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Chaos erupted in the auction room. Everybody complained about being sold fakes and demanded I return their money.
"Deal with them," I told Kate. She deserved this because it was her fault. She, along with her husband Garrett, had played me for years.
I had no idea how they switched the originals; I would rather not believe I had replications displayed in the museum. That would be a massive blow to my ego.
Amid the uproar, I noticed Renee whispering to James. Edward was nose to nose with Volturi, and Dr. Cullen was hovering close to them. It looked like he wanted to side with Edward, but he was afraid.
I didn't want to believe that his greed for money and power had turned him into a heartless monster, and after all, he was a docile little lamb. I refused to accept that Carlisle might be the good guy after seeing him do only terrible things.
"Bella, we have to take you away for your safety," Garrett said, coming to my side.
I gave him a skeptical look before making my way to the edge of the stage. But he caught my elbow.
"You're not safe here," he insisted.
"Let go of me," I demanded, wrenching my arm from his grasp. He appeared shocked at how strong I was. Then he regained his senses and tried to grab me again, but I resisted and shoved him.
I foregone the stairs, jumping down from the stage and disappearing into the angry crowd.
My original plan was to head toward Edward instead of Renee, but someone grabbed my shoulder, squeezing it hard.
"You're a fraud," the man shouted in my face.
"Sir, please keep your calm. I would never sell fake paintings. I apologize if you didn't get an original, and I promise I will do everything in my power to rectify this problem."
"For the past couple of years, my clients have questioned the paintings I've sold them, claiming they weren't originals. I have lied to them, not knowing what sort of shenanigans went on behind closed doors in your museum."
"Sir, it was just brought to my attention that my curator might be behind this. I'm working on finding out what happened," I promised.
"I don't care what your curator's deal is. I want all my money back. You hear me, lady?" He proceeded to shake me, and his grip on me was so firm I couldn't shake him off.
"Take your hands off me, sir. I am still the host of this auction, and you have no right to touch me."
He snorted. "Who are you going to tell? Aro? I'd love to see you complaining to the Chief of Police about being a little manhandled." His other hand reached up to pinch my chin.
The air around us stirred, bringing with it the scent of Edward's perfume. He grabbed the man by the throat, lifting him off the floor like a puppet.
"If you ever lay a finger on her again, I will personally cut them into tiny pieces and feed them to you," he spat. Then he dropped the man, who crumpled to the ground, before scurrying away on his hands and knees.
Everyone steered clear from us, watching Edward, alarmed.
He turned to me, and I saw Vengeance, not Edward. His arms wrapped around me, and I sagged into his embrace.
I had no idea how much I missed him until I found myself in his warm hug.
"I love you, Isabella." His hot breath washed over my ear, making me shiver.
No one had ever made me feel like him. "I love you," I replied, squeezing him close.
"Get out of here. Aro just left," Dr. Cullen's voice interrupted our bubble.
Edward kept his arms around me as he turned to face his uncle. "Are you going after him?"
"You know the answer to that," he answered, aggravated.
"You're a fucking idiot, then." Edward's eyes moved somewhere behind me, and they narrowed fractionally. "Go, do whatever you know best. I have shit to do."
He walked me backward, and I realized too late we were headed to where Renee and James were in a heated conversation.
Edward stopped close to them. A pair of loud men, exclaiming about what a terrible auction this had turned out to be, were separating us from our targets.
"Stop saying you tried. Look what happened," Renee hissed. "My painting is lost forever!"
"Let me deal with Cullen. He's an easy target," James insisted.
"If Aro couldn't take him out, what makes you believe you can?"
I gasped, catching Edward's arm for support. She had been behind the murder attempt.
"Trust me, Renee. It's my life ambition to snap his neck like a twig. That will bring Isabella into my arms."
Renee pointed a finger at his face. "If you go after her once again, I will personally kill you."
"I don't see what's the big deal. There are no blood ties between us," James muttered.
"Keep an eye on them. I'm going to change," Edward whispered. His lips brushed my temple. "Be careful."
I only managed to nod because I felt numb inside at the conversation between my mother and my stepbrother.
She knew he wanted in my panties but didn't do much to stop him. Her empty threats probably encouraged him.
I didn't realize I was in their sight. After Edward had disappeared, the men hiding me had wandered away.
"Oh, thank God you're safe," Renee said with faux concern, reaching for me.
I dodged her outstretched arm. I had enough of being touched without my permission tonight.
But James found the opportunity to wrap an arm around my shoulders. It should have been a protective gesture, but it gave me nothing but anxiety.
"Let's get you to safety, shall we?" he offered. "The wolves look ready to descend." He waved a hand around.
I didn't dare lose focus on him and Renee, but I knew the crowd would turn on me. I might be safer dealing with my furious buyers than with my supposed family.
Besides, he was the second person tonight to insist I should get to safety. Of course, Garrett was hand in hand with them, and I understood with a bitter aftertaste that everyone I believed to be honest and loyal was anything but.
"It's okay. I can deal with them." I tried to escape his claws, but he kept a strong hold on me.
"Don't be difficult, Isabella. Go with James. I will catch up." Renee walked away, and I checked her destination. I shouldn't have been surprised to see her heading right to Volturi.
James steered me to the door behind the stage.
Dr. Cullen, who appeared to look paler than usual, intercepted us close to the stage. His blue eyes held a determination I hadn't seen there before.
"Have you seen Edward?" The edge in his voice worried me.
"Uh, we got separated," I lied. "I can help you find him," I offered because my gut told me I would be safer with him than with James.
Obviously, James started protesting, but I hooked my arm around Dr. Cullen's elbow, dragging him backstage.
"He should be around…" I said uncertainly because I really had no clue where he was. Besides, he wasn't likely to be the Edward he knew if we bumped into him.
"You have no right to trust me, but Edward assured me you would follow me if I told you to."
"Excuse me?" I stared at him incredulously.
Did I just fall into another trap? My senses were all wonky today.
"He told me to tell you this: I trust Carlisle, Kitty. Whatever that means."
I choked on my spit. So my senses were actually working at total capacity. My suspicions at Edward's office were correct. Dr. Cullen was a pawn, and somehow, Edward had made him pull his head out of his ass.
Truthfully, I doubted Edward's mother would have gone to such lengths to have a child with him if he was actually as horrible as he seemed. She wouldn't stoop that low.
And that woman, who had perished in the fire, his girlfriend, she wouldn't have stuck around if there was no good inside him.
"Hurry then," I urged, spotting James and Garrett approaching from the other end of the hallway. They looked ready to start trouble.
Dr. Cullen turned in their direction because that was the exit, but I caught his wrist, pulling him toward my office. Drastic times call for drastic measures.
I locked us inside and pulled my small handgun from the drawer. As I checked the chamber for bullets, I heard him gasping. When I glanced up, his hands were up, and he was staring at me, panicked.
"It's for protection from them," I explained, trying to fight my amusement. The man who had fired at his own son not that long ago was scared of seeing a gun in the hands of a woman. He might know about my other persona, but still, he shouldn't be so scared.
"Edward also told me to tread carefully with what I said around you."
I laughed. "Relax, I won't shoot you, even if it will bring me great satisfaction to do it after everything you've done."
"I will explain everything to you, as well, but not now. I had a difficult conversation with Edward already."
"Not now," I agreed, hearing the handle on my door rattling. "Come on." I pointed to the window behind my desk.
He went ahead, and before I could judge him for saving his ass first because the ones outside my door nearly had it ripped off the hinges, Dr. Cullen extended his hand to me. There was a light smile in the corner of his mouth, which struck me how similar it was to Edward's.
I followed him to his car, ready to kick my high heels off because they slowed me down.
"Stop right there," James yelled after us.
He had managed to get inside my office, and now he was halfway through the window with a gun in his hand.
I extended my arm behind me and shot in his direction. I hadn't gone to the shooting range in ages, but my aim didn't disappoint. I got him in the shoulder.
He cursed up a storm and started shooting at us but stopped just as fast as he started. Vengeance had made an appearance. He had James pinned to the window with the gun's muzzle pointed at its owner's chin.
I froze because I didn't want Edward to have blood on his hands.
"Get in the car! He'll be fine," Dr. Cullen said urgently.
It was a good thing I was still looking at Edward because I saw what he couldn't. Volturi's lackey was coming from around the building; his gun pointed at Edward.
I didn't stop to think. I pointed at his head and pulled the trigger. My ears were ringing as I stared at the blood and brain matter painting the side of the museum's exterior wall.
Edward pressed the muzzle harder into James's neck as he checked what had happened. His head turned to me slowly, but I didn't dare meet his eyes. I felt disconnected from my body and ashamed.
"Isabella, now," Dr. Cullen insisted, opening my door from the inside.
I slid into the car and slumped in the seat.
"The first time is the worst," he said carefully.
"I never even shot anyone before…" I gasped, feeling like I had fallen into the deepest and darkest pit. "I just killed someone."
"You saved someone else's life. Someone you love," he justified.
I didn't have the energy or the capacity to process his words, but I realized he knew everything. Whether he had found out on his own or Edward had told him about our secret identities.
All the way to Carlisle's house, I had a losing battle with the nauseous feeling in my stomach.
When we arrived, I barely had my door open when I hurled all over his perfectly trimmed lawn. He helped me inside the house, bringing me water and a soda and telling me to lie on the couch.
A part of my brain remembered he was an actual doctor, and he knew what he was doing, but my body had gone into shock, and I couldn't function properly.
I needed and wanted Edward.
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