Hey. I totally deserve for no one to read this, it has been such an incredibly long time since my last update. And I really have no excuses except I am one lazy individual. Hope this makes up for it though. Enjoy.

My flat shoes squeaked loudly on the freshly cleaned floor as I walked. The house was empty. It seemed so big and lonely without the sound of laughter or loud voices. I tried to imagine Mr Cullen entertaining. Men standing around in suits swigging casually from their beer as their wives whispered to each other and blushed every time they caught a waiter's eye. I imagined something extravagant and completely out of my league; a world away from the pizza parties I had with Rose and Jasper. No doubt there would be scandal involved at any Cullen party. I had only known the man a couple of days but he already scared me half to death and his mood swings were unpredictable, sometime catastrophic. He was certainly the type of man to be involved in a scandal or two.

"Excuse me."

Shaking myself from my daydream I realised I was standing in the middle of the large entrance hall gazing almost pathetically at the grand staircase. My mind drifted back to the lumpy couch and half empty packet of noodles that had been my only comforts the night before in my tiny apartment. I was kidding myself with my dreams of fancy parties and a certain beautiful man. I had to get over myself. Or get drunk.

The person before me was majestic. That was really the only way to describe her. She was glancing down at her perfectly manicured fingernails impatiently as she waited for me to come back down to reality. The height of her high heels made her seem impossibly tall and her legs were never ending. However, it was her eyes that I noticed first; sharp eyes so calculating that I felt she was watching my every move even while acting indifferent to my presence. I could tell she was intelligent just by looking at her. Some people just got all the luck.

"H-Hi," I stuttered as her mouth quirked upwards into an almost mocking smirk, "How can I help you?" I wondered briefly if she was a girlfriend of Mr Cullen. The thought made my stomach clench in unexpected pain. It really didn't matter to me who he saw outside of work. It really didn't. She seemed like the type of woman I would picture Edward with. Someone strong and powerful. Someone who was the complete opposite of me. I swallowed loudly.

"Isabella Swan; new personal assistant to Edward. Is that correct?" Her eyes were narrowed and they seemed to skim over me as if there was nothing much to see. I noted the way her eyes lingered on my non existent chest and the stain on the collar of my shirt that would just not wash out. I twisted my hands together in an attempt to not do anything embarrassing. Perhaps she was a prospective client. If I scared her away I would probably get fired in an instant. I was replaceable after all. I was one of many.

"I am Tanya Denali. Get me a coffee; black. I'll be waiting in Edward's office for him when he eventually decides to roll out of bed. Excuse me."

My mouth seemed to unhinge at the jaw as she swiftly turned her back and walked away from me, her skyscraper heels clicking almost ominously on the floor. I continued to watch her as she slipped into my office. My office. The bitch. Who the hell did she think she was?

I couldn't believe I had just let her treat me like a piece of shit on the end of her eight hundred dollar stilettos. Jasper and Rose would have pulled her apart and had her for breakfast if she had spoken in such a tone to them. Yet instead I found myself following her orders like a meek little kitten.

Curling my hands into fists I stamped almost childishly around to the kitchen. I was hoping with all my heart that Emily would be there to banish my sour mood but instead I was greeted by the same lingering silence that seemed to be present in the rest of the house. Chewing on my bottom lip I forced myself to make Tanya's coffee. Black like her soul.

I couldn't help but smile slightly as I walked slowly back to my office. Sun shone in one of the large windows and I got a glimpse of Sam and Emily out in the garden, laughing. They seemed so carefree and hopeful. I wondered if I could ever be like them again. As soon as the thought appeared I squashed it. My carefree days had been with Jake. I was never the spontaneous one. He was the one that made sure I got my daily quota of sun. He was the one who jumped off cliffs and challenged to people to food fights for fun. I was just Bella. Serious, fun squashing Bella. Without him I really had no desire to do something crazy. I bet Tanya fucking Denali did bungee jumping or something in her spare time. That really would be the icing on the million dollar cake.

Sighing, I pushed open the heavy door with all my strength. Rose had been begging me to go to the gym with her for months but the thought of drooling men crowding around her as she ran on the treadmill would have made me laugh too much. Besides I liked my good friends Ben and Jerry to much for exercise to have any effect on me. Glancing at my desk I groaned at the pile of paper work already waiting for me. I wondered what I had done in the past to deserve such a shitty life. Trying to ignore the paperwork for the moment I made my way towards Mr Cullen's office.

"You cannot just show up like this Tanya."

I stopped dead in my tracks. The icy undercurrent to Mr Cullen's voice was something new. It was almost feral sounding. I thought I had seen him at his most angry but it was obvious I was wrong. He sounded out of control which was definitely one thing I had never witnessed.

"He was mine Cullen," Tanya's voice was almost as cold as Edwards, "He was my client. I understand that you're a bit sour after the incident," her laugh sent a chill down my spine, "but you're a big boy Edward and I plan to squash your little company until it is a mere memory to my clients."

The silence that filled the room seemed louder than the previous conversation. I could feel Tanya's coffee getting colder in my hands. I tugged on my bottom lip with my teeth. What the hell was I supposed to do? My fingers itched to grab my phone and phone Rose.

"So. Bella sure is nice. A little bit on the curvier side from your normal taste Eddie. And have you seen the hideous hand me downs she wears?" Tanya's voice was like a slap on the face. The change of conversation shocked me, "I thought you were struggling but this just shows how desperate you really are. I always knew you would fail."

"You bitch," Mr Cullen snarled. I heard something smash. The mug of coffee shook in my hand. Without a second thought I knocked once sharply on the door before stumbling in the room. He had defended me, whether intentional or not. He had defended me.

Mr Cullen stood behind his imposing desk. The top two buttons of his shirt were undone and his copper coloured hair seemed in a bigger disarray than the previous day. His breathing was loud as he glared at Tanya who leant casually against one of the walls, still glancing down at her fingernails. She seemed perfectly at ease with the situation.

"It's a pity. I always liked that fruit bowl," she smiled glancing down at the shards of glass on the floor before walking towards me, "Thanks for the coffee Bella. But next time be a little quicker so I can actually consume it without wanting to vomit."

I couldn't move as she began to walk towards the door.

"Oh and Bella darling," she glanced over her shoulder, "Try and get some sleep, you look impossibly pale. Almost un-human. Goodbye Eddie."

I watched as he curled and uncurled his fist as if to prevent himself from lashing out. He looked so fierce and dangerous and almost stunningly beautiful. It hurt to look at him for too long. The slam of the front door made me jump in fright causing coffee to spill onto my shirt. Rose was going to murder me.

"What was that-" I began to ask but Mr Cullen's glare stopped me in an instant.

"Get out," he growled. I had never felt so impossibly small. The effect Tanya had to have over him was confusing. I could almost sense the history between them. The long history.

"But-" I tried.

"Get out," he snapped, "Go home. Take the day off."

I stayed where I was. He couldn't be serious.

"Now," he snarled.

On auto pilot I turned and tried to walk out of his office with some sort of dignity. I could feel his eyes burning holes in the back of my head. He had serious anger management issues. Slumping down in my chair I slammed Tanya's empty mug on my desk, the sound echoed throughout the office. I felt like I had just run a marathon. Catching sight of my reflection in the window I noticed the red flush that had crept up my neck and the wideness of my eyes. Nothing ever seemed to go right for me.

The creak of the door set me on high alert. Shuffling the paper work into a decent pile I picked them up and prepared to leave. I would do some work at home.

"I forgot something," Mr Cullen's voice was gruff as he pressed a cheque into my hand, "This is for you. In future I would appreciate it if you consulted me before you decided it was your right to change my previously made appointments. However, this time it worked in your favour."

"I'm sorry. I don't understand," my voice sounded small. Glancing down at the cheque my eyes bulged. That was an insane amount of money.

"Tom Weber was at his daughter's charity event and signed a deal with me. It was your idea. Take the money."

I watched in shock as he turned his back on me and walked back into his office, slamming the door on his way. He flung away his money like it was nothing. I remembered the first pay check Jacob had ever gotten as my husband, the way he split it up and left enough for a treat Chinese at the end of the month. A sour taste filled my mouth. Leaving the cheque on my desk I walked out of the front door and into the garden. Edward didn't even say thank you. I was going to teach him that I could not be bought. I wasn't like the rest of the women in the world he lived in.

I was Bella. Bella Swan. And for a second I was damn proud of being me.

Pulling out my phone I immediately dialled Jasper's number. I really needed a drink.

Thoughts?

What did you all think of grumpy Mr Cullen? And who think they know what's going on with Tanya? Let me know. Gracias.