Protecting Me

5

CPOV

Seattle Times

"Today, we celebrate Seattle's newest multimillionaires, Christian Grey. He and Ana Steele (who is also his girlfriend) started this company Trevelyan Enterprise a little over a year ago. The first company purchased was Jameson Mergers and Co. Trevelyan Enterprise has also made an important impact on the unemployment here in Seattle. Not only have they created a scholarship program for Colleges in Washington State but also has started enormous food bank locations so no one goes hungry.

This man is truly swoon-worthy, but unfortunately ladies and some men he is happily in love with his girlfriend of over a year. Stay tuned for more updates about Christian and Ana.."

"Seriously... how do they get all those pictures of us? I guess we should just be happy they haven't caught on to us getting married." She giggles while looking down at her engagement ring.

That's right, Ana and I have been going strong for 15 months. It has been the best 15 months of my life. When Nick and Kate caught us kissing in her apartment, I thought he would be pissed but he just slapped my back and threatened to break both knees if I hurt her.

Kate and Nick got married nearly 9 months ago. They didn't have a big wedding. It was Valentine's Day and we all planned to fly to Aspen for the weekend to celebrate. Little did Ana and I know but they had started planning a small wedding to take place in Aspen. We spent half the day on Valentine's Day with them before splitting off for a romantic evening with our loves.

On February 15, we woke up and the downstairs had been turned into a florist dream. Their wedding was very simple but gorgeous. Kate brought Ana a light pink lace beaded knee length dress so she could be her maid of honor and Nick knew I would have a suit with me for Ana and my dinner last night so we are both able to be a part of their special day.

It was beautiful to see two people so in love with each other commit their lives together.. Jeez have you turned into a sap, Grey? 

Everything hasn't been all good. Between Max and Molly trying to be a pain in the ass, my father trying to ruin my business before it even truly launched, it's been an eventful 15 months.

Molly tried to sue Ana for her 40 percent ownership back but Ana's contract was iron clad, so Molly decided to make her attack personal and sent a "tip" to Seattle Nooz that she was pregnant and that I abandoned her for Ana and refused my child. The lies hurt the law firm most because it wasn't announced that I no longer worked there yet and since I was a family attorney they questioned my ethics. It was a rough few months but we got it cleared up. Since I had already explained the situation to her grandfather before he signed his shares over to me, I wasn't worried about announcing that we were never in a real relationship. The press wrote a lot of shitting things about both Ana and me, mostly about how she was a homewrecker but now the paps love her. Ana decided to take the high road and never spoke to the press badly about Molly. Ana did decide to sue Molly for defamation of character and she won 4 million dollars. Molly only had 700,000 of the 4 million and was required to sell her condo but still owed Ana about half a million. Ana decided to offer her a deal of turning over her last 10 percent of the company instead of making her sell anything else, Molly quickly agreed. Last I heard she was trying to get back into her grandfather's good graces instead of getting a job... 

I am so glad that we hired and kept security for Kate and Ana. After Ana filed her charges against him he was not seen in Seattle anymore. The cops even got search warrants for his father and mothers house but he was nowhere to be found. We were hoping he just decided to give up and maybe start a life somewhere else and hopefully get help, but that was not the case. Max was high as a kite one afternoon and almost ended both of our girl's lives by getting in his car. It was two weeks before Christmas and they decided to do some last minute Christmas shopping and then meet my mom and Mia for lunch but before they could reach the restaurant Max somehow got behind their car honking and we guess trying to get them to stop. He instead ended up hitting them from behind when she slowed to turn and causing her to lose control and hit a light pole head-on. That was the worst phone call of my life. Nick and I were in a meeting since I appointed him my lawyer and the moment that call came in I almost collapsed but Nick smacked me hard and dragged me into the car. Kate had a concussion, broken ankle, cuts and bruises from the seat belt and also severe whiplash from the airbag. 

Ana, my poor Ana, her side took the brunt of the impact and she was in a coma for nearly two weeks. Her left arm was broken in 3 places and she hit her head on the window. Cooper (her security guard) who was supposed to be following them but Max drove him off the road, was able to get to them shortly after the crash and was able to stabilize them both and call the police. After the fire department had to cut her out with the jaws of life they were both rushed to the hospital. It wasn't until the next day that I thought to ask about Max.  After he hit their car he drove away without a care in the world. That was until he got on the interstate and he seemed to play chicken with a semi-truck. He was pronounced dead at the scene. I feel horrible for his mother but his father knew he needed help and seem to only help him get worse. It was later found out that Max's dad was supplying him with the money and connections needed to keep getting high not caring that it could end up killing someone else or his son in the process.

Ana didn't wake up until Christmas Eve. Seeing her perfect blue eyes open was the best present I could ask for. She wasn't allowed to go home for another two weeks but between my mom, Mia, and Kate her room was beautifully decorated for Christmas and we celebrated in her hospital room. I have become a million times closer to Frank since we both spent every day in her hospital room begging her to wake up. He may be a tough man that is laser-focused on his company but he loves his kids so much. I think he also realized that life is too short to be an occasional father and he wants to make it up to them.

It's been amazing having a relationship with my mom again. Seems she's been wanting to leave Carrick for a long time but he kept using Mia as a manipulative pawn. He would threaten to take Mia away from her. He also told her that if she left she would go back to the same poor life he saved her from. You see my mom came from a hard-working medium income family and when my parents meet he swept her away. He treated her like a queen until us children were born and he slowly started treating her horribly. She never wanted to leave because she wanted us to have the best life but that changed when El and I moved out.  My mom always dreamed of becoming a doctor but he forbid it telling her 'she needed to be at home to fix his meal' and she loved him so she just followed his word. When they got married she signed a prenup because she didn't care about the money, she was truly madly in love with him. I think he always had ulterior motives though. 

After my company started making money, I took my mom out to lunch one day and we talked. I thought I hated my father before but after finding out how he truly treats my mom I loathe him. I offered to set her up with money and a place to stay so she could leave that abusive asshat but she refused. I was upset but she promised me that she wouldn't stay with him.

Two months later, I came home to find Ana, my mom, and Mia all making dinner together. Ana and I had moved in together after only two months of dating and Kate and Nick soon followed so Ana decided to offer my mom and Mia her old townhouse to live in. Since then my mom and I have been closer than ever. She went back to college and is working towards getting her nursing degree. She always wanted to become a doctor but now she feels too old to take on all that schooling but she's excited about becoming a nurse.

"Christian..?" I snap out of my thoughts and look at my gorgeous girl. I am so lucky to have her.

"Sorry, what did you say?" She giggles as I snuggle my face into her neck.

"My father called saying, Carrick, has been trying to schedule a meeting with him. He keeps saying it's extremely important and about my safety. Dad doesn't trust Carrick and he wanted us to listen in on the meeting. He's heard rumblings about your father not being on the up and up." she says while giving me sad eyes.

My father has gotten even worse since Trevelyan Enterprise became extremely successful and global known. He has tried everything he can to create bad press for my company and it hasn't worked, so now he is trying to get Frank involved. He is determined to destroy mine and my mother's life because we "forgot who was in control" those were his words to my mother. He told me to watch my back and not get too comfortable sitting in my CEO chair because my life will come crumbling down.

"He's fucking crazy but I agree we should go to this "important" meeting." She nods and picks up her phone to call her dad back. Let's do this you bastard. He can try to take down my company all he wants but no one fucks with my relationship with Ana. NO ONE...