Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and not to me… sigh.

Previously…

No! NO JAMES!" I screamed loudly before I once again bolted upright in bed. My breaths were coming in gasps and perspiration covered my face. It was the most frightening dream yet and my heart was racing as I dropped my head in my trembling hands and started to cry. That is when I heard him and my head automatically turned in the direction of his voice.

"Marie?" Edward said hesitantly, his face full of bewilderment, recognition and the pain of my betrayal.

Sleeping With A Monster


Chapter 20 – A Piece of Paper


Edward's POV

"Emmett!" I yelled opening the front door of my brother's house, hoping he was home. I knew he and Rose had plans tonight but still, I came here on the off chance that their 'plans' involved staying in for the night. Sometimes a guy just needs to talk to his big brother. I had nowhere else to go.

"Edward?" Emmett's voice called down from somewhere upstairs, sounding confused. I heard the muted thuds of someone hopping down the hallway as if they were trying to walk and put on pants at the same time. Sure enough, Emmett, pulling on a pair of boxers, rounded the corner at the top of the staircase visible from the entry. He took one look at my face and he knew something was up.

"What's going on baby?" Rose called from, I presume, their bedroom.

"It's Edward." He said, but when he saw me shake my head at him, Emmett added, "Don't get up. I'm going to talk to him for a minute." He started down the stairs, immediately going into concerned big brother mode and I was grateful. When our parents died, Emmett and I were all each other had. Sure we had Uncle Carlisle and Aunt Esme, but Emmett was my brother and the loss of our parents only strengthened our bond. We depended on each other; we understood what the other was going through. We did not have to say anything, just a look would tell the whole story because we were both going through the same thing.

Emmett motioned for me to sit down in the living room but I shook my head. I needed to talk to him in a more private setting. Rose was not Bella's biggest fan and I didn't want to risk this conversation getting out before I had decided what to do.

"Let's talk in your office?" My statement sounded more like a question, but Emmett nodded in agreement when he saw my eyes shift upstairs towards his bedroom. After he ushered me in and shut the door, he turned to face me.

"This had better be important, dude. Rose and I were going to try this new –" Emmett started but I stopped him, having no desire to hear all the sordid details of my brother's sex life with his wife. Emmett and Rose's public displays of affection were legendary and the only thing more annoying was their constant need to brag about their sexual exploits.

"Stop!" I said a little harsher than I intended, and I hoped Emmett would understand that I needed his big brotherly advice, not a good ribbing about his favorite topic. Sometimes I wondered if he ever thought about anything else.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he sat down in one of the two chairs in the room as he motioned for me to follow suit.

"It's Bella." I sighed in resignation as I collapsed into the other chair. "I don't know what to do." I started to say running my hand through my hair in frustration. However, Emmett, in true form could not help himself.

"Little Eddie." He said shaking his head in mock disappointment. "I thought Carlisle gave you 'the talk' when you were a teenager. Would you like Rose and me to demonstrate how to do it?"

"Damn-it Emmett" I tried not to raise my voice, but I failed as I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. "I can't talk to you when you're like this. Not everything is about sex." I continued my voice quieting as I started to get up to leave.

"Edward?" I was vaguely aware of Emmett saying my name as I started towards the door of Emmett's office. I needed to talk, really talk to him and he could not stop being a jerk for five minutes.

"I wonder if Jasper is home." I mumbled under my breath, my hand already turning the knob to open the office door.

"Edward?" Emmett said again, his voice confused as I heard his chair squeak under the strain as he rose.

"I wonder if it's too late to call Carlisle. No, I'm almost as upset with him about this as I am with her." I continued to mumble under my breath as I ran my hand down my face. I was tired. I was almost through the doorway when I felt Emmett's hand on my shoulder.

"Hey! What's going on?" My brother sounded worried. One look at his concerned face confirmed it. Maybe he was ready to listen to me. I knew the one person I should be talking to was the one I could not face right now. I let Emmett pull me back into the office as he closed the door. I sank back down in my chair in defeat.

"Why are you upset with Bella? And Carlisle?" Emmett said, obviously he was paying closer attention to my mumblings than I thought.

"Bella isn't who I thought she was, and Carlisle… Carlisle knew!" I said, still upset that they had both lied to me. "I'm guessing Esme was in on it too." I leaned forward with my elbows on my knees and I rested my head in my hands.

"Are you talking about Bella being Marie?" Emmett interjected. My head popped up at Emmett's admission,

"You knew?" My voice rose in surprise. "Hell! Does everyone but me know?" I asked incredulously as my irritation started to rise.

"Yeah, well… The thing is, I figured out who she was about a week ago." He said with out any explanation, feeding my impatience.

"How did you figure it out?" My voice annoyed that he was making me ask. However, Emmett raised his hand to silence me as he rose from his chair, went to the door, and opened it. There stood Rose in an impossibly short red silk robe that barely covered her, hand poised to knock on the door. I felt my annoyance subside as I realized that Emmett had most likely kept his discovery of the Bella-Marie connection from Rose.

"Hey baby." Emmett said, his voice softening for the woman he loved as he cupped her cheek and kissed her softly.

"Is everything all right?" She said as she glanced at my slumped form sitting in Emmett's office. She almost looked concerned, and if it weren't for her behavior towards Bella over the last six weeks, I would have believed she really cared about me. I know I was the one who introduced Emmett to Rose, but sometimes I could not understand what he saw in her. She's gorgeous, I'll give her that, but she is also selfish, vain, stubborn, proud and in the four years I've known her, she has shown very little empathy for anyone outside her inner circle of friends and family. I know Rose would like Bella, if she would just give her a chance. They have more in common than either one of them realize and I found myself thinking that if Rose knew about Bella's past, she would feel a connection to her. Here I was thinking about Rose not giving Bella a chance when I was not sure where I stood now that I knew the truth. I did not handle the situation earlier tonight well.

"Yeah, Edward just needs to talk. Why don't you go back up to bed, I'll be up in a while." Emmett said rubbing his hands up and down her arms.

"Don't take too long." Rose said smiling. "Are you okay Edward?" She said leaning around Emmett's massive form to look at me. I glanced up at her worried face and gave her a wave, not really in the mood to talk to Rose, but more afraid she would take it as an invitation to stay.

"Goodnight, baby. Edward." She said before she left, presumably to go back upstairs. I mumbled my goodnight as Emmett closed the door to the office. I watched him return to his chair as the silence enveloped the room like a thick blanket.

"How?" It was all I could manage, my voice sounding a little strangled as it broke through the quiet air.

"I had a feeling I knew her from somewhere, but could never quite place it. When we caught you two making out on your couch last week, it just clicked. After we left, I called Carlisle to confirm it, that's when he told me he did not think you knew. When Carlisle sent her out here to live, he did not tell Bella who you were either until she was out here."Emmett explained.

"That explains her reaction to me when she found out I was Carlisle's nephew." I muttered to myself. "But I still don't understand why she didn't tell me."

"What do you mean she didn't tell you? How did you find out?" My brother said a little surprised.

"When we got back from boating, she said she had something she needed to tell me, but my pager interrupted us and I had to go in to cover the end of Dr. Morgan's shift. I asked her to wait at my place and tell me when I returned from the hospital, but I guess things didn't quite go as she planned..."

[Flashback]

I was beyond frustrated. Don't get me wrong, today had been wonderful, but being called into the hospital, again, was not what I had in mind. I had fought tooth and nail to get a little extra time off to spend with Bella. I had something important to tell her and I wanted it to be special. Of course, that fact that I almost blurted it out this morning after our argument over Rose's thong would not have been too bad. However, leave it to Alice and her impeccable timing to screw that up.

I knew Bella needed to tell me something. I could tell by the expression on her face this evening and her nervous body language that it was important to her. She had mentioned 'old skeletons' a few times and I had a feeling she was finally going to open up to me about her past. I did not know why she was so nervous; I mean how bad could it be?

In my haste to get back to Bella, I completely forgot to grab the food I had promised when I left for the hospital earlier. Hmmm. Gives me an excuse to take her out to dinner tonight. I smiled at the thought, as I pulled my car in the garage leaving the garage door open. My mood was starting to lighten as I walked towards the door to the house that held the most splendid creature I had ever known. By the time I reached the door, I was grinning in anticipation at the prospect of spending the rest of the evening with my Bella.

I slipped in quietly, wanting to see what she was doing without me. I stopped and listened for her, but heard nothing. I started to worry that she went home, but then I heard her mumble something from my bedroom. I quickly made my way down the hall. I rounded the corner to see her asleep on my bed, beautiful waves of brown hair splayed across my pillows. She was wearing a beautiful dress and had a book lying across her chest with one of her hands on top of the book as she slept. I looked at her lovely face and saw the expression of distress there as she dreamed. She started to fidget and thrash little. I started to move towards her.

"No, Please don't hurt me!" She spoke so clearly I stopped for moment. I thought maybe she was awake, but her words made no sense. I started again, realizing she was still asleep.

"No! NO JAMES!" Bella screamed and bolted straight up in bed. Her sudden outburst and action surprised me as I watched her lower her head in her hands and cry. I was about to swoop in and comfort her when the proverbial light bulb went on in my head. She said James. Wasn't that the name of that creep in Miami who Marie was run…? It could not be true – NO! Is my Bella really Marie, who was battered and bruised, running from that monster last spring?

"Marie?" I asked, not sure I wanted to know the answer. I could not quite wrap my head around this one. As soon as she heard the name, I knew it was true and I felt my heart constrict.

"Edward!" She gasped eyes wide with the knowledge of my discovery of who she was. She slowly stood up from the bed as she quieted her crying, but did not make her way over to me. She quickly looked down hiding her expressions from me.

"Are you Marie?" My voice sounded strained as I watched her intently. She did not say anything for a moment.

"Answer me!" I said loudly, my voice revealing my inner turmoil as I desperately wanted to know what she was thinking.

"Yes." She whispered as he shoulders slumped in defeat. I don't know what kind of expressions were running across my face, I am sure shock was among them. However, when she looked up at me I saw a look of sorrow and pain flash across her face before she composed herself, hiding her emotions behind a mask.

"Bel… er, Marie?" I started. "I don't even know what to call you. I don't even know who you are!" The volume of my voice rose again while my frustration took over as the prospect of not knowing even knowing what her real name was. I saw anger briefly flash in her eyes.

"My name is Bella. Marie is my middle name." She said quietly, but then she held up her chin slightly as she added. "You know who I am. I'm the same person I was five minutes ago."

"Then who is James?" I asked trying to get a handle on the nature of her relationship with the man that presumably abused her so relentlessly that she had to fake her death and change who she was.

"He was my husband." She whispered softly, as she again hung her head low. I could not stop my sharp intake of breath at hearing that my angel had been married to that monster!

"Your husband." My voice sounded flat and distant in my ears, almost as if I was not in the room with my body. Then it dawned on me – my Bella was still married. She was still married to that creep. Where did that leave us? What was I to her? I was in this relationship for the long haul. I had not told her the depth of my feelings for her yet because I did not want to scare her off. But, the future I wanted with Bella did not involve her being married to anyone else but me.

"Edward, I sorry I didn't tell you. I was trying to tell you earlier when you were called into work. I didn't want you to find out like this. I can expl–" She started her voice growing desperate as her façade started to crack. She was unable to look me in the eye, her gaze shopping short of my throat, but all I could think of was that my girlfriend was married!

"You're married?" I said, my voice sounding harsher that I intended. Bella's eyes snapped up to mine, pained as they filled with tears.

"Yes." She said as she looked down again, hiding her eyes from me, but I could see the noiseless tears running down her face.

"Married." I muttered. I could feel my anger towards the whole situation start to rise and I suddenly felt the need to get out of there. I started to back away from her frozen form as she continued to look down at the floor, silently crying. As soon as I had backed out of the room completely, I turned on my heel and ran to the door to the garage.

"Edward?" Bella said her voice full of confusion. I opened the door and ran into the garage to get in my car. As the door to the house closed, I thought I hear a gasp as Bella sobbed my name, but I did not stop. I quickly jumped in my car, started the engine and sped away...

[End flashback]

"You just left?" Emmett asked incredulously.

"I couldn't be there with her. I was afraid I would say something I would regret later. I cannot believe she kept this from me. Why didn't she tell me? Why didn't she tell me when she first came here?" I said shaking my head.

"Edward, I don't think I have to tell you that James guy was a real piece of work. I mean you saw what he did to Bella, physically. But, have you considered what he did to her mentally and emotionally? Can you imagine how hard it must have been to let another man – you, into her life again? My guess is she did not tell you until she was sure she could trust you. I mean really, you two have only known each other for what - 6 weeks. What did you think she would do? Say… 'Hello I'm Bella, but you know me as Marie, that woman who's faking her death so that her sadistic monster of a husband doesn't kill her. Oh, by the way, don't tell anyone.' Get real Edward." Emmett said.

I knew he was right, it just hurt that she didn't tell me, but in all fairness, she was going to tell me tonight, I just found out before she had the chance. Earlier today, I asked her trust me and told her I would never hurt her. There is no way she would have wanted me to find out about this the way I did. I believed her when she said that this is what she wanted to talk about before I went to the hospital. It's no wonder she was having a nightmare – the anxiety about telling me must have manifest itself subconsciously. She did as I asked. She placed her trust in me. And, what do I do at the first test of that trust? I completely screw it up. I groaned knowing I had hurt Bella with my behavior.

"She's still married to him – to James." I said, still unsure of how to handle this. I was not the kind of man to carry on with a married woman. I knew Bella's situation was different. Although I did not know the specifics all she had suffered at the hands of that man, I know that it demanded that she leave her husband and necessitated the lie that was her death.

"Okay. So, she's still married to him, but he thinks she is dead and I doubt she feels anything for him. It's just a piece of paper Edward and I'm guessing that is all her marriage is to her anymore – nothing but a piece of paper. Obviously getting a divorce wasn't nearly as important as surviving for Bella – divorce taking a back burner to the need to live." Emmett paused to look at me for a moment before he continued.

"Bro, I've never seen you happier with anyone else in my life. I can tell you really care for her." He said.

"Em, I love her, more than anything, but I…" I started, but Emmett stopped me with his question.

"Edward, Is this a deal breaker for you?" He said abruptly.

"What?" I replied a little uncertain what he was asking me.

"Does the fact that she's still married change the way you feel for her? Are you going to walk away because of this? Are you going to lose her over this?" My heart ached at the thought of losing her. I could not imagine it. She was all I thought about. Everything I did without her was a way to kill time until we could be together. She had become the air I breathed. I knew this conversation was over – Emmett made sense and I realized I owed Bella a huge apology.

"No! You're right! I won't lose her over this." I said feeling a sudden sense of conviction as I jumped out of my seat wanting nothing more than to see my angel smile again – smile at me. I wanted to hold her in my arms forever. I wanted to protect her from James and never allow him to hurt her again. If that meant she remained married to him rather than get a divorce and alerting him to her deception, then I would do it. Emmett stood from his chair as well as he clapped a hand on my shoulder.

"Go get her." He said with a big grin. "You know I think she's perfect for you." He winked giving his subtle big brother 'approval' of Bella.

"You know Em, for a guy with a slow leak in his head, you make good sense." I teased him for his sudden insightfulness and he laughed. I tended to over think things and Emmett always had the ability to help me cut through all the crap and help me see what really mattered.

I quickly shot out of Emmett's place, got in my car and sped back home to my Bella. I would do whatever it took to have her in my life and keep her safe. I knew I had some apologizing to do. Her broken sob as she called my name when I ran out of the house earlier this evening was still ringing in my ears and I knew I had hurt her immensely.

I made the 30 minute drive in half the time as I sped down the street to my place much too quickly. I was concentrating only on getting home, too anxious to care. I pulled into my driveway, not bothering to park my car in the garage this time. I ran to the front door to open it but found it locked. I quickly unlocked the door and flung it open.

"Bella!" I yelled in my excitement to see her again, to wipe the memory of her pained expression from my mind – the pained I caused. I was greeted to my owe voice echoing off the high ceilings of my house. It was only then that I realized how dark it was. All the lights were off and even though it was hot and muggy outside due to Arizona's monsoon season, my home felt cold and empty. I knew she was not here, but still I searched the house, flipping on lamps, flooding my home with a light that seemed harsh in the wake of what I had done. My chest started to ache knowing I had driven her from my home with my stupid reaction.

The smell of rain from the threatening thunderstorm was thick in the air as I quickly made my way next door, hoping that maybe she had gone home. I raised my hand to ring the doorbell when I noticed her keys were still in the door, which was slightly ajar. I cautiously pushed the door open and leaned my head inside as a feeling of dread started to prick at my mind.

"Bella?" I called straining my ears for the slightest of sounds that might alert me to her presence. Once again, the silence of a house devoid of the one I loved greeted me. I pulled her keys out of the deadbolt, stepped inside and closed the door behind me.

"Bella!" I called louder this time, but there was still no response. As I started to walk through the house searching for her my heart sank knowing she was not here. Her bedroom greeted me with a disarray of clothing strewn from the closet to the bed. There was an empty spot on the bed devoid of clothing. It took me a minute to realize the space on the bed was the size of a suitcase. The ache in my chest exploded as I realized she was leaving – leaving me. I raced to the garage to confirm my worse fears and flung open the door. I had to blink twice and even rub my eyes to confirm that I was seeing things correctly. Her car was still in the garage, trunk open, and suitcase inside. The door to the driver's side of the car was open but the car was empty. I exhaled the breath I had been holding in anticipation of seeing her car – gone, relief flooding my system, but only briefly, because I did not know where she was.

I pulled out my phone as I walked back into the house and dialed her number. Just before the door from the house closed on the garage, I heard Bella's ring tone, causing me to whirl around and catch the door before it closed completely. I quickly followed the sound only to find her purse in the passenger side of the car, phone ringing, alerting me to the fact that she did not have her phone, her purse or her keys with her. That struck me as odd, since most women did not step foot outside of their house with at least one or all of those things in tow.

"She can't be far." I muttered to myself as I went back in the house and walked back into her bedroom. I sat on the edge of her bed, closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to calm my racing heart. I opened my eyes and looked around glancing over to the nightstand. That's when I saw it – a piece of paper folded in half with my name on it. I grabbed it and unfolded it in such haste; I almost ripped it in half. I looked at Bella's hand written note to me and took a deep breath before I started to read.

My Dearest Edward,

I wanted you to know that I never meant to hurt you. I'm sorry for what I have done. I'm sorry that my past mistakes have ruined any chance of a future with you. However, what I am the most sorry for his hurting you and causing you pain. I never meant for you to find out the way you did, but I know now that not being honest with you from the start was unforgivable on my part. My past and the mistakes have made with you have made me realize how much I do not deserve you. I know it is too much to hope for, but I only hope in time you will forgive me for the pain I have caused.

I wanted you to know that in the short amount of time I spent getting to know you, I have experienced a happiness I have not felt in a long time. I thank you for allowing me a glimpse of that happiness, even if it was for only a few weeks. I will always treasure my memories of you and hope that one day you will feel the same way.

Love Always – Bella

The sound of her letter fluttering to the floor barely registered in my ears as my heart ripped open at the prospect that she was apologizing to me, thanking me, saying good-bye to me, leaving me, thinking I could not forgive her! When in reality I needed to beg her for her forgiveness, beg her to stay with me! I bolted from her place in a desperate attempt to find her, feeling the first drops of rain hit my face, the muggy atmosphere charged as the impending rainstorm released its torrent. When I reached the street in front of the house, I stopped. I knew she could not be far, but where would she go. Would she go to one of the neighbors? I quickly pushed that idea aside realizing if she did not tell me her secret, she certain would not trust one of our standoffish neighbors.

I decided to check the elementary school a few blocks away thinking it might be one of the few places she would feel comfortable. She was a teacher and the few times I had seen her teach, whether she was instructing high school students or reading to preschoolers, she was completely in her element. I felt the rain sting my face as I ran at full speed hoping my hunch was correct.

By the time I reached the school, my shirt was soaked through. I knew the doors to the school would be locked due to the holiday weekend, but I tried them anyway. Disappointment washed through me like a bitter drink as the hopelessness of my search sank into my system. I realized my best bet was to wait for her back at her place. What if she had come back while I was out looking for her and had already left. I called her phone again, trying to mentally 'will' her to answer my call. I let out a frustrated sigh when I got her voice mail. Maybe she was still out. Maybe she was avoiding my calls. What if she was already gone having decided to completely disappear as she did in Florida, leaving everything behind? My stomach lurched at the thought of her walking away from the life she had started to make for herself here, the life she had started to make here with me.

Walking down the street past the side of the school, something caught my eye. A slight movement of one of the swings alerted me that there was someone there. I squinted in the dark of the night and the falling rain. I could make out the shape of someone sitting in one of the swings, head buried in their hands and I knew it was her. I inhaled sharply as relief filled my system, painfully wrestling for dominance with the fear and anxiety already there, the sensation almost crippling me. Her hair was wet from the rain as was the beautiful white and black dress she was wearing. She was unaware of my slow and cautious approach. Every few seconds her body with shudder with a sob and her shoulders would shake. I ached to comfort her, but was suddenly unsure how to proceed and whether or not she would welcome my touch after how I had treated her. I stopped at the edge where the gravel under the swings met the grass of the playground.

"Bella?" My voice was rough and barely above a whisper, my fear that she would not want me anymore cutting off my voice. She froze for a moment before she lifted her head and looked at me, blinking a few times.

"Edward!" She gasped in a strangled voice, thick with emotion, her eyes red from crying. Although her face was pale and filled with pain, her eyes shocked me the most. Her beautiful brown eyes, the eyes I could get lost in forever, were black and vacant. I started to approach her, but she pushed her swing back slightly before she stood up and turned to run from me. I lunged forward to stop her. I could not lose her.


James POV

Five months – five months since Marie had died. She was my favorite. The one woman who had gotten away even if it was through a death I had not caused. She was also the most obedient, the one who had embraced my desire to make her perfect more than anyone else ever had. I knew she loved me and would always be mine – even in death I knew we belonged together.

"James." Victoria's voice grated on my ears as she wrapped her arms around me from behind and pressed her nearly naked body up against my back in the bed we were sharing.

"What do you want?" I snapped at her for pulling me away from my thoughts of Marie. Victoria had always been jealous of the women in my life, the ones who were at my side. However, I knew I could count on her devotion. We had been together on and off since college. It did not matter whom I was with in the public eye, she was always there, waiting for me in the shadows. She was willing to take whatever scraps I would throw her way. I could never marry Victoria giving her my name. She was too wild, unwilling to be tamed, and in a way I preferred her this way. When I was with her, I could let go of my need to be in control. I could hand myself over to the beast inside and lose myself to my other senses, if only for a time.

"Come back to me." Victoria mumbled as she kissed my back, leaving no mystery as to what her intentions were. The last five months had been torture. I had not found someone to replace Marie, and having to deal with Victoria for this long was wearing thin. This was always the hardest part – finding a replacement, but Marie's replacement would be particularly hard. No one had worked at being perfect as hard as she had and I knew if she were still alive, we could have taken our relationship to the next level of perfection. She would welcome the discipline, knowing it would please me.

"Not right now." Shrugging Victoria off, I rose out of the bed and slipped on my robe.

She huffed as I walked out of the room and down the hallway to my home office.

"She's dead! Why can't you just forget her already?" I heard her yell from the room. Nevertheless, I ignored her; my mind was still spinning from the phone call I had received earlier in the day…

"Mr. Cook?" The man on the other end of the phone said, his voice rising slightly at the end. 'Who else would it be? My secretary had informed him I would take the call, did she not?' I thought sarcastically in my head.

"Yes." I said, biting down the urge to treat him like the idiot I knew him to be.

"Thanks for taking the time to speak to me. I'm Detective Larsen from the Raleigh Crime Lab in North Carolina." He said introducing himself.

"What can I do for you, Detective Larsen." Only mildly interested in what he said, I tried to concentrate on his voice instead of the paperwork I had in front of me. He was probably looking for a donation for the some police officers' charity, although it did strike me as odd that he would be calling all the way from North Carolina. I would have to get on Margaret for not screening my calls better.

"I'm calling because a piece of jewelry that is registered to you turned up in a raid of a pawn shop here in the Raleigh-Durham area." When he said that, my ears perked up. What piece of jewelry.

"What did you find?" I asked my voice intrigued.

"An engagement and wedding ring set. Quite lovely, I might add. At least three carats in a platinum setting." Larsen continued to describe the ring I knew to be Marie's as he told me how they had noticed the marking inscribed on the diamond. A quick visit to a jewelry store revealed who sold the ring and a few phone calls later, they had my name. By the end of his story my mind was racing. How did he have Marie's ring? How did it get to North Carolina? The line was silent for a moment and I realized the detective was probably waiting for a response to a question I had tuned out.

"Mr. Cook?" Detective Larsen said, confirming my thoughts.

"I'm sorry, what did you say." I said, kicking myself for not paying closer attention.

"Are you still the owner of this ring?" He asked. I quickly composed myself as I formulated a story.

"Yes. It belonged to my late wife. I had no idea it was missing." I said confused at how this could have happened. That ring should be at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean along with Marie.

"Oh, I'm sorry sir. Maybe you should check the rest of you place to determine if anything else is missing. You may have had a break-in." He said in a concerned tone.

"When can I get the ring back?" I wanted to see the ring with my own two eyes.

"Not until after the trial where it will be used as evidence, unless the defendant takes a plea. There's some paperwork you will need to fill out, but hopefully no more than six months." Larsen said. I no longer wanted to talk to this man. I needed to consider all the possibilities this new information presented.

"Send the paperwork to my lawyer and, if you don't mind, a picture of the ring for confirmation. I will give you back to my secretary and she will give you the necessary information." I said tersely. I did not wait for a reply. I put him on hold and buzzed Margaret, giving her the instructions as to what I needed her to give the detective on the line, as well as, calling my lawyer, informing him of my needs…

So there I sat in my home office in front of my computer trying to figure out how Marie's ring could be in North Carolina. Although I knew that the current flowed from Florida north along the Atlantic seaboard, I still Googled it, as if I needed confirmation. Her body could have been caught in the current and taken that far north. The idea wasn't completely impossible, but highly unlikely that her body would have remained intact long enough to make the 800 mile trip, especially her fingers.

I knew that she had it on that night because Laurent had been admiring it during dinner and even commented to Marie what a lucky woman she was. Marie had played her part flawlessly that night, and I could not have been more pleased. I almost considered letting the flirting she had done with Laurent earlier that day slide, but I knew we both needed the release that only my discipline could bring.

This left me with one conclusion, as impossible as it might seem – Marie was alive.

A/N: Drama, Drama, Drama – just as I promised! ;)

I want to give a huge THANK-YOU to everyone who reviewed my story! 356 reviews all together and 33 reviews for chapter 19 alone! WooHoo! That's the most for a single chapter I have ever received. It may not sound like a lot to some people, but to me it's heaven! Now that was the best Christmas present ever. YOU ROCK! And not to leave out those who don't review, but faithfully read my story – Thank You!

Here's a special SHOUT OUT to Loulabelle and twilightobession! These two have faithfully given me a review for each of my chapters so far!

With that said, I can't fail to mention ThisIsMyDisguise, bitmeplease235, Bunnybabi, FRK921, SarcasticProcrastinator-AMLF, itMUSTbeLOVE53, goldeneyedfanpire, cantarbailar, Transfiguration, junebug84, Loie, orlibluver, iloveedwardanthonymasencullen, VanessaGirl123, ThePurpleDragonOfAmazingness, jvanshuff, and Bennyjo4 for the many, many, many wonderful reviews you have given me! I appreciate you guys! You have been the best cheerleaders a woman could ask for!

Okay this is a long author's note! LOL Hope you are all enjoying the holidays! – SavageWoman