Thank you to everyone who gave me their opinions in the author's note and in the polls! I've decided to alternate between Bella and Edward because it would greatly help to see how he does what he does and why he is the way he is. I would like to warn that for this chapter, there is quite a bit of cussing.

Edward is a very vulgar man so you have been forewarned. Enjoy the chapter!

Edward's Pov

She was wearing flats. Fucking flats. The dress code clearly read any form of heels but she just had to go and wear fucking flats.

The notion may appear stupid but I had it like that for a reason. Every woman in the building wore heels, even if was half-an-inch but Bella just had to go and be a fucking rule breaker. Then she came back with that challenge in her eyes, letting me know heels would be too tiring after a long day and she'd be slow.

I didn't have anything to say after that but I could feel her gaze burning into the side of my head like fire and it was taking all of me not to snap.

Whatever effect she had on me, it hadn't died.

I thought it was a fluke; that maybe it only affected me because when I met her she was on drugs and vulnerable and I was doing her father a favor. But here she was, three months later, clean and sober with that stare that just saw through me.

"We're here," Ben, the driver, announced and I exited the car as soon as he said it.

Bella was slower to get out and I could see her taking a deep breath, her chest rising and falling slowly. I couldn't help the fact that her chest drew me in and the way the dress hugged her figure made her look irresistible. I tried to shake away the dirty thoughts of what I could do to her; bad things tended to happen whenever I found interest in an assistant. Bad things in the name of Tanya.

The woman was fucking nuts.

"Where are we?" Her musical voice interrupted my thoughts.

I'm sorry, musical?

When did I turn into a pussy?

"Coffee shop. Let's go," I snapped at her and walked around the car, leading her inside.

The shop was filled with everyday people waiting for their daily dose of caffeine but I was not a patient man. The barista noticed me and I could see mild panic in her eyes. I'd been coming here for quite a while and the only way I could get my coffee quickly enough was to threaten to buy the building and fire everyone. It was probably a bit excessive but I didn't have time to wait around.

"Mr. Cullen, um, you don't usually come in until after eight-thirty. I'm sorry, sir, it's been a very hectic morning," the barista explained as we approached.

The line of customers seemed aggravated and one man stepped out, "Who the hell do you think you are man? We've been waiting for ten minutes and you just show up and skip everyone?!"

I ignored him and looked at the barista who appeared close to tears, "Here you go, Mr. Cullen."

"Keep the change," I slid her a hundred dollar bill and turned away, walking out of the shop.

"She looked terrified of you," Bella commented as we approached the car.

I shot her a glare and she flinched, her eyes colored with shock, "I am a powerful man, Ms. Swan. I don't have time to wait in lines for fucking coffee."

"I understand that. But you aren't the only one who has a job to get to. I just think it's polite to wait in line like the rest of us," she shrugged her shoulders and I felt a twitch begin to form in my right eye.

"Get in the car."

The next two hours were quite uneventful; we made trips to the dry-cleaners, lawyers' offices, one of my local offices. I shouldn't have been doing any of this but Rosalie insisted that she have it easy. I understood she was a recovering drug addict, seeing as I was the one who got her into the fucking program.

But she knew her job was going to be difficult.

She can't have it easy all the time.

That's not how life works.

"Last trip is Volturi Manufacturing," Bella read off of her work phone, looking up at me with those dark eyes.

Wonder what they'd look like...

Stop it, Cullen.

Horny bastard.

The hots for her were coming out of nowhere. I can't deny that were there when I first met her, but I went three months without even remembering it. Now it's her first day back and I'm ready to dive in?

"Yes, I told you that this morning," I stated, glancing down at my own phone.

After several minutes of silence, she made a small sound and I looked over. She was gnawing on her lower lip, something I noticed three months ago. It had plumped up and had become a red color from the blood flow. The dirty thoughts were quick to form and I didn't do much to deter them as she began to speak.

"You know I can handle it right? I'm not a doll and I understand where Rosalie is coming from but I can do this. I know this job came with a load and half," oh I wish it did. "but I can do this. If I can move to a city that I'm stranger to, then I can handle you."

She met my eyes with confidence and I leaned back, aware of the tightness in my pants, "If you think you're ready, then tomorrow, you're on your own."

A smile graced her lips and I felt mine twitch just a bit.

I needed to get out of the car soon.

Aro was a very eccentric man and I'd come to learn this over the years of working with him. Not that I really had a choice; leaving the Mafia came with some rules so I guess leaving isn't the correct term.

He was waiting in his office when I walked in with Bella and his eyes immediately zeroed in on her. His black eyes widened considerably and I could tell he'd taken an instant liking to her.

"Hello, Mr. Cullen. Who might this beauty be?" He climbed to his feet, walking around the desk.

Bella smiled politely but she was clearly uncomfortable, "I am Bella Swan. His new personal assistant."

Aro held out his hand and she took it. I watched her body flinch when his grip tightened and I sat down on the chair. The hand hold, because it definitely wasn't a fucking handshake, lasted longer than it should've and Aro was staring right into her eyes. Bella's eyes had widened a bit and if I was correct, a hint of fear lingered in them.

Yes, he did a good job of scaring my assistants whenever I brought them around. I saw her pull her hand back just a bit but he didn't budge.

"Divorced, hmm."

His statement was random but I saw Bella's shoulders tense up more.

"You are far too young to be divorced, dear. What happened? Did he cheat? Did you?" A delighted smile appeared on his face and I stood.

"Aro, stop. Your presence is uncomfortable enough as it is. No need to creep her out," I snapped and he let go, chuckling.

"My, dear Edward. So touchy. Tell me, have you tasted this one yet?" His eyes moved from Bella to me and back and I gripped the chair in an attempt to dull the red-hot anger.

"I am aware I made a deal but I will gladly have it changed," I reminded him.

He threw his hands up and returned to his seat, leaning back.

"Bella, go to the car," I looked over at her and she nodded, her eyes relieved as she rushed out.

"Her beauty rivals Tanya's, don't you think?" He mocked, touching his fingertips to each other.

I gritted my teeth to hold in anything I might regret.

"I'm here to discuss business."

He waved me off, "Come on, Edward. A little social chatter is needed before business talk. Now tell me, is Tanya aware of your new assistant? Has the last one recovered? If I recall correctly, Tanya had her properly...disciplined for sleeping with you."

My leg began to bounce on it's accord and I was trying my best not to shove the nearby pencil in his throat. Tanya was not something I wanted to discuss or the woman she put in a hospital.

"She's recovered. Anything else you'd like to talk about?" I questioned, my patience running thin.

"Just one thing. My little birds tell me that your Bella was in a drug rehabilitation facility. I looked into her; she doesn't have the funds to pay for it. I'm assuming you did. I also looked into her background. Far more thoroughly than you did, apparently. I think you should stay away from this one." His tone had become dangerous and he leaned forward on his desk.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I raised an eyebrow.

"There's a lot going on there. I mentioned her divorce and she got scared. You have very high standards and expectations of your women. Namely, that they don't cheat, correct?"

I glared at him, gripping the chair to stop myself from reacting. He wanted a reaction and I wasn't going to show him one.

"I have spent over thirty years learning how to read people, their tells, looking into their soul. You can't welcome a woman like that into the family, Edward. If she's a cheat, then clearly she has no morals," he leaned back, crossing his arms.

"I looked into her background. I looked into the details of that scandal. A lot of it was just speculation. And she was probably scared because normal people to know personal information about strangers."

"So, if you found it was real? I know you Edward. You fall too easily for these types of women. Beautiful, mysterious, manipulators. I mean, look at Tanya. And the one while you were married. She will be your undoing, this one. No one is helping you this time."

His words were really starting to piss me the fuck off. Did he really think I was going to try and date her? Fuck her, definitely, but I wasn't going to date or marry her. That chapter in my life was thoroughly shut and burned.

"Business, Aro. Or I leave."

"Yes, of course!"

When the meeting was done, nearly an hour later and far longer than it should've been, I headed out to the car. I was ready to punch something but I had to get back to the office so that would have to wait.

Bella was furiously typing on her phone when I opened the door and she quickly set it down, a guilty look coloring her face. It piqued my interest but I was far too distracted to really pay attention to it.

"Office," I stated as I shut the door and Ben nodded, driving off.

I heard a ping from her phone as I grabbed the laptop I'd set in the middle seat, turning it on. I heard about seven more pings in less than five minutes and looked at her,

"Can you fucking answer that? Whoever is on the other end clearly seems to be impatient," I snapped, and she flinched, grabbing the phone and turning it off.

"Sorry.." she mumbled.

I shook my head and returned to the laptop, scrolling through the several emails I'd received. A saw about four were from Tanya and I growled so loudly I saw Ben flash me a look in the rear view mirror.

"Everything okay, Mr. Cullen?" Bella's soft voice broke through the haze of anger and I looked at her.

Her face was so fucking innocent and everything Aro had said came back. I was supposed to believe that someone this kind and innocent destroyed her marriage and earned the scorn of a town?

No fucking way.

He had to be lying.

She was too fucking good to be anything like Tanya.

"Yes, I'm fine," I muttered and shut the laptop.

"What's next on the agenda?" She asked, raising her dark eyebrows.

"A bar."

The week had gone by faster than normal but I'm sure most of it had to do with the fact that Bella was fucking godsend when it came to handling my schedule. Anything I threw at her she took with ease, like she was born to work for me. Which seemed ridiculous but she was far more efficient than any other assistants I'd ever had. Maybe it was because I hadn't fucked her yet?

I wanted to, oh believe me, I wanted to.

Everyday she wore these skirts or dresses that hugged her body in ways that drove me fucking crazy. She had confidence and an endless supply of witty comments. It was fucking amazing and frustrating at the same time.

Apart from the many things that made her different, something stood out drastically, and it was the fact that I couldn't get a proper reading on her. I was able to spot her drug habit, yes, but I also had information from her background check and from her father. Physically, it was easy. She portrayed her nervousness or fear through biting that fucking bottom lip. But she knew how to hide what is was that was bothering her.

Nothing seemed to crack her, she was like a shield.

It drove me fucking insane.

I was going to break that shield, though, and the way to do that was right in front of me.

You are cordially invited to the birthday ball of Isabella Marie Swan.

Theme is Dark Swan.

A mask must be worn to gain entrance, along with this letter.

Location- The Ballroom on downtown avenue, building 15.

September 19, 2019

7:00pm

"Mr. Cullen," Bella's voice broke through my thoughts and I looked up, slipping the invite under a folder.

"Yes?"

"I'm just letting you know I'll be heading out for the day," she smiled and I nodded, looking down at the dress she was wearing and the way it hugged her breasts and hips.

Tomorrow, I was going to make my move.

Edward seems like a man on a mansion. What's going to happen at the ball? Will he seduce her?

Who was Bella messaging like a mad woman?

Whose the mystery woman Edward was with during his marriage to Tanya?

SO MANY QUESTIONS!

See you all at the ball next chapter!

Remember, the attire is Dark Swan!