The room is silent for a beat before Charlie and Edward both explode.
Charlie's hand slaps down on the table. "That conniving witch!" he growls.
At the same time, Edward jumps up, sending his metal chair clattering to the floor. He grabs the back of his head with both hands, bringing his elbows forward as if in great pain. "No way! My mother wouldn't do such a thing. She has no reason to." He starts pacing back and forth. "Why would Bella think she was involved? And Angela, too? This is just too outrageous to be true. It's not true."
He stops pacing, placing both hands on the table and leans down to face Rose. "It's not true, Rosalie. You misunderstood. Or . . . Or . . . Bella was confused. It's not true. Why would she think that?"
Rose doesn't shrink from Edward's intimidating gaze. In fact, she stands and leans forward herself, mirroring his stance and bringing their faces even closer together. When she speaks, her voice is soft, but the clarity and conviction in her tone make it seem as if she screams the words.
"Because Esme admitted it to her."
It takes a moment for Edward to process what she says, but when he does, he staggers back from the table, shaking his head back and forth.
Charlie is watching the exchange, but also trying to fit all the pieces together in his mind. "There's more," he states simply. "It doesn't make sense that Esme would set her son up as a philanderer and hand that to Bella on a silver platter. What are we missing?"
Emmett rises and walks around the table, righting Edward's chair as he speaks. "Yes, there is more. Edward, sit down, man," he encourages.
Rose lowers herself back into her seat as Edward slowly moves to sit across from her again. His expression is vacant, and he won't meet her eyes.
"So, this next part is actually the hard part -" she starts, but Edward interrupts her by breaking out into a fit of incredulous giggles.
"Sure," he says between laughs, "because telling me that my mother has masterminded a plan to convince my wife that I'm having an affair; that she actually bugged my home to record Bella and me having sex; that she arranged to have people taped while having sex in my office; and that Bella's friend is involved . . . that was the easy part!" His laughs give way to gasping breaths as he places his forehead on the table and Charlie puts a calming hand on his shoulder. After a moment, he raises his head, and his tear-filled eyes meet Rosalie's. "I'm afraid to hear what could possibly be worse than that, Rose."
Emmett slides a box of tissues across the table to him, before fixing Rose with an encouraging look.
"Right, well, I guess I should tell you about how Angela is involved in all of this," she says.
"Sounds like a good place to pick up the story," Charlie says, patting Edward's shoulder once before leaning back into his own chair.
"Edward, I don't think you are aware of this, but Esme told Bella she and Carlisle are actually long-standing friends of Angela's parents."
"No. I had no idea," he says. "Of course, they know so many people; the only thing that's surprising is that they never mentioned it to me."
"Perhaps not so surprising when you understand Angela's role in this," Rose continues. "I guess Angela and her family lived in Seattle when she was a baby but they moved away when she was still quite young. Her parents and yours kept in touch casually over the years. Angela grew up hearing about you and your family and your prestigious position among Seattle's elite."
"Oh, please," Edward scoffs.
"Regardless of how you view it, Edward, it's still true," Rose says. When he reluctantly nods in agreement, she goes on to tell more.
"Angela moved to Seattle to take a job at UW Medical Center."
"Right. She got a job in the trauma department. That's how we met," he says.
"Actually, her original position wasn't in your department," she says.
"What do you mean?" Charlie asks.
"Esme had received a note from Angela's mother sharing the news that Angela would be moving back to the area and telling about her new job. Esme reached out to Angela right after she moved here. She convinced Angela that Bella was not the right person for you. Even going so far as to imply that Angela herself would be a much better fit for you, Edward."
"That's ludicrous!" Edward proclaims. "I've never had the slightest interest in Angela except as a co-worker and Bella's friend."
"I believe you," Rose assures him. "The point is, that's what Angela wanted to hear, and Esme gave it to her. Once Angela felt that she had Esme's endorsement as a potential partner for you, it was easy for Esme to recruit her to help with the plan. Part of the plan was getting her a job in your department so she could work with you."
"What plan?" Charlie asks.
"The plan to get rid of Bella."
"Again, this doesn't make any sense!" Edward grits out, pulling at his hair.
"What's her motive? Why did she want to get rid of her?" Charlie asks.
"All I know is what Bella told me," Rose answers. "Esme believed she wasn't good enough for Edward or the family. That she was far below them socially with a blue-collar upbringing and a flighty mother." At this, she glances at Charlie. "Sorry, Chief."
"You have nothing to apologize for, Rose," he replies.
"Anyway, Esme got Angela to befriend Bella. She's the one who planted the recording device in your bedroom several months ago during a visit to the house. She also started raising concerns with Bella, sharing her 'suspicions' that you were involved with someone at the hospital."
"Oh my God," Edward says, dropping his head into his hands.
"One night you called to tell Bella that a trauma came in near the end of your shift and you would be late getting home since you were just going into surgery."
"Okay," he says. "That happens sometimes. Sounds about right."
"Well, you also mentioned that Angela would be assisting you in the surgery."
"Again, nothing unusual there," Edward says, frustrated.
"But, a few minutes later Angela called Bella, supposedly just to chat. Bella said something about the last-minute trauma case and Angela assisting. Angela told her she didn't know anything about it and that she was at home, not with you. Now Bella knows that was all a lie, but she believed her at the time. Angela used that incident to convince Bella that you were lying to her; you might even be with your mistress that very night and just using the trauma story as a cover. From there she got Bella to agree to try catching you in the act. Since Angela's boyfriend is a closet tech wiz, she offered to have him hide a camera in your office."
Edward looks up at her, deflated. "And?"
"Sometime after that, the sex video was recorded. Like I said, now Bella knows that it wasn't you, but the guy was made up to closely resemble you, plus they used the audio of your actual voice. Once you were 'caught' on video, Angela showed it to Bella."
"And she believed it." It's not a question, and Edward's voice is flat when he says it.
"At the time she did, yes," Rose confirms.
"Did you know about it then?" Charlie asks.
"No," she says. "I didn't know about any of this until Saturday morning. Believe me, if she had told me about it, I would have advised her to confront Edward. Hell, I probably would have offered to come home and personally rip him a new asshole." She looks at Edward sheepishly. "No offense."
"I wish you had, Rose. I mean, why didn't she confront me? Or call you? Or, for that matter, why did she finally call you on Saturday?" Edward asks.
"I think we can thank Angela for her not talking to either of us earlier. She told Bella that the recording was solid proof and that she shouldn't take that sort of treatment from you. She had another idea," Rose explains.
"What idea was that?" Charlie asks.
Rose looks at Emmett, and he gives her his best encouraging smile. As brave as she is, Rose can't bring herself to look at Edward or Charlie, so she focuses on a spot on the table between them.
"Revenge sex," she says.
"What?" Charlie asks, eyebrows drawn together and voice tinged with confusion.
Rose finally looks at him. "Angela convinced Bella that the best way to get back at Edward would be to hurt him the way she believed he had hurt her. By having revenge sex. By sleeping with someone else."
"No," Edward insists, his head shaking side-to-side. "Bella would never do that. Even if I had hurt her, she would confront me. She wouldn't just go sleep with someone else."
"But she did, Edward," Rose tells him as gently as she can. "She confessed as much to me. She only did it because she was so hurt and she's so, so sorry. She loves you more than anything and was going to tell you; try to make you understand."
"There's one more piece, right, Rosalie?" Emmett prompts.
"Right." She clears her throat before continuing. "It was all part of your mother's plan, Edward. She had Angela befriend Bella, then make her suspicious of you and finally show you the fake video. She also had Angela encourage Bella to sleep with someone else. And . . ."
"And what, Rose?" Charlie asks.
"And Angela suggested that Bella tape the encounter. The idea was that she would arrange for Edward to see it and he would be hurt the way Bella was."
"You're telling me that my wife made a sex tape? Fucking Hell, Rose! And with who? Who was the motherfucker she slept with?" Edward yells.
"I'll tell you what I know about him," she replies. "But you need to know that Esme was involved in every aspect of this plan. After, well, after Bella's horrible mistake, she went to the bathroom to shower. When she came out, Esme was in the room with the man. She had recruited him and arranged for Angela to introduce him to Bella as her friend."
Suddenly, Edward stands again and starts pacing.
"Edward, Esme paid the guy to sleep with Bella," she continues.
"Fuck!" Charlie mutters.
Rose stands. Edward's about to lose all control, but he needs to hear the rest. She continues with urgency.
"Not only that, but Esme was blackmailing her, Edward. She gave her an ultimatum. Bella could choose to leave you. Tell you whatever she wanted in order to let you down easy, but then leave. Esme offered to pay her a living stipend and cover all divorce expenses as long as she never came near you again."
This gets Edward's attention, and he stops pacing to face her.
"Or what?" he asks. "You said my mother gave Bella an ultimatum. What was the alternative?"
"If Bella didn't voluntarily leave, Esme would make sure you saw the tape. She even threatened to release it on the internet in an effort to shame Bella, embarrass you and make sure you would leave her."
"I see," he says flatly.
"I don't know that you do," Rose insists. "Because Bella wasn't going to choose either of those options. She had decided to stay and fight for your marriage, Edward. She was going to tell you everything. Confess the horrible mistake she made, but also tell you everything Esme and Angela did. She was going to be accountable for the choice she made, Edward. But she wanted you to understand all the circumstances that led her to that choice. She was hoping the two of you would be able to work things out."
"Was she now?" he laughs, humorlessly. "Tell me, Rose, when did Bella have her little extracurricular encounter?" The question is thick with sarcasm.
"Edward . . ." her tone is an admonishment.
"TELL ME!" he yells.
Rose takes a deep breath before answering him. "Friday. This past Friday night," Rose says.
Edward nods, running through the days in his head.
"I was working a double, Friday to Saturday. In fact, Saturday we had a horrendous accident come in. We couldn't save the pregnant wife. I had to tell the husband. When I got home, I was wrecked. I told Bella about it and we . . ." he drifts off, recalling Saturday's romps with Bella.
"Fucking Hell—" he dashes to the corner and leans over the trash can as he vomits the little food that was in his stomach.
When he's done, he stands, grabbing a tissue from the table to wipe his mouth. His eyes are red-rimmed and watery.
"She let me make love to her! She didn't say shit to me about any of this, and she let me fuck her. More than once!"
"Edward!" It's Charlie this time, chastising him with his voice.
Edward glances at him then turns around to face the wall.
"Edward, this is an awful situation, man," Emmett offers. "But it doesn't change the fact that Bella is still missing. The added involvement of your mother and these other players just makes the situation –"
"No!" Edward interrupts, whipping around to face him. "I can't. I can't do, or hear, or see another thing about any of this. I have to get out of here."
As he stomps toward the door, Charlie stands and catches his arm.
"Son—" he says.
Edward faces him, raising one finger between them. "Charlie, I can't. Just . . . just give me . . . I need some time. Please." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his car keys. "Here, take these. Let me just walk for a bit."
Charlie peers closely at him for a moment before releasing his arm and taking the keys. "All right, son. But answer your phone when I call you, okay?"
"Sure," Edward agrees, then rushes out of the room, the door slamming against the wall before closing behind him.
The sound echoes in the room and everyone stands awkwardly for a moment before Emmett clears his throat.
"It certainly is a lot for him to take in," he observes. "You, too, Charlie."
Charlie rubs his mustache thoughtfully before walking to the table and sitting.
"Sure is. But Bella's solid. Has a good head on her shoulders. Sounds like Esme really had her chasing her tail for a bit but that she got headed in the right direction in the end."
"She did, Chief," Rose assures him. "She really did."
"But now she's missing. Esme and Angela are mixed up in this along with who knows who else. What about Carlisle? He's got to know something," Charlie says.
"We just don't know, Charlie. Until we can question them, we just don't know," Emmett says.
"So, when are you bringing them in?" Charlie asks.
"Problem is, Charlie, all we really have right now is Rose telling us what Bella told her."
"Hearsay and circumstantial."
"That's right. However, we might be close to something more concrete. If our team finds anything when they sweep Edward's house in the morning, that would verify Bella's story and give us something to go on."
"Well, let's hope that pans out," Charlie says. "What do you know about this fella Bella was with?"
"Very little, unfortunately. Angela and Esme will be our best bet to find out more about him, I think," Emmett says.
"Hmmm," Charlie frowns and hums in acknowledgment.
"There are two other things," Emmett offers.
"Two things? You mean leads?" Rose asks.
"Well, we think we have her phone."
Charlie's eyes light up at this news.
"A uniform found it behind the coffee shop earlier," Emmett continues. "Our tech guys are working on it right now. If they can get it to power up, we'll see if there's anything useful on it."
"That's some badly needed news, Emmett," Charlie says.
"It is," Emmett agrees.
"You said two things?" Charlie presses.
Emmett rubs the back of his neck and hesitates for a moment.
"Well, shit. Out with it, detective," Charlie says.
"There's been a pretty significant uptick in sex trafficking cases in greater Seattle during the past six months or so," Emmett begins.
Charlie's eyes narrow as he watches Emmett.
"The fact that there's a sex video somewhere with Bella on it raised some flags for me. Pete's been working closely with the sex crimes unit, so I talked to him about it. Asked him to share the APB information with the officers who monitor online activity."
"Online? You mean porn sites?" Charlie inquires.
"Yes, those, but more importantly, watching for activity on the dark web," Emmett explains.
"Christ!" Charlie mutters, slumping back into his chair.
"Wait," Rose says. "Dark web? What's that?"
"I'm not a tech geek, so I'll give my layman's description," Emmett says "It's online stuff but not accessible through traditional search engines. It's content that's hidden from Google and the like. You need a special browser to even find it. Then, there can be more levels of security; hoops to jump through to get to where you want to be. There's some legitimately revolting stuff there."
Rose pales as she processes this. "Holy shit. And you think that somehow Bella is involved in this dark web?"
Emmett's eyes shift from Rose to Charlie. Charlie holds his gaze and raises his eyebrows in question.
"Maybe."
Charlie's eyes close and his jaw ticks as he grinds his teeth. His nostrils flare as he takes a deep breath while listening to Emmett continue.
"One of the officers who monitor some of the sites thinks she saw the video of Bella in the hotel room earlier today. It was before Pete had shared the APB, so they weren't specifically keeping an eye out for her. However, she's pretty positive it was Bella. The physical description matches and the setting was right. Unfortunately, when she went back to find the video again, it was gone. It might have been taken down, or maybe just moved. But I do think that it was someone involved in Bella's tryst who put it up on the dark web for a period of time."
"Why? I mean was Bella identified in the video? What's the point of posting it?" Rose asks.
"Money," Charlie says with disgust. "Punks post stuff and people need to pay to view it. It's generally considered to be a few steps above the standard porn that can be accessed for free on the regular web." He blanches as he finishes his explanation.
"That's it in a nutshell," Emmett occurs. "So of course, if someone has Bella and they are posting images of her on the dark web –"
"She's in real danger," Charlie finishes for him.
"Right," Emmett nods.
"Oh, God," Rose exclaims.
"Here's what I suggest," Emmett says. "Catch up with Edward and you three spend the night at a hotel. If there are active bugs at his house, we don't need to tip off anyone that we're on to them. I'll call you in the morning, and we can all meet at the house to let the team in. We'll see what they find. Maybe we'll have some luck with the phone by then. I'm guessing we'll be having a chat with Edward's mother and Angela before the day is over."
"That's a good plan," Charlie agrees. "God, what a shit-fest this is."
"I can't believe Bella's in the middle of this," Rose says. "All because that bitch, Esme, doesn't like her? What kind of a person does this?"
"Well, we don't know that Esme is involved in Bella's disappearance," Emmett reminds her. "But, it sure looks like she's a bit unhinged."
"What are the chances that I can help question her?" Charlie asks.
"Umm . . . pretty sure I can't pull enough strings for that, Charlie," Emmett answers, uncomfortably. "I might be able to get you in the observation room, though."
Charlie nods. "You work on that."
He stands and holds his hand out toward Rose. "Come on, kid. Let's go find the doc and see if we can start to put him back together again."
Rose rises and goes to Emmett. Stretching onto her tiptoes, she rests her hands on his shoulders and quickly gives him a peck on the cheek. "Thank you for everything, Emmett."
Before he can respond, she moves to Charlie's side, and he ushers her out of the room with his hand on her back.
A/N: Welcome to all the new readers who have decided to give this story a chance. Thank you for all your 'follows' and 'faves' and, especially, reviews!
A lot of people have helped me in this process as prereaders, betas and cheerleaders (often all three at once). You all have my sincere gratitude: Owlsarebirdstoo, Ana Rodfranco, SunflowerFran, Tiffany L Cullen. Oh, and Beegurl13 made me this awesome banner. You can see it on my Facebook page, Amy Gold (Amethyst Gold).
Standard Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I don't own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.
Check out the Twilight FanFiction Pays It Forward Facebook group. Pay It Forward will be featuring fics in four different categories on their new blog. Number one will be a Rookie . . . a new, first-time writer showcasing their first fic on our blog. Number two will be an Encore . . . a new fic from a seasoned author giving us a sneak peek. Number three will be a Classix . . . one from the vault, a time-tested oldie. And four, is an Overlooked fic that needs some love. If you are a Rookie and need help, contact Fran on the TFPIF page. And if you have an Encore, contact her to get your new fic showcased. Also, anyone interested in writing a summary on one of their favs, feel free to send it in for the Classix section