FIVE MONTHS EARLIER

He was the epitome of deceptiveness. On the outside looking in, he had it all. He was wealthy, powerful, and good-looking. Elliot used to tell him that his looks went beyond good looking; he was beautiful, and as much as he hated the word, he knew it was true. Some days, he didn't mind the good looks so much; if anything, he welcomed it. Walking through the Mile High Club to meet Elena, he felt eyes on him, and on days like these, he welcomed it. Of course, not so much if anyone dared approach him. He had his tastes, particular taste, and he had no desire to look outside of that.

His steps to the private dining room faulted when he heard a distinct laugh, a laugh that often grated on his nerves. For reasons he would later deeply regret, he let his eyes wander until he found the source of the laughter. His steps carried him past several tables until he came to the private boot occupied by his brother, his girlfriend, and a face he did not know. A face that drew him in until he found himself holding his breath.

She was perfection, with eyes so blue he was sure he could almost see himself in them, a cute button nose, and plumb pink lips. Her bottom lip caught in perfect white teeth. Her hair tumbled down her back, framing her long, slender neck. She was a thing of beauty, and he found he had never wanted anything as much as he wanted her. He was jolted out of his staring when his brother loudly and obnoxiously cleared his throat. "Did you just walk over here to gawk at Ana, or was there something you wanted." Elliot Grey was not known for his subtlety, but his words just then had nothing to go with that and everything to do with embarrassing him.

"Can I talk to you?" Christian snarled, walking away.

"Excuse me, ladies." Elliot purred, shuffling out of the booth to follow his brother.

"What the fuck was that," Christian growled.

"What? You were staring at Ana like a dog in heat with drool and all," Elliot chuckled, further infuriating his brother. "That was me saving you from making an even bigger fool of yourself," Elliot added.

Christian smirked. "Or are you feeling threatened?" He knew he was far off the mark, but it was the best way to see if Ana would be receptive to his advances. If that was why Elliot embarrassed him.

"Threatened!" Elliot barked a laugh that nearly had him choking on his saliva. "Oh, far from it, dear brother." Elliot stepped forward. "Now, let me impart to you a sobering dose of reality. You are way too fucked up to have a hope in hell with Ana. I'm not threatened by you in any way, shape, or form, especially where Ana is concerned. You stand about as much chance with Ana as an insect falling down an ant colony and surviving. You might be able to fool most people into thinking you are the master of the universe, but we both know I know better. I know just how screwed up you are, and worse, make zero effort to get better. You've got a long list of psychological problems that will make Jeffrey Dahmer shudder. Most people might fall for this beautiful exterior, but Ana is not one of them. She can see that underneath it all, there is no substance. Go embarrass yourself elsewhere." Elliot threw at him before walking away.

Christian would not deny his relationship with Elliot had deteriorated significantly, and the fault was his and his alone. His refusal to end his friendship with Elena when the truth came out fractured what little love they had between them. His mother still made an effort, but his father and Elliot had pretty much given up on him. Mia was still in Paris and in the dark, although he suspected she knew, which is why she had chosen to make Paris home.

He wasn't so taken in by Elena that he didn't understand where they were coming from. But right or wrong, Elena's actions and unwavering support made him the man he is today. It hurt that his family did not understand that at least. His father did not believe him when he dropped out of Harvard to start GEH, but Elena did. Throwing that in Carrick's face might not have been the right thing to do, but it did not stop it from being a reality. A huge part of Christian resented his inability to part ways with Elena because he could not bear the thought of her no longer being in his life. He'd practically lost his family over her, and not because they were disgusted with his actions. No, in that regard, Elena was wrong. They simply could not abide by his continued friendship with her.

With his vacillating hatred of her rearing its ugly head, he headed for the elevator instead. He just could not stomach an evening with her just then. He pressed the call button for the elevator furiously, desperate to get out of there. For the first time, he did not want a member of his family to see him with Elena. Elliot's words had hurt, though it wasn't the first time. For some reason, this time, they hurt a great deal.

On the drive home, his mind did what it did best; he plotted, ignoring the incessant ringing of his phone. He would not be the least bit surprised if Elena turned up at Escala after polishing off an expensive bottle of wine and meal. She wasn't the type to let an opportunity pass.

True to type, she stormed into his office, slamming the door against the wall. "You better have a good explanation for standing me up, " she blustered.

"I run into Elliot." He wasn't the least bit surprised when she deflated like a pooped balloon and collapsed onto the chair opposite his desk.

"Oh." She whispered. "I'm sorry, Christian." The subject of his family was one they both avoided. Neither had hidden the hurt it had caused them. To his surprise, Elena felt guilty over what had transpired, just not guilty enough to cut ties with him. There are days he wishes she would just fuck off elsewhere and make things easier. He knew, though, that it was just wishful thinking on his part. Elena was not about to let the golden goose go. "What did he say?" Her voice was the height of contrition.

"I actually walked over to say hi but found myself distracted by a girl at his table. I swear, Elena, you have never seen anything like her." Christian sighed.

"I believe I did. I ran into her in the bathroom. I could not help but stare and tell her she was simply stunning. She thanked me and left." Elena chuckled. She would admit that there was a coldness to the girl that she found incredibly attractive simply because she was such a woman herself.

"He embarrassed me in front of her and thought it was because he didn't want me near her. He said he did not have to do any such thing, as I was too fucked up for Ana." Her name had not left his thoughts since Elliot mentioned it.

"Oh, please, that girl isn't beyond you," Elena scoffed. "Prove that idiot brother of yours wrong," Elena added. She didn't need to tell him that; he already intended to do just that. Unfortunately, Ana was about to become collateral damage because Elliot chose to embarrass him and involve her.