Chapter 1

It was her first day of practice. It should be a happy day for Belle, but the only thing she could think about was to strangle her twin sister, Lacey. Although that hideous thought couldn`t help but have a great resentment towards her, if not hatred. Hate? No. She didn't hate her, she could not hate her sister. Nevertheless, it was her fault that she had lost the opportunity to practice in the largest and most prestigious publishing company of Strorybrooke `Sherwood Ltd.´, and instead she would practice in the ´Golden' law office. And all because of Lacey.

She never bothered that Lacey copied her in everything, as her father said, Lacey tried to look like her. She said nothing when Lacey chose the same subjects as her in high school, made no complain when her sister dyed her hair blonde while Belle did it and ´casually´ returned to her original tone at the same time she did. She kept quiet when Lacey, who didn't want to go to college, chose the same career as her; but that… that was too much to handle. Her sister knew from the first year of career, she wanted to end up working in a publishing company; it was her greatest aspiration and, what better than ´Sherwood Ltd.´?

How she got that job? Lacey's grades were mediocre, she barely attended to class, show no interest in all that; without mentioning the attitude of contempt and superiority that showed towards anyone who didn't go to bed with her. And why was she asking herself that? It was clear to her, and to all that knew her twin sister, that she had made some 'occasional favors' to her tutor to get that unique opportunity.

Something like that only occurred once in a life time and Lacey wasn't going to appreciate it.

Consequently, there she was, about to take the elevator of that centric and modern building. She was going to meet the CEO of the cabinet. Nor could she complain too much, the law firm 'Golden' enjoyed a good reputation in Storybrooke. Its winning percentage in courts was incredibly high. However, if there was something that company was known for, was its owner and director Rumplestiltskin Gold, or as everyone called him, Mr. Gold or only Mr. Known by all as a sullen and unfriendly man, lawyer eight hours of the workday and occasionally an eccentric lender.

The elevator doors opened and a flood of people filled the cabin. Belle pressed the button for the top floor as she passed by the panel and then carried away by the crowd to finish the mirror. The doors closed and on the upper screen, on the panel buttons were the numbers of the floors. She was nervous, very nervous. Usually practice staff isn't attended by the CEO. So why she would be interview by him? Why her? Belle looked at the yellow post-it had given the girl of reception.

" 20th floor,
Second door on the right. "

His heart was beating so fast that threatened to get out of the chest. She didn't understand why a man like would spend his time on her. The cab display dialed with the number twenty in red light and the doors opened. Now there were only a couple of people besides her in the elevator. Nobody noticed her; those two people came out of the cabin engrossed in thought and routine chores.

He breathed deeply and left. It looked like a battlefield, all spoke with each other or by telephone; drumming, arguing. She'd never missed so much silence. She forced herself to look away before anyone saw her and knew that "the coffee lady had arrived" because that's what she imagined her doing throughout the internship. Belle whirled towards the right corridor, starting toward the second door.

His fate was approaching; heartbeat echoed in her ears, closed her hand into a fist and rapped her knuckles three times on the door surface. She waited a few seconds but it seemed that no one was there, she glanced back doubtfully. She could not have been mistaken, not on her first day. She raised her hand again to knock on the door but before she couldn't do so, it opened showing an angry woman. Belle stepped back and reached down her eyes as fast as she could. The woman, a few years older, narrowed her blue eyes when she saw Belle, her dark curly hair falling on all sides into a sexy mess, she was tall and thin, she looked like a model.

"Milah" A male voice sounded behind her, his tone was empathic and threatening.

The tall woman turned in her heels to see her exhusband with a cocky and domineering attitude.

"We have nothing to talk about." She drily cut him, although it seemed that the man was not going to say much more. He simply had alerted her by pronouncing her name.

She, 'Milah' as he had called her, walked down the aisle clad in a gorgeous red Carolina Herrera dress. Belle looked stunned at the figure of the woman, on the other hand she had put on her favorite dress, blue, tight to his chest, that far from being from a recognized brand, was the from clothing store in his neighborhood. And yet she had to get up before Lacey, so she couldn't wear it.
The steps of that woman vanished on her way to the elevator. The door had been left open and Belle was ridiculously quiet. She looked up, to who was going to be his future boss. A man of average height, so, taller than her. With deep dark eyes, light brown hair and smooth touch that reached his shoulders. It was certainly much older than the woman who had just left. Dressed in a black Armani suit with matching shirt and red tie; resting the weight of his body on a wooden cane dipped in black oak veneer with gold handle.
The man looked at her straight in the eye with a serious expression while fun, Belle had been staring at him too much time without saying a word.

"Go…Goo..Good morning." Stuttered Belle. "I am…"

"The intern girl." He finished her sentence. Was it a custom in that company cut the words of another? "Come in."

She nodded without saying a word and obeyed. The man carefully turned on itself and went behind a second door in this room. She folowed him. Maybe, she might have seen something she should not. A dismissal? She did not want to think about it, Belle just wanted to make a good impression.
This door proved to be the entrance to an anteroom to the office. It was not so much decorated, a black drawing board, a computer, a reading lamp and chair with matching table. But what caught his attention was the Belle wall behind that desk chair, it was fully glazed, he could almost see the whole city from there.
"Do not stop." She threatened her thoughts "Keep walking."
In the dark wooden door that separated this outer office, hung a plaque that read:

"MR. GOLD
Managing Director "

She could almost feel like the blood froze in her veins and her stomach tighten. Was that man ? She had interrupted a reunion of her boss, no, it was worse, she might had interrupted a dismissal. Suddenly her steps were heavier, but she could do it! She was to sit in that chair at the desk of the CEO of that company and was going to show off their bright grades and her right to a promising job.
Mr. Gold sat on the padded black leather chair, before the glass wall also had his office. He supported the handle of the cane on the table and rested his elbows on the arm rests of the chair. He scratched his chin with one hand while the other opened the file that had sent him on that promising college student.
One by one flipped through the pages as Belle expected something uneasy in that chair. Thousands of confused ideas passed through her mind, just wanted to hear if she was accepted or not and let pass this hard time.

"Well Miss French" He began to speak turning his eyes to the computer screen and not paying attention to paperwork. "I've personally chose you for your dedication an academic record. You will work as my personal assistant, not only correcting my documents but also prepare and attend my schedule, and some other things" he added the last of her obligations with a gesture of his hand. That was not what she studied and prepare in her degree but, at least, was a job.

He wasn't looking her, if he did, he would have seen a brief smile forming on her lips. The air trapped in her lungs from nervousness slipped quietly by her smile.

"The room we just crossed, will be your office" He continued and raised his eyes to see her and her beautiful smile. She seemed to be enjoying that. Why? Was there something funny about the situation? "If you need anything to work, just tell me."

Belle nodded and got up from the chair, everything went well, she was finally an intern. She reviewed everything that had seen in that room and fell on something that did need.

"Sir…" She called her boss, who had turned to see his computer screen from the moment she got up.
"Yes?" he asked without looking at her.

"I'll need a printer."

Now, Mr. Gold looked away from the screen to look at his new intern 'poor innocent girl' he thought. Miss French was a golden fish who had left her quiet aquarium and enter de sharks swimming pool with the stupid idea she would fit in. A smirk appeared on his lips. 'A golden Fish' he thought looking at his intern up and down. 'A golden fish with beautiful legs.' But instantly forced himself to remove that thought from his mind.

"Miss French I'm not even that old." He joked.

"I make my corrections by hand" She explained. "That's how I detect the most errors."

Gold felt how each of those words hurt his ego. Errors? That girl did not even have the minimum work experience, did not know where she was.

"All right, tomorrow you'll have a printer, for now you can start reading my agenda and some documents I have send to your office mail." He explained returning his eyes to the screen. "It's all the information on your desk"

A lively and sincere smile appeared on Belle's lips as she left her boss office. That was not what she dreamed through her degree but, it was something to begin with.