Hi there!

This is the latest installment! Sorry for not posting yesterday but since I don't have anyone to read this and give me an opinion, I usually end up editing way past the time I'm supposed to post the chapter and then I'm late. Again. I'm really sorry.

Happy reading!

"A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes."
― Mark Twain

I always thought of myself as a little different from the people around me. There were times when I found it very hard to just be around people my age or even older. It's not that I couldn't mingle, that I couldn't find a common bridge that could tie me and the other person,. I just chose not to do it. I was resourceful and always managed to do what I had in mind, if I wanted to do it. Mom always joked that I was stubborn as a mule but I always brushed off her jokes. So what if I did everything in my power to get something? The alternative would have been to not have a purpose at all.

Now that, in my perspective, was Hell.

I was wrong.

Hell isn't just a decision, a moment, a place in time that you can pinpoint with precise clarity. When you're in your own brand of Hell, time ceases to exist. You get the feeling that you've been there for years, struggling to get out, struggling to make sense of everything going on around you and you fail at that each time. Time becomes unimportant as long as you get out of there.

It felt like years had passed since Charlie and Renee's death and I was, officially in Hell. People, like Edward's father, seemed like they would have done anything as long as it meant that they could get close to me and try to get the damned box that supposedly was in my possession. The fact that Carlisle Cullen was a powerful and scary man did nothing to keep at bay all those who were out there, hunting me. I was sure of that.

Shit was about to get very serious and I was seriously considering the option of just getting a fake ID and fake documents to go with it and just... disappear. But two things were keeping me from doing that. Two people to be more exact: Alice and Edward. While Alice was probably just as defenseless as I was, another thing could be said about Edward. He wasn't weak. Not even when it came to his father and all those unsolved problems between them. If anything, the hate that he had for his father only made him more careful and much more stronger to go against anyone who dared to challenge him.

But I was his weakness and I knew Edward Sr. had figured that one out as soon as he saw his son in the same room as I was. My body seemed to sing whenever Edward was around and my posture visibly relaxed each time he was near me.

Edward Sr. had found the girl everyone was looking for and also stumbled upon his son's weakness. Something told me that wasn't a very common occurrence and he didn't seem like the type who would just let it go. He seemed like the type who would store it for later and use that piece of information with no remorse whatsoever.

I prayed to God I was wrong but I knew... I knew I was in some really deep shit.

All thanks to my dear father. How ironic that the one person who I trusted above anyone else was the one person who had dragged me into this hell.

And let's not forget about my mother. Just thinking about her death brought tears of sadness, despair and anger each time. Each. Damn. Time.

But Edward Sr. had been right about something: I wasn't safe in this house. Maybe giving Carlisle Cullen the box hadn't been a mistake but getting involved with his son, staying in his house, being close to him had been a huge mistake.

In my defense, there wasn't much that I could have done a few weeks ago. I did the best I could with what I had been given. But the best turned out to be a mistake. Getting tangled in this web of lies and deceit had begun to backfire. It was only a matter of time before my safety would be a full time job for everyone. A job that could get them killed.

Was I ready for that? Was I ready for someone to give their life for me? What made me so special, at the end of the day?

The answer was... nothing. Absolutely nothing.

I was the daughter of a turn cloak. And I was paying dearly for that.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Carlisle Cullen was cool as a cucumber and Esme matched him down to the number of breaths he was taking. They both were their stunning selves as they walked into the living room and took in the scene before them. I was still in the hallway, still debating whether I should be in the same room or just get myself out while I still wasn't involved in the conversation. Something told me shit was about to hit the fan.

"Carlisle. Esme." Edward Sr. said through a thin lipped smile as though he would have rather eaten rocks than be in the same room with the patriarch and matriarch of the Cullen family. And the Family, Isabella. I wouldn't forget that if I were you. My mind replied and carefully analyzed the scene in front of us.

"Why don't we all have a seat?" Esme, ever the graceful hostess, said with a neutral expression before calling for Eleazar. It took the butler three seconds to materialize before our eyes. "Yes, Mrs. Cullen."

"Bring us tea, please."

Judging by Eleazar's face, you would have thought Esme asked for poison, not some simple boiled water with a side bag of something fruity. But the words weren't to blame. It was her tone. I've never heard Esme Cullen use that tone in all three weeks I had stayed in that house. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

Needless to say, I took that as a sign to get out of there as soon as possible. Too bad Esme wasn't having it.

"Isabella, join us. Please."

I had a feeling that please meant now so I nodded my head, put a poker face on and slowly made my way into the room. I sat daintily on one of the couches facing each other and folded my hands in my lap. Edward sat right next to me and took my left hand into his. I could almost feel the tension rolling off of him in waves.

"Good, now that we're all here, why don't we start this from the beginning."

No one was talking. Personally, I had nothing to bring on the table but since no one wanted to say anything and the tension was clearly mounting by the second, I opened my mouth and bit the bullet.

"Mr. Masen wants the box I gave to Edward for safekeeping."

Four out of the five people in the room knew that it was a complete lie but none of us moved a muscle. The fifth person, Edward Masen Sr., was looking at me as if I was the dirt on his shoes and didn't deserve to be in the same room with him. I'm guessing my earlier answer didn't please him. Then again, I hadn't fooled myself it would.

"It still doesn't explain why you would come into my house, uninvited, and demand something that isn't yours to begin with." Esme said while looking straight into Edward Sr.'s eyes. To his credit, he didn't flinch or look away.

Instead of backtracking and trying to get out of the house as quickly as possible, Edward Sr. launched into his very own brand of attack.

"And why is she here to begin with? You're having the daughter of a traitor living in the same house as the head of the Family and his wife? This is beyond stupid, even for you two."

"Her stay here is not up for discussion. Why do you want the box?"

This time, it was Carlisle who spoke up and took the lead of questioning.

"Not for me, of course." Edward's father replied with a flick of his wrist as if the idea seemed preposterous to him. Maybe it was.

"Who paid you then?"

Edward's voice seemed foreign to me. It was cold, detached and ready for a fight. A deadly combination. My mind whispered as I squeezed his hand to let him know I was there. I hoped my little action brought him back into the room and away from the anger he had been feeling towards his father for all that time.

"I'm doing someone a favor but it seems that Miss Swan here doesn't want to help me... or herself, for that matter." Edward Sr.'s cryptic reply came and filled the room with tension.

Everyone's eyes were on him and his eyes were on everyone. You could have cut the tension in the room with the proverbial knife.

Eleazar's reappearance in the room proved to be the best distraction.

"Tea is served." Eleazar said as he poured hot water into five cups and opened a wooden box that contained all kinds of flavored tea bags. I took a cup and a tea bag in the blink of an eye.

"Isabella has enough help here, in this house." Esme stated as she stared Edward Sr. with a blank look over her steaming cup of tea.

"Really? In this snake pit?"

A muscle tensed in Carlisle's neck. Esme put a hand on her husband's forearm and gave him a gentle squeeze. The action calmed him instantly.

"Insulting us in our own house is not wise, Edward."

"It wasn't wise to take my son away from me and turn him against me either. Yet, you still did it, Esme."

Take Edward away from his father?

"There's more to that story that you being a simple victim, Edward. Don't play that card."

Even I, the untrained ear, could hear the threat in Carlisle's voice. I gulped down a mouthful of tea and wished I was anywhere else in the world, except for that living room.

"I'm not here to go down memory lane, Carlisle. My son has made his choice."

I couldn't miss the slight edge in his voice. He sounded... pained. Up to a point, I guess I could have understood him. Being away from your flesh and blood couldn't have been easy but why not do everything within your power to make it right again? As far as Edward told me, his father never fought for him, never expressed his wish to get him back.

What had changed?

There was only one answer: me.

Edward Sr. thought his son had what he wanted and was playing his son's feelings in his favor. Was that it? Would he really go that low to get that fucking box and its contents? Or did I get I wrong? Did Edward Masen Sr. finally see the error of his ways and was trying to make amends? The timing was too weird.

"Oh, someone please give me a trashcan so I can throw up in it!" Edward suddenly said as he got up from the couch. I missed his body heat instantly. "You're not here to catch up on old times of you not giving a fuck about me! You're here to get your hands on that information. Well, guess what? It's not gonna happen! So you can crawl back into your little hole and report back to your master that Isabella is in my care and I sure as hell am going to keep her away from the likes of you!"

I was stunned by Edward's speech. Sure, there wasn't anything else I would have expected from him other than his complete devotion. It made my heart skip a beat.

"The likes of me? You seem to be forgetting in which circle you're mingling, boy!"

"A better one where family sticks together!"

"You're not family to them! You're the dog meant to keep others under surveillance! You're with the Cullens because they have something to gain from that, not because of love."

The way love fell from Edward Sr.'s lips, you would have thought they were discussing fecal matter. I suppressed a shiver.

"That's enough!" Carlisle bellowed and a heavy silence settled over all of us. "I won't have you in my house, disrespecting me and everyone in it."

"Actually, I think it would be good to get it all in the open, considering the fact that Edward here wants to keep Isabella here. She should know what she's getting into. You're all playing the part of the happy family when in reality, you're anything but!"

"Edward..."

But Edward Masen Sr. was on a roll and he didn't give a shit about Carlisle's warning.

"What? You're gonna tell me I'm lying? You're gonna tell me you're not the head of the Mob family that killed her father? Don't tell me you had no idea of their plans. You know everything that goes on in there and this time it was no different. You knew and now you're playing the card of the wonderful father, eager to help his adopted son take care of his naive girlfriend, a girl who just happens to be the daughter of the mole your men killed!"

I have to say, I had been thinking the same thing for almost three weeks now so hearing it from his mouth shouldn't have done anything to me. But it did. Like a sucker punch you never see coming, it hit me full force.

To be honest, I could get Carlisle's point of view. There isn't much you can do when someone like my father keeps betraying people left and right. However, my father trusted Edward enough to make him the back-up plan and that itself spoke volumes.

Carlisle kept silent throughout Edward Sr.'s tirade. He even managed to look calm and keep his compose. I would have smacked him a long time ago. And I was a peaceful person.

"The investigation concerning those deaths is still pending, Mr. Masen." Esme reminded him with a calm and collected voice. In those moments of tension, it seemed like she was Carlisle's voice, carefully choosing her words and taking no prisoners in the process. "I hope whoever killed Isabella's mother and father will be brought to justice. We are not involved in that, as you already know." Esme's voice didn't shake, nor was it filled with any emotion, but it had this conviction, this strength and power that it mesmerized you in a heartbeat. "I will personally make sure that this child is safe from harm and safe from all the people who pretend to help."

I looked over at her in awe. This woman is something!

"A real mother hen." Edward Sr. sneered.

"Watch your mouth!" Carlisle warned, his voice low and full of menace.

"Leave him be, Carlisle." Esme said soothingly before returning her attention back to the intruder. "You knew what you would find here, Edward. You're not going to get the reaction you've been hoping for. Isabella will never be alone and she's not going to help you either. She chose my son. Make peace with that."

I watched as Edward Sr. digested her words, his face scrunching with each moment that passed. He was a ticking bomb, ready to go off and take us all out in the process, no matter the costs. And I was willing to bet that I was the first in line for his attack.

"You're getting her deeper into your world and you act like you're doing her a favor! You're not! And Edward here should know better by now!"

I threw Edward a side glance and saw the tensing muscles on his skull. This was going to end badly!

"She's made her choice." Esme stated calmly even though I could tell she was also reaching her boiling point any minute now.

"And what choice was that? To turn her back on the only people who could have helped her and walk into your waiting arms, Esme?"

"They left me there." I found myself saying. I hadn't even processed the words before they spilled out of my mouth. There was no turning back anymore now that I had Edward Sr.'s attention once again.

"They were waiting-"

"They left me there like one leaves live bait." I said, cutting him off. "No security, no help... nothing! Later, I found out that daddy dearest had left me 10 million dollars. What was I supposed to do? Wait for people to pop-up and claim old debts? Or wait for that safety deposit box to be in my possession while I was alone?"

My questions shut him up. As a matter of fact, my questions made everyone shut up and really take a moment to think of what I had gone through. The more I thought about it, the more pissed off I became. Sure, taking the high road and coming here weeks after those incidents with options was easy. Given another chance to re-do what I did, maybe I would have chosen another path, another option, another guardian. But this wasn't a re-do. I did the best I could with what I had been given. I was not going to start questioning myself and my previous actions because that would have been the perfect recipe for a disaster.

"You came here and gave me the option of running away. I ask you: why should I run away? What have I ever done to run away? What am I guilty of?"

"You are obstructing justice, Isabella."

The words seemed foreign to me. Justice. What was that anyway? The eye for an eye bullshit people applied in their everyday lives? Where was justice when my parents had been killed and people were already sniffing around me?

Justice had failed me. I owed nothing to justice. And it's really quite ironic given my earlier hopes and dreams. If anyone would have asked me two months ago about justice, I would have said it always needed to be served. Funny how my perspective changed once justice didn't seem to be served to me and those who needed to be punished for their crimes.

"What do you think is in that box?" I asked, challenging him to finally say what was so important about that damn box.

"Information."

"Information about what?"

"Information on the people your father had worked with."

"The Police or the Mob?"

"Both."

"Then why not get a warrant and make me give that box?"

Our back and forth questioning came to a halt once I uttered that question. The room was so silent you could have heard a pin drop. Edward Sr. stared at me while I stared back with an impassive gaze and a challenging body language.

"Because, technically, that box doesn't exist." Edward quipped, making his father turn his glare on him once again.

If looks could kill...

"Edward, I think you've overstayed your welcome here." Carlisle said even though we all knew he hadn't been welcomed to begin with.

"Thank about it, Isabella. That's all I ask."

And with that, Edward Masen Sr. departed without a backward glance. I breathed out as my body relaxed instantly.

The room was eerily quiet after his departure, each of us lost in their own heads.

Alice popped in the room and took one look at me before making her way towards me, probably to drag me out before I exploded. I took a step back and shook my head, indicating that I didn't want to talk about it. I stepped around her and almost took off running in the back yard.

I needed space. I needed time to think. I needed silence without other people always trying to figure out what was going on inside my head. Hell, I didn't even know what was going on in my head! I was in deep shit and not only because I was in that house. I had been in deep shit long before I realized what had been going on underneath my nose.

Now it was time to start planning my escape.

Next chapter, an EPOV. Or should it be a BPOV? Let me know! Your answers will decide what I'm gonna post.

See you next Tuesday!