Chapter 6
"Isabella Swan, my advisor" Edward introduces her to Aro DeMegllio Volturi.
"Pleasure to meet you Isabella"
"And you" Bella shakes his hand firmly with confidence.
Edward glances at her she is so different right now. Her hair is swept up being held by items he can't see. She looks pretty.
"Please sit both of you"
Bella takes a seat and is handed and folder, one that matches Edward's and Aro's.
"Let's get right to it shall we, page 1"
"If I may, the way I see it after listening to you Mr. Volturi, there are not many options, there is only one, and that is for you to sell to Mr. Cullen"
Edward whips his head around at her. He wants Aro to sell to him but he won't come right out and say it and he has been in this business for years.
Bella glances at Edward and really doesn't give a crap that he thinks she should tone it down; when she is right she is going to follow through with her thought process. He hired her because she is very good.
"It has been in my family for years"
"It is either that, and bowing out gracefully maybe accepting and Mr. Cullen putting forward a commutative plan to keep your family involved, a charity"
Edward groans internally, he is convinced if she has it her way she would spend all his money and then turn his company into a charity.
"Keep your name in this, so you don't feel as though you are losing everything"
Aro ponders staring at Isabella. "Well" The old Italian man turns and looks at Edward. "Don't let this woman go" Looking at Bella he smiles. "Ms. Swan, I like how you think"
Proud of herself she smiles only a little as too much would be ever so unprofessional. "We can go over" She indicates Aro and herself. "Details as to what you would like, what you want to see done with your company as it incorporates into Mr. Cullen'"
A sigh of relief is washed over Mr. Volturi as he hears this because he doesn't have much in this world and what he does have felt as though it was being pulled away until…now. "Thank you"
"A pleasure" Bella smiles kindly, somewhat scared to see what look Edward is giving her now.
There is not much said as they leave the office building and walk out to the car together. He opens the door for her and watches as she slides in.
When she is in she watches him get in next to her. "Are you mad?"
He says nothing.
"I don't really know what I am allowed to do, because you are just never clear with what you want, and" She stops as she looks at his profile. He looks mad.
"This is the second multimillion dollar account you have reduced to a charity or selfless act on my part"
"Edward" She says sort of scolding him.
"I would greatly appreciate if you hush while in meetings with me unless I ask you for your advice"
"What are we living in the world before the women's movement"
"Women can move wherever they want"
"As long as you approve?" She questions him; they are glaring at each other right now as the car moves. There is no divider so let's hope the driver does not speak English…but she is certain he does.
"This is my company"
"And you brought me in"
"For help, so far all you have done is ruined two accounts and got yourself lined up to head a charity still on my dollar"
"You offered!"
"Well when I did I had no idea you would be doing it in this meeting today!"
"Oooo" She stops and bites her lower lip hard, just clamps right down on it and then crosses her legs placing her hands in her lap. They feel as though they are vibrating.
"Oh say it you know you want to" He goads her.
Keeping a tight hold on her lip and on her hands she restrains herself from all of the homicidal thoughts which he evokes in her. 'I can't believe I ever, I mean ever thought he was at all attractive'
"Oh now you don't want to talk"
"Edward if you value your pretty face I would shut up"
"Must we go over this again, I am your boss and you cannot just talk to me how ever you the hell please!"
Huffing a bit she keeps quiet. No one has ever made her feel like stabbing something, namely Edward Culen ever, even more so in such a short period of time. He is so hideous.
The rest of the drive back to the house is silent.
Bella dresses comfortably when she gets out of the house, god knows where Edward is, but she doesn't even want to look at him now. All she did was try and help and do what is best for Mr. Volturi and Edward! 'Does he even get the old man would not sell if I didn't do something, something he wasn't going to do!' Ugh, she walks but stops suddenly.
"Oh my god"
The gardens, her eyes widen. The fountain in the center, and flowers, butterflies. It is more beautiful up close. Her breath is almost lost in her chest.
"Buon giorno"
Bella is pulled away from the surrounding beauty and looks at a very old woman. "Buon giorno" That is the extent of her Italian. Her eyes travel over the woman, she is wearing a fitted hat and gloves, the sleeves are long to her clothing, but she looks cool, airy, light.
"È bella"
Bella looks and shakes her head a bit. "I don't understand"
"The garden, è bella, it's lovely, no?" Her accent is thick, husky and heavy.
"Oh so beautiful, I saw the view" She speaks passionately and turns a bit to note the balcony she stood on last night to see, everything, but she didn't think it was like this up close.
"Ahh è magnifico si"
"I think I know what you are saying"
"You are not Italian, Edward normalmente ahh um bring Italian donna…women here"
"No, I am not one of Edward's donna anything" Bella points out.
"You do not fit the um"
Bella sees the woman, who has to be in her mid-80s is struggling with her English. "I know, I understand" she nods.
"I am his Nonna"
She smiles. She thinks she knows what the woman is saying.
"Non the reale, la nonna fingere"
"Oh I see, do you umm" Bella searches her brain from the right word to make an effort with Edward's nonna. "Qui vivono?"
"No no, Io tendo il giardino for il mio Edward"
Bella smiles. This little old, oh she is so cute, woman is so sweet. "It is…bella?"
"Si è bella"
"È bella" Bella corrects making it fully Italian.
The nonna eyes Bella carefully, she is a pretty woman, normally she knows what Edward does here with the women, but she has never until now, met one…though this one is not one. "What is il tuo nome…name?"
"Bella"
"Ahh Isabella, è bella"
"Grazie" She knows that also.
"Me Nonna or Contessa" She smiles at Isabella.
"Very nice to meet you" Bella says speaking a bit more slowly than normal.
"E voi" She nods a bit.
"Are these like sunflowers?" Bella walks slowly next to Contessa or Nonna, smile as they walk around the gardens.
"No, they are cugino"
"Cousins?" Bella guesses.
"Perfetto!" Contessa smiles, her frail hand is on Bella's arm lightly as they walk.
"È bella" Bella mutters, she can't get over it.
"Sit con me" Taking a seat herself and patting the stone edge of the fountain.
Bella sits down and crosses her legs.
"Do you work with Edward?"
"Yes" Bella nods.
"E' si" She corrects Isabella.
"Si, I do"
"You must be…um nuovo?"
"Si, a few weeks"
"Edward very difficile con le persone"
"Oh si, si" Bella almost laughs at his nonna, loving that she knows that. "I want to ask you many things, I just don't know"
"Sì, lei mi chiede, you go"
"You have lived…in Italy all your life?"
"Si, I met Edward, many anno ago, sua madre died"
Bella widens her eyes. "I didn't know his mother…madre was dead"
"Oh si, Edward come here to um…addolorarsi, ahh grieve"
Bella nods.
"I meet Edward, I come to this giardino, he here, sitting, waiting for sua madre, I know this"
Biting her lip.
"Sua madre will not arrivare, I take care Edward"
Bella smiles a bit.
"You take care Edward now si?" Her old kind eyes stare deeply into her own. Bella has to look away for a moment before she meets the crystal blue eyes again.
"No" Bella shakes her head. "I just work for him, he is my boss"
"Oh, si, Edward very ummm" She makes a motion of a body builder with her small thin arm. "-forte"
"Yes strong"
"He is a buon man…uomo, you a buon Isabella"
Bella smiles and nods.
"Si Isabella?"
"Si nonna" Bella gasps softly when the old woman, with whiter than white hair grabs her face lightly and presses a kiss to her cheek.
Edward is in the kitchen looking like he is cooking up some sort of storm.
Stepping up she stops. "I met your nonna this afternoon" She watches him stop and look at her. "We did some gardening together"
"Oh" His brow frowns as he works on his task.
"Yes, she è bella"
"And an eccellente teacher I see"
"Oh very good"
"Benissimo" He helps her.
"Benissimo, so you speak Italian?"
"Si" Edward answers getting back to work.
"I didn't know that"
"There is a lot you don't know about me"
"I suppose there is" She mutters softly watching him.
"When did your mother died?" She knows he was 15, but she wants him to say something to her about it. Anything.
"Bella" He looks at her now. "I am not going to talk about my mother with you"
"Okay" She licks her lips and rests her hand on the counter top. "Your nonna said that it was very hard on you"
"I guess I am normal then" He is not going to talk about his mother with her, or anyone. Nonna knows everything. He met Nonna years ago. He was still mourning the loss of his mother and childhood. He met Nonna at 20 and his life changed. Nonna changed him, connected with him. She took care of him in a way he hadn't felt since he lost his mother when he was 15.
"Yes"
Lying in bed she thinks she has him all wrong, all sorts of wrong. Honestly she feels bad about how she has come at him. Swinging her legs out of bed she taps her bare feet on the hard wood floors. Tomorrow she is going sightseeing, not sure if Edward is going to be leading the way or if she is going to have to do it herself. Then the next day they have another meeting with Mr. Volturi about different ideas to keep his name hooked up with the company Edward is taking over.
Bella pushes up and walks to the door her hand lightly turns the knob. She needs to apologize, she feels awful about how things started with them and over the time of her with him it has just gotten worse. He is not that bad. Pulling the door open very slowly she looks into the hall.
Edward smiles and kisses the woman in the hall right next to his bedroom door. Her back is pressed against the wall and his hands are on her middle sliding up and down lightly making her smiles and moans softly.
"Non pensavo che avreste chiamata" She hisses in a seductive tone, her tongue licks his outer ear.
"Ho sempre invito" Edward responds.
"Liar" She grins turning her head to kiss his mouth. "Esso è stato un lungo periodo"
"Si, too long" Edward reaches down and grabs her thigh bringing it up around his hip before thrusting up against her.
"Oh fuck" She breathes. Her head moves and she catches a woman's wide eyes. "Edward abbiamo un pubblico"
"Fuck" He breathes already knowing without even having to turn around that Bella is right there. Without another word he lets go of Sonia's leg and takes her hand leading her to the bedroom.
Bella gasps and shuts the door quickly. "Oh shit" She whispers. Resting her back against the door she pants. 'Oh god how embarrassing'
"Bella" He knocks on the door.
She wonders if she should even answer or just really try and pretend it didn't just happen.
"Bella, open the door"
Pulling the door open she sees the woman nowhere in sight.
"Hey"
"Hey" She responds coolly. "I am sorry I didn't know you were busy in the hall"
"Yeah about that" Edward scratches the back of his head. "I thought we would make it to the bedroom"
Bella looks up at him. "You don't need to explain it is your house"
"Well I feel I need to explain to you because of your constant perception of me"
"About that" Bella licks her lips slowly. "I am sorry, I know I have said that a lot lately but I am sorry"
"It's fine, I'm sorry for losing it with you this afternoon"
"It's okay I do understand where you are coming from, I just was trying to do what was best for everyone" She says softly.
"I know"
"You should" Bella blushes a bit still embarrassed about walking and watching some of the hall activities.
"Yes, I should do that" He smiles. "Goodnight"
"Buonanotte" Bella smiles.
"Prefetto" Edward smiles before leaving and shutting the door back.
Hope you enjoyed and hope I didn't screw up the Italian much.
