My dear little broccolis💚💚💚

💚 So, this story is dedicated to two particular authors with whom I have briefly touched on those issues, and who make amazing stories. paleseptember10 & Krooela. Go check them out, you won't regret it.

💚 Fallen Angel💚

How would have Christian Grey's life turned out if the Greys had intervened when Elena tried to sink her claws into him? Would he still be the same man as we know, or someone completely different ...

‼️Rated M - {Out Of Characters/All Human/Alternate Universe}‼️

‼️Romance/Angst/Drama/Lemons‼️

‼️AS/CG/The Greys/The Steeles/Jack Hyde/Elena Lincoln‼️

💚 READ & REVIEW, DON'T BE A SILENT READER 💚

Chapter 14: The Fear Of God (3,5K)

Christian's Pov

My first reflex is to look down at my phone to check if Welsh, the GEH head of security, has sent me a text to inform me about any sort of security breach. But there is nothing from him, which means someone is going to get fired today.

"How did you get here?" I ask Ana's father, doing my best to keep my tone levelled. Any other person and I would have screamed at them whilst calling security. But Colonel Steele has this aura around him that says that this is the last thing I should do.

He smirks at me, quirking an eyebrow up as he puts back on my desk a frame. The one with a picture of my siblings and me. I don't know why, but this irks me up to the most. It's my family that he was ogling.

"I told you, Grey, you need better security."

I look at him, doubtful. Welsh was the best candidate. He was so good that I had to poach him out of another company. And Taylor … is not here today, but he is also the best. He has a perfect record, and no matter the number of threats I received as I got more and more successful, he never let it affect me.

I quickly type a text to Welsh, so he hurries his sorry-almost-fired-ass to my office. Then I look back at the Colonel, whose smirk has gotten wider and I straighten up. This is my turf, my office. He is not going to intimidate me here like he did Elliott. I did not become the CEO of a multi-billion dollars company by rolling over every time someone tried to play tough on me.

"What can I do for you, Colonel?"

For a while he doesn't say anything, just looking at me with his piercing brown eyes, and I have to say Ana and he look absolutely nothing alike. There is nothing that can link the two. Maybe she took everything from her mother. Or maybe Ana was adopted. I will have to find a way to ask her the question. I know from personal experience that it's not something people like to discuss.

Colonel Steele finally gets off my chair, walking around the desk as he tells me, "You're a busy man, Grey. I won't take much of your time. I don't think you need a big lecture, unlike others. Life seems to have made you very well aware of what to do, and what not to do when it comes to relationships … even to friends."

The way he says that last word … he clearly doesn't think that Ana and I are just friends. Even if we actually are. Is it because he doesn't trust his daughter, or is it because he doesn't trust me because he saw the way I looked at her. I mean, can you blame me? She was sinful at that graduation ceremony.

Now that he is at my level, he looks at me, his gaze making me feel like a defenceless kid all of the sudden, "I just want you to keep this in the back of your mind: how easy it is for me to get to you."

I do my best to pretend that I am unaffected by his words, and he goes to the door. Though before opening it, he tells me nonchalantly, "A word of advice, don't rely so much on technology. It would have been much harder for me to get to you thirty years ago."

Then he opens the door and leaves as Welsh enters, looking at the back of the Colonel with suspicion. As soon as we're alone, he looks back at me, confusion on his face and I explode,

"What the fuck Welsh?!"

"Who was that man? And how did he get in your office? Was he with you?"

"That's what I'd like to know! Aren't we supposed to have top-notch security in this building? I am not paying you so I can be surprised like that in my own office!"

Welsh lets me rant before going to my computer and accessing the video security surveillance. I look behind his shoulder, telling Andrea in the meantime to hold my first meeting. I want to know what's up with all of that first. How did Colonel Steele manage to sneak into my office?

But I have to give it to Welsh, the cameras never reveal any anomalies. He went as far as midnight, and we never see Raymond Steele coming into my office. In fact, as Welsh points out, we don't even see him leave. Which proves that he hacked into our system.

He grimaces, before petitioning his endless quest for crime, "This might be a bad time for you, Mr Grey, but I did tell you that we needed to employ a hacker. It's so we can avoid these kinds of things. I'll have to do a sweep and make sure he didn't steal any information about your company."

"No. This was a personal visit." Welsh raises an eyebrow and I shake my head, telling him, "Get me all you can find on Colonel Raymond Steele. I think he lives in Olympia. Before lunch, Welsh."

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

For the rest of the morning, I do my best to keep my mind focused on what I'm doing. I can't afford to let my mind wander when I'm in the middle of a big merger with Taiwan. I don't think of the Colonel's visit, though I know for sure that I will complain about it to Elliott. I mean, I am just friends with Ana! If he gets that intense over friends, it's probably a good thing that I don't intend for more.

When comes lunchtime, I refuse Ros's proposal to eat together and go back to my office where I ask Welsh to join me. And just by his facial expression, I know he has bad news for me. I sigh and get ready for it,

"Lay it on me."

"Raymond Steele comes from a family of military and has been in the army since the age of sixteen. All I can tell you is that the army looked for him, not the other way around. Everything he has done in the forces is marked as classified until the birth of his daughter, Anastasia Rose Steele.

After her birth, he was ranked colonel and has been based in different barracks throughout the US. He divorced his wife Carla Steele shortly after their daughter's fifth birthday and has been paying her alimony since then, keeping the child with him.

As of now, he is supposedly retired since his daughter finished high school."

"Supposedly?" I echo. It is odd that Raymond Steele is the one who had custody of Ana, usually, back then, it was the mother who had that privilege. Did she cheat? But then, why would he keep entertaining her?

Welsh looks at me, scratching the back of his head as he tells me, "This is pure speculation, Mr Grey. But … usually, a military man as high ranked and skilled as he is, are not let to retire quietly unless unable. His file is classified, and that usually means black ops or special services. And … he is a three stars colonel.

What I think happened was that he paused his 'career' when his child was born, to make sure she didn't grow up without a father. And as soon as she turned eighteen, he 'retired' so he could … go back to his old activities.

I nod, dismissing Welsh as I think about it. If Raymond Steele used to be in the black ops, that explains why it was so easy for him to get in my office. It must have been child-play for him. But then again … I thought Ana said he was antigovernment? Or did I misunderstand? Does he actually know how dirty it is, and just wants Ana to stay out of it?

I sigh, looking at my phone, and decide to just kill the elephant in the room. I'm pretty sure the Colonel doesn't expect me to tell Ana about his intimidating visit, but friends don't keep secrets from one another.

So? Is everyone in your family scary? ~ Christian

Aww, you think I'm scary ^^. ~ Ana

Taylor thinks you're scary. I, on the there hand, just had a visit from your Dad. ~ Christian

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

Ana doesn't answer me for the rest of the day, though I leave my personal phone in my office on purpose when she didn't text back straight away, even though her message was marked as read.

When I get home, I purposely ignore my phone and go on with my evening as usual, until it is time for me to eat, and I see that she answered, apparently pissed at her father.

I am so really sorry about my Dad! I talked to him and it won't happen again. If it does, you have my permission to punch him. I told him so. He's just a bit ridiculous sometimes. ~ Ana

Good thing I'm only your friend. Do you think he would have tried to kill me if we were more? ~ Christian

That was definitely a stupid question, but it doesn't seem to bother her.

He's a marshmallow inside, to be honest. He wouldn't hurt a fly. he's just a bit … overprotective, at times. ~ Ana

I am overprotective of my sister. And yet, I have never shown up at one of her beau's office. Did something happen to make him like that, or should I take a page out of your father's book 😆 ~ Christian

Yes, he definitely went over the line! It won't happen again. Sorry, sorry, sorry. ~ Ana

Haha. Don't sweat it. I just want to know when I should watch my back? ~ Christian

It won't happen again. I'll make him behave. Just be your usual serial killer-self. ~ Ana

Duly noted. Still, you didn't answer my question. ~ Christian

Which is? ~ Ana

Did something happen to make him so overprotective? ~ Christian

I can see the three dots come and go several times before she finally sends a text smaller than I expected that create more questions than answers,

I'm his only child, that's the short answer. The long answer will need getting to know you better and a shit load of wine. ~ Ana

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

On Thursday, I get to her place earlier than I was supposed to, but I won't lie, I am kind of curious what the inside of her flat looks like. I made her a vase as a housewarming gift and got a plant inside. Mrs Jones advised succulents because they require very little care compared to orchids for instance.

But when I get there, I have to wait in the car with Taylor since she's not home yet. I don't have to wait for long, I see her walking toward us, and I get out of the car when she's at my level, just in time to hear her vent on the phone to someone about Wanda getting old and unreliable.

She then hangs up and smiles at me as we walk inside her building as she lets me know, "You're here early. What happened to taking over the world, Mr CEO?"

I shake my head, handing her the plant as she opens her door and she brightly smiles at me, "Thank you. I was in need of some life in this apartment. Kate seems to have forgotten she has a place of her own. Give me some time to change. You can put some music on, Kate left her iPod on the player."

She then leaves me in the living room, walking through one of the doors that leads to what I assume to be her bedroom. At first, I just look around, wondering which touches are hers, and which ones are Kate's. The place is cosy, warm and inviting, though definitely smaller than my own place.

I spot the speaker linked to the iPod and simply press play, appreciatively nodding my head as a girl starts singing about how it feels good to be bad. It's only when I'm sitting that she starts singing that 'whips and chains' exciting her and I get up to switch it off. What kind of music is that?

Ana bursts out of her room in leggings and a T-shirt, beaming as she screeches that she loves that song. She starts moving her hips to the rhythm of the singer telling us about S&M. I watch her, hypnotised by the beat of her hips as she sings alongside the singer. Damn, she is hot, even in the simplest outfit.

She smiles at me and shows me her hands for me to take and dance with her and when I doubtfully raise an eyebrow at her, she rolls her eyes,

"Stop being such a stick in the mud. I promise I won't tell anyone that you know how to let loose."

She expectantly glances at her hands, waiting for me to take them and I cautiously do, keeping distance between us. She makes us move to the rhythm of the beat, singing without a care in the world about the nature of the lyrics.

I do my best to not stare at her hips, and as soon as the song is over, I retake possession of my hands. Another song comes by the same singer but I sit on the sofa. She switches off the music with a small smirk on her lips and she sits next to me as I ask, curious,

"Is that your scene?" I mean, if she is into bondage and all, maybe Elliott is right and we can find something to do here. Not that it is necessarily my scene, but it can be a first step. But of course, she brings me back to reality,

"S&M?" She shrugs when I nod, my eyes steady on her face, ready to decipher anything she would say. "I honestly have no idea."

I frown, not sure of what she means? How can she have no idea? Even the most puritan married couples know what they like or don't like in bed. She slightly blushes and admits,

"You need to try the basic stuff before adding the spice."

"That's … unexpected," I let out involuntarily. She was so open talking about Kate and Elliott's sex life, and she said quite a few sexual innuendos in the past, so I thought that she was already sexually active.

She shakes her head, admonishing me, "Not every college girl is all about fucking her way through college. Some of us actually like the idea of studying hard."

I raise my hands as a sign of peace. I can understand that. Some people don't understand how much hard work can make someone happy. She smiles at me and gets up, showing me her hand as she says,

"Do you want to see Judith?"

"Judith?"

"People name their pets, so I'm naming my plants," She smugly explains, and I get up ignoring her hand. I follow her to her room and I see Judith on her bedside.

Her room looks very warm and inviting, full of books left, right and centre. Ana is definitely the kind of girl who swooned aver the library in Beauty & the Beast. She obviously has more books than space. Her other bedside, her shelves, her chair, books are everywhere.

"I can see that you don't like reading, at all," I tease and she grins, unashamed.

I pick a random book, expecting some classical author from a literature student, but it's a brick from Stephen King.

"I figured you were more of an Austin kind of girl," I let her know and she rolls her eyes.

"Oh, I am. it's just that I'm not boring. it's like … when someone likes desserts. People don't assume the person only likes crême brûlée, do they? So why do people that because someone likes reading it means they only like the classics." She says, looking at her books with love.

I smile, glancing at her bedside and expecting to see a book with some prehistoric paintings on the cover as I ask,

"How is your caveman doing?"

She grimaces. "I don't like him anymore. He pissed me off sleeping around with someone he should have kept his dick away from. Now, I'm all about this guy."

She shows me a book entitled Zodiac and it takes me a second to remember that he is a serial killer from the '70s. This girl seriously has some issues with her obsessive behaviour about serial killers. I swear I'll have Martha give her a session.

"You know, this is why Taylor thinks you're scary," I point out, and of course she grins.

"Why would I double major in criminology if I don't want to catch the bad guys?"

What?! This is insane. Sweet little Ana has no business walking around with a major in criminology! Though, it does explain why she is so into criminals.

"So, your dream job is … being shot in the streets?"

"You have a poor image of law enforcement. But nope. Catching the bad guys doesn't mean being on the field. I did a whole paper on Jack the Ripper last year, and it got me noticed by the FBI. They're keeping me a nice and warm spot for when I will be old enough if I'm still available."

I frown, not sure I understand what she is talking about. How is she expecting to catch anyone if she isn't on the field? She condescendingly smiles at me and tells me,

"Profiling. Profilers help catch the bad guys, Christian. Not just people combing the streets.

"So, you want to be a profiler?" She shrugs, though I can tell she is proud of herself right now. It is definitely something she has thought about, and she would consider as a personal achievement if she achieves it.

"Why not? Some people want to rule the world, and no one judges them for that. I, on the other hand, want to understand the mind of people. I'm actually going to study for my master degree in criminology whilst working for the next two years."

I had no idea. And to think I refused to go to Uni. This girl has this whole plan in her head of what she wants and how to get there. And … no matter how squeaky it makes me, I can't judge her. I was like that as well, except I went for something else.

Still, I have difficulties picturing Ana doing any sort of work outside a library or publishing house. Probably because this is the first image of her I had, a bookworm so engrossed in her book she didn't see me behind her.

We leave her room just as Kate and Elliott get to the apartment, and I ignore my brother and his wiggling eyes. We go climbing, and … Anastasia Rose Steele is not human. She is a freaking squirrel. Whilst Elliott, Kate and I are still struggling to climb more than two jumps, she is already on top of the wall, and I stubbornly refuse to look at her climb anymore.

First, because it's a blow to the ego that she is so agile on her own. Second, because her ass is just perfect in those leggings of hers. Thank God I privatised the room earlier so no one would bother us.

After two hours of humiliation (due to all of us slipping or falling), we go back to the girls' place and eat pizza where I learn that Ana has been climbing since she could walk. In fact, she learned to climb without ropes until her father thought she ought to learn how to use ropes as well.

I do my best to not let slip that I know all about her Dad and thank God for Elliott who asks all the right questions or fills me when he knows he is aware of something that I don't know. All in all, this evening was great. Ana didn't try to touch me anymore, and we all had fun.

So when I get to bed, it's with the conviction that I can make this friendship work. After all, it isn't unheard of a friendship between a man and a woman.

❌PLEASE DO NOT COPY, DOWNLOAD OR SHARE THIS ANYWHERE OTHER THAN HERE❌

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚

💚 So, Ana had a cryptic message ... and so did her father ... If you can guess the how and the why, kudos to you because there was just a tiny hint last chapter.

💚 And Ana is a squirrel with a plant named Judith ...

💚Well, let me know what you thought of this chapter. What was your favourite part? What do you think will happen next?

💚 E L James owns the names of the characters from the Fifty Shades franchise, Everything else is mine (including the mistakes and grammar errors).

Love, Mina 💚💚💚