Chapter 4

When Esme and I walked inside the party all the cameras turned their focus to us, which made Esme very uncomfortable. She tried to hide her face from the cameras.

"You didn't tell me this was going to be a media storm," she snapped angrily.

"I guess I thought you already know."

"Now we will be on the front page of every magazine for a month! You didn't even think to give me a heads up?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't know it's such a big deal for you. I will have the security to get those tapes."

"Please do."

I was confused. I had met private people before. In fact I was one of them but this reaction was not normal, not even for me.

"Look who decided to honor us with his presence." I turned to the voice with the best fake smile I could master.

"Caius. What a pleasure!"

"Ah, what an unexpected surprise. Carlisle, you actually showed. You never return calls, you don't accept visitors yet here you are."

I clenched my fists tightly.

"Yes, James, I came to my father's memorial. Is that such surprise?"

"Quite frankly it is. You don't look very fond of your father's memories when you ditch all the board meetings every other week. I am entitled to be surprised to see you attend my party."

"This isn't your party, James, and in case you forgot I'm still the master of this universe."

"Why don't you two break it off? There are cameras and reporters in every corner," Esme said pulling on my arm.

"He arrived with a woman no less. Aren't you full of surprises? Who is she? Your lawyer or bodyguard?"

I was about to speak when Esme pulled my arm again to silence me.

"I'm Esme, his girlfriend, and you from what I understand are the obnoxious CFO," she said extending her hand. James narrowed his eyes.

"If you value your reputation I suggest you smile and shake her hand. I will not let you embarrass me any further," Caius whispered angrily. James complied reluctantly and walked away without saying another word.

"I apologize for my son's rudeness. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Esme." Caius shook Esme's hand as well, masking his true feelings better than his son, before walking to greet other guests.

"That Volturi worm! How does he dare—" Esme cut me off putting her finger to my lips.

"Tonight press is going to be all over you, Carlisle, looking for a scandal to sell their story. Don't give them one."

"Five minutes through the party and you are already saving me. I should bring you with me more often," I said with a wide smiled as I leaned forward to place a kiss on her lips but we were interrupted again.

"Carlisle! You made it." We both jumped and turned to face three Volturi girls.

"Ladies! How lovely to see you." I shook their hand and turned to Esme.

"Darling, these are Caius' daughters Kate, Irina and Tanya... This is my girlfriend, Esme."

"Nice to meet you, Esme," Kate said and shook her hand. Irina did the same but Tanya just smiled and left.

"I see you finally decided to acknowledge some of your duties. How very gracious of you," Victoria said walking toward us.

"Victoria, as delightful as it is to see you I'm afraid I have more important people I want to catch up with. So please excuse us," I said and walked away before she could provoke me to do something I would regret.

"Who was she? Your ex?" Esme asked.

"My ex? No, she is James' wife. Selfish sociopathic socialites aren't exactly my type."

"Really? Then who is your type?"

"Rosalie Hale."

"ROSALIE HALE?" Esme almost shrieked.

"No, Esme, look. That's Rosalie Hale over there and I'm pretty sure she wasn't on the guest list," I clarified.

"You think the Vulturis brought her here with a plan?"

"Worse. I think Emmett did." I grabbed Esme's hand and went to Rosalie and Emmett by the bar.

"Miss Hale, what an unexpected surprise!" I greeted her.

"Doctor Cullen. It's so good to see you. Doctor McCarthy was kind enough to ask me to be his plus one. I hope you don't mind."

I shook my head. "Not at all. I'm very glad he did," I said with what I hoped to be a convincing smile then turned to Esme.

"You remember my girlfriend, Esme?" If she was going to stay she had to know her place.

"Oh, yes. I didn't know you two were dating." I chuckled and turned to Emmett.

"Will you excuse us for a minute?" I grabbed Emmett by the arm and dragged him to a corner.

"You know as strange as it is I can handle you sticking your nose I'm every aspect of my love life or setting me up with strippers and prostitutes you meet, but you have a nerve bringing that creature into my party!"

"Whoa, slow down, buddy! This has nothing to do with you." I gave him a death glare. "I'm serious. Rosie and I are kinda... together."

My jaw dropped. "Rosie? Together?"

"I know. It's unbelievable, right? We had a couple of drinks together... maybe a little more than a couple and—"

"Okay, I know full well where this is going. But that doesn't explain why you brought her here tonight. You rarely go out with the same girl twice."

"Well, she is different. She is quite nice too if you get to know her." I rolled my eyes. "I know you don't like her but... she is... um... she is important, Carlisle, please don't do anything to ruin it."

I smiled and placed my hand on his shoulder. "Of course not. If you are going to settle for a serious relationship, who am I to complain?"

I patted back and we turned around to go back to Esme and Rosalie when the crowd suddenly got extra loud. Reporters and photographers from all over the party rushed over to the main entrance.

"What's happening?" Esme asked with confusion as she and Rosalie walked to us.

"The royal family has arrived," Emmett replied for me since I was too focused on the entrance to notice anything else. I took Esme's hand and the four of us headed toward the door. The security cleared a path for us between the crowd of reporters and cameras. I didn't move until his eyes caught mine.

"Carlisle."

I smiled and walked forward as I tried to control my urge to run to him.

"Grandfather," I whispered and hugged him. As I expected the room lightened up with camera flashes. After a moment I pulled away only to be crushed in a tighter embrace.

"Aunt Catherine. It's so good to see you," I said and kissed her on the cheek. "Where's Lindsay?"

"Right here," she said covering my eyes from behind. I spun around and hugged her enthusiastically.

"Isn't this the most beautiful woman in the world." She laughed.

"Always charming." I kissed her as well and stepped aside to pose for the cameras for a few moments. From the corner of my eyes I saw Esme hiding behind the crowd watching us with curiosity.

"There is someone I like you all to meet," I said under my breath.

"Really? Me too!" Lindsay said.

"Introductions can wait. Business first. I need to greet some people first then you and I will have a private conversation, Carlisle," my grandfather told me and I nodded.

"I will grab something to drink while you see the Vulturis. I have had enough of blonde wolves for one day," I muttered quietly and walked away from the crowd to find Esme. I found her drinking with Rosalie and Emmett by the bar.

"There you are." I whispered in her ear as I wrapped my arms around her from behind.

"Yeah, I would've come over if you weren't so preoccupied with your cute ex-girlfriend," she said and pushed me away. I burst into laughter.

"Lindsay? Lindsay is not my ex either."

"I get it. She was back in London. You were here. You decided not to do long distance relationship."

I laughed even more. "Yes you definitely have the creative imagination of an artist." She glared at me. "Lily is not my girlfriend. She is the closest thing I have to a sister."

"You called her the most beautiful woman in the world."

"She is the most beautiful woman in the world. We share the same blood after all. Beauty is in our DNA." I saw the confused look on her face and laughed.

"Lily is my cousin. She is my aunt Catherine's daughter."

She blushed and hung her head.

I smirked. "I like it when you are jealous."

"Don't get cocky," she said with a threatening voice. I laughed and pulled her back in my arms and kissed her. For a moment we were lost in our world until someone put their hand on my shoulder. I let Esme go and turned to see one of the security guards.

"Sorry to interrupt, sir, but Mr. Cullen wishes to speak with you... alone."

I nodded. "I will be back soon," I told Esme and the others and followed the guard outside. My grandfather was standing on the edge of the roof watching the view. He heard my footsteps but didn't turn around.

"We needed to have a talk away from the prying eyes of reporters and the Vulturis."

"About what?"

"Future, business, you. As they are one and the same." He turned around to face me before continuing. "To be honest, Carlisle, I am not pleased with the way you are handling things. I hear how you have been hiding in that house, not attending meetings, avoiding anyone who reaches out to you. Cowardice is not in my blood."

"I lost my father. Over one night I don't only find out I'm the next in line for your 'throne' but I find out half our fortune is made with dirty money earned from who knows what. Forgive me if I'm a bit overwhelmed."

"Overwhelmed? You are nothing but scared. If you were grieving your father like you claim you wouldn't lock yourself away in that hospital. You would try to fulfill his last request. You would become the man he wanted you to be. My son didn't raise a quitter."

"I'm not the man he wanted me to be. God! I'm just twenty five."

"That's seven years older than I was when I started Cullen corporations. I built this empire from ground up."

"And you left it."

"So did you. But that doesn't make us any less fond of it. Carlisle, this company is our legacy. Clean or otherwise this is how we are going to be remembered."

"What if I don't want to be remembered this way?"

"It doesn't matter. Sometimes you choose your path. Sometimes your path chooses you. Like it or not, this is your destiny and sooner or later you have to embrace it."

"I can't do it. I can't go head to head with the Vulturis. They have been in this business long enough to know how to erase evidence. They are smart."

"Everyone has an Achilles heel. Find theirs and take them down."

"That's it? At least tell me where I should start."

"You are the CEO. Start with acting like one."