Chapter 178


    “Anastasia.” My tone is arctic. “This does not concern you.” The stubborn scowl that I know so well


    forms on her face.


    “Le came to see me, not you,” she snaps.


    Le turns to look at Ana. “I had my instructions, Mrs. Grey. I disobeyed them.” She nces at me,


    then back to my wife. “This is the Christian Grey I know,” she says, and her tone is almost wistful.


    What?


    That’s not fair.


    We role-yed a rtionship, for fuck’s sake. And thest time she was in a room with my wife, she


    had her at gunpoint! I will go to the ends of the earth to keep Anastasia safe. Le rises, and I want to


    leap to my own defense, but if that’s how she’d like to rewrite history, then so be it. I don’t give a flying


    fuck.


    “I’d like to stay until tomorrow. My flight is at noon,” she states.


    “I’ll have someone collect you at ten to take you to the airport.”


    “Thank you.”


    “You’re at Susannah’s?”


    “Yes.”


    “Okay.”


    Le turns to Ana. “Good-bye, Mrs. Grey. Thank you for seeing me.”


    Ana rises and holds out her hand, and they shake. “Um, good-bye. Good luck,” she says.


    Le nods with a faint, sincere smile and turns to me. “Good-bye, Christian.”


    “Good-bye, Le. Dr. Flynn, remember.”


    “Yes, Sir.”


    I open the door for her to leave, but she pauses in front of me. “I’m d you’re happy. You deserve to


    be,” she says, and then she’s out the door. I watch her leave, baffled by our exchange.


    What the hell was that all about?


    I close the door and, taking a deep breath, turn to face my wife.


    “Don’t even think about being angry with me,” she snarls. “Call ude Bastille and kick the shit out of


    him, or go see Flynn.” Her cheeks pink with her rising anger.


    Wow. Attack as the first form of defense.


    But that’s not what this is about.


    “You promised you wouldn’t do this.”


    “Do what?” she spits at me.


    “Defy me.”


    “No, I didn’t. I said I’d be more considerate. I told you she was here. I had Prescott search her, and


    your other little friend, too. Prescott was with me the entire time. Now you’ve fired the poor woman,


    when she was only doing what I asked.” Ana is on a roll. “I told you not to worry, yet here you are. I


    don’t remember receiving your papal bull decreeing that I couldn’t see Le. I didn’t know that my


    visitors were subject to a proscribed list.” She’s mad, really mad, her voice rising and her eyes shing


    with righteous indignation.


    Impressive, Mrs. Grey.


    I marvel at how she always stands up to me and remains as disarming as ever. And she’s funny,


    sucking the venom of the room with her choice of words. “Papal bull?” I ask, because it’s the most


    amusing and disrespectful thing I’ve heard in a while, and I hope to raise a smile.


    Ana remains stony-faced.


    Shit. “What?” I ask, exasperated. I had hoped that we could move on, now that she’s got everything off


    her chest.


    “You. Why were you so callous toward her?”


    What? I wasn’t callous, I was mad. She shouldn’t be here.


    Hell.


    Sighing, I lean against the table. “Anastasia, you don’t understand. Le, Susannah—all of them—they


    were a pleasant, diverting pastime. But that’s all. You are the center of my universe. And thest time


    you two were in a room together, she had you at gunpoint. I don’t want her anywhere near you.”


    “But, Christian, she was ill.”


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    “I know that, and I know she’s better now, but I’m not giving her the benefit of the doubt anymore. What


    she did was unforgivable.”


    “But you’ve just yed right into her hands. She wanted to see you again, and she knew you’de


    running if she came to see me.”


    I shrug. “I don’t want you tainted with my old life.”


    Ana frowns. “Christian, you are who you are because of your old life, your new life, whatever. What


    touches you touches me. I epted that when I agreed to marry you, because I love you.”


    Where is she going with this?


    Her expression is raw, full ofpassion.


    But this time it’s not for me, but for Le.


    Who knew Le would find an advocate in my wife?


    “She didn’t hurt me. She loves you, too.”


    “I don’t give a fuck.”


    And no, she doesn’t love me. How could she?


    Le knows only too well what I’m capable of…


    Ana stares at me as if she’s seeing me for the first time.


    Oh, baby. I told you a long time ago. Fifty Shades.


    “Why are you championing her cause all of a sudden?” I ask, baffled.


    “Look, Christian, I don’t think Le and I will be swapping recipes and knitting patterns anytime soon.


    But I didn’t think you’d be so heartless to her.”


    “I told you once, I don’t have a heart,” I mutter, and even to my own ears I sound petnt.


    She rolls her eyes. “That’s just not true, Christian. You’re being ridiculous. You do care about her. You


    wouldn’t be paying for art sses and the rest of that stuff if you didn’t.”


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