Over the last few days, I've gotten a taste of what it would be like if Ana and Teddy come home to Seattle but decide to live apart from me. I can't honestly say I'm the biggest fan of this arrangement, but it's not as bad as I thought it would be. I see my son every morning to take him to school and Ana to work, then again in the evening to take them home. I've had dinner with them a couple times, and everything so far has gone pretty smoothly. The worst part about it is saying good night to them and returning to my empty, cold apartment. That's part of the reason I sold Escala—before Ana came to live with me there, I was fully aware that my apartment was cold and unwelcoming. That was perfectly fine with me; I was comfortable there and that was all that mattered. I wasn't interested in impressing my submissives, though every one of them was drawn to the view over Seattle. It wasn't until Ana that I looked around my surroundings and realized just how impersonal the place was. It wasn't until Ana that I considered my apartment in Escala to truly be my home, because she was the one I came home to every night.

After we were married and Teddy was born, we kept the apartment, but visited rarely, usually only if we were in town late and didn't want the drive home or when I was working on an important deal that needed my constant attention. Escala was a place where I could be on several phone calls at once, not have to watch my language around an impressionable toddler, and not annoy my wife for not joining my family for dinner on time. Not until Lucy was it used by anyone aside from myself or Ana. The thought of ever going back there again and having tainted memories of destroying my marriage was too much for me.

But if this is what I have to do to have my wife and son in my life, I'll do it.

Ana still hasn't answered my question about taking her out on a date. Neither of us has brought it up again, though I'm growing more and more impatient about it. The fact that she doesn't believe we're in love with each other anymore has been on my mind almost as much. I could understand if I've hurt her so deeply that she's fallen out of love with me. But the more I think about it, I don't think she has. If she had, she wouldn't have hesitated in filing for a legal separation, closely followed by divorce papers. And I know if I mention this to her, she'll tell me it's in our son's best interests that she and I remain civil, but remaining civil and having dinner every other evening are two very different things. I don't want to be too arrogant about it, but at worse, I think she might just be confused about how she feels. The hurt and fear and frustration have her so twisted around... I know the feeling. I also know that no matter what she believes, I am still very much in love with her. There may have been a brief period over the last year when I believed otherwise, but losing my wife due to my own stupidity snapped me out of that pretty quickly.

I guess it's up to me to prove our love to her. If only I knew where to begin.

Probably the most complicated thing about my sudden relocation to London has been in regards to my business. All my assistants and partners are on Seattle time which is several hours behind me, which means I've been pulling some very late nights this week. The only person aware of my current situation is Ros and that's only because I need her to take over the day-to-day business. I haven't told her every detail, but I think she's smart enough to have worked it out on her own. For a while, I caught myself looking over my shoulder for her—Ros always liked Ana from the very beginning, and I guess all women stick together regardless of their sexual orientation.

Currently it's still far too early to make contact with my office in Seattle so I'm going through emails and spreadsheets and potential business ventures to kill some time before I can start making phones ring. I've already begun the process to permanently cut my ties with Elena Lincoln and her own business ventures. I can't blame Ana for disbelieving my promise to rid myself of Elena once and for all; no matter how many times I seem to shake myself of the woman, I always seem to find my way back to her for one thing or another. I tell myself it's a business relationship and nothing more—it is true that I haven't touched Elena sexually since I ended that side of our relationship and I have no desire to change that. The thought of her touch in any form is repulsive. I couldn't tell you why I don't feel the same about this apparent emotional relationship I can't seem to get past. Since I was fifteen, Elena was the only person to know every one of my darkest secrets and I suppose that connection runs deeper than I ever even realized.

And therein lies the problem: putting any relationship over the one with my wife. Despite whatever problems we were having, I should have sat my wife down and told her what was going on. I could rattle off a list of excuses that include any discussion would have led to an argument and I truly do hate arguing with Ana. We have a way of pressing each other's buttons in a way nobody else can and we're both far too stubborn when we're arguing to even consider giving into the other person. It would only be an excuse, though; and I know it's not nearly good enough to justify confiding in somebody I know my wife despises more than any other.

Then there's Lucy. Again, I've only myself to blame for what went on between us as well as what happened with Teddy last week. I can deny it all I want, but I know I led her on during our affair only to drop her when Ana left me. I believe she was in love with me and that blinded me and my feelings about her enough that I didn't put a stop to it when I should have. She made me feel good during a time I didn't really have much to feel good about. Taking my son from his school in the middle of the day was a ploy to get my attention. Well, it worked, but I don't think this was the reaction she was hoping for. I still haven't decided whether I want to see her and hear what she has to say, though I think Ana was right: it'll be better for us to know whatever there is to know before we have to face Lucy in a courtroom. I just hope this doesn't blow up in my face the way everything else has done lately.

"Sir."

I look up from my computer screen to find Taylor standing in the door of my office, his jaw tensed. "What is it?" I ask warily. That look on his face always has a tendency to set my teeth on edge and this is no different.

"I just received a call from Sawyer," Taylor reports, entering the room a few steps. I can't help but notice he doesn't come within arm's reach of me. My brow furrows. Sawyer is hanging around Canton Publishing to keep an eye on Ana. "Before we dropped off Mrs. Grey at work, someone else arrived."

"And...?" I say leadingly. I'm not sure I like where this is going.

"Mrs. Lincoln, sir," Taylor tells me. "Apparently she's attempting to become an investor in Canton Publishing."

Time has slowed down considerably as I stare in shock at the head of the long wooden table sat in the middle of the room where Elena Lincoln is perched on a chair, her ring covered, perfectly manicured hands folded in front of her. A smirk covers the bitch's face and her narrowed eyes are gleaming at me. It doesn't escape my attention that she doesn't seem the least bit surprised to see me here and that only serves to piss me off even more.

"Ana?"

Thomas clears his throat behind me and I'm suddenly reminded that we're surrounded with people. I snap myself out of my daze and push aside the sudden desire to either jump over the table to claw Elena's face off or turn tail and run. Whichever option I settle on, it would just be giving into whatever plans she has and I refuse to give her the satisfaction of anything right now. I take one of the empty chairs at the other end of the table, placing myself directly across from Elena, and Thomas sits beside me.

Thomas's sister Tracy, the one currently running Canton Publishing, is looking at me suspiciously as she begins the meeting. I block out every word, instead focusing my stare on Elena, wondering what the fuck she's doing here.

Well, we already know that, says my subconscious, sharpening her claws and focusing her own glare at the Bitch Troll. She's investing in a publishing house where you just happen to work.

Of course this was a very carefully calculated plan. When does she do anything just by coincidence? She's a lot like Christian in that regard. I swallow back the bile rising in my throat along with that thought. It doesn't take much thought to remind me of the three million dollars Christian gifted her for her supposed beauty salon chain in Seattle and I'm immediately suspicious. Christian said she managed to screw up the aforementioned salon chain and I wonder whether there ever was a salon chain.

There might have been. You only started working at Canton a few weeks ago. How could she have known months ago that you'd be here?

I'm only in the meeting half an hour when I feel my cell phone vibrating in my pocket. I know before pulling it out to look at the caller id who's calling and I'm actually relieved to know Christian found out about what's going on before I have a chance to tell him. There isn't much I can do about his call right now; I'm still in shock about Elena being here at all to have made any decision about my future at Canton Publishing and I don't think my legs would support me if I suddenly fled from the room to answer the call. Knowing it will set off Christian's temper, I have no other choice right now than to reject his call and send it to voicemail. I glance up to find Thomas watching me and I shoot him a small, tight smile, placing my phone on my leg until his attention returns to the meeting. When my phone vibrates again to tell me I've got a message from Christian, I open the text program and quickly type him a response:

*In a meeting. Will call later. Please don't rush the building; I'm fine*

After sending the message, I glance up to find Elena still watching me, her smirk more defined. She knows what I'm doing and who I'm texting, and it's clear she doesn't care. I get a response almost immediately:

*WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON OVER THERE?! WHY IS ELENA THERE?*

Sighing, I respond:

*It seems she's taken an interest in publishing and has decided to buy into Canton Publishing. I don't know much else at this point.*

To my surprise, I don't get another message from him, though this does nothing to set me at ease; with my luck, he's currently en route right now. I do my very best to pay attention to the meeting. They're discussing the last five years' profits and projections for the next year. Elena is asking questions every so often, though I couldn't tell you what it is she asked; every word she speaks sounds like nails on a chalkboard to me.

There's a soft knock on the door and everyone stops speaking, looking at one another in either annoyance or confusion before Thomas calls for the visitor to enter. My heart is beating rapidly until I see it's only Sawyer poking his head into the door, his eyes looked solely on me.

"Can we help you?" Tracy asks impatiently, clearly having no idea who Sawyer is. He's kept a low enough profile since he's started tailing me to work that I doubt anyone I work with knows he's even around.

"A word?" he says quietly to me.

I would be embarrassed about being singled out in a meeting like this if it weren't for the fact that I've been searching for any excuse to get away from Elena before I commit murder in front of my bosses. Shooting an apologetic smile around the table and glaring at the Bitch troll for good measure, I quickly excuse myself and join Sawyer outside the conference room.

"Mr. Grey has just arrived," he informs me, his tone full of sympathy.

"Of course he has," I say in a sigh. "Surprised it's taken him this long."

Sawyer's lips twitch in a smile. "Well, as I understand it, traffic was heavy."

I smother my laugh and follow Sawyer to the elevators. Just as he's pushing the button to open the door, someone calls my name from down the hallway. I sigh heavily as we spot Thomas walking towards us quickly. "Just a second, Luke," I say.

"Mrs. Grey, I really don't think we have time—"

I glare at Sawyer in annoyance, something I don't normally feel towards him. "Christian can wait," I tell him firmly. "I told him already I was fine, but he insists on interrupting my work day. He can wait a few more minutes."

Sawyer is giving me a look that tells me I'll need to assure Christian I'm behind my tardiness in meeting him and not Sawyer but nods, waiting for me beside the elevator door.

Thomas reaches me with a look of utter confusion on his face. "What the hell was that?" he asks me incredulously.

I sigh, wondering how much I should share with him to make him understand. "I'm sorry I interrupted the meeting, Thomas, but I think there's a bit of a conflict of interest between myself and Mrs. Lincoln," I explain carefully. The conflict of interest is, of course, Christian Grey. "And if she's going to be a partner in this company, I can't continue to work here."

Clearly Thomas wants to ask for more of an explanation, but I really don't know what else there is for me to tell him. It's not really any of his business, and besides, if I keep Christian waiting any longer, he'll be rushing up here.

"I'm sorry," I tell Thomas sincerely. "I'll have my desk cleared out before tomorrow morning. I have to go..."

With that, I step into the elevator with Sawyer again and watch Thomas' bewildered face slowly disappear as the doors close. "How pissed is he?" I ask Sawyer.

"Approaching thermonuclear," Sawyer reports. "But if it's any consolation, I don't think any of it is directed towards you, ma'am."

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Would that really be a consolation to you, Luke?" I ask rhetorically. He sighs in response. As the elevator descends, I think about what's going to happen now. I don't want to quit my job at Canton Publishing, but there is no way I will be working for Elena fucking Lincoln, not after everything she's done. And that's without knowing what her role in my son's kidnapping might have been. I'll have to look for another job if I want to stay in London. I know Christian will insist I don't need to work, that he can take care of me, but that option seems counterproductive to my desire for independence.

You could always go back to Seattle, my subconscious suggests. The only thing that was holding you back was your job and now that's gone, maybe it's time to go home...

As the elevator doors open, I sigh, immediately scanning the lobby area for Christian. He's not inside, though; he's outside leaning against the black SUV, his eyes trained on me. I'm a little surprised he remained outside the building rather than charging in and carrying me out over his shoulder, caveman style; rather than complaining, I take the small victory—he's promised not to interfere in my career and to trust me to make my own decisions. I can't say I fault him too much for coming out here knowing with whom I was sitting in a conference room.

I exit the building and he pushes himself off the SUV. "Don't start," I growl severely at him.

He actually takes a step back at my tone, blinking several times. "I wasn't going to—"

The look on my face causes him to stop speaking. "What are you doing here, Christian?" I demand. "I told you I was fine, yet clearly you ignored me."

"Ana, if you think I'm leaving you alone in a room with that woman," he points sharply at the building to emphasize his words, "you're out of your mind."

"Because you don't' think I can take care of myself!" I say loudly, barely registering that my tone is getting a little shrill.

"That's not it!" he argues defensively. "Ana, I know you can take care of yourself! I'm worried that you're too good at taking care of yourself and I'll have to take care of getting you out of jail after you've killed Elena!"

I almost laugh. It wouldn't be the first time I've contemplated the possibility of how easy it would be to get rid of Elena permanently.

You know, I'm sure if you were to go to Taylor and ask him to "take care of the problem," he'd do it, says my subconscious darkly. And he would know exactly how to make it look like an accident.

Tempting... And it wouldn't be too difficult to throw Lucy into the plan as well—two birds with one stone and all that.

Not until Christian is looking at me warily do I realize there's a smirk on my face. "What?" I ask.

"Nothing," he replies, looking a little disconcerted. I wonder if he's reading my mind again... "Why is Elena here at all?"

"I already told you," I tell him as patiently as I can manage. "She's considering an investment in Canton Publishing. Which is a little odd, considering you told me she's pretty much broke."

He closes his eyes, probably counting to ten to rein in his temper. "The three million," he mutters to himself. "The salon fell through so she's using it for this. What I want to know is whether she knew you worked here or not..."

His voice trails off and his eyes drift from me back to the building. I watch carefully as his expression hardens and his jaw tenses; I think I know what he's looking at before I turn around to confirm my thoughts. Inside the building, exiting the elevator, is Elena and the Cantons, all of whom are smiling. They stand in the middle of the lobby talking, though Elena's gaze finds Christian and me; she's smirking again.

"I'll fucking kill her," Christian growls, starting to head towards the building.

With reflexes I didn't know I had, I reach out to grab his arm to stop him. "Christian, no!" I say urgently. "Leave it. She wants a reaction out of you!"

"Ana, the bitch has crossed way too many lines for me to just let this go," he tells me, his eyes still on Elena. "She's gone through all this trouble to harass you, as if she hasn't done enough already."

"I'm well aware of what she's done," I respond, not lessening the grasp I have on his arm. "And I'm well aware of what we think she's done. But this isn't the way to handle this. You told me you put a temporary restraining order against her—does that mean she's in violation of that?"

Christian sighs, running his hands through his hair. "Unfortunately, no," he says. "It doesn't go into effect until Monday morning."

"Okay," I tell him. "So we let this one go. If she tries contacting us when the order is in effect, then we let the police handle it."

To my surprise, I see Christian deflate in front of me and he finally brings his eyes back to meet mine. I'm silently willing his temper to recede and after a few seconds, I think it's actually working. He nods slowly. "Fine," he says shortly, then eyes me warily again. "I suppose you're going to finish out our work day?"

For the first time since I told Thomas I can't work for him anymore, I second guess myself. I don't want to quit; quitting means admitting defeat and plays directly into the hands of the Bitch Troll. She'll know she's affected me and I don't like that thought. At the same time, though, remaining here would only spark more drama in my life. I'm sick of drama. I glance back into the building to find Elena standing at the door alone, watching Christian and me maliciously. It's taking all my self-restraint not to stalk over and slap her in the face, but I've already told Christian to let it go, so I need to do the same. "No," I tell Christian, turning back to him. "I told Thomas I won't be working here anymore in light of the new management."

Christian's eyebrows shoot up and he's fighting to hide his shock. "Oh," he says. "Okay... Would you like Sawyer to grab your things for you?"

I want to say no, but going back inside means risking either having to deal with Elena myself or leaving her alone with my husband. Not an option for me. "I'd appreciate that," I respond quietly.

Sawyer's in the building before Christian even nods for him to do so, pushing past Elena as though she's not even there. Taylor steps out of the SUV when Elena exits the building and makes her way towards us. Reflexively it seems, Christian grabs my arm and pulls me closer to him protectively. We smell her perfume the moment the door opens and my stomach is already turning.

"Christian," she gushes, a predatory smile on her Botox-injected face. "What a pleasant surprise."

"I'd apologize for not returning the sentiment," Christian begins coldly, "but it would be insincere."

Her smile only widens before she turns to me. "And Anastasia. Thomas said you weren't feeling well. I do hope you're taking care of yourself."

"I'm sure you do," I respond, copying Christian's tone perfectly. "I wasn't aware you had interest in the publishing market."

"Well, interests have a way of evolving," she says airily. "I heard about the trouble with your son. He's doing better, I trust?"

"He's fine," Christian growls. "Though I'm sure you've figured that out by now. You've been talking to Lucy."

Elena tsks at us and adjusts the strap of her purse. "Poor girl," she says sadly. "I suppose no one is above your charms, Christian. I always knew you'd be a heartbreaker, and she clearly was a victim of that."

I'm shaking right now in fury. Only Christian's hand resting on my hip keeps me in place. "I don't know what your role in all this was, Elena," Christian says in a deathly quiet tone, "but I will fucking find out and when I do, you'd better hope we're not in the same country."

"No need for threats, Christian," Elena says, her tone edging on amusement at his words. "I'm only sorry things didn't work out with you and Lucy; she was perfect for you."

At this, I know both Christian and I are about to lose it completely. Only Sawyer's exiting the building again with my bag and coat saves Elena from whatever we might have done. "Stay away from my family," Christian tells Elena, opening the SUV door for me. "I will not say it again. You and I are done. There will never be business between us again, nor will I be coming to you for anything. Get your shit in order, Elena, your personal bank is fucking closed."

Elena's eyes flash in anger. "You just remember who made you, Christian," she says with a sneer. "You owe me more than you'll ever be able to repay."

"I don't owe you shit!" he shouts at her. "I mean it, Elena; if I see you or hear from you again, you will fucking regret it."

Without another word, Christian gets into the SUV, slams the door behind him, and sucks in several deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself. Taylor pulls away from the curb and Christian turns towards me. "I'm sorry," he says quietly. "I know you said you wanted me to stay out of things, but when I found out she was near you, I had to do something, Ana."

I nod at him. "I understand," I tell him. And I do. For once, I'm glad he went against my word and came after me. I don't know what would have happened if he hadn't—probably something involving me and jail, just as he said.

"What now?" he asks quietly.

Sighing, I rest my head on the window and make my decision. "Let's go pick up our son," I begin quietly, "then I want to go back to my apartment so we can pack. I want to go home."