Authors Note -

Thank you guys so much for the birthday wishes, your reviews were the best part of my day (other than the Kindle Fire HD I received, yay!)

So, a few shoutouts, to the guest reviewer who complimented me on my writing at the age of 17, thank you, that's a massive compliment. Also ProudBookNerd, your detailed review was great, I loved your constructive criticism and want to thank you for really putting in effort and taking the time to write so much.

debslmac? I think I got that right, don't think you're going unnoticed, your smiley faces every time I upload a chapter are sweet. It's nice to know I have some loyal readers out there. Also, dipsydoodle, queen cullen 0527, hiddenfanggirl16, ebella, rrrarkansas, soothemysoul, belovedsunshine, LiLi82, ffranco1985, TheGizzYall, I see your reviews every chapter, thanks guys.

Honestly though, ALL of you are just little gems. I don't think you understand just how much you make my day by reviewing just a couple of words.

With all of that said, I hope you enjoy the next chapter.

Chapter Eight: Deal

She doesn't say anything, she just drives which I'm thankful for as my voice box doesn't seem to be working. It's about one thirty by the time we get there so I don't waste any time in getting out of her car and into the building.

It seems bigger this time, almost more intimidating and daunting.

"What are you doing?" I ask her when I realise she's following me into Cullen Industries.

"Coming with you."

"You don't have to do that Haley."

"I know I don't." She says as if there's no need for her to give an explanation as to why she's risking herself for me.

I don't bother telling her to go home because I know she won't listen. There's no way she'd leave me now.

We walk upto the same receptionist as last time and wait for her to get off the phone before speaking to her.

"Miss Rivers, how may I help you?"

"Hi, I need to see Edward. Can you tell him Ms Swan is here to see him?"

She looks at me confused, probably wondering why I'm referring to myself as Ms Swan. "What time is your appointment?"

"I don't have one. I just need to see him."

"I'm sorry, you can't see him without an appointment. Feel free to take a seat in the waiting area. Once he's out of his meeting I can let him know you're here."

"What time does his meeting finish?" I ask, my voice laced with worry. Why had I left it this late?

"I can't say. They go on for hours. Maybe three, three-thirty? Would you like for me to set up an appointment instead?"

"No, you don't seem to understand. I need to see him now." I declare, hoping she'll break the rules.

"I'm sorry Miss Rivers but that's not possible. Please take a seat in the wai-"

"You listen here lady. My friend here needs to see Edward right this minute, so you're going to pick up that phone and you're going to dial whatever number it is, and you're going to tell him Miss Swan is waiting for him, or so help me God I'm going to ram my fist up you-"

"Haley, Haley, calm down." I say quickly, not wanting a scene to kick off. The last thing I needed was to be kicked out of the building.

The receptionist picks up the phone and relief floods through me. "Hi, I'm going to need security on the ground floor. Asap."

"You bitch!" I pull Haley back from launching at the receptionist, even though in reality I want to punch this woman on the face, and then in the stomach.

We're a few steps from her desk when Haley pulls me to the side. "I've got a plan. Just follow my lead ok?"

I nod, not knowing what the hell Haley plans on doing, but trusting her fully. Two security guards come out of nowhere and make their way towards us. Everyone on the groundfloor is staring at us now. If I wasn't so intent on seeing Edward I would have been embarrased.

"He's mine! Stay away from him!" Haley shouts while pushing at me. She takes me by surprise so I end up falling to the floor. "Get up and get to the elevator!" She whispers loudly at me.

I realise she's pushed me in the direction of the elevator and almost laugh. I stand up and run as she comes for me again.

To anyone else it would look like I was running away from her, when in reality I was running to the elevator. I push the button over a hundred times, praying it came in the next five seconds as I see the security guards approach Haley.

"You bitch, you better stay away from him!" Haley shouts at me when the security guards grab her by the arms, trying to stop her from getting any further into the building. I catch her wink before the elevator doors close.

I press the button for the twenty-second floor twice as much as I did with the elevator button, knowing I need to be fast. I don't have much time. Security were probably waiting for me on Edwards floor, no doubt ready to chuck me out of the building.

God I hope he wasn't really in a meeting. I'd no doubt already sent his whole building into a frenzy, I sure as hell did not want to interrupt a meeting of his.

The elevator pings as it reaches the twenty-second floor. The doors open and I run straight for Edwards office, ignoring the shouts off Tricia. I dodge the bodies as the security guards run for me, intent on getting to his office.

I throw his door open and look inside but he's nowhere to be seen. There's no-one to be seen. I realise my mistake as I back track out of his office.

Serious meetings weren't held in offices, they were held in conference rooms. Which meant he could be on any of the other twenty-one floors. There's no way I'd be able to get to them all before two pm, especially when I had people after me. Which means the deal would expire and my family would suffer because of me.

Why the fuck did my phone have to break? Why!?

Something inside me tells me not to give up, and so I run. I run around the whole floor, ignoring all the shouts while looking through all the glass windows, hoping to see one with him in it.

My heart almost stops when I see him presenting a powerpoint to about six other men in a fairly large conference room.

I turn around and look at the five guys tailing me and then at Edward.

Would he be pissed if I barge in on his meeting? I check the clock in his room, one fifty-two pm. As the men close in on me, I don't think twice as I throw open the door and run inside.

I stop still as seven pairs of eyes all turn on me, but it's only one pair I'm worried about. I don't have long to worry though as two men grab me by the arms and start to pull me back out of the room.

"I'm sorry Sir, we couldn't stop her once she was in the elevator." One of the guys say.

I'm practically out of the room when I realise this is my only chance. "We have a deal Mr Cullen. I accept your offer!" I shout, hoping he'll take this as me saying yes to his offer.

I catch his smirk just as I get pulled round the corner. A smirk was a good thing right?

I contemplate what his smirk meant on the elevator ride down. The doors open and I see Haley being detained by the same security guards, she doesn't look happy at seeing me though.

"What happened? Did you see him?" She shouts once I'm closer to her.

"I did, he was in a meeting. I don't think it went too well."

"Guards, bring them two over here."

We look over to the receptionist who's beckoning us over with the desk phone in her hand. She hands it to me once I'm close enough.

"Hello?"

"Miss Swan, what a nice surprise you gave me today."

His voice shocks me at first, I didn't expect this, not at all. If anything I expected a scolding, or some kind of threat.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your meeting, I was desperate and your receptionist wouldn't let me come up."

"Tricia?" He asks.

"No, the one on the ground floor." I say, giving the receptionist a blatant once over.

Yeah bitch I'm talking about you.

"Give her the phone."

"What? Wh-"

"Give her the phone Bella." He uses that same commanding voice so I have no choice but to comply.

I motion for her to take the phone and look at Haley, who's just as confused as me.

"Mr Cullen. Yes. Right, I'm sorry, I didn't know. Of course. Anything. Yes Mr Cullen. Ok." Her eyes widen and her cheeks blush as she hands the phone back to me.

Haley laughs, and loud at that.

"What did you say to her?" I ask Edward as soon as I'm back on the phone.

"Nothing she shouldn't already know Miss Swan."

"Right, so can I come back up? We have a few things to discuss."

"We do, do we?"

"Erm, yeah?" I say, not so sure of myself anymore.

"Come straight to my office."

"Wait a second Mr Cullen. Hey, where's the loudspeaker thing for this?" I ask the receptionist with my hand over the speaker.

She presses a button on the phone set and I test it out first. "Mr Cullen?"

"Yes Bella?"

"Right ok, hang on." I look towards the remaining guards and motion for them to come closer. "All of you listen to this." I say, making sure they can all hear.

"Ok can you please repeat what you just said, Mr Cullen."

"Come straight to my office?"

I turn to the guards and even the few passerbys who look intrigued with what's going on. "Right, you all heard Mr Cullen. He asked me to go straight to his office, so none of you are going to try and stop me right?"

They nod at me and I sigh in relief. I was not in the mood to be running any more. Even if I was in converse.

"Ok, I'm on my way Mr Cullen." I shout towards the phone before handing it back to the receptionist. "Haley, I'll be down soon. You just, do your thing?"

"It's fine, I was kind of having fun with these guys anyway." She says, winking at me.

She mouthes goodluck to me and I head for the elevators, thankful that I can take my time this time. Once I get to his floor I almost expect security guards to be waiting for me but no-one bothers stopping me.

I give Tricia an apologetic smile as I pass her to get to Edwards office. My nerves are close to getting the better of me but I quickly knock on his door before I can change my mind.

"Come in."

I walk in apprehensive to how he's going to react to me. Would he be angry? Annoyed?

"Well if it isn't speedy gonzales herself?" He says while smiling. His smile throws me off and makes me even more nervous than I already was.

"Hardly! I'm thankful you have elevators, otherwise there's no way I would've been able to run up twenty-two floors."

"There's much better ways to work up a sweat Ms Swan, I assure you."

His flirty words catch me off guard. What was I doing? This man had my family held hostage, how was I standing here joking around with him? What kind of person was I?

"I'm sorry about that. I didn't have a choice."

His game face is back on as he clears his throat. "It's fine. So you agree to the terms then? Ten days. No more, no less."

"Yeah, but I just have one condition." I say, wary of how he'll react to me making demands.

"What is it?" He leans forward on his elbows, obviously intrigued to see what condition I'd be making.

"My Mom, she's ill. I'm behind on her health insurance, I can't… if I don't pay, she won't get the right medicine or care that she needs. I know I'm asking a lot of you, but she's my Mom and I don't think I can handle it if anyth-"

He cuts me off. "What hospital is she at?"

"Penn View."

"I'll get it sorted. Would you like me to transfer her to a private hospital instead?"

"No, no. It's fine." I say quickly, not wanting to milk the situation or his generosity. "It's just the payments. Thankyou."

"Is that all? Any other conditions?"

"No, that's it." I say, wondering why he's being so nice.

"So I guess we have a deal then."

"I guess we do. So when do I start? Tricia's still here?"

"She leaves tonight, so you start tomorrow. Just to go through a few things though. Being my PA means you'll have to attend all of my events and meetings with me. You'll also have to be on hand 24/7, and I assure you that can sometimes mean having to meet me at five am in the morning for last minute preperations. In the ten days you're with me I have two events you'll accompany me with. One is a charity ball, the other a dinner. I'll provide you with anything you need. Any questions?"

It's a lot to take in and it may be bordering at the top end of the stupid decisions I've made in my life but it was worth it.

I'd do it. I'd do it to save my family.

"Erm what time do I start?"

He smiles before answering. "Eight am."

And just like that, I had a deal with the Devil.

Authors Note:

200 and the next chapter is ALL yours. Oh and what's that I hear… The next chapter is Edwards POV?

Crazy Fact - I read a fantastic book called Break Her by B.G Harlen yesterday and wow, guys. I cannot recommend it enough. It was a draining read, I literally sat there for an hour after doing nothing, wondering how to even get up. It was different on so many levels. I definitely think you should all check it out.

Question - How many of you checked out the adjoining story about Rosalie and Emmett that I uploaded? (Blurred Line Between Love & Hate.)