Chapter Three

Waking up is never pleasant.

I groan, slamming my hand on the alarm clock next to the bed before throwing myself off the bed before my body takes over and lets me collapse back on the bed. I stumble towards the bathroom to the right, rubbing my eyes to get the sleep out and to help adjust to the new light. Quickly, I take my shower, letting the steaming hot water do its work on the cramped muscles on my back and to wake me up completely.

Toweling myself dry, I get changed into my suit before brushing my teeth. Before going down stairs, I decide to check in on Bella, seeing if she's still sleeping like an angel. I open the door next to mine, my heart stops as so many emotions flow through me. I don't see the brunette beauty sleeping on the bed, she's nowhere in sight.

Did she leave? My emotions start to rage, worry, fear, hurt, all overwhelm my body. I had told her that if she wanted to she could run and tell the world, did she actually go and do that? I can't help but feel betrayed at the moment, letting her into my house and having her run out like that, I curl my fists into balls as I stomp down stairs, my teeth grit together as I walk into the kitchen, instantly taken aback from my own sight.

Bella, seated herself at the table with bacon, eggs, toast and coffee in front of her, she didn't leave…My anger disappeared almost instantly as her wide doe eyes found mine. She bite's her lip, speaking, "I hope you don't mind…"

I chuckle, she blushes, shaking my head, "No, I don't mind, I said you're welcome to anything in the kitchen." Damn I feel like an idiot.

She gave me a small nod in appreciate, "I made some for you too…It's on the pan."

"That's very considerate of you Bella, thank you." I smile, her face instantly going a deeper red then before, I can't help but admire how beautiful she looks with the red ting marrying her pale completion, truly magnificent. Walking over to the pantry, I grab out a plate and the tong's as I grab out the pieces of bacon, eggs, and sausage from the pan, filling my mug with black coffee. I honestly can't remember the last time I've had a proper breakfast, I normally just grab out a breakfast bar or an apple and eating it on the way to the city.

Sitting at the table in the chair beside Bella, I took in a whiff of the aroma the hot food gives out before grabbing the ketchup as I start to wolf it down. Feeling eyes on my, I look over to Isabella on my side, she looking at me with an amuse look. I swallow, "What?"

She blush, shaking her head as she grab her coffee mug with a small smile, "Someone seems hungry…"

Laughing, I nod, "Yep, very." Biting into another piece of the sausage. I hadn't eaten since yesterday morning, when Carlisle told me yesterday afternoon, I didn't feel like eating, and, well, I'm a guy, I'm allowed to be hungry!

As soon as I finish eating and drinking my coffee, I place my mug on top of the plate and I get up to take the dish's to the sink, Bella stopping me instantly, "Here, I'll take them."

I smile at her, "Thanks."

Nodding, she takes the plate from my hand, I push my chair in before going to grab my laptop and suitcase from beside the door, grabbing the keys before going once more to Bella, "I have to go to work now."

She looks up from the sink, obviously washing the dishes, "Okay."

"Feel free to explore the house, the basement is the games room and there's a gym in the room next to the living room, feel free to keep yourself entertained."

"Thank you…again."

I nod, "No worries, just, remember the rules, no telephone, no answering the door or anything."

"Okay, have a nice day." She offer.

"You too."

Walking to my car I throw my laptop and suit case on the passenger seat, opening the roller door as I reversed into the driveway, closing it as soon as I was out before speeding off to the office. What's it going to be like? Working at the office, and with Carlisle, while he thinks that I have killed the same girl that's living in my house? No one can know, I'm no idiot, but would this ever end? I don't think Bella is allowed to leave my house ever again considering that she's dead to the world.

That would mean my life would be at a standstill, wouldn't it? Not so much though, I mean, I don't have any one over unless it's for an emergency, I never bring females around, I try to ignore them. What about Alice? She's practically my sister, Carlisle adopted her the same time as he had me, we've been each other's fall backs, we're best friends, can I tell her? Should I tell her? I can barely keep anything from her before, and now with her pregnant it's like she has ESP!

Just wait until you see her Edward, if she knows something is up, tell her, if not, then leave it!

Pulling up at the parking lot outside of the building, I grabbed my necessities before locking the door and making my way forwards to work. I may be a few things, but oblivious, I am not. Walking in, every female –a few males- heads turn to me, I know for a fact that I have looks, I just don't use them to get me places like most vultures in society now-a-days. Just walking through to the elevator I could visibly see drawl running down some of the secretaries chin, I found it amusing when they do this, I'd never hit on anyone in the office though, office is a place to work, be professional, not a tool.

Getting in the elevator, I clicked the button for the twenty-third floor, my floor. Going up there, it took three stops at different floors as more people came on as much as they left. By the time I stood on my lonesome, I got to my floor. There's only one floor above this, and that's the roof. There's only five offices' on this floor, Carlisle's, Aro, Marcus, Caius, and mine.

All Carlisle Aro, Marcus and Caius were the founders of Cullen. Co and the notorious Cullen's clan. The only reason why I'm the CFO is because of Carlisle, me being his –adopted- son I get more privileges, not to mention graduating business school with honors and top of the class made me more…equipped then most. Walking to my office, Tanya, my assistant, greets me with a warm smile, "Morning Mr. Cullen."

"Tanya," I smile, heading straight to my desk, my laptop on desk, my suitcase to the side. Tanya walks up to my desk, her strawberry blond hair flowing around her face and frame till half way around her back, she is definitely something, only problem is, she knows it, "You have your board meeting-"

I cut her off, "In ten minutes, I know Tanya, you baby me too much."

She giggles, "I wouldn't if you didn't need me to," I give her a playful stern look, "Okay! Well, remember to be early."

"I will." I always am.

Before leaving, she hesitates, "Edward?"

"Yes." I look up from the stack of paper work.

"I was wondering…Later, did you want to go and get drinks?"

I sigh, "Tanya…"

"Alright, alright! Can't blame a girl for trying." She winks.

Chuckling, I shake my head, "Only you Tanya."

Laughing, she walks back to her desk, going through some of the many paper work stacks that I gave her, I truly feel sorry for her, I truly do. Grabbing my laptop once again, I walk out into the hall ways, only to meet Carlisle. He gives me his Hollywood white smile, "Edward, son, how are you my boy?"

I smile, "I'm doing fine Carlisle."

"What ever happened to dad?"

It went down the toilet the first day you sent me to kill a man, "Went out the door as soon as I walked into the office."

Carlisle chuckled, "Well, your mom wants us to come over to your place for dinner, she miss's you."

Instantly, I feel my heart skip a beat before hammering, "No." Shit!

He frowned, "Why not?"

Quickly, I recomposed my stance, laughing, "I mean, no, it's my turn to come over to yours."

He seemed to buy it, he shrugs, "As long as it's you, Esme wouldn't mind."

I let out a small, barely noticeable sigh, that was close…I doubt that Bella would want to be stuck in the games room all night, not to mention whenever having Carlisle and Esme over, they invite my siblings –not that I mind- but we always go to the games room to mess around and play pool or darts, there isn't a room in that house that doesn't get walked through when they're over, Esme likes to come and check if I clean my house properly. I can't help but roll my eyes at the thought of Esme thinking MY house being messy, if there is one thing I don't tolerate, it's messes, Rosalie's and Emmett's on the other hand…

The rest of the walk became nothing but small talk, going to the board room, I sit at the second to the left as Carlisle sit's at the head, everyone slowly forwarding in until every seat got taken up, the meeting proceeds. Taking notes on my laptop, throwing in suggestions and undermining others.

Four and a half hours later…

My ass is starting to go numb…

Sadly, this isn't the longest board meeting I've ever been to, the longest I've been to started at three and ended at midnight, only because I just got up and left, Carlisle scold me about it the next day. I rub my temples to try and release the mind numbing head ache I'm enduring, still, we hadn't made a decision over if we should put money into a crummy down town space. They want to turn it into a car park, Carlisle…I don't know what he wants to do with it, but I do know that it has something to do with the mafia.

Carlisle gets up from his chair, all eyes turning to him as he stands out and place the chair back in, "Gentlemen, ladies, the space on Kevels Street is not to be wasted on a car park, if you find a better idea, please, let me know. Until then, meeting adjourned."

Those words are like music to my ears, I get up instantly, my muscles starting to spasm as they suddenly have weight on them. Ignoring the pain shooting through my legs and upper thighs, I shadow Carlisle, following him to his office. He opens the door, allowing me to go in before he does so himself. Closing and locking the door, he sits down at his desk, I sitting in one of the designer chairs in front of his desk, he smiles, "What do you need Edward?"

"How is your buddy Charlie going?" I spit acid.

He sighs, relaxing in his chair as he lets his hands flop over the handles, "He's starting to come to."

"Does he even know that his daughter is sleeping with the fishes?" I ask.

"He's known from the moment she got placed at the warehouse." Carlisle admitted.

My rage spiked, "You mean to tell me that that girl was placed as dead from the moment Emmett took her?!"

Carlisle kept a cool and calm exterior, "Edward, I know you have morals-"

"You're damn right I do!" I cross my arms like a teen being stubborn.

"But it's really the only way we could go about it Edward, think, with Charlie, we have complete control of the Chicago's law officials. We won't have to worry about having them on our trail every time we go out and do business."

I glare, "You killed her daughter, why would he want anything to do with you apart from have you dead? I mean all he needs to do is make a deal with a killer in jail and have him after you."

He shakes his head, "No, you did."

My stomach drops, "You know what I mean!"

He sighs, "Edward, his daughter was just to show how serious and powerful we are."

"Then why not just kidnap her instead?" That would be the smart way.

"No, because then we'd have to deal with other cops from outside of Chicago, possibly FBI. Don't you get it Edward?" I shake my head, "By doing this, we showed him that we mean business, his most prized possession in the world to him is his ex wife, Renee Dwyer. She's married to another man now, but he's still in love with her."

I blanked, "That's low."

He sighs, "Just remember how many murder's he's let onto the streets…And how many he's personally prosecuted himself."

That hit below the belt, a new found confidence rearing through me, I nod, remembering a few unpleasant memories. Its one life to a dozen Edward, I tell myself, "Jasper is going to be picking up a new shipment at five today, help him get it sorted out and have it shipped to the warehouse to be ready for selling."

I nod before leaving the office, sighing, the most hated of jobs –other than the kill- is having to deal with the shipments. Not that it's dangerous at the moment, it's just having to do with the product that disgusts me. I've trafficked before, all of us have, but I refuse to touch it, I once planned on becoming a doctor and studied, not to mention HPE, they all teaching me the scenarios of what could happen to one if taking them, so I stay away, if other idiot's decide to buy it, then they can screw up their own lives like my father had…

Going straight for a break, I tell Tanya that I am walking to get some Chinese down the road. She was used to this whenever I get out of a long board meeting, it both gets my legs stretched and puts food in my system. Once out of the entire building itself, I start to walk, my mind wondering to Bella. Getting my cell out and calling home. If Bella follows my order, then she won't pick up.

After a dozen rings, my messaging machine goes off, "Hello, if you are hearing this, you know what to do, 'beep'"

"Hay, Bella, it's Edward, if you hear this, pick up." I wait a few minutes before hearing the phone on the other end get tortured, she picked up.

"Hay E-Edward." She greets shyly, I can practically see the blood rushing through her cheeks.

"Has there been any intrusions?" I ask.

"No…Well, there was one call, it was a lady, I think it was your mom."

"Esme?"

"I dunno, she didn't say her name." She answers honestly.

Well, nothing to worry about then, "Hm, well, that's good, how have you been? Keeping yourself entertained?"

"Yes, I've been reading, I hope you don't mind, I found your library."

I chuckle, "That's perfectly fine Bella, you can do as you like."

After a few moments of silence, she ask, "Um, E-Edward?"

"Yes?"

"I was w-wondering if you'd have any clothes I could, um, change into?" She stutters.

I give out a whole hearted laugh, shaking my head, forgetting completely that she's been in her father's dusted police uniform, I'm sure she's wanting a shower badly, "Yes Bella, my sister has some clothes in the room you slept in, feel free to anything in the closet, I'm going to have to get you some of your own."

"You don't have to!" She speaks immediately.

"My sister's clothes may be tight on you Bella, she's tiny."

"Gee, thanks." She mutters sarcastically.

I laugh again, "Not in that way, she's about a foot shorter then you."

"Oh, oh!" Suddenly realizing what I meant.

Rolling my eyes, "Either way, I just call to check in on you."

"Well, I'm fine, but thank you for worrying about me."

I smile, "Anytime."

"Um, Edward? What time are you getting…home?" I couldn't help but laugh at how weird that must be to call my place home.

"Late, I have paper work to catch up on."

"Oh, well, do you want me to leave you some dinner in the microwave?" She asks sweetly.

"You don't have to."

"I want to." She insists.

"Well, thank you, sure, I'll heat it up when I get home."

"Kay, well, see you when you get back." I'm guessing home was a bit too weird for her to say.

I nod, though she cannot see me, "Okay, bye Bella."

Hanging up instantly, I put the cell back into my pocket, turning one more corner before standing in front of the Chinese take-out store. Going in, the cook recognized me instantly, "Edward!" He smiles.

"Hay Shi, how's it been?"

"Good, good, what would you like for lunch?"

"Just the usual." I answer, Shi nods, giving the order to his wife, Wakiru, before turning back to me, "How have you been?"

"Same old, same old." I answer politely.

He nods, "You know, I hear that mafia group is planning on gunning down the police station."

I couldn't keep a laugh in, some of the rumors that go around… "I doubt it, Shi."

He frowns, "You don't think that they will come and demand money off little companies like us do you?"

Giving him a warm, yet, comforting smile, I answer, "I don't think they need any more money Shi, even if they did, they would be hitting the banks."

Shi let out a sigh of relief, "Good, with Wakiru pregnant, I don't want her near danger."

"I will personally make sure that my favorite Chinese store won't get under the radar of the mafia." I wink at him.

He chuckles, his accent thick, "Thank you Edward."

I nod, a bell rings through the area as a sign that my food is ready. Shi gets the plastic bag and hands it to me, I handing him a twenty as he gives me five-fifty change, "See you Edward."

"Good bye Shi, Wakiru." I wave.

Walking out of the store and back the way I came, I can't help but enjoy the way that my legs feel now that I'm not sitting. I promise that as soon as I get home, I'm going straight to the gym and doing at least a half hour jog, before eating Bella's personally cooked food.

Bella…Her name sends chills down my spine. I wish that we had met under different circumstances. I really do. I couldn't help but feel attracted to the stunning female living in my home, I know for a fact if I'd met her before, I would have tried my best to make an impression. Now. Now I think I've left a little too much of an impression. The wrong kind of impression. If we'd met in a different time and place, things could have been different.

Going back up the elevator, I make my way back to my office and sit at my black leather couch, dumping my Chinese on the coffee table in front of me. Grabbing out the honey chicken first, I put one in my mouth and start to chew before my door slams open, "Eddie-boy!"

"Urg! Emmett, that is not my name!" I glare.

He laughs, coming over stealing a piece of chicken, "Yay, just in time for lunch."

I snatch my box and bag away from his greedy hands, "Get your own."

"Touchy," He laughs with the chicken still processing in his mouth.

I grimace, "How on Earth Rosalie puts up with you I will never know."

"I knocked her up years ago, its pass the point of no return already." He winks.

"You know, I always thought that pregnancy was a fluke, I mean seriously, you can barely spell, how could you sperm know where to go?" I said cockily.

He glares, "Well at least I get some action you prude."

I glare back at him, "What do you want?"

Emmett smirked, "Julian wants to see his prude of an uncle and has been irritating Rose about it, so if you don't want her coming her and chopping off your balls before you can get to use them, I suggest you come over."

"I can't today." I answer.

"Pift! Like I want you over today, no, Sunday. Esme's already said about having a family dinner, I think we're going to be playing baseball."

"Uh-huh, so we're going to Esme's?" I ask dumbly.

He nod's, "Yep."

Silence flow through the air like electricity, I know what question I want to ask, and I know he knows what I'm going to ask. I sigh, "Why did you do it Emmett?"

"Carlisle told me to, Edward, just like he did to you." His voice no longer holding the same playful, annoying tone.

"But she was a girl, Em." I pretend to be deflated.

He sighs, "I know…It should be on the news tonight, her death."

"How did she die this time?" I can't help but feel a sick sort of amusement towards finding the way of death.

"House fire." Emmett smirks. I roll my eyes, the only reason why he finds the simplest technique in the book is because he gets to set it on fire himself, he just brought a flame torch…

"You sound happy about destroying the evidence." I grimace.

"Hell yeah! I haven't used my flame torch yet! Plus, she's dead already, what's the point?"

"That's harsh," I comment.

He shrugs, "Well, try being polite to the dead."

I roll my eyes, "Is there anything else?"

"Nah, I'm just here for your booty call." He winked.

Picking up the closest thing my hands can find –which is a Chinese box- across the room at Emmett, he just dodging as the food splats on the wall behind him. He pokes his tongue, "Miss me prude, gotta get back to work."

"Tell my nephew that he better bring his game." I yell after him.

"He won't need it if you're the one playin' him!" He yells back, flipping him off, he just booms a laugh as he disappears from my view.

Getting back to my lunch I wolf down every last noodle. The cleaners came eventually to clean up the mess from the chicken that got thrown at the wall. I go through my paper work as fast and as thorough as possible. Giving up half way, my analog watch showing me that it's six-thirty. I know for a fact that if I continue the way I am at the moment, I'm going to rip my hair out, this extra stress is really getting to me.

Bella keeps popping through my head every once and a while, questions like how is she? Is she okay? What's going to happen to her? What's she cooking for dinner? All of those questions won't stop pestering me as I decided to stack the paperwork I have done to leave for Tanya and the medium stack that I still hadn't done for tomorrow, which will become the same size by tomorrow morning.

"Tanya, going home early." I notified.

She frowns, "You never go home early."

"I have a family dinner." I lied.

Rolling her eyes, I could see a ting of jealously strike through her face, must think that I'm going to see some girl…Well, technically it's true, I can't help but let my lips curl at the inside joke, she sighs, "Whatever."

I give her a small smile, "Why don't you go home early too, have this stuff done tomorrow."

She snorts, "It's Friday tomorrow! No way am I staying here tomorrow night due to the paper work!"

I laugh, "Whatever, night Tanya."

"Night." She calls after.

It doesn't take too long to get back to the house, Peak hours being gone, it only takes an hour to get home, not having too many red lights. Getting home, I park the car in the garage as I know I'm not using it any time soon, walking into the house, I make myself known, "Back!"

Following the row of lights, I walk into the living room, stopping abundantly.

Bella is not alone.