"We'll land in just a few minutes." Edward said out of nowhere, catching me completely off guard. The helicopter ride had been devoid of any human interaction, and then suddenly he was ready to talk? He gave me whiplash sometimes.

I knew better than to ask him any questions- they'd rudely go unanswered anyway. I instead bided my time and patiently waited until the chopper made its decent towards a designated pad. The scenery nearly took my breath away- the estate we landed on was magnificent! The home, if you call the colossal estate that, sat on acres of rolling green hills that nestled a large villa atop the abrupt cliffs. Was this an island? Or were we just near the coast? I was so turned around that I really had no idea. "Wow." I voiced my thoughts aloud without even meaning to. Whoever called this mansion home was one lucky cow!

"It's still a work in progress. The family that owned it before left it in ruins." Edward muttered.

I nodded but still held onto my disbelief. There was no way this could ever be considered near ruins! A private beach area, a house overlooking the sea by cliffs, rolling hills of beautiful gardens? This was a paradise. I all but leapt out of the helicopter and made my way towards the gleaming wrought iron fence ahead of us. There was obviously no lock to it, and I didn't see what need they would have for locks and reinforcements if they were this isolated!

It was clearly upkept, as the sprawling green hills the house sat on revealed. Someone put a lot of time and money into this place. I couldn't help myself as I leaned forward and took a strong whiff of the variety of roses being grown along the walking path. There were pinks of every shade- my favorite color and my favorite flower, as it was. Suddenly I was envious of the mysterious owner of this place. I could just imagine waking up to smell my favorite flowers every morning, having my own beach just minutes away, living in isolation from the cruel world I came from…

Edward wordlessly held open the mansion's double doors for me and pointed towards the open foyer. I walked carefully across the marbled floors, painfully aware of the dirt and grime I was tracking in by not taking my shoes off. I thought of slipping them off, but Edward was stalking off in front of me and I didn't want to get lost or ask him for help. I kept my pace and silently appraised all of the beautiful furnishings around me.

We passed through a main foyer, a long silent hallway, and an elegantly appointed Sitting Room before we finally went through a set of French doors that led to the most glorious view yet. He didn't wait for my reaction and merely turned back around and left through the doors. There was a small sitting area that overlooked the cliffside, waves crashing softly below us and the sun beaming gloriously down on us. This had to be what heaven looked like! The water was a beautiful icy blue, aquamarine color as the sunlight shimmered off of the waves that came and went. I couldn't help but think that there was no more of a perfect place to be marooned! I took a seat at the iron patio set and waited until Edward came back with a small platter of select finger foods.

"We'll be staying here until Sunday." Edward announced abruptly. Pulling me from me reverie. "That gives the orphanage time to settle in before we leave, and you'll be able to visit with them before we take our leave. You're safe here." He added for extra measure but still didn't look away from his laptop as he set his equipment up.

"Where is this place?" I asked quietly.

He looked over at me with little patience, as though I asked him to explain the periodic table to me. "We're not in Capotia anymore. Don't you believe that I can keep you safe? Just as I always have." I picked at the cracker plate in front of me and nodded solemnly. He had always kept me and my dad safe. That was his job at the time, and he was excellent at it. I didn't have the energy to bother him with more questions I wouldn't get straight answers to, anyway. When he noticed I had gone still, he sighed in agitation. "We're on an island off of Sardinia. Your favorite."

Instead of coming off endearing, it sounded sharp like breaking glass. I did love Sardinia. No tourist stops on the mainland of Italy held a candle to the serenity this slice of the world had! My whole outlook lightened just then. If fate allowed, I would want to visit Sardinia for at least a few hours and see all my local haunts. This was one of the few places that I had good memories with my dad. The island was so small that I was practically let off my leash when we came here. I could browse cafecitos, bookshops, antiquities… I could do whatever my heart pleased there.

"Is this a private island then?" The thought perturbed me. Not only did that mean we were far from help if an emergency happened, but that meant we were alone. Alone, alone.

"There are two other residences on the other side of the island if you must know. It's the off-season so they're not likely home. I've called for the Keeper to come tomorrow morning and have the house more prepared." He looked down at my plate of untouched food. "Groceries as well."

I nodded in thanks. I wasn't sure what to say to him at that point, though. He wasn't necessarily being mean, but he wasn't being nice either. On one hand I felt eternally grateful for everything he had done for me and on the other I was seriously irritated by all of the short remarks he was making to me.

"Thank you." I pushed out at last. "For everything today. It's more than I could have asked for."

"It's exactly what you asked for." He was back on his laptop, paying me little seriousness.

I squeezed the side of my thigh to stop myself from snapping. Couldn't he take a thanks like a regular person? It was like he wanted me to be mean to him! "Did any of our bags arrive? I noticed the power is on, but is water running? I'd like a shower."

Edward didn't look up from what he was doing. "No word from the yacht crew, yet. Everything works fine here just the way it does in San Francisco." There was a sneer to his words, effectively ending our conversation.

I huffed away and guided myself through the home without his help- not that he had offered to, anyway!. There were an endless number of bedrooms, two kitchens, two Sitting Rooms, one grand dining room, multiple bathrooms, and one beautiful library that looked to still be in its construction phase. I pulled myself away from the book nook and ran back upstairs, convinced that I'd eventually find what I was looking for. Most of the bedrooms were bare bones- a bed, plain wooden furniture, and empty closets was the theme of every room except one. The master bedroom was done up in dark linens, and the bed was made up as well as curtains hung- I pushed the curtains back and walked out onto the veranda. It wasn't very big, but it was enough for two people to look out over the sea. I sighed, just imaging a latte in my hand as I listened to the ocean sing all day.

I pondered some more on who owned this place and why Edward felt so inclined to make himself at home here. He didn't like Sardinia, he didn't like the isolation, and really wasn't a fan of beaches or water sports. This couldn't be his place. Maybe this was an associate's summer home? If it was Edward's place, I would be extremely shocked. It surely didn't feel lived in. There were no scuff marks on the corners of walls, no leftover coats hung in closets, no random pair of shoes tucked into a corner- it was like he was here alone.

How often did he come to this house, anyway? It was so remote. No movie theatres, malls, bars, restaurants. It was just him and his imagination out here, unless he brought women here. I could see how he could spend days on end entertaining mistresses here on his private island. It boiled my blood for the oddest of reasons! Why should I even care? Hadn't I been having my own fun these years?

He wasn't an innocent when I met him, why would that change after I left him? And I hated the way he kept saying that- you left me. You left me! He knew damn well there was his own part to play. His pride got in the way of loving me the way I needed him to. He didn't even bat an eyelash when I threatened to walk away.

"Babe… what's this?" It was supposed to come out as a question, but it was more of an accusation. He knew what it was, I knew what it was. "Baby?" I tried again.

He sat there staring at me, his gaze never flickering. "It's a document. I'm starting a business; I see tons of documents every day."

The way he was talking to me… like how my father did. Like I was a stupid girl. "I see that it's a document, smart ass." I snarled. "Why does it say you're going into a partnership with my dad? I thought we agreed we wouldn't do that!"

"We agreed? Or you stated your opinion and expected me to follow like a lost puppy?" Edward sat on his beaten down pleather couch, his shoulders suddenly very tense. "I need to get my company off the ground. Once his initial investment plus principal is returned, the agreement dissolves."

We had talked about this exact scenario so many times, over hours and hours of conversations. He had all of the right contacts and experience to create a viable private security firm, but he needed an influx of cash to cover new business expenses and to be legitimate. Edward worked for so many years under my dad's thumb, doing horrible things for him. If we were to move in together, get married, have babies… it wouldn't work if that's what he planned on doing forever. "My father isn't a charitable man. He doesn't do anything for free. His friendship comes at a cost. There's always a catch."

My boyfriend scoffed at me., sending nasty shockwaves down my spine. He was treating me like I was a pesky child. "Bella, please get off your high horse. You've been born into privileges and lied your whole life with the world at your fingertips. Nothing is out of reach for you. You'd never have to work for a cash loan. You couldn't know how hard this is."

I shot up from the rickety stool that doubled as a TV stand. "Stop talking to me like that! You have no idea what I've been through-"

"Yes, yes. Poor little rich girl again." Edward leapt off the couch and wagged an imposing finger in my direction. Our age different felt so apparent in that moment. He was treating me like I was naughty child in his care. "Your father was mean to you. You have no privacy. No one's ever loved you." He was packing the small studio apartment, the same one we had so many beautiful memories in. But now it was starting to feel so small- like I was suffocating. "I've worked for Charlie since I was a teenager. I know what to expect from him and he knows what to expect from me."

I swallowed hard. "So that's it then? You want to be a mafioso like him? End up rotting in a prison cell or worse, living all alone paranoid until you die of old age? Because that's exactly what's going to happen to my father! He trusts no one. Loves no one. He's convinced he's going to be executed by any number of his enemies any day. That's really the life you want? Because that's not what I want." The disgust in my voice matched with the dirty look on my face must have sent him over the edge.

He was mere inches from me in seconds. "So, what's your plan, then? You give me the money? So that I can be indebted to my girlfriend for the rest of my life? Well, I'd have to marry you then, wouldn't I? You'd buy a husband just like that."

I wrung my hands together in embarrassment. When he said it like that, it sounded awful. But yes, I did want to be with him forever. I wanted to be married with a white picket fence- I wanted to be spirited away from my father by a strong man, and Edward fit that bill. "If you take that money from Charlie then… then we're done. I wouldn't ever see you as your own man again."

Edward looked at me hard. He said nothing at first but took a deep breath and folded his arms. "There's the door, Bella."

My heart raced. Wasn't he going to fight for me? Beg me to stay? I didn't want to give him an ultimatum, but it felt like there was no other choice. Taking my dad's money was a death note for our relationship. He would own us. I imagined my life with Edward to be free and happy, even if we had to struggle. My rosy future didn't include Charlie hanging over us like a dark cloud!

"If I walk out of here, I'm never coming back." I warned him quietly.

"You'll be back as soon as this little tantrum is over. You always do." He sneered.

We just stared at one another, daring each other to make the first move. I snatched my purse and keys from the cluttered bookshelf by the front door, determined to make my grand exit. I reached into my wallet and grabbed some dollar bills. I didn't know what got into me but suddenly I felt very evil. Like I didn't know him, like I could rip this pathetic little apartment to shreds and be happy about it. I felt like Charlie.

I spun around and tossed the bills at him, but he made no movement to even acknowledge them as they landed on the floor. "There. Your first Swan investment." I gestured to the money. "Get yourself used to picking up my family's money up off the floor."

And with that I walked out of the door and slammed it hard. But even as I sat in my car for what felt like eternity, he still hadn't come out. I waited for days for him to call or email me, and every time I heard the doorbell ring I rushed to see if it was him. Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months until I was so bitter and heartbroken that I started to pretend Edward had never even existed.

Dad went into business with him after all, but he was never allowed in the house after that. Charlie knew I was in love with Edward, and something had gone wrong. He seized his moment once the bitterness had kicked in and made sure I would never think of his lowly employee again. Suddenly I was free to do whatever I wanted, travel anywhere my heart desired, spend money as freely as I cared to. It seemed I could do whatever I wanted, as long as it didn't include Edward. And in those days, I was more than happy to oblige.

I taught myself to hate Edward, it was that simple.

I shook myself out of that memory and thought more about my present. I stepped back into the master bedroom and perused through some drawers and closets before landing on a fluffy bathrobe. I was closing a cedarwood dresser when I felt the drawer catch lightly. I didn't want to break anything, so I blindly stuck my hand in the back of the dresser until I felt a small wooden square come into contact with my fingers. I pulled it forward until I could see what it was in the light.

My fingers shook as I held it up to the light. I hadn't seen this thing in such a long time, but it used on his nightstand next to his mattress on the floor of that dumpy studio apartment.

It was a small 5x7 wooden frame with a picture of me in it. I was smiling, holding up a puppy our housekeeper had found somewhere in the neighborhood. Edward used to say how much he loved looking at me smile. I didn't even remember who took the picture or how he stole it from my dad's house, but I remember how many butterflies it gave me to think that my picture sat in a man's house. A man that I loved.

A tiny tear escaped my left eye. And here it was, laying in his house again. Sure it wasn't put on display, but the fact that he kept it after all of these years… it did something to my heart.