I am not a killer. I am not a killer. I needed to remind myself of that. Every day I was just a little closer to snapping, and strangling him in his sleep. But I knew. I just knew Mama and Papa wouldn't approve. I would endure. I would survive until I came up with an alternative plan. I needed something better than killing my rapist in his sleep.

Chapter One

As the snow fell outside, Isabella Swanson prepared to meet her doom. It wasn't as if an arranged marriage was the worst thing that could happen to anyone. It was just the worst thing that could happen to her. Bella sighed as she pulled her long dark hair up into a ribbon. She had been preparing for this moment her whole life it seemed. She was the picture of perfection tonight. A soft, blush colored gown made her ivory skin glow. The corset contraption her mother insisted that she wear made her waist look tiny. Bella knew she wasn't awful looking. She just would never consider herself beautiful. She knew people complimented her face, saying she often looked angelic. With soft, long dark brown hair, big brown eyes, a round face, and full red lips, they weren't far off. But for the first time, tonight, on the eve of her seventeenth birthday...she truly felt...beautiful.

As Bella admired her reflection, she let her mind wonder with thoughts of her intended. Gustave would do well enough. Although she didn't know him well, she trusted her parents judgment. Her mother had always told her that when trying to find a husband, there were many traits to consider. Honesty, loyalty and fortitude were all admirable qualities in a man. However, the most important trait of all was wealth. Money. Something she knew her parents were running out of. And fast.

Charles and Renee Swanson had immigrated to America in 1882 with five dollars to their name. If you listened close enough, you could still hear the Nordic inflection in their speech. Sweden was a brutal place to live. The winters were cold, the summers hot and work was scarce. America, New York specifically, was the land of opportunity. No man could resist the temptation.

That was twenty years ago. Her father had made a name for himself. Charles Swanson was a senator after all. One of two in the state of New York. His rise in politics had allotted his family with a life of luxury. They lived in a fine, fine house. Employed countless staff to maintain it and indulged in parties almost weekly. Renee enjoyed her fancy clothes and her high society friends. Charles enjoyed his card tables. Yes, Charles Swanson could never refuse a black jack table.

Things had changed subtly over the last five years for the family as they compensated for Charles's growing debt. Few staff had been let go. Trips to the city become fewer and far between. And when the Swanson's financial situation became the most desperate, marrying off their own daughter to the wealthiest suitor became the last option.

Gustave Destler was most certainly wealthy. His parents were too Swedish immigrants. But instead of getting involved in politics, they invested in drug stores. After a tragic automobile accident two years earlier, young Gustave was left with quite a fortune. He was tall, handsome and well off. Every girls dream. So naturally, When he set his sites on Isabella, her parents could not have been more thrilled.

Bella was pulled put of her thoughts by a soft knock on her bedroom door. Her mother entered the room, a flurry of dark magenta silk and blonde hair. " Are you ready my darling?" she spoke softly. Bella contemplated her words. Was she indeed ready? She knew her party was nothing but an excuse to make her engagement public. A very crafty move by her parents to kill two birds with one stone. "I suppose I am" she replied, although it came out as more of a whisper than she intended.

Renee could hear her daughter's hesitation "There will be none of that, this is an exciting day for you, a birthday is something to celebrate". A birthday Bella thought. A whole throng of people with their attention on her. How mortifying. Bella hated attention. It only seemed to cause accidents when you were as clumsy as she was. Not to mention the ever present blush on her cheeks when she caught people looking at her too intently. No, Bella didn't feel like celebrating.

Renee smiled, turned on her heel, and exited the room. Her daughter followed closely behind.

The ride into the city was quiet. Charlie was dressed to the nines in a blue smoking jacket and beige pants, mustache perfectly curled at the ends. But sitting across from his wife and daughter Charlie felt nervous. Carlise Culleniza would most certainly be paying him a visit tonight. Charlie was over a million dollars in the hole. Carlise was tired of waiting. Charlies' last hope was that his Isabella's engagement to Gustave Destler would buy him a little more time. A hasty engagement and quick wedding would provide him with the dowry money to pay Carlise back. Then he would never borrow from the Culleniza crime family again. He just needed a little more time.

The car came to a stop outside of the Plaza Hotel, the building already bursting with excitement. Bella took a deep breathe, grasped her fathers hand and exited the car. They approached the building slowly. The walk up to the glass and gold front doors seeming more like a walk to the scaffolds for a hanging.

As the doors opened to the ball room, Bella couldn't help but think that her mother had really outdone herself. The giant room was decorated elegantly in ivory and gold tones. Silk table cloths and fresh flowers adorned at least fifty small round tables. The chandelier in the center of the room seemed to give the soft tones an ethereal glow. "Oh mother!" she said "How beautiful!". Renee smiled as Bella kissed her on the cheek. The silent thank you that meant more to her mother than any words could express. It wasn't as if Bella wasn't an affectionate person, but she seemed to dislike physical contact like her husband. So the small gesture of affection did not go unnoticed by Renee.

As Charlie led his daughter down the grand stair case in the center of the room, he scanned the crowd for the devastatingly handsome face of Carlise Culleniza. The two mens' eyes met over the throng of well wishers. Charles swallowed back lump in his throat as he approached the handsome blonde man, Bella's hand still in his with Renee following closely behind.

"Mr. Culleniza!" Charles bellowed, hoping the volume of his voice would not betray his nervousness. "Thank you for coming to our gathering to celebrate our Isabella". Carlise smiled like a Cheshire cat exposing the entire top row of perfectly straight, white teeth. Bella couldn't help but notice that everything about this man seemed perfect. He was tall. Well over six foot. With perfectly styled blonde hair and oceanic blue eyes. He had angular cheek bones, a straight nose and full lips. All his features would have seemed feminine if not for a strong, sharp jaw. Bella was snapped out of her internal musings by hers father's vice grip on her hand.

It was only then that she heard Carlise speak. "Ahhh the beautiful Isabella. Such a pleasure to meet you. Happy Birthday!" As he kissed the back of her hand, Bella could not help but feel as though something was wrong. He didn't let go of her hand as he continued speaking. " Seventeen is such a milestone. You must be so proud Charlie! I'm sure this beautiful young lady has suitors lining up for miles". He smiled again, perfect teeth and all. Bella's cheeks heated with the intensity of her blush. She looked to her father for an answer, but he seemed incapable of speech. His face had taken on a green color as though he might be physically ill. Bella replied softly to the beautiful man who still has a hold on her hand. "Thank you for your kind words sir. I had hoped to announce my engagement to Mr. Destler this evening". Carlise seemed to contemplate her words before he spoke. "Gustave Destler ?" he replied " The boy who owns the drug stores?". "Yes sir" Bella replied, avoiding his eyes. Carlise smiled again before he spoke.,"A shame then.". Before Bella could reply she was roughly pulled forward against Carlise's chest as his free arm pulled a gun. Charlie gasped as he stared down into the barrel of Carlise's weapon and watched as his only daughter attempted to free herself from the blonde's grasp. "Did you think you could borrow from me Charlie and not face the consequences?" Carlise snarled. Before Charlie could reply two shots rang out into the ball room hitting their intended targets, both Charlie and Renee. "No matter." Carlise said as his grip on Bella's waist tightened "Consider your debt repaid in full!". Bella looking down at the marble floors soaked with her parents blood and felt as though her limbs suddenly weighed a ton. She looked back to Carlise's smiling face as she let blackness consume her.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading the first chapter of my first fanfic! The next chapter will be an EPOV. Please feel free to review. Come back next week for an update! xoxox Scarlett