Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I have only turned Edward into a deliciously devious monster, and I guess that part remains with me. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: First of all, a squee at all those reviewers who wrote such fantastic heart-warming reviews. Thank you guys. Keep them coming guys, I love you all.

Now, let's see what our Deliciously Devious Edward has planned for our Isabella.


"I'm ready to relinquish all of the money that you have borrowed from me… on one condition."

Charles stared at him in disbelief. "What condition?

Isabella trained her ears towards the drawing-room, momentarily forgetting about wiping the delicate plate in her hand. She was eager to hear the rest of Edward's offer.

Edward turned to face Charles, his face holding an almost satanic-looking smile. "That you agree to give your niece's hand in marriage… to me. I'll be asking her to marry me."

A loud crash was heard from the kitchen.

Edward's smile widened upon hearing it. He knew that there could only be one answer to the question he'd be asking her... yes.


Charles's face lost all its colour as the words sank in. The crashing noise from the kitchen didn't even register in his brain. He was numb. Slowly, he understood the whole connotation of Edward's offer.

Give Isabella… in marriage… to Masen… NO!

His thoughts weren't hidden from Edward, who was more or less expecting him to go into shock. Therefore, he decided not to interrupt Charles's mental tirade against him. If anything, it only succeeded in amusing him. He knew that, after all of his internal rambling, he still didn't have much of a choice; neither did his niece.

Isabella fumbled with the remains of the plate with shaky hands. She tried regaining her composure, but unfortunately, her efforts were proving fruitless. Edward's offer didn't just come as a shock, it devastated her whole world in mere seconds. This was not what she had expected, even in her wildest dreams. Even her thoughts were beginning to betray her, as she tried to make sense of the situation.

He… no! I... Marry Mr. Masen? Why? Please let it be a nightmare of sorts, God, please…

Her eyes widened with fear as she thought about a prospective life with Edward. His physical attributes did little to ease the feeling of dread that was filling her. Deep down, her subconscious rang blaring warning bells to tell her that this man was not what he looked like, and that she should probably run away from him as fast as she could.

"This cannot be happening," she muttered under her breath. Many possibilities flashed inside her head, various scenarios that owed their bearing to her decision. One thing she was completely sure about: Edward had not only used her silence in his favour, he had downright trapped her in his web.

And here, I thought he was a saviour of sorts. What a rude awaking, Isabella. He hasn't left you a choice either. You say yes, and you suffer; you say no, and your uncle suffers.

Knowing that she had to decide fast, lest Edward come up with another sinister plan, she steeled herself emotionally and thought about the whole situation in a detached, practical manner. Clearing the mess of shards at her feet, and reining in her fear at once, Isabella made up her mind. Just then, as she stood up, she heard Charles's blaring voice. He was shouting at Edward.

Oh God, no! She hurried out of the kitchen and dashed for the drawing room in panic.

"No!" Charles roared as his anger got the better of him. Never in his entire life had he been so livid. "You think that—"

"Yes! YES! I'll marry you!"

Struck with absolute horror, he turned to face a panting Isabella, who had rushed straight out of the kitchen and settled right beside him.

"Issy…" Charles started to protest, his voice weak with utter delirium at her words.

"No, Uncle, it is my life. Let me decide!" Her voice almost cracked at those words, but she tried to keep it even. Turning to Edward, she forced the words out of her mouth, "Yes, I'll marry you." She tilted her head towards Charles. "Don't mind him."

Charles opened his mouth to speak, but the words weren't coming out. His face paled even further. In a sudden, desperate move to stop her from continuing her insane declarations, he grabbed and half dragged her to his room, not even asking Edward to excuse them. She kept her eyes locked with Edward as Charles pulled her away. Edward smirked and nodded at her.

She repeated herself again, in desperation for Charles' wellbeing, "Don't mind him. I will marry you. Offer accepted..." She trailed off as Charles forced her to turn her head away.

Edward could see the fury behind her calm façade. Her eyes were practically shooting daggers at him as she said yes. Nevertheless, he didn't mind. He considered her fury a normal reaction to such a forced offer.

But she wouldn't have accepted it otherwise, he reasoned with himself. How else was I going to have her then? The end justifies the means.

He considered her last plea, not minding what Charles had said, or rather shouted, at him. Under any other circumstance, Edward would have taught him a lesson, but here, he was ready to let it go. He wasn't complaining in the least, knowing that there was little Charles could do to stop his niece. Isabella had said yes, and in all practicality, that was the only answer available to her.

"Issy!" Charles pulled her towards the far end of his room, as far away from Edward as possible. "Have you lost your marbles? Yes? Do you even know what that means? Why? Oh God, Issy, why?" He held her by her shoulders and shook her frantically, as if trying to break a spell cast over her.

She didn't react. She just stared at the wall behind him. "Just leave it at that, Uncle. I said yes, and it's my final answer to his question."

"Do you realize what you're saying? You are ready to marry that man? He may have an estate worth many fortunes, he may be as good looking as he is, but he's no angel, Issy. Please…" Charles pleaded, feeling defeated at her unresponsiveness.

"He's not that bad, really. Besides, the substantial estate does help." Isabella knew that her words were inherently wrong, completely distinguished from her actual thoughts, but she pressed on, "He can provide me the things I could never have otherwise." Charles had given her the excuse himself. She was going to use the plea of monetary benefits to her favour.

Charles stared at her in disbelief. "Issy… I can find you a better match, trust me, please."

"This is the best match for me, Uncle. He has even offered to exonerate you of the loans. And… as I said, he's fine enough. I'll manage." She kept her argument going, her voice still lacking any emotion.

Edward raised an eyebrow, hearing their conversation take an unexpected turn. He didn't want to admit it, but a part of him was somewhat unhappy at her reasoning for marrying him. He found it rather queer that she would actually consider his money and fortune as the driving factor.… In a way, it annoyed him to hear such things from her. So he presumed it to be her virtuous nature's consequence. She's probably just saying it to convince him. Virtuous Kitten it had better be. But how will I ever know?

"No, Uncle. You're not going to say anything that you will regret later. Just… let me talk to him. I have already said yes, so please accept that," Isabella repeated herself again, as Charles wasn't listening to her.

"But… Issy, do you really want to do it? Think about it, my child. Marriage is not something you decide on a whim. Please reconsider…" Charles was hoping desperately that she'd back out, but she refused to do so.

Isabella knew that if she backed out from marrying Edward, he wouldn't just accept it and sit quietly. For all I know, I may become a reason for my uncle's misery. I don't want him to suffer. He has already done so much for me. It's time for me to do something for him in return, even though it's downright frightening.

She fought the tears that were now treacherously close to spilling out from her chocolate eyes. "Please, Uncle, just let me do it. I'm now going out to talk to him. Please calm down. You want to see me happy, right? Then just agree."

"That's the whole point, Issy. Are you happy at all? I don't think so…" He wiped a stray tear that had managed to leak out of her eyes. It tortured him to no end that because of him, she was taking such a drastic step. He knew his niece well, and that Edward's fortune was hardly the reason for her decision.

"Yes, I know… I'll be happy. Please don't make it more difficult for me than it already is," she whispered, looking into his eyes as she silently conveyed her fears to him.

Humans are so melodramatic. It's very stifling sometimes… like now. Edward almost groaned in frustration as he heard their conversation from outside. It evaded him altogether as to why Isabella used the excuse of money instead of just love, pure and simple. 'And what does she want to talk about?'

He wasn't left wondering for long.

Isabella emerged from the room and slowly walked up to him. She didn't know from where this strange courage came, but she was determined to talk to him. He smiled at her as she approached him.

She gritted her teeth and began, "I said yes, Mr. Masen, and that should have pleased you. But I want to talk about it… in private." Not wanting to give away either her fear or her fury, she tried to keep her expression neutral.

Edward, on the other hand, could feel the flutters in her heartbeat. Even her shaking hands didn't slip his notice.

"Where in private?" he asked keenly.

"Anywhere… out of here." She was surprised by the calm and composed tone of her own voice. Keep calm. Think of your uncle, his interests…

"Hmm," he nodded. "How about we take a walk down the path near the woods?"

"Fine!" That came out a bit too harshly than she intended. She peered at him surreptitiously, gauging his reaction. Much to her surprise, his smile was still intact.

Offering his hand to her, he motioned to the door. Very hesitantly, she rested her hand in his, barely giving her fingers to hold on to. His cold fingers made her flinch, and she wondered if he had kept his hand under icy cold water.

As they stepped outside, Charles came out from his room, haggard and distraught. "Where are you going?" he asked frantically.

"Isabella here wants to have a little private talk with me, so we are just taking a walk down the path." Edward smirked at him.

"I won't be long, Uncle," she just managed to choke out, her voice on the verge of cracking. Isabella hated to see Charles like that, but more than that, she feared the possible consequence of her refusal to Edward. Compliance was her only option.

"Don't worry, Charles. I'll bring her back safely. After all, she is now my responsibility as well."

She scowled at Edward. In that moment, her heart's true desire was to either shove him away or slap him with all her might.

He tugged at her hand and started walking towards the path, the smug smile still plastered on his face. Once on the path, he entwined her arm in his and moved closer to her. She felt extremely uncomfortable, even claustrophobic, at the sudden closeness. The premise of marriage to this man only added to the tension between them.

Isabella noticed that his walk was more graceful than hers and tried walk alongside him without losing her balance. She hobbled at first, unable to keep pace with him, and ultimately tripped. He caught her before she even realized what happened. She looked at the ground and then up at him, bewildered. Their faces were only inches apart, and Isabella's heartbeat picked up as she realized it.

"Be careful, Isabella." He steadied her but didn't move away, keeping his face close to hers. Once again, his heady smell enveloped her, sending tingles down her spine.

"You walk too fast. This is supposed to be a walk, not a dash through the woods," she accused, her cheeks warming up.

Edward stared at rush of blood to Isabella's face. Her blush didn't make him wildly hungry this time. It made him want to reach out and caress her cheeks instead. His lips turned up in an uneven smile as he thought about his impending wish fulfilment.

"Pardon me for my lack of awareness; I should have kept pace with you." He really did repent his stunted experience with humans. All he knew were their scattered thoughts and unsteady emotions, neither of which was helping him in dealing with Isabella.

"So… you wanted to talk about something?" His hands moved down from her shoulders to clasp her hands. So soft and warm… wonder how the rest of her would feel next to my skin…

"Uhh, yes…" her voice wavered as she approached the dreaded question. "Why?"

Her questioning eyes were locked with his, wanting to know the reason behind his sudden manipulation of her life.

"Why what?" He knew perfectly well what she wanted to know; it was far too obvious. But he wanted to evade her question, for he didn't quite know the real answer to that question.

She closed her eyes, feeling aggravated at his noncompliance. "Mr. Masen, would you at least give a reason behind your strange offer? Why did you ask for my hand in marriage?"

Her sudden bluntness caught him off guard, and he backed off a little. He let go of her hands and walked a few steps ahead, trying to think of an appropriate answer to her question. What shall I say? Because I want to see if I can channel my frustrated desires through you?

A sudden lull fell, and neither of them spoke for a few seconds. The noises of the forest suddenly sounded louder.

Isabella felt as though the woods were closing in on her. Still, she waited for Edward to respond.

Edward sighed in frustration, running a hand through his bronze waves, "Why do you think a man asks a woman to marry him?"

"I suppose that is not the real question here." She crossed her arms over her chest, annoyed with his counter-questioning.

"What? Then what's the real question here?" he asked incredulously. Why can't she talk and act like a normal human and be a little predictable at least? It's impossibly exasperating to not know what she might say next.

"The real question is, why did you ask me to marry you?"

"I don't understand, Isabella." He turned around to face her, perplexed by her query.

"Neither do I. But you must have had some reason behind your proposition. I want to know that reason, not the general man-woman excuse." She felt a tad emboldened, gauging his discomfort at answering her questions.

Edward's eyes widened a little. He had never seen this confrontational side of Isabella. It only added to his obsession with her.

"The same reason; I want to marry you because I'm a man. I have taken a liking to your company, Isabella. What more reason is needed?" Would that convince her, or shall I start acting like one of those Austenian men?

"I don't know. This… is not a normal man-woman—falling in love and getting married equation, Mr. Masen; I can certainly gauge that. Does it have something to do with my uncle?"

"Charles has got nothing to do with it! Isabella…" he tried to phrase it correctly, "I want you, and that is the sole reason. I didn't want anyone else to court you." He growled a little at the last part of his confession.

More silence followed.

Isabella struggled with the reasoning Edward had given her. It still didn't answer her real question, the question she actually couldn't bring herself to ask. She wanted to know why he manipulated her and Charles, if there was such a simple a reason behind it. She was not ready to buy his answer. Dropping her head a little, she stared at the stray leaves that were scattered along the path, feeling more confused than ever.

Edward glanced at her, not sure if she really was convinced by his answer. He blamed it on his dreadful supernatural existence. Obviously, he couldn't tell her whole truth, which was that he actually wished to satisfy his needs, that only she could satisfy them because her thoughts wouldn't disturb him. Which would be enough to make her frigid with fear.

"Isabella," he half sighed—half groaned her name. "Just forget about everything else and accept my offer. Treat my proposal as a normal marriage proposal. It will be easier to understand it then, I believe." Or else I might have to try the Austen way. He almost laughed at the thought.

Her skeptical stance still didn't change. If anything, his words confused her even more. "I might as well not think about it at all, then," she muttered to herself, not intending for him to hear. He heard it, nonetheless.

Edward smiled wryly, amused at her reactions. He walked back and closed the distance between them. "Then I believe it is all sorted and cleared up? Let us get back to Charles now, or else he might lose his sanity."

Her heart sank at the mention of Charles. She had hurt him by agreeing to marry Edward.

"Mr. Masen? Can I ask something of you?" She looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Of course, Isabella. You're going to be my wife now, go ahead."

She blanched when he said wife. "Can you please not be harsh on my uncle? I-I mean, he is very sensitive, and right now he is hurting. It doesn't mean that he doesn't want me to marry to you, just that it was so unexpected. Please don't take his previous reactions to heart." She looked away, fighting the tears again.

"You think I'm harsh towards him?" he asked softly, curling his arm with hers again.

"I fear that you might be, after what he said to you… please?"

He nodded. "Fine, I won't bother him. But you'll have to promise me something."

She looked at him apprehensively, afraid that he might want something else from her, something precious to her.

He smiled at her. "Don't worry, it's nothing much actually. I just want to invite you for a visit to your future home. This coming Wednesday shall be a good day for it. Will you?"

She exhaled slowly, relieved. Nodding at him, she started walking towards her uncle's house.

"I will come to escort you in the morning. Take care of Charles, and of course, yourself." He brought her hands up and planted a kiss on each of them. "Until then, goodbye."

She stood at her doorstep, watching him climb into his carriage. After his departure, she turned and pushed the main door open. Her feet felt dead as she dragged herself inside. She went to Charles's room to check on him, fearing that he might be in an even poorer condition than before.

Charles was sitting beside his bed, his head resting on the edge of the headboard. His shoulders were hunched and his hands clasped a leather bound folder. Isabella came up and sat beside him.

"Uncle?" Her voice was a soft whisper. She had never seen him so distraught before. Upon hearing her voice, he turned his head in her direction and gazed into her eyes. His eyes held a defeated look.

"You know," he said, handing the folder to her. "Clara also wanted to name our daughter 'Isabella.' We couldn't do it, because we never had any children. But whenever I saw you, I saw that daughter in you; the daughter I could never have. Clara would have been so proud of you… my selfless and kind daughter." He stroked her head affectionately, admiring her courage.

"Open it and see." He pointed towards the folder.

Her eyes were brimming with tears as she fumbled with the strings of the folder. Inside it, she found a family portrait of the Swans, which had her late grandparents, her parents, and her uncle and his late wife in it. The traitor tears started flowing freely from her eyes as she traced the portrait with her fingertips. "You never showed it to me before."

"Keep it," he managed to utter in a shaky voice.

Isabella looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry, Uncle," she choked up, unable to say anything else.

Charles shook his head, unable to stand her unfounded apology. "Why are you apologising, my child, when I am the one to blame? I'm so weak, so helpless," he sighed in defeat.

She shifted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Neither are you to apologise. It's not your fault that a devious man decided to manipulate us," she sniffed.

He brought his arm around her shoulder and held on to her, as though she would disappear suddenly. Neither of them said anything, letting the silence prevail. Talking about it made both of them feel miserable.

After a few minutes, Charles shifted and turned his head towards Isabella. "Issy… please don't do this. I know why you said yes. This is not right," he pleaded again, the desperation getting to him. "I can pay him back by working hard. I've been doing it! He has no right to force this hideous offer on us. I'll find you a good man, someone who will take care of you and love you, unlike this cold-hearted, antisocial creature."

She shook her head wildly, horrified at his suggestion. "No, Uncle. Don't you understand? If we decline, then he will make your life miserable! I know it! Haven't you seen it in his eyes? Even he knows it! I cannot afford to make your life even more difficult than it already is."

"But, Issy, you marrying him is not going to make it any less miserable for me. It fills me with dread to think of you as his wife, living with him in that dark fortress. He would take your freedom away, Issy. I don't want you living like a prisoner."

"Uncle, please, see it my way. If I marry him, then he'll not be harsh on you. If I don't, then he'll still make us both miserable by troubling you," she pressed, adding "And Uncle, he hasn't been harsh on me. He has always treated me like a lady. Perhaps marrying him wouldn't be that bad?" She tried to convince him, even though she herself was not convinced of Edward's seemingly harmless behaviour towards her.

After another attempt at persuading her to refuse Edward, Charles gave up. He felt completely helpless and knew that Isabella was not going to change her mind.

"Uncle, I think you should rest. Please don't keep thinking about it. It will only add to the misery. I'm going to my room. Now, promise me that you won't dwell on it." She took his hand and squeezed it, trying to soothe him. He nodded, wiped his eyes, and gave her a faint smile.

Once upstairs, she sat on the edge her bed and held her shoulders in an attempt to comfort herself. Slowly, the consequences of her acceptance were dawning upon her. The numbness gave way to fear, and panic closed its grip on her. She started rocking back and forth, still hugging herself, thinking about the duties of a wife.

Isabella didn't know much about a husband-wife relationship beyond the public appearances; the private, personal dynamics of such a relationship were lost on her. Her mother hadn't told her about it, and she knew that she obviously couldn't talk to her uncle about it. She had seen her parents interact, but it was obvious that her relationship with Edward was not going to follow the same pattern.

Then, the thoughts about the husband-wife deed came, and she shuddered violently.

I'll have to kiss him; this much I know… but how? I don't even love him. Ugh.

"I'll have to kiss a man I don't love at all. I'll-I'll have to… have to… bear his children." She gasped at the thought and willed herself to stop thinking about it.

Oh God, why couldn't he find someone else? Why me?

She started sobbing silently and tightened her arms around herself.

I will come to escort you in the morning… His words drifted into her thoughts, reminding her that she would need to go with him on Wednesday.

"Bloody incarnation of the devil," she muttered furiously. "I would never have said yes to him if I hadn't been bound like this."

She stretched out on her bed and stared at the ceiling, trying to forget about him. After sobbing for another hour, she finally drifted off to sleep, too tired to keep her eyes open. Even in her dreams, Edward was not letting her go.


"Is she all right?"

Isabella could hear the soft murmuring of Angela's voice.

"For how long?" The voice drew closer, accompanied by Charles's.

The soft murmurs continued as Angela stroked her forehead softly.

"Mmmhh, Aangela?" Isabella tried to open her eyes, but her heavy eyelids resisted.

"Issy? Dear, are you sick? You look so… tired and--"

Isabella jerked her head up and opened her eyes, immediately regretting it as her head hurt from the sudden action.

"Your eyes are swollen. Issy, open them up! Have you been crying, Issy?" Angela's voice rang with alarm as she grew more and more concerned for Isabella's health.

Isabella groaned and turned away from Angela. "I just have a headache. Nothing to be alarmed about," she mumbled, closing her eyes again. Then, as she heard Angela mutter something about Charles being worried, the events of the morning came crashing down on her again.

Give your niece's hand in marriage… to me.

I want you, and that is the sole reason…

She sat up, feeling bewildered again.

"Oh god, Issy, you look horrible! What have you done to yourself?" Angela grabbed her shoulder and pulled Isabella into a tight hug.

"What is the time? Where's my uncle?" she groaned, burying her head into Angela's shoulder.

"It's past noon. Do you want to tell me what is wrong?"

Breaking the hug, Isabella moved away and crawled out of the bed slowly. "I didn't prepare lunch. It's going to be late. Uncle must be wondering, must be hungry," she prattled away distractedly.

"Issy, I already called for the food. Mr. Swan told me that you weren't feeling well. Now, please come here and sit with me for a while." Angela watched her as she shuffled around her room, fumbling with things arbitrarily.

She's trying to cover it up by acting normal, but I see a fit of hysteria coming. Angela fisted the fabric of her skirt anxiously, worried sick for her friend.

Isabella acted as though she hadn't even heard Angela. She kept on ignoring her pleas to tell her what was wrong. What am I to say? That because we don't have the means to pay him back, Mr. Masen bought me from my uncle instead?

"All right, don't tell me. But I think I know about it."

Isabella whirled around to face her, panic written all over her face.

"But I shall prefer your version of it. I know marriage is a terrifying thing, but your state is beyond terrified; you're downright hysterical, Issy." Concern ran in every word Angela said.

Realizing that Angela knew, Isabella fell apart. She covered her mouth with her hands and slumped on the floor. Angela fled to her side and grabbed her arms to pull her back to the bed.

"Issy! Oh God." Tears ran down Angela's cheeks as she saw her friend breaking down.

"I don't know if I can handle it, Angela. I don't know how I'm going to manage it. I'm so scared; I don't even love him. And to be a wife to a man you hardly know, I just cannot fathom that." Isabella sobbed away as Angela wiped her tears.

"You know, Issy, most marriages are like that."

Confused, Isabella looked at Angela enquiringly.

"Yes, Issy," she continued, seeing Isabella's perplexed expression. "Most women don't get the benefit of choosing their husbands." Walking towards the window, she went on, "My parents are an example. My mother didn't know my father before marriage. It was arranged by her parents, who solely chose my father on the grounds of money." She turned toward Isabella, smiling weakly at her. "My father… well, he isn't the most pleasant person. He has his own set of notorious habits, namely drinking and…" she stopped midway, feeling embarrassed.

"And?" Isabella had momentarily forgotten about her problem. The pained expression of Angela was something she had never seen before.

"Women."

Isabella scrunched her eyebrows. "Women? You mean…"

"Yes, Issy," Angela exhaled heavily. "My father has mistresses." Then, lightening up a little, she chuckled darkly. "But at least, he is discreet about it, unlike that pig Henry. I was glad that he didn't come for the Ball."

The mention of Henry made Isabella tremble, but she pushed the bad memories aside, more concerned for Angela. "Y-You mean, Mr. Webber has relations with other women? Then…" She couldn't even bring herself to complete the sentence. Poor Mrs. Webber. Such a nice lady, and this is what she got in marriage?

"Yes, Issy. My mother cannot complain. Wives don't have a right to complain. Not that I am anxious to follow such a norm, but that is the norm." Angela's eyes narrowed with resentment. "Anyway, that is a different matter altogether. You tell me, what did he say to you which made you so insane?"

"He who?" Isabella averted her eyes, trying to avoid the question.

"He who proposed to you, silly girl. Mr. Masen. Kindly tell me?" Angela was perplexed with the fact that Isabella was so broken up because Edward had proposed to her. She had somehow always perceived it to be a certainty, given the way Edward used to look at Isabella.

"What has my uncle told you?"

"Everything, from pardoning of loans to having your hand in exchange for that. Oh yes, and Mr. Swan's also behaving in the same manner as you are. You both really dislike Mr. Masen, don't you?"

"Give me a reason not to!" Isabella literally shrieked at Angela. "He's treating me like a commodity. He has bought me from my uncle, Angela. I'm probably nothing more than a possession to him, like his art collection."

"That's what you think."

Isabella stared at her friend in disbelief. "What in the world does that mean, Angela?"

"Did you ask him why he did it; why he wanted your hand in marriage?" Angela's expression remained calm as she asked that.

"Yes, somewhat."

"Well, what did he say?"

His words echoed in Isabella's mind as she thought about her conversation with him.

Why do you think a man asks a woman to marry him?

The same reason… I want to marry you because I'm a man. I have taken a liking to your company, Isabella. What more reason is needed?

I want you, and that is the sole reason. I didn't want anyone else to go a-courting you.

Isabella, just forget about everything else and accept my offer. Treat my proposal as a normal marriage proposal. It will be easier to understand it then, I believe.

She told Angela everything; every question she'd asked, every answer he'd given. Angela listened to her intently, her eyes wandering in different directions as she thought about the whole situation. And then, when Isabella finished, a smile slowly crept upon her lips.

"Kindly tell me what you found so amusing in there?" Isabella felt a little disgruntled at Angela's strange behaviour.

Angela's smile grew as she spoke, "Issy, dear, he has laid it out for you, and you still don't see it? Granted, he is not very good at expressing himself, but from what you have told me, the reason is very simple."

Isabella eyed her suspiciously. "You know the answer?"

"At least he didn't tell you that he's marrying you because you can cook, or sew, or be a good mother, hmm? He told you that he likes your company. What does that mean?"

"I don't know. Go ask him." Isabella replied petulantly.

"It means that he likes being around you, Issy. He wants to have your company, wants to be around you. And then, he said that he wants you. Oh God, Issy, what else is there to say? He wants you!"

"Like a possession."

"No, you're only harping about the possession argument because he asked for your hand in exchange for a favour to your uncle. Didn't he say that he didn't want others to court you? See, he was a little desperate, if I may say that, to be the one to court you first. He probably didn't want the others to get to you before he did. Or maybe…" She tilted her head sideways, pondering a little, and then pointed at Isabella. "He somehow knew that you wouldn't be too keen on accepting his proposal if it weren't for some condition attached to it."

Isabella shook her head in dismay. "I don't understand why you're advocating for him. He is evil, Angela. You didn't see that almost diabolical glint in his eyes when I said yes to him."

Angela was not convinced. "Perhaps you want to see it like that. Desire can be interpreted as something evil."

Isabella's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Angela? Desire? What have you been up to? You talk like a… I don't know, desire is lust, and lust is wrong."

Angela laughed at her and wiggled her eyebrows. "You know, Issy, you're too naïve for your own good. Love is what? It is a desire for someone. If you say desire is lust, then it can be an expression of love. If you get love from the same person, you get lust, then it shall be heaven."

"Angela, what have you been reading?" Isabella was having a hard time digesting what her friend was saying.

"Nothing, silly, just my opinion on a few things. I clearly don't belong to the group who thinks that women are not supposed to feel desire or lust. Though, you're the only one I have shared my views with."

"But obviously. You'd be scorned for even thinking like that."

"I can take it if love is on my side. Coming back to you, I think Mr. Masen is not such a bad choice. He cares for you. He desires you. That is so much better than treating you with a minimalistic attitude. I don't think he'd desire any mistresses. The way he sees you, it is as if he can only see you and no one else. Have you realized that?"

"No, I'm usually far too concentrated on not being terrified of him. He's overbearing."

"You are thinking too much, as he says. Don't think about it; just accept it. Sometimes, you think that the most horrible thing is happening to you, but in the end it all turns out to be good for you. This might be one of those things. Stop wrecking your health and sanity over it."

"Then what shall I do?"

"See him as your would-be husband. Try not to think about that offer of his. Just think of him as a man, a man who desires your company. You might be able to see the light then."

Isabella sighed heavily. "Easier said than done," she muttered.


Isabella hunched her shoulders as Edward held her waist and guided her towards the Masen manor. She tried to keep from bolting, sensing it wouldn't be such a good idea.

Edward could feel her hesitation, owing his vampire senses, but he couldn't understand the reason behind her nervousness. She has come here before. What is so different today? She seemed perfectly fine the last time I showed her around.

"So, Isabella, what would you like to have?" he asked in his best non-threatening tone.

She stared at the floor, feeling awkward. "I don't know. Nothing really."

He narrowed his eyes at her, not convinced with her answer. Just say it already. I don't have much patience with human food. Has she eaten properly, though? She looks weak.

He pondered upon her diet for a while, then let it go for the time being. Will think about it later. Feeding the human will be an important task.

"Wh-where are we going?" she stuttered as he took her upstairs.

"My room."

Once inside his room, he asked her to sit on the plush antique sofa seat on the other side of the bed. She did as he said, anxious to see what he was up to.

He went over to the huge mahogany chest of drawers in the corner and retrieved a tiny box from it. Bringing it to her, he sat down on one knee and asked her to open it. She stared at it for a moment, trying to decipher what it was, then, growing impatient; she just pulled the lid open. Inside it lay a beautiful ring with a ruby in the centre, surrounded by a cluster of diamonds.

Isabella gulped. The beauty of the ring captivated her but scared her at the same time.

Edward pulled the ring out of the box and held it in front of her. "Like it?" he asked her earnestly.

"It's-it's beautiful." She didn't have any other word to describe it.

He smiled at her answer and asked her to give her hand to him. Again, she did as he said, though the temptation to yank her hand back was ever present.

"Marry me," he murmured softly, his eyes burning with intensity.

Isabella nodded in approval, unable to form a valid sentence due to the effect of his scorching gaze. He slipped the ring on her fourth finger, sealing the deal of a betrothal between them.

Edward's lips twitched into a breathtaking smile, he truly felt elated at this moment. He had waited for this moment for many a decades, never really sure that he would have gotten a chance. The ring had been made as per his instructions. He ordered for the big ruby to be set in the centre, because it reminded him of Isabella and her humanity, the red of the ruby being her blood. The diamonds surrounding the ruby represented Edward himself, hard and eternal.

Pleased with himself, he held her soft hands in his and moved closer to her. "Bella, I want to try something," he whispered as he drew his face closer to hers.

See if I can handle it. Let it be good, let me not go after her blood. NO! I will NOT kill her, I'm strong enough.

Her breathing hitched as she saw him coming closer. She had been able to deal with the situation fairly well so far, but this she had not anticipated. Her heart hammered in her chest as she saw his lips approaching hers.


DENIED! (lol!)

But really, the chapter was so long as it is. So yeah... sorry guys!