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Chapter 28- The betrayed and the betrayer

Charlie's POV-

"Son," I let out a slow sigh, patting Paul on the shoulder, a confused expression on my face.

"Yeah, Charlie." He stated, his eyebrows frowned as he waited for my response, an unfamiliar maturity visible on his face.

I had known about the boy. Obviously, I had!

Living in a small town- and being the chief of police at that- did have its perks. But never before had I seen the boy this mature and calm. He looked…like a responsible man. It was a scary thought, indeed!

Though now that I knew what the future held, I was glad for that fact.

I did not wish for my daughter to end up with someone who behaved even childishly than her.

That would be a simple recipe for a nightmare!

At least one person in the relationship should be mature enough to successfully deal with whatever life threw their way. Or the couple would be doomed, as very simple as that.

Now, Paul Lahote wasn't the best out there.

Far from it really.

But I could see it in his eyes of how much he adored my Bella. Of how much he cared about her. Of how much he worried about her.

And that was enough.

What more could a father even ask for?

Money was secondary. Not saying it isn't important, but it can never replace love and care. It can never replace the feeling of asking your partner whether they have reached home safely or not, and in case they have not staying awake till they do. It can never replace the comfort of being in someone's presence, and it can never replace the hope in one's eyes when they say 'I do'. A bigger house and five cars do not directly mean happiness for a lifetime. It cannot guarantee it.

Sure, if you are one of the lucky few to get the best of both worlds, it is different. But otherwise, life is not all roses without thorns.

And that is alright!

But who was to explain that to my Bella?

She was completely naïve in so many ways that mattered. She believed in the external beauty, not quite understanding that the internal part is what truly matters. She saw Edward Cullen and his branded clothes and expensive car, but she never saw the fact that the boy was overly possessive and obsessed with her to the level of abnormal. I wasn't blind. I did notice the way he looked at her, like she was some precious object that belonged to him and solely him.

It was creepy. It was a million alarm bells ringing in my head.

But I was a father first, and my daughter seemed to be happy.

And so, I kept my mouth shut. Telling myself that I was just being paranoid.

That Edward Cullen would keep my daughter happy.

That it was none of my business to steal my daughter's first love.

I had once been exactly like her, infatuated with Renee for solely her looks. I had not quite understood the word 'love' back then, marrying for entirely the wrong reasons, mistaking lust for more.

I had made several massive-sized mistakes on this journey of life, knowing exactly where my daughter was going wrong.

But was it my place to tell her that she was going wrong- not really!

Knowing that your child is going on the wrong path and forcing them into coming back from that are two very different things.

My parents never stopped me from having my share of experiences, and if Bella was to grow up and become the best version of herself, I would have to let her fall, too.

That is the only way she would learn.

Sure, I did try to warn her. I could not sit back and do nothing!

But after a point, I waited for the downfall that I was sure would soon come.

The day my divorce had been finalized, my mother had held me in her arms as she let me cry, never once saying that she had been correct all along.

At times, being a parent is hard work.

But then, fate had intervened in the best possible way. Edward Cullen had broken up with my Bella, leaving her before things went from bad to worse.

I had been overjoyed. Of course, I was sad for Bella and the broken look in her eyes pained me to no extent, but the calamity had been dealt with before it could do severe harm. Bella would no longer end up being the twenty-one-year-old divorcee with a child she had no idea how to care for.

And I could deal with a few months of nightmares and bouts of anger if it meant rescuing her from what her mother and I went through back when we were her age.

Leaving her behind as I moved to Seattle was a hard decision, an even harder decision being to sell our house for money to spend in Seattle- and to make a better future for myself. I wasn't rich by any account, and while my accommodation was almost free- paid for by the police department, my other needs were not. My savings were heavily depleted; it was a horrible thing to say, but I really could not afford the excess cost of having a teenaged daughter in the house. I could never refuse her anything, and Bella didn't quite understand that I wasn't as well to do as Phil had been.

She was like her mother in a few ways, and what scared me was that she would never leave that shadow and grow up, seeing life in its rawest form.

Paul imprinting on her had been the unexpected.

I wasn't quite sure of where exactly this would go, but it was a start nonetheless.

At least Paul didn't treat her like an object to be possessed!

And that was enough for this father….for now.

"Charlie…man, you there?"

I shrugged, coughing once as I met eyes with Paul Lahote, the latter waiting exasperatedly for me to speak.

Patience had never been the man's strong point!

"I don't trust him."

"Neither do I."

There was simply no need to specify who this 'him' in the equation was. It was as obvious as the day.

"But Charlie," he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "The plan seems to be a good one. I hate to admit it! But jumping into an unfavorable situation would do us no good. Victory in numbers and all of that. There could be casualties; we could all die. Sitting on the sidelines and waiting for the plan to pan out is the mature decision in this mess. I don't trust the man any further than I can spit. It does not seem though that I have much choice left. If we attack without a second thought, Bella's life could be in danger. And that I will not tolerate."

See, what I was talking about!

Five months ago, Paul would have been the first to jump into the situation without giving it a second or rational thought.

And now, he was thinking about the consequences!

It was certainly an improvement.

"What if he betrays us?"

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is…" I let out a sigh, frowning. "The plan is this that he will convince the rest of his kind that Bella and he are truly in love, wanting to get away from all of this mess created. He will rescue her from there and get her to us, avoiding the fight that could turn deadly. But what if…he never gets her to us?"

"You mean…"

"Yes. Exactly." I nodded my head in agreement. "It isn't a far-fetched thought. The man is obsessed with her, and perfectly capable of doing anything to keep her with him. Even going as far as agreeing with us and subsequently throwing us off track."

"Shit." He cursed under his breath, muttering profanities. "He looked so sincere…."

"It could all be an act. I deal with people like him every day. One thing on the mind and another on the mouth."

"Now?" he looked at me like a helpless child looking at their parent for advice- for a way to get out of the situation they were stuck in. "Do we attack?"

"No." I smiled to myself. "We wait."

"For?"

"For proof."

"Proof?" his eyes were wide in confusion, as he waited for me to respond.

"Yes. Proof." I quickly pulled out a set of wireless earphones, offering him one as I dumped the other one in my ear. "I had my doubts. I had hidden a microphone in Edward's shoes before he left from here."

"How?"

"I have my ways." I waved him off. "This was the easiest way to make sure that he was not stringing us along, misguiding us as he took advantage of the situation."

"You are a genius."

"I know." I shushed the boy, concentrating hard on the conversation happening on the other side of the picture, glad for the fact that the sound clarity was nearly perfect.

.

.

.

"Edward, my son, it is so good to see you again."

Carlisle Cullen sounded even creepier through the microphone, and I shuddered to myself, contemplating how people ever assumed them to be normal.

"Dad, I am finally here! I missed you and mom. It is good to be back home."

"Did they suspect anything?"

Okay, now we get to the good part.

"No. None of them did. Not even Alice and Jasper. They all believe that I am here to help them, to rescue Bella and to take her back."

"Alice does not suspect anything?"

"No. I have made sure not to make any concrete decisions. But dad, I can't wait any longer. I need my mate. She is mine!"

I could feel Paul growling by my side, but I shushed him off. I needed to hear more.

What was their exact plan?

"Yes, son. I know." Carlisle admitted in a whisper. "All the arrangements are made. The two of you can leave for Isle Esme tonight itself. The rest of us will attack the wolves' tomorrow morning- in their territory itself, with Esme and I joining you once we are done here."

"What about Rosalie- Emmett and Alice-Jasper?"

Carlisle let out a sigh, pausing briefly. "We will deal with them once Bella is one of us. For now, you must go back to Bella. We can't have her doubting you. The plan is going perfectly till now. I knew it would pay to send you to La Push, winning the trust of the enemy before stabbing them in the back."

Edward hummed in agreement. "I can't wait for tonight."

.

.

.

Neither can I, Edward Cullen.

Neither can I.

"Now?"

I smiled, removing the earphone from my ear as I faced Paul.

"Now, we attack! Tonight itself."