Christian's POV

"Mr. Grey?" Andrea pops her head through the conference door, looking directly at me.

The few business associates surrounding me quickly quiet down, looking at Andrea as she quickly apologizes for the interruption. "There is a call for you, sir."

"Can you take care of it, please?" I'm currently in the middle of a very important meeting and need these fuckers signatures to move forward with future plans.

Andrea looks almost nervous, shuffling her feet, something she never does. "Sir, it's an outside call. The man on the other line somehow got my number and wants to speak to you."

I purse my lips, ignoring the looks from the other men in the room. Who could be calling? Maybe it's a family member of mine. Anastasia was dropped off at her work early this morning, so I doubt it's anything to do with her. "Gentlemen I apologize, but I have to take this. We'll schedule another meeting on Thursday, please see Andrea about that."

They shuffle out of the room and Andrea apologizes once again. Once she shuts the door behind her, I pick up the held call on my desk phone. "This is Grey." I say down the line.

"I know who you are." An unfamiliar voice hisses into my ear. My back immediately straightens, my body stiffening.

"Who is this?" I bark. I look on the caller ID pad and see an unknown number. Most people who call my assistants are known partners or sometimes family members trying to get ahold of me. Never have I seen a number I didn't recognize from somewhere.

"You are a piece of fucking work playing my daughter like this! You're a pig, a-"

"Ray." I hiss, cutting of his next words. "How in the hell did you get this number?"

I hear scuffling in the background. "It doesn't matter. What does matter is that you have been taking my daughter away from me."

I rear my head back, quickly standing from my chair. I look out the glass wall and watch as Seattle moves beneath my feet. "What are you talking about?"

"I found you gift basket, it's in the trash now. And then yesterday I found your fucking jacket on the floor. And lucky for me a business card with this number."

Fuck. The night I went over in the rain, Ana took my jacket and I never remembered to get it back. He must have found it somewhere and knows I'm involved with Ana and was in his fucking house.

"What do you want, Ray. Anastasia is a grown woman and her business is none of yours."

He laughs. "You are a fool! Ana is a mess! She is my business and as her father I won't allow her-"

It's my turn to laugh. "Father? You barely deserve the title from what I've been told. Ana deserves much more than you and from now on she is my top priority. You've failed her."

"You mother fucker! I raised that girl! You know nothing about her, about how unstable and messed up she is! How long have you been dating her?"

I clench my hand around the phone, trying my best not to slam is through the glass. How dare he talk about her like that!

"It's none of your concern. Ana is taken care of with me."

He scoffs. "Like hell she is! I know your type, Mr. Grey," He sneers my name as if it were a joke. "You're a fucking billionaire who takes advantage of young, naive little girls. My daughter is not one of your playthings. I know what kind of relationship you and her have! I refuse to let my bitch of a daughter be a whore and a submissive to you!"

My rage instantly cools into ice over my skin. He said submissive? How…why…

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

He laughs. "Oh, I had the bright idea to Google you. And then I had the even brighter idea to look through Ana's search history. You wouldn't believe the shit I found her looking at. All kinds of butt plugs, and bondage and shit that's fucking disgusting!"

My heart sinks into my stomach. I take a seat in my chair before I end up falling over. This isn't a call to confront me about dating his daughter. This is…a warning. He knows what kind of sexual lifestyle I live and now what Ana and I live. Fuck. This is bad.

"What do you want? Money? A job? A rehab center?"

"I want everything. But mostly my daughter back. She belongs here with me!"

"Not a fucking chance. I know what you've done to her. I know how much of a fucking drunk you are and how you slap her around. No fucking way am I sending her back there with you."

"Then I guess I'll just have to let the world know how much of a sick freak you are. Your little master and slave games would ruin you if it ever went public!"

I swallow. My head spins. I've hidden that part of my life from everyone around me since I was still in school. Even my family doesn't know that side of me and I never wanted them to. Not to mention if business associates heard the rumor…I would be a laughing stock in the business world. No one would want to come near me with that controversy. Ana would lose her job. She would be laughed at for even being associated with me. I couldn't let that happen to her. Not because of me.

"You wouldn't." I sneer.

"Oh, but I would. I have nothing to lose. And my fucking daughter needs to see reason. She needs to stay where she belongs and not go around whoring herself out."

"Don't you talk about her like that! Ana is perfect. It is you who has a problem."

"I think you have the biggest problem out of all of us. Leave my daughter alone or I call the news and magazines and Forbes!"

The call ends abruptly.

Fuck. Fuck!

I slam the phone down in the holder, not caring if it breaks. I run my hands over my head and pull strands through my fingers. What the hell was that? Was he really threatening me? I feel suddenly sick. Ana. I need to speak to her as soon as possible.

I call Taylor and he answers right away. "Sir."

"I need to be at Miss Steele's work in twenty minutes."

"I'll make it in ten." And then he hangs up.

Ana's POV

I can feel Clayton's eyes on me as I stack a pile of books on the floor next to my feet. I ignore him, as I've been doing all day. I know he's upset with me, but for once I couldn't find it in me to care. For once I felt happy, content, carefree. I was drowning in the feelings and refused to let anyone take them away from me.

I'm just about finished and stand when the store's front door opens and the little bell chimes. I open my mouth to greet them when I see an erratic Christian moving towards me already.

"Christian," I breath out, happy to see him, but also wondering why he's here looking as if someone spit in his coffee. "What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk." His voice is low, but stern. There's no room for me to argue. "Take your lunch or a break or something."

I look around, noticing the store isn't that busy. I clock out for a meal and walk next to him as he opens the SUV door, slamming in behind him.

"Christian, you're scaring me. What's wrong?" He doesn't look up from his phone, typing something out with quick fingers.

He waits until we're moving through the busy streets to finally look over at me. His expression was a mix between pure anger and sickness. "I got a call today."

"Okay…" I say, confused. Why is he telling me this? I'm sure he gets hundreds of calls a day.

"It was your father."

I stop breathing.

"He found the jacket I left at the house a while back. He got my assistants number and had mouthful to say about our relationship."

I swallow hard, trying to absorb his words. "What did he say?"

Christian's gray eyes almost look black, his perfect facial features were twisted into an angry mask, his hair all over the place. "He knows that we're together. And he knows about our sexual relationship as well."

I wince. "How would he know? Why would he even call you?"

Christian looks out the window and then back at me. "He looked through your search history, Ana. And connected the fucking dots."

Oh no. No. No. No. "I thought I cleared it."

"Well, I guess not all of it. He told me to stay away from you or he's going public with that information."

The busy world around us seems to stop to a halt. Christian's still speaking to me, but I don't hear the rest of his words. I can't believe this. My own father, who has neglected and abused me for years, is still trying to ruin my life even now. Even after I just found true happiness with Christian. He's trying to take it away yet again. He wants Christian to leave me.

"Ana?" I feel Christian's hand on my arm. "Did you hear me?"

"No. I didn't." I say, my voice sounding off to my own ears.

He sighs and places an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into him. "What are you thinking?"

"You're going to leave me." I mumble into the fabric of his wool coat. "You're sending me back there with him."

I'm suddenly pushed back into the widow, Christian practically on top of me. "Are you being serious, Anastasia? I would never do that to you."

I struggle against him and he gives me more room to speak back. "Are you serious, Christian? He could ruin you. He's evil and crazy enough to put flyers in every person's mailbox just so I don't get to be happy." My voice remains strong, but my eyes begin to burn with tears. "You can't let him do that to you. You've worked so hard and-"

"Shut up, Ana." His mouth is on mine, kissing me passionately. The mere taste of him is so comforting and safe. I feel at home with him. I hate to think it could be taken all away from me. "I don't care about me. I want you safe. He can come after me all he wants, but you will not be involved."

We pull back from each other. Christian appears calmer, but still stiff with anger. "What are we going to do?"

He sighs. "I have to talk to my lawyers. Maybe we can make him sign an NDA or pay him off or something."

I shake my head. "I know my father. He's not the type of person to just shut up when he feels something like this. He's pissed, Christian. At me. And now you're in the crossfire because of me."

"Don't you dare start blaming yourself, Ana." Christian's face is stern and made of stone. "I knew what I was getting myself into. And I've already told you; I want you. And I fight for what I want."

His hand reaches for mine, his thumb softly stroking mine. "We'll figure it out, baby." He kisses my temple, ending the conversation for now.