A/N: A big shout out to all of you who have taken an interest in this new story. Thank you so much for your reviews :-) I am hoping to continue on with it. Any feedback is much appreciated. Thank you.

CHAPTER TWO

(BPOV)

I could hear his solid footsteps as he walked the hall, the sound of them making me cringe. I clutched the dampened cloth to my swollen cheek, wincing when I applied pressure to stop the bloods flow. My ragged appearance now reflected back at me through jagged shards of broken glass that remained in fragments from the broken mirror. He had thrown me into it, his hand wrapping around my throat before he hit me across the face. The force of it had been enough to leave my vision blurred and my head spinning.

I stared long and hard at my reflection as a soft knock came to the bathroom door.

"Isabella, I didn't mean- I just lost my cool for a second. You know how I get. Are you alright?" Damien asked, his tone changing swiftly from rage to caring, like the Jekyll and Hyde he often portrayed. This was his song and dance, the one he did every time he hit me. I didn't respond to him, my hands shaking as I turned away from the bathroom sink and searched for the butterfly bandages. The blood continued to trickled down my face as I removed the cloth and applied the two strip bandages to the deep gash. I glanced around, seeing the many blood spots the stained the white tile floor beneath my feet. I cautiously stepped around the glass, sitting down on the edge of the tub as Damien's voice grew louder from outside the locked door.

"Let me in, Isabella. You know better than to keep me waiting. That's not a smart choice on your part. You should know better by now. Has our past encounters not taught you a damn thing?"

His stern tone made me instinctively wince as I thought of the consequences if I kept silent and ignored his request. The sound of Clareese's voice made me still as she addressed him in the hall.

"Damien... Mr. Pruit is here for your lunch meeting about the advertisement bill you requested. He is downstairs and the lunch meal you ordered is on the table. I have him waiting with the blueprints."

"Thank you, Clareese. I shouldn't keep him waiting long. This deal is very important." He replied, his footsteps soon retreating in a rush.

I let out a breath I had been holding for what felt like minutes, my eyes filling with tears when the maids voice carried in to me.

"It's alright now, dear. He's gone. His meeting will last about an hour. May I come in? Please?"

I hesitated for only a brief moment before rising to my feet, and slowly unlocking the door for her. She hurried to my side, taking my face in her hands and examining the gash that continued to bleed, despite the bandages.

"He got you good this time, Bella. You might need a few stitches for that to heal right. That's a deep cut." She sighed, glancing at the mirror and shaking her head. "Are you cut anywhere else?"

"No, just my face this time. But I can't cover it like all the rest."

Clareese knew well of Damien's temper, his outbursts toward me often on display for her to see or hear, but this was the first time she had come to me afterwards and I worried for what that could mean for her job with him.

"You didn't have to come, Clareese. I don't want you in trouble. You best go now." I warned her, as she dabbed at the blood with a fresh cloth.

"Don't you worry about me. I can take care of myself. I have seen many of your kind come and go."

I pulled back from her, my body feeling chilled to the bone from her words. "... Many?"

She nodded, her face plagued with saddened regret as she turned on the cold water, rinsing down the blood in the sink. "As you know, I have worked with Damien's family now for nearly two decades, but I have been his maid alone for only five of those years and in that time I've seen countless young women just like you, get reeled in by his charm and money, only to leave months later with the bruises from his hands on their skin."

I felt sick, my very skin beginning to crawl at the picture she painted for me.

"You've known him to be this way... all this time, Clareese? Why haven't you reported him? All those women?"

"I am here illegally Bella and Damien knows he could end my entire world with one phone call if he wanted to. My children are grown now. They have lives here and I don't want them to be pawns in his games, so I choose to be silent and it haunts me. But you- have haunted me the most. I hear him at night... what he says and does to you. I'm beginning to think that the price of my silence is one that's too high for me to keep paying. You seem like a very intelligent woman, Bella. With people who love you back home. I hope you're not angry with me for telling you this, but you left your purse on the island in the kitchen last week and I am ashamed to admit I looked through it, trying to find a phone number I could call for you. Someone who would come here and help you. I saw the pictures... of your father and your mother... and the one of you with the handsome young man... Jacob is it?"

"Yes, that's Jacob."

"He's back home, right?"

I nodded, watching her as she swept up the glass that littered the bathroom floor.

"It's a real sweet picture you have of the two of you. Where was it taken?" She asked curiously as she busied herself with cleaning up the mess Damien had made.

"It was taken on the day I graduated High School, in front of my fathers house." I replied, recalling the memory of when Charlie had insisted on taking the photo before I had removed my cap and gown. Jacobs smile was what convinced me to take the photo for him. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders, placing a kiss into my hair and then smiling wide for the camera. Charlie had caught both moments and I had come to cherish the pictures.

"A picture is worth a thousand words. As the saying goes. This Jacob really cares for you. I can see that just from the photos." Clareese replied, glancing my way. "I am sorry for getting into your things."

"It's okay." I replied, not having the heart to be upset with her. She had taken a chance in an effort to help me.

"Damien tracks your calls. He always has. Be careful of this. He has a lot of power because of the money he possesses. He's not above hiring someone to do his dirty work for him. Just know that. Your Jacob back home... he looks strong. Like he could handle himself?"

I shuddered as I nodded in reply to her, my head filling with Jacobs sunny smile.

"If you stay with him, Isabella, it will only get worse." She warned, her eyes going to the clock on the wall behind me. "You have forty- minutes before his meeting ends."

I met her gaze, seeing the urgency behind it and knowing where her thoughts were. She pulled out a cell phone from her pocket then, handing it to me with a weary expression. I took it from her and dialed Jacobs number with trembling fingers, my heart pounding against my chest as I waited for his voice to cut through the line. The answering baritone I heard came from Billy instead, his greeting short when he picked up.

"Hello, Black residence?"

I swallowed hard, feeling the tears sting my eyes at the relief that I had reached him.

"Billy?"

"Yes this is he. Who is this?" He asked, the confusion in his tone evident. My voice was small and hoarse as I tried to speak louder for him to hear.

"It's Bella."

"Bella? Well, hello there stranger. Haven't heard from you in a long time. Been wondering how you are up there in the big city. We sure missed you at Christmas."

I burst into tears at his words, seeing Clareese quickly close the bathroom door in response, her eyes wide with fear as I covered my mouth, trying to silence the emotion so Damien wouldn't hear.

Billy's voice took on a whole new tone with me then, gone was the happy and carefree as he questioned me.

"Bella, what's the matter? Are you okay? Charlie just left here but I could-"

"No, Billy. Don't call him. I need you to listen to me- please... and if we get cut off, don't call me back. Wait for me to call you." I hurriedly instructed.

"What's going on, hun? Are you hurt or in some kind of-" He paused then, his words changing at the sound of someone entering the house. I heard the warm voice in the background as it approached, my hands nearly dropping the phone when Billy spoke again. "... Jacob- it's Bella. You hold on just-"

There was the sound of a bang followed by a curse before his voice rang clear through the line.

"Bells? Honey? Are you there?"

"Jacob..." I whispered, the very sound of his voice a comfort to me, despite the distance.

"Are you alright, honey? I'm sorry I missed your call earlier. I've been worried- I haven't heard from you since-"

"I know. It's been... months-" I replied, unable to stop the tears that came.

"Honey... why are you crying? Is everything okay?"

I drew in a shuddering breath and glanced toward Clareese who stood by the door, listening for any sign of Damien's return.

"No... I'm not okay." I told him, my fingertips grazing over the gash with his reply.

"What happened, Bells. Are you hurt?"

"Yeah..." I cried, trying to silence my tears as I clutched the phone tightly. "Jacob... I-"

The sound of Damien's sudden shouting sent panic jolting through me as Clareese turned and motioned for me to hang up.

"Bells... Honey? Talk to me, sweetheart."

"I have to go... But I promise I'll call you back. Just as soon as I can. Wait for my call." I whispered, hearing his protest before I ended the call.

"No- Honey! Don't hang up with me. Tell me where you are-"

I pressed the red button, cutting him off and tossing the cell to Clareese who got down on her hands and knees with a towel, pretending to be scrubbing the floor when Damien stormed in, his eyes looking murderous with his anger as they met mine. He ordered her away, and she glanced my way with sorrow before adhering to his demand and leaving us alone.

He was fast to approach me, his hands reaching out for me. I flinched away from him as my stomach churned from his closeness.

"I see Clarise tended to your face. It'll heal in a few days." He casually stated, his eyes still angry despite his calm tone. "Get cleaned up. We have the business dinner with my father and mother to attend in a few hours. I've laid out your dress for the evening and I'll have Clareese draw you a warm bath. I expect you ready by six. No later. I'm sure Clareese can help you put on some makeup to cover that cut."

I forced myself to nod in reply, feeling his fingertips touch my cheek and then slide down my neck. I wanted to scream when his hand reached for the buttons on my blouse, undoing them swiftly and nodding for me to take it off. I did so mechanically, seeing his angry gaze become clouded with fevered lust as he leaned in and kissed me. My body felt numb as his hands dipped down to the hem of my jeans.

"Hurry up and get ready." He soon told me, stepping away when his cell rang. I covered myself as Clareese returned to draw the bath as he asked her to. She looked me up and down, seeing he had not harmed me further and offered me a guarded nod, careful Damien wasn't watching as she did so.

I sunk down into the tub, feeling the water caress my skin, it's heat reminding me of Jacob as I laid there in the oversized tub. I scrubbed my skin until it was red, trying to rid the feel of his hands on me. No amount of soap would do and as I filled the tub with more water, the memory of Jacobs warm voice came back to me. His frantic tone playing in my head over and over as I sunk down deeper into the water. I thought of his embrace, how safe it made me feel and I ached for it now.

When the water grew cold for the third time, I forced myself out of the tub, dreading the nights escapades before they had even begun. This would be the third company business dinner I had attended, each of them ending the same as the one before, with Damien parading me around like some sort of trophy he had obtained and his alcohol binge bringing with it a fresh dose of pain for me. I dressed in a hurry, my skin crawling at the mere sight of the red silk dress with a plunging backline that left little to the imagination. I felt exposed, knowing how handsy some of his drunken colleagues could get and wanting nothing more than to rip the dress off and throw it in the trash. I brushed out my long locks, noticing how the thick strands fell below my mid back now, which made any style a timely effort to put forth. I curled the ends and coated my lashes with mascara, waiting on Clareese who hurriedly applied enough foundation to cover the wound from his harsh hand. When the clock struck six, I rose from the vanity and slipped into the black heals Damien himself had chosen to accompany my dress attire for the evening.

"You look beautiful." Clareese whispered. "Keep quiet and bide your time there. It'll keep him happy and he won't suspect anything."

I took her advice and headed down the long stair case, seeing Damien waiting at the bottom with an outstretched hand to me. I took it with a forced smile, leaving with him in the luxury car that was parked out front. I could play this game and I could play it well. I had proved my strength during his abuse. I had endured more than anyone ever should and I was going to use that same strength to escape.