AN: I'd like to thank the people who are taking the time to read what I'm writing. I'm asking you to be patient with me, this story will get hot and angst filled in no time.

Disclaimer: The twilight characters all belong to Stephanie Meyer, not copyright in-fragment intended.

Now here's chapter 2

Chapter 2: New beginning

As soon as the plane touched ground, I felt myself get extremely nervous. I was all alone in a new city, a dangerous, huge, demanding city. I was a little intimidated.

I scolded myself for my shaking hands. I was a brave young woman! I will not allow myself to be afraid.

As I got out of the plane, I'd successfully talked myself out of hopping on the next plane back home. I will not run screaming back to Mommy.

I knew of the university I'd decided to continue my education in. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States. It's located at 2960 Broadway. I've never seen it before except through pictures on their official website.

Stepping out of the airport I tried unsuccessfully to get a cab. It took me almost 20 minutes to accomplish this small feat. By God, I looked like a scared little kitten.

The cab driver was a nice older man, with a head of oily silver hair. He smiled at me once I entered the car.

"Where to sweetheart?" He said, and I tried not to grimace at the pet name he used.

"Ummm, 2960 Broadway" I said.

"You going to school here? Isn't it a little early?" He replied with a smile.

"Yes, I will be once the fall semester starts. I just wanted to see the campus; this is my first time in New York. "

He didn't speak much after that, and soon enough I reached my destination.

I stood, stunned and awed and absolutely overjoyed by the beauty of the campus. I could see myself here, doing what I do best; soaking up information.

I didn't linger though, I had places to be, and people to see. I spend a little while just looking, contemplating and marveling at the place that will hold my new life and then I was on my way again. I need to find a phone and call my parents. I'm sure they're worried.

I hailed a cab with a little more success this time, and told him I was head to Amsterdam Avenue where Cullen Co. resides. It took a little time due to traffic but finally I was there. I had a meeting with Mr. Cullen, and it confused me a little. Why would a man who runs a multimillion dollar company make time for a girl who's going to be working as one of many minimal wage employees at his corporation?

Locating the building was not very difficult. Its size and design were very imposing. I walked into the lobby, and was suddenly very nervous again. This man I was supposed to be meeting is the most powerful man I've yet to meet in my short lived life.

I walked up to the nice looking gentleman sitting at the reception desk, and willed my voice to work.

"Excuse me sir" It came up as a whisper, so I tried again, raising my voice a little "I have a meeting with Mister Cullen. My… my name is Isabella Swan."

He looked up at me with boredom in his eyes "Do you have an appointment?" his tone of voice a little rude. I take back my earlier comment; this man was not nice, not at all.

"Yes of course" I said "I'm supposed to start working here tomorrow morning."

"Ahhh, alright then. Which one?" He said reaching for his phone.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Which Mister Cullen young girl, I don't have all day you know!" He said a little exasperated.

So there was more than one Mister Cullen I presume. I remembered my father telling me his name; Carlisle, his name was Carlisle. I thanked my lucky stars that I remembered it.

"Carlisle Cullen, sir." I said as he dialed a number on his phone.

"Hello Carmen, Demetri here, I have an Isabella Swan saying she has an appointment with Mister Cullen. Should I send her up?" Demetri said, his bored tone persisting.

He waited for a little while before hanging up his phone and looking at me.

"Head on up" he said "Fortieth floor."

I nodded and thanked him, heading to the elevator.

Why did his office have to be on the fortieth floor? I thought to myself, dreading the ride in the elevator.

I was a little claustrophobic, elevator rides made me edgy. I usually took the stairs, opting to avoid being stuck in a box of metal for any time if I could help it. But I couldn't climb forty floors now could I?

The ride up there was the longest one of my life. I hoped to God I wouldn't have to do it again.

As the doors dinged and I got out, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Mister Cullen's office was amazing, huge, modern and absolutely screaming of wealth. Dark wooden floors that looked freshly polished, and to the left, beige leather couches arrange into a circle around a glass coffee table. The walls were beige with streaks of gold on them. However the most eye catching object there was the set of heavy mahogany engraved doors where I guessed Carlisle Cullen's office really resided.

Farther away from the doors, to the right corner sat a big desk the color of the floors, a woman sitting behind the desk smiled at me kindly all the while clicking on her computer.

"Hello Isabella, I'm Carmen!" she said excitedly. "Mister Cullen is waiting for you."

I smiled at her, because it seemed like the nice thing to do.

"Bella, call me Bella please." I said

"Well Bella, chop chop honey, time is money here, and we don't like wasting time!" Carmen told me.

I smiled again and headed for the doors. My knock was weak and pathetic, but a voice inside told me to come in, and so I did.

If I thought the outside of the office was amazing, the inside of it was out of this world. While on the outside the dominating color was beige, the inside of it looked like it was dipped in gold. And low and behold, the man sitting at the huge mahogany desk did look like a king in his element.

Golden hair, slicked back in a sophisticated due. Grey blue eyes and a very handsome face. He didn't look a day over 35 and that was a little shocking. Carlisle Cullen was a very attractive man, a man that was smiling at me, albeit a little hesitantly.

I stepped a little closer and he stood up slowly, the smile never leaving his face.

"Well hello there Isabella, I'm Carlisle, it's a pleasure to meet you."

A pleasure to meet me? Was he serious?

"Ummm, thank you sir. It's an honor to meet you."

"Well Isabella, as I'm sure you've figured out, I know you father Charlie. How is he?"

"He's fine sir, he sends his regards." I said, wondering how a man like Charlie Swan, small town cop knew a man like Carlisle Cullen.

Carlisle did not look pleased though; he pursed his lips and nodded once.

He sat back down and gestured for me to sit. There were two big leather chairs across from his desk. I took the one on the right and folded my hands on my lap.

"Tell me a little about you Isabella" Mr. Cullen said.

"Well sir, I'm nineteen years old, just graduated high school and I got a scholarship to Columbia to study pre med." We moved when I was a little girl and I was held back a class, that's why I graduated at nineteen and not eighteen.

"Pre med at Columbia huh? You must be a very smart girl" He said, a little smirk playing at his lips.

"I try very hard sir, and I like medicine, I've loved it ever since I was a little girl."I said blushing a little.

Carlisle put his elbow on the desk in front of him, resting his forehead on the palm of his hand. He looked troubled, and I was suddenly a lot more nervous than I was before.

"I'm sorry to be doing this to you Isabella, I really am!" He said, head still down.

My nerves gave way to fear; fear that suddenly crippled me. What was he talking about, what was going on?

"I'm sorry sir, I'm not following" I said in a small voice.

"Isabella, I'm afraid we've mislead you. You won't be working with us at Cullen Co." Carlisle said to me, and suddenly, I was on the verge of tears. What was I supposed to do now? Why am I even here? I didn't even know where I was going to live. My father said Mr. Cullen had it all arranged, housing and transportation until I got on my feet in this new city. I was already feeling home sick.

"Mister Cullen," I said my voice trembling, "Was it something I did? I… I don't understand! I need this job! I came to New York early for this!" I can't believe I just hissed at this man.

"Isabella, you have no idea how sorry I am sorry to be doing this to you. I really am so sorry, there's nothing I could do about it! Trust me, I tried! She just wouldn't let up! She would not listen!" He said angrily.

I was about to question him, ask him what kind of bullshit show he was running here when he held up a hand and reached for his phone.

"Send her in Carmen, send that devil in."

I thought I was about to pass out, my vision got blurry. I hated, absolutely loathed being confused and this man has done nothing but confuse me from the moment I walked through the damned door.

Suddenly the door flew open, and in walked an old lady. She had medium length grey hair, perfectly coiffed in large curls. She was immaculately dressed and had a large hat on her head. She oddly resembled the queen of England.

"Carlisle," she said, her voice strong and commanding, "you kept me waiting" she glared.

"I'm sorry mother, I had to meet with Isabella first" he replied hauntingly.

"So this is Isabella" she said looking me up and down. She had an air of arrogance around her; I didn't like her very much. She was the type of person you can never be at ease while in their presence.

Well I was not about to let her intimidate me, so I did what I do best; I spoke up.

"Yes ma'am" I said, the most fake smile plastered on my face "that's me, Isabella Swan. Am I supposed to know who you are?" I asked.

She smirked at me, actually smirked and then looked at Carlisle.

"I like her, she's feisty. She'll be perfect for you know who." She said ending the sentence with a laugh.

"Mother, I am begging you to reconsider. Look at her, look how young she is, do you really want to do that to her? Please mother, it's not her fault Char… He did what he did!" Carlisle said angrily.

"Well he should have thought about his family first, before pulling a stunt like that! This is not my problem, a deal is a deal. He signed the contract." She fired back.

"Who are you talking about?" I interrupted, "what contract? Who's he?" I was not above stomping my foot and demanding answers, but somehow I managed to hold myself back.

"Easy child" the old lady said "Sit her down Carlisle, she looks agitated"

"Sit down Isabella, everything will be okay I promise" Mr. Cullen said guiding me to the chair.

"I want to know what's going on Mr. Cullen, I want to know what you mean by him pulling a stunt and signing a contact, I want to know who he is!" I rambled, slightly embarrassed "This is not how I saw the meeting going, this was supposed to be a simple meeting…" I sounded like a little girl…sacred and helpless.

"I know Isabella, I know… that's" I cut him off

"Stop calling me Isabella, my name is Bella, just Bella! Please." I said, this whole Isabella thing was starting to get on my last nerve.

"Alright then Bella, as I was saying my mother, Elizabeth is here to explain everything to you. It's her mess after all."

Elizabeth, hell she even had the queen's name too.

"Mother," Carlisle said exasperatedly "tell her what exactly she's doing here."

I watched her watch me from the corner of her eye as she walked toward Carlisle desk and took a seat on his chair. She folded her hands on the desk as she prepared herself to tell her story.

I held my breath, preparing myself for the worst. And what came next… what came next was nothing short of horrible.

AN: Is anybody out there? If you're reading this story please, leave me a little review and tell me what you think so far. I know the chapters are a little short and to anyone who's interested, I'd like to ask you a question.

Would you rather I keep the chapters a little shorter and divide them in several ones, or would you like longer chapters? Please tell me what you prefer.

Thanks to everyone who takes the time to respond to me.

EM