AN: Hey y'all! First of all I don't own this. Duh! I wish though, but I'll be content in just letting my mind run crazy with them. Second, I need a beta-so email me please! Third, this WILL be rated M for a darn good reason. Forth, I'll be posting pictures soon, just have to figure out how. Reviews are addicting to me and the second chapter of this will be up soon-tomorrow night at the latest! Please Please PLEASE review!
I tried to keep the smile on my face as I closed the door to my new office. At 24, I had just been named the CEO of Cullen International-the highest grossing pharmaceutical company in the world according to the latest numbers and that was only the beginning. A new leukemia treatment that I had spent the last 5 years on was currently being put through the final tests from the FDA and we had received excellent results from our studies overseas.
My father Carlisle had stepped down, claiming that I deserved the control of the family corporation. He stepped over to be chairman, along with my brothers. My oldest brother Emmett was the one who would have be the next in line to inherit the company but he chose to be the 'salesman'-dealing with the people that made them the best of the best. Plus, Emmett was just too nice to be really in the boardroom or administrative posts since he wouldn't be able to hurt people's feelings.
Jasper, the middle brother was head of their legal department. His calming demeanor made his brutal closing arguments lethal and he had never lost a case in his bright career. He was one of the major reasons why they escaped that little government investigation claiming a monopoly on their part with certain chemotherapy medications and Jasper and Emmett's shear hard work was the only thing that had saved them billions. I personally couldn't do what they did-I had no patience for people. I belonged in the lab and I had built my career with people who compensated for my lack of proper social skills.
Of course I knew who to behave-my mother wouldn't have it any other way then the three of us perfect gentlemen, but I had no want to waste my time. I only needed my family-anyone else was expendable. I walked over to the wall behind my desk, of course it was completely glass-my mothers preferred light source for all our homes.
I saw the news crew vans slowly merging onto traffic, with only photographers left by the main doors. They had been my constant companion since I began to be published in medical journals and business magazines. When I joined the research department here at 18 and began churning out new drugs and improvements, I became a staple on the gossip rags and websites.
Apparently, I'm 'extremely good looking' according to most stories. I knew this already-I had been taking advantage of the fact ever since my mid-teens when I discovered that if I stopped trying to control my crazy hair, the girls would swarm around me.
A knock on the door saved me from my thoughts getting to dark, like they had been in recent times. I turned and sat down at the new desk, not able to keep the smile from my lips. Most would think that I didn't deserve this-too young, too rich, only reason why he received a doctorate in 3 years was because his family ties. But, for every naysayer, I had dozens of accolades.
I was the best. It was not a massive ego that made me say that either. I was the simple truth. Everything about my intellect was on a genius level. When I was 16, my parents had my IQ level tested at the request of several Ivy League universities and I had measured up at 200. The administrators retested me twice before they finally admitted my gifted mind.
At that time, I began to be courted by Harvard, Princeton, Cambridge, MIT, Yale, among others. I received lessons from Yale and Harvard during my first two years of high school, received my masters from MIT, a second masters from Cambridge over a summer vacation. But I went back to receive my doctorate from Dartmouth-the school of choice for my father's side of the family since the beginning of the institution. To this day my brothers and I swore that our father had actual tears in his eyes when I graduated for the last time at 21.
In my life, my single focus had been to be here-at the very top. I was always taking extra classes, going to rounds with my father when he was still practicing in a hospital. My only break came from his mother-she insisted on taking time for extracurricular activities like sports and clubs. When I was around five, she discovered another 'gift'-music.
After that, my main source of relaxation became music, from playing to listening to rare bands that had been forgotten. Whether I was playing myself or just closing my eyes to listen to whatever my choice of entertainment was, I felt more at ease while something was playing in the background.
I sat at my desk, using the touch screen to turn on the flat screen monitors to the news, stocks, and the medical news channel that should start broadcasting my information any second. I should have been used to it by now, but it still bothered me that I was treated more like a celebrity then a scientist but the gossip rags were relentless and if I so much as held the door open for some random woman, I was supposedly attached to her in the romantic sense.
If any of them only knew-I already had the perfect woman. Years would never change that instant spark, that one person that I would kill to have-my dark thoughts were quickly interrupted by a soft knock.
In came Angela, my right hand man-and she earned that name. She was as sweet as an angel, but knew how to get anything and everything done. She had proven herself over the years and had balls of brass and I wouldn't be as successful without her. Plus, she was a little piece of home and I had brought her along when I was hired to work in the labs.
"Edward, the reports on James Hunter have come up from security. Nothing really out of the ordinary this week." She said, walking over and handing me a blue folder with our company logo on the cover. I nodded quickly skimming the first few pages. "Tell security to keep on him. I want him out within the month. And void his access to any new research.
How are we with FDA on Gleevec?" I asked, referring to one of my pet projects-a drug that has been testing positively for the past three years and it was currently being fast tracked through the political red tape since our results have been fast tracked due to such great results.
"Well…" She said with a grin. When I looked up with a raised brow, she simply handed me a heavy envelope with the white house seal.
"Where's my father?" I asked, weighing it in my hand.
"He should be done with his board meeting in about 10 minutes."
"Please have him come immediately to my office. Tell him to drop everything and hold my calls and any visitors until he leaves please."
She just smile and nodded, walking over to door. "Edward?" She said softly right before she left, making me raise my head. "Congratulations. I can't think of another person who deserves all this besides you."
"Thanks, Ang. It means more to me hearing someone who has been with me longest then reporters sprouting out rumors that they got online."
With another smile, she left. I was about to open my top right door when Emmett and Jasper walked in without a knock. "When looky looky at our new fucking boss man." Emmett yelled a wide grin on his face.
Jasper walked in behind him, with a smile of his own, but almost silently. It was always strange to think that we were related, in fact, barely a year separated each of us in age. Emmett had a larger than life personality. If he was in the room, you heard it and his humor had cause him to be banned in quite a few establishments, but he was the most loyal person in the world. Yes, he acted like a child half the time, but that was just him and no one would ever want to change a thing. Jasper was the silent calm one. After a year in Iraq, he gave up his military career and recommitted himself to passing his bar exams. Without each other, they were incomplete and even if their personalities were so different, they were a tight unit.
When Emmett had met his now wife as a high school senior, the fact that Rosalie and I didn't exactly get along was a threat. She was outspoken, spoiled and harsh when she wanted to be. But I swallowed my opinions and kept silent because my brother loved her so very much. Luckily, her behavior mellowed after an extended honeymoon where she became more docile-still bold as brass Rose, but with a touch of quiet devotion, very similar to how his mother acted like.
Jasper had been taken over by a little twig named Mary Alice Brandon. A woman that barely reached our shoulders but had enough energy to power all of Seattle. If I didn't like her so much, I'd shoot myself whenever she got close. But after two years, she had managed to grow on me, and we had a great relationship-just as long as she was my personal shopper and had the ok to leave my outfits picked out. Of course this just made my life easier-to get dressed I just needed to pick a hanger and be done.
My parents were my core though. I reached my position so fast and so perfectly to prove to my father that I could have everything. That all his worries over my mental health from the stress of so many different lessons would be worth it. Without them I would have most certainly be either dead or in a mental institution.
My father Carlisle realized that I wasn't normal after I turned one year old, according to him. He developed an educational program for me that allowed me to be challenged, yet kept me with my peers and it had worked. I began in earnest during freshman year-after my regular day and sports or clubs, I had lecture notes and special online courses to take on top of sports and music. He repeatedly said that if I ever wanted a break, all I needed to do was say the word and I'd be done with the extras, but I viewed that as failure. I saw how proud he was of all of us-Emmett with sports, Jasper with the military stint and now his law practice that was being formed on the side. I had my mind, and inherited his love of medicine. Of course I couldn't just be happy with being a surgeon or a regular doctor like my father was for so many years. Great grandpa Cullen had founded this company as an Irish immigrant right off the boat, being half Irish, half Italian-he had the balls and street knowledge to plow his way through medical school while working filthy nights in the slums.
He was idol, my namesake. Mr. Edward Antony Cullen had the guts to overcome every obstacle. I remember being a young boy of five; I used to sit on his lap while he told me stories of his youth. He recalled how hard it was to push recruiting mobsters away when they offered better paying work and his way out of the ghettos but he stuck to his guns and did what he was supposed to do. I remember rushing up the church pews, just for a chance to sit next to him.
He was always there-for every sport or competition, supporting the three great grandchildren even as his company grew and demanded more time, he was still there for us. When he passed, we were all devastated. It was the one year that I truly wasn't interested in doing anything but sleep or hurt something. My brothers and I took up boxing, just for an excuse to hit something as hard as we could. We practiced football harder, getting us benched more than a few times for excessive force. Fight broke out and finally our parents moved us away to a small town.
I couldn't let myself remember Forks right now. That topic wasn't something to rack my mentality right now since it usually makes me try to drown my thoughts out with a bottle of whiskey and I didn't like losing control like that. One picture in the press of me while drunk would lose me my standing of being the best. As grandpa Cullen said, keep your mistakes behind lock and key because your rivals will eat you alive while you still think you're best friends.
It was a lesson that I still took to heart. I trusted my family and about 10 other people. They worked for me and I was social with them, but I still kept surveillance on each of them, watching out for my family, business, and my own back. So far, they had all remained loyal, but I would destroy them in a second. I had done it before with the coach that had ruined Emmett's chance at a football scholarship. Coach Santine had blown his star players knee and back because of too many practices and games. He was headed to Udub to head their football program when I called in a few favors and now he's working as a bagger in the local Walmart.
When a message appeared on my blackberry, I knew my day started really when I was told that my first appointment entered the building. Of course Angela had already pulled the files that I needed, alone with a post it reminding me that Mr. Sullivan's wife had just given birth to their third child, along with a few other conversational topics before we started with business. I had everything memorized in under a minute and buzzed Angela to come in to be ready to take notes.
After 10 minutes, they both walked in. and he stood to greet them. I didn't have time to dwell on the past. My hold of the top was too new, too criticized for me to be able to make some sense out of my personal life right now.
Bpov
I sighed as the last box was finally ready to be shipped out. I had just received the final letter of my scholarship. I had worked and studied for years-having to settle for community college for the first two years, then a break to take care of my mother and now I had my ticket out.
Dartmouth. That had been our goal since we were 16. At first it was just a dream. I was too realistic to truly allow myself to think that it was going to happen. I had decent grades-but not the top spot. I wasn't in any sports or clubs, no money or connections to call upon. Just a dream from the love that I had let go of and now I was taking it.
Of course I had followed his life for the past few years. In the small town of Forks it was hard not to. He was the golden child who was making an impact on the world, plus making generous donations to the town and helping the businesses stay afloat.
When it hurt too much I ignored the tabloids, news and internet. After so many years, I knew that he must have forgotten about me. I wasn't vain enough to think that he pined away for me like I did for him.
I looked down at the box, carefully labeling it "Edward". It amazed me that my life was able to fit into such a small place. For four months, I was happy. My life was as perfect as it could ever be-I had love. A real I'll-love-you-for-the-rest-of-my-life soul mate type of love.
My first day at Forks High was what one would expect-I was the biggest news much to my embarrassment. I had seen all the looks, heard all the whispered and tried to just settle in and pay attention to classes that I already knew.
I was at lunch when I first saw them. My table was appentaly joined to the popular kids table. I had been hearing about the Cullen boys the whole day-in between the giggles I had been told that they 'ruled the school'. After a while I had learned to ignore all talks about them. Jessica Stanley had pretty much demanded that I join the group. I had already been coming up with a way to make myself scarce from them starting tomorrow.
I wasn't the popular girl. I was beautiful, or sporty. I didn't date or socialize much. I preferred quieter pastimes-reading, writing, cooking-things that didn't interest girls my age much. Growing up with a person like my mother made me wiser in many ways and I skipped being frivolous, making sure that food was on the table and that the bills were paid fairly on time.
When she remarried, I wanted to give them space. Watching my mother being groped and giddy wasn't very comfortable for me. During a weekly call to my father Charlie, the conversation eventually turned to the offer to come live with him in Forks.
I loved my father. We were both cut from the same cloth-we were quiet, comfortable with silence. We loved each other, but there was no need for words, his little gestures proved how much he did. So a few weeks later I was on my way, everything fitting into two suitcases and a carryon bag.
I never knew that my life would change so much so fast. I had thought that had a good life until then-never realizing what I was missing. Four months had changed me utterly and after all the pain, I knew I wouldn't change a thing. I those four months I had learned what it was to honestly live for someone else, to feel a love so strong that it would sustain me for years and even though It hurts, I refuse to let go of the memories.
