Disclaimer: The characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, but the story is entirely mine. Copying, in whole or in part, is PROHIBITED. Say NO to plagiarism. CONTAINS SEXUAL SCENES +18.
Beta: The Vampire Goddess
I recommend: Infinite Games—Zola Blood
Chapter 1:
The Widow
Chapter 1:
The Widow
I used to believe that my life had only one purpose: to survive. I knew it as a teenager and experienced it for years. During that time, I searched for a way to do it, and I had achieved it at the cost of sweat and blood. I knew that from now on, I was going to face danger, but it was the price to pay. I went through the memories of everything that had happened in the past two years, the same ones that had made me the person I am now. It was unthinkable that a woman like me, born under the wing of a religiously fanatic family, poor, and capable of abandoning her daughter when she needed them the most. A family capable of casting their daughter out without listening to what she had to say, and not caring for what she required, could have gotten to where I was. But here I am.
I smiled as I looked at myself in the mirror and ran my hands down my dress, stretching it slowly. Black as night, short, provocative, a lethal tool to break the rules they were all going to impose on me. No one was going to stop me from following my purpose. I was going to meddle in that family, whatever it took. And yes, Isabella Swan was going to be in front of the people who were likely to make her life miserable from the first instant. That was me, and I had to get used to the idea.
"Perfect," Serafin whispered, dressed in a suit, as was his custom. "You will not go unnoticed, madam"
I exhaled and contemplated myself. I looked mature, strong, and ready to fight for what was mine. I looked at myself in the mirror and with a stern look, I hid away the real me, innocent, sweet, and quiet Bella. Being myself, not the way I was going to get respect from them
"The funeral is in half an hour. We should go," he reminded me.
I nodded and put on my hat, dropping the small square mesh over my face.
"It's time to face each of them," I said.
Before I left, I looked down at the table in the foyer, analyzing the photograph of him.
"I'll play my part, you'll see," I whispered to myself.
"I promised l'd do this for all the help you gave me, you were the father I never had." I said to hope he heard me wherever he was.
Outside, the black Rolls-Royce was waiting for us and the chauffeur was waiting for me with the door open.
"Where are we going, miss?"
I looked at the scenery, unable to believe we were already here. New York had changed since I left, not the way it looked, but the air.
"To the cemetery," I answered as I got in the limo.
The drive was slow for me, as if the car joined the torturous wait, making me nervous. No, the inner Isabella was not to come out; otherwise, they would notice that I was just a young, naive woman, with no experience and a shady past.
"Calm down, Miss Isabella, everything will pass. It's the beginning," Serafin whispered to me. I know them like the back of my hand, I will always be with you." He stated.
When I saw we were entering the cemetery, I knew it was time to face that family, just as I promised. My belly burned with anguish, uneasiness, and shyness.
Control yourself, you must prove you are not afraid.
I pulled on my gloves and noticed how all those who were summoned to see off the former President of the United States, Carlisle Cullen, looked at the car that had arrived unexpectedly. I raised my chin, wearing my mask of power, and waited for the chauffeur to park in front of the whole family. They were here to say goodbye to their father, brother, friend, and… ex-husband. I smiled as my eyes watered with fear at what I was about to face. I was merely a woman in her twenties who had to grow up earlier than she should have.
"I promised Carlisle, I'd be here today. It's the least I could do in gratitude for everything he did for me," I mumbled.
The chauffeur opened the door for me as I watched the flashes of the cameras and the questions being shouted at me from the press, trying to keep the exclusive on what would be the biggest scandal ever seen in the country's politics. I stuck out my foot, revealing my lustrous, red-soled stilettos, shiny, powerful, and unbreakable. I placed my foot on the pavement, showing the stocking that covered my was waiting for me, looking around with the same tension, although his was different, for he knew that, what I was doing was the ultimate betrayal of the Cullen family.
"Don't worry, chin up and nothing to fear," he whispered.
He knew them like the back of his hand, how could he not, if he was the great confidant of the patriarch, always remaining faithful to his side as the best butler of the family? Who would have thought that years later, the great Serafin would rebel against the other members of the Cullen clan to go with his faithful boss, Carlisle Cullen? Like an angel rebelling against the authorities of heaven
The lights of the cameras did not allow me to see clearly ahead. I could only see a dark, unmistakable path, it was the right one, the one I promised myself to take.
"Can you really tell us what happened to former president Carlisle Cullen?"
"Is it true that he left all his wealth to you, forgetting about his family?"
I didn't look at her, nor at the rest. I knew that in addition to the journalists, who were seeing me for the first time, there were also Carlisle's friends, supporters, associates, and extended family here to catch a glimpse of the latest Mrs. Cullen.
I managed to slip past them all and made it to the central area of the cemetery , where the funeral was being held. When I saw all those people surrounding the coffin, with flower arrangements and gifts to say goodbye, I felt a lump in my throat. The same one I felt when I saw him die.
"It's her," whispered one woman, telling another.
They both looked at me with suspicion and prejudice. I was not surprised.
"I didn't think his current wife was so young," said one man.
I chuckled under my breath.
"It's disgusting, she could very well be his daughter!" they kept saying.
I closed my eyes.
I already knew what they assumed, I wasn't going to make them believe otherwise, even if they were far from the truth. He never touched me, he never made a pass at me. Carlisle never treated me as anything more than a daughter, but to others I would still be the young slut who climbed the social ladder to conquer Carlisle Cullen, the former President of the United States. A man so beloved that, at his death, the whole country mourned him. In a way, we were both his widows, but I was the villain. How far from reality they were.
I crossed the road to where his body lays. I cared for him all those months. He suffered, but he was calm. Despite all the stairs, I made way and perched myself under the large tent, looking at the photograph beside his coffin. The lid was open, but I didn't dare to look, I would rather not cry in front of all these strangers. Then I touched the flowers, feeling the deep agony of what his death meant to me.
I felt so lonely.
"What is this woman doing here!" A female voice called out.
I tensed for a few seconds, holding my breath: it was her.
"Who let her in?" She shouted again.
I swallowed and turned to face her.
"Esme," I whispered as I clenched my hands.
She was just as I remembered her from photographs and the first time I saw her, months ago: slender, without representing her age, she must have been past fifty. She was the epitome of elegance. She stood unwavering, and imposing. She had shoulder-length caramel-colored hair, and a penetrating gaze. Her body was small and graceful, she wore a tailored suit worthy of the one who had been the first lady of the country for so long, loved by the whole community. Of course, she was the ex-wife of the man who, months before his death, decided to ask for my hand. That's when I became the villain of this story.
"What gives you the right to come here?" Her voice dropped a few notches, her tone dangerous.
"You don't have any right to be here, and you know it!"
"He knows who I was to him, he has no way to deny it," I affirmed.
"And you, Serafin," she growled, turning to look at him, "How could you?" The butler remained stone-faced, showing no emotion.
"Get this woman out of here," she insisted, "get her out now!"
I took a step forward, and two bodyguards prevented me from moving another inch.
"I'm not leaving, you know you can't do that, I'm Carlisle's current wife," I protested.
I was it's the more adequate term…
Her eyes filled with tears as I stood unwavering in my position, with my hands clenched, facing her.
"Do what you want," she finally said, sobbing with intense pain.
I did not believe her.
"Mother, come with us," a younger woman asked, approaching her.
We looked at each other, I knew who she was. Blonde, stunning, and with a look as icy as an iceberg. Her expensive dress looked phenomenal on her, it matched so well with her long blonde hair that was curled to perfection, one side pinned with a clip.
"Rosalie Cullen,"
She was the middle child, attached to her mother but constantly distant. She was always in charge of the media, managing everything with eloquence and sophistication.
"How are you? "I asked politely.
She did not answer me. She glared at me instead. She looked at me, hate the only expression coming out of her face.
"Let's not make a fuss," she insisted.
I watched her walk away, wanting to find out where the rest of the famous Cullens were. I followed her with my eyes, I deserved to be on the privileged side too. Carlisle wanted me here. Inside I was trembling, I was standing in front of some of the most influential people in America; Isabella was just a girl in her twenties, a girl who should be living her life differently. But here I was, living among them, struggling to survive.
I had to.
"Who is she?" Asked a gentle voice.
I knew immediately who it was. She was my age, but much smaller than me. With short chin-length, dark brown hair, a pointed nose and blue eyes with abundant lashes, her smile did not go unnoticed.
Alice Cullen, the youngest daughter, the one who loved her father with a fervor that was only rivaled by mine.
"Good afternoon," I greeted.
"Isabella," I said.
She raised her eyebrows.
"Isabella," she murmured.
"How do you do?" She looked at the floor for a few seconds.
"Much…"
"Alice!" Esme said, interrupting me.
"Come," she commanded. Alice sighed and walked away, smiling at me one last time. She was different.
Finally, I sighed, ready to walk back to Carlisle's coffin. However, a piercing look, one that I couldn't miss among all the others, caused me to slow down. I looked for the owner and my breathing stopped.
The owner of that gaze wasn't even bare-eyed: he was wearing stylish sunglasses. He was tall, so tall that he was enormously imposing, sophisticated, and undeniably handsome in a way I had never imagined. I had to swallow as I watched his calculating smile, analyzing each one of my movements. He had a taut chiseled jaw, and full lips… attractive. He wore a dark, fitted suit, allowing me to notice his broad, strong chest, as well as his defined arms, hips, and thighs. He was the most handsome man I had ever seen. Besides his father, of course, I'm not going to deny that Carlisle Cullen wasn't handsome.
"Edward Cullen," Serafin murmured, coming to my side.
I swallowed, my God, it was him.
I clenched my hands and averted my gaze, intimidated, and a little weak, but drawn to that menacing stance.
"The senator," I whispered, biting my lip.
He was the most powerful man there was in the senate, and possibly the most authoritative to top all politicians existing. He was Carlisle's eldest son, his favorite, the one he always remembered with a fondness I never managed to understand. He was a young promise to the country's democracy barely thirty-four years of age, he enjoyed an enviable respect from everyone in and out of the senate.
Two steps behind him stood two men in black suits, who wore an earpiece in their ears.
"Bodyguards,"
I noticed how he followed my every move, he seemed magnetic.
"Miss," Serafin called, came to my senses.
"They're going to bury him," he muttered.
"Oh, Carlisle!"
I turned to the casket, and the beginning of the ceremony consumed everything in me. With soft ambient music, played live, they ushered in his repose. Esme wept as she touched the lid, watching him as he was accompanied by his daughter Rosalie. Alice laid a bouquet of flowers over the recently closed casket. Edward Cullen, just kept his jaw tense, like the rest of his body.
For everyone it was the end, but for me, it was the beginning… The beginning of my power.
"Thank you for everything, Carlisle. You were like a father to me."
I approached the casket to give him my goodbye, feeling that same intense gaze, following every step I took. It was unmistakable what emanated from it, the penetrating, hidden gaze of the senator.
After Carlisle's farewell, the Cullen family had prepared a cocktail party to thank all the guests. It was clear that I was not invited.
"It's difficult, Serafin," I muttered.
"I know, Miss, but you must be strong."
"You know I'm afraid!"
"I'm here for you, like I promised him I'd be,"
He was about to say something else, but I noticed that he had fallen silent. I noticed that Alice had approached us.
"Hello," she said softly.
I immediately became defensive, taking in every aspect of her. She was elegantly dressed, but she didn't compare to the others in her family. Her gaze was sweet and intrigued, as if she wanted to get closer.
"Serafin, it's so good to see you," she whispered, stepping forward.
She hugged him, and he closed his eyes, as if he needed that gesture. Alice trembled with longing, on the verge of tears.
"I needed to see you, I missed you so much," she added.
"And I missed you, Miss Alice," Serafin answered, squeezing her hands.
"Thank you for accompanying my father, you were very brave," she stated.
I watched them, keeping my distance. Serafin seemed very excited, just as I imagined.
When they parted, Alice turned to look at me again.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for accompanying my father," she said.
"May I call you Bella?"
I was surprised.
"No, forgive me, maybe I'm too forward…" She pressed her lips together, embarrassed. "Come to the cocktail party, you are welcome." She said and left rushing.
I didn't believe her, I had not been invited.
Serafin told me that Alice was always the black sheep. She hated politics, power, and what it meant to live with the problems that surrounded the family. In short, she was entirely unique.
The cocktail party was full of very influential people and friends of the family. Esme Cullen was the great hostess, moving around with a glass in her hand, soothing her tears with alcohol. She was loved, respected and valued by everyone.
"Would you like something to drink?" Alice asked. "Please don't say no to me," she added.
I breathed in, looking around, while Serafin answered for me. Of all of them, only Alice must have been my age, the others were over thirty, too used to their life to even see me as a real threat, except Esme, who, when she noticed my presence, shook her glass with the force she applied to it in anger.
"Serafin, what a surprise," exclaimed one of the attendants.
It was a deputy.
"Mr. Denali, a pleasure," he said in reply.
"You must be Isabella," He looked at me, analyzing me.
I nodded in reply, leaving him speechless. I would rather not interact with any of these people.
He glared at me, his eyes looking at me from head to toe, although I couldn't identify what was going on with that way of looking at me. I was scared, so scared that I didn't realize I bumped into someone as I was walking away from him
"I'm sorry," I mumbled.
It was Alice.
"Don't worry, are you all right? "He asked, running her hands up and down my arms.
I nodded quickly, but she was looking at me in such an empathetic and different way than the rest, that for a second, I wanted to act my age. I was only twenty and too inexperienced to hold myself as loosely as I wanted to, no matter how hard I tried. If they noticed me falter, they would eat me out alive.
I glanced behind her shoulder and saw Rosalie, squinting at our closeness, the Denali deputies were still looking at me like it were other important politicians, reputable celebrities and party supporters. It was a world that did not belong to me.
However, my knees trembled as I saw Senator Edward Cullen approaching at a slow pace, like a stalking demon, ready to attack his prey and take them to his underworld.
"Alice," he murmured, drawing a gasp from me.
He had a very masculine voice, soft, serene, almost velvet, very attractive.
His sister closed her eyes for a few seconds, as if she had been caught in mischief.
"Edward, brother, may I introduce…"
"I know who this is," he interrupted her gently. "Would you give us a moment alone?"
Alice sighed and nodded, not happy by his obvious display of authority, but with the expression of a little girl being coaxed by her eldest sibling.
"All right. I'll see you later, okay?"
I nodded and watched her go. Once alone, I glanced sideways at Senator Cullen, feeling his scent, his warmth and his imposing height and presence in front of me.
"Isabella Swan," he murmured.
"Cullen," I emphasized, he scoffed.
I looked up at him and met his intense green eyes. I had never seen irises like his.
"May I know who told you that you're welcome?" he asked, his voice hardening.
"I don't need an invitation, you know that," I answered, lifting my chin in defiance.
He clenched his jaw, put down the glass in his hand on one of the tables, and gently grabbed my wrist.
"What are you doing?" I spat, furious.
He didn't answer me and took me to one of the empty corridors. It was quiet, and the lights were dim. He was so close, I could smell his scent intensely.
I looked at him with hatred.
"My father didn't know with whom he frolicked around," he bellowed, putting one of his hands on the wall, subtly imprisoning me.
My shawl began to fall off my shoulders from the commotion. The senator followed the movement of the fabric, uncovering part of my shoulders, and my cleavage.
He swallowed and looked into my eyes, his nose close to mine, as I narrowed my gaze, facing my worst enemy: The senator.
Good afternoon, I bring you the first chapter of this story, what did you think? This is just the beginning, you have no idea what will happen, but I know you're going to like it. Tell me what you thought! You know how I enjoy reading them
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Baisers Ardents
