them herself.

"Where did you take her?" Kennedy bellowed, his face turning red with anger as he turned his glare from the key ring back to Taylor.

"I didn't take her anywhere. She's an adult. She can go where she pleases. And she did just that."

"Cut the shit. I know you're hiding her. I know Grey is trying to keep her from me!"

Taylor leaned away from the wall, picking up his jacket from the countertop where he'd set it in the kitchen. He carefully put it on, tugging on the lapels, straightening the collar. "Miss Steele is exactly where she should be. Far, far away from you. And she is never coming back to you." He'd done what he came here to do, which was let Kennedy know he'd lost Ana, while giving no actual details away about the why's, what's and how's of Ana's locations and his knowledge of Kennedy's doings over the last days. He needed Kennedy to know he couldn't get anywhere near Ana without someone on his team knowing about it. It was imperative, above all else, that Ana stay safe. He closed the distance between them, walking toward the door, really, but Kennedy was in his path. He stopped when he was within feet of him. "I will be watching you."

And then he was gone.