Chapter 3

It's been a week since Jasper dropped the FBI bombshell on Edward. He hasn't been back to CWH. Instead, he has either worked from his house or we were on set for the different commercials and interviews he had scheduled.

I know Peter gave Jasper two weeks to complete the script, or he was pulling out; Edward agreed with Peter. It hasn't been pleasant.

I am having lunch with Edward, which has been becoming more frequent, and I have noticed it becoming more intimate. He has been asking questions about my brother and dad. My home town in Washington. My school hobbies. I know it's dangerous territory, but I like it. No one has ever shown much interest in me. I can't help but play the twenty questions game with him over these lunches; learning about him too.

Today I am thankful for the break because Agent Larson is here now and is questioning everyone. I would say interrogating, but how would I know, it's not my turn yet. He talks to a few people a day. I know within a day or two he will want to talk to me.

I finally got up the nerve to talk to my dad. He tells me to relax and just keep my cool, there is no evidence, my brother is in the industry. There is no way they can prove I got myself this job illegally.

Emmett is in the dark about what's going on. Dad didn't want him to worry and the fewer people knowing about my screw up, the better.

My tablet dinges signaling someone is trying to tap into it. Grabbing it up, I see it's not only my tablet, but all my devices. What the hell?

Not thinking, I counter the virus invading and backtrack and ghost my code as it runs. Then I counteract them, stopping them from getting into anything of mine.

My brows furrow when they keep trying to get past my firewalls as my trace finishes up. I screwed up; I screwed up so badly. I should have waited. I should have seen who it was first.

My vision goes blurry as I click my tablet off. They won't be able to get what they were looking for. But I just gave away how good I am.

I take out my phone and text my dad. They don't know my secret yet, but they will investigate me now.

They will know I lied years ago; they will figure it out.

I look up and Edward is staring at me and the tears falling down my cheeks.

"Bella, what's wrong?"

I let out a dry laugh, "I messed up. And I am sorry, Edward."

"Bella?" His voice is full of confusion.

I swipe at my falling tears, "Do you ever wonder if the culprit behind the hack just made a mistake. I mean, it could have been an accident. She was just playing around curious and went to try something and it happened. Bam, a billion dollars gone, and all it took was sixty seconds."

I know I slipped up, but I don't care. I have no faith that my secret is going to stay hidden much longer.

His mouth opens and shuts as his eyes swirl with different emotions.

I shake my head, my dad texts me back.

On my way, don't talk to anyone

I don't respond. I should have never come here. Why couldn't I just leave it alone? I swipe at the tears; I had no idea it could be this bad. I just wanted to know. 'Curiosity killed the cat' has more truth in it than I ever believed.

Edward finally speaks, "I think that whatever happened, they regret what happened. And it can be fixed."

"Maybe. I will see you tomorrow at CWH. I am going to go home for the rest of the day, if you don't mind."

"Ok, if you need anything, anything at all. I am here for you."

I nod my head and leave the restaurant, heading to the place I have called home for the last several months.

It wasn't long after I collapsed on the couch that my brother joins me.

"Why is Dad calling me telling me I have to pick him up from the airport tomorrow at seven in the morning?"

"I did something stupid." my voice breaks.

I feel him take a seat next to me. "Does this have to do with the FBI at CWH?"

I nod my head, not trusting my voice.

"You know you and Dad are the worst at hiding things. If it comes down to it, I will pay for the best lawyer money can buy. You were minor, and you haven't spent a dime of the money that went missing."

My jaw falls open as I stare at my brother. "How?"

Emmett rolls his eyes. "Like I said you guys are shit at hiding things."

I close my mouth and lunge at Emmett hugging him tightly. "I am sorry for everything. I should have never come. I should have just left everything alone."

He hugs me back tightly. "We are going to figure this all out."

I was correct. I didn't even get to go into work before Agent Larson and his team swarmed me.

I stayed quiet waiting for my dad and the team of lawyers Emmett and Edward hired for me.

At this point, they have no evidence it involved me. There isn't any evidence to find; my dad made sure of that. I even had him burn my notebooks with the ideas and concepts I had handwritten before I started writing on my computer.

All they have is speculation, and that I had lied about how good I was when they first came to talk to me four years ago.

My head lawyer enters, "Miss Swan, the FBI would like to hire you and give you immunity for all prior illegal actions that you might have been involved in. If you admit to any alleged crimes. They think your skill set is too valuable to waste away in jail or to have a criminal record."

I chew on my bottom lip, "And if I don't want to do that?"

He smiles taking a seat across from me. "They have nothing, this deal tells me how desperate they are. They just want to close this case."

"What do you think?" I know what I want to do. If I can be more of a consultant to them, keep my life that I am living now, I will tell them everything, but if they think for a second they will own my life, they will have to take me to court.

"I think you will win either way."

I nod, "If I supposedly confess to what they think I have done, I still want my own life. I would be willing to be a consultant. I want to stay where I am, keep being an assistant, only being called away if they really need me. If not, then they can take me to court and I will get what I want anyway."

I have no idea where my confidence comes from, but I ride the high as long as I can. My lawyer tells Agent Larson what I'm asking for.

"Deal."

Epi -

Two years after I made the deal with Larson

Edward kept me as his assistant, even when we began a romantic relationship.

Jasper changed his attitude when he learned about my secret and we wrote the real story together. My sister-in-law played me.

I only consult a few times a year, allowing me to live my life the way I want to. Being in love and feeling free for the first time in years. I am not hiding anymore.

XOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOX

I hope you all enjoyed the ride! I enjoyed writing this. I love writing for FAGE so many great stories come out of it.

MarieCarro wrote me an amazing fic I urge you to check along with everyone else.

. s/ 13498175 / 1 / Filia-Noctis-Ex

You can find the other stories FB FAGE 12 Never too Late to Start Anew or FanficAholics Anon ~ Where Obsession Never Sleeps