A/N:- SO HERE IS ANOTHER CHAPTER FOR YOU GUYS AND I REALLY AM SORRY FOR MY LONG ABSENCE FROM WRITING RL HAS KIND OF GOTTEN AWAY FROM ME FOR A LITTLE BIT AND I AM LEARNING TO HAVE BETTER TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS SO I CAN WRITE MORE AND THEN I WAS HIT WITH A MASSIVE BOUT OF WRITERS BLOCK.
HOPE YOU LIKE THIS CHAPTER.
Chapter Four: Just One More Condition
I re-designed this main building when I took over, this is on the Mason Estate grounds and we all live here on this property. Alice and Jasper have a smaller house to themselves that our father had commissioned for them as a wedding present, same with Emmett and Rose and my Aunt and Uncle have always had a place of their own on these grounds since my Uncle started working for Mason Corporations and also my mother wanted her only family close to her.
My father and I still live in the main house and I wanted to give him his own space while I had mine. So I expanded it to double its original size and upgraded it, so that the security is way better than the archaic one it had, plus I had to do something with the garage to hold all my cars along with guests and employees cars, the old one was not nearly big enough for just my cars to fit in.
I have the attic space; that I turned into a whole other floor and it's like my little 'home away from home'. I even have a balcony, a music room, outdoor entertaining area and an outdoor Jacuzzi; before me there was a garden that used to be my mother's, but I didn't want it nor did I have the time for it.
I have a Kitchenette, a bathroom, a lounge room complete with couch, a second smaller office and huge screen TV. It's my mini cinema, not to mention my fully automated walk in robe; like the one that is seen in that chick flick...
Oh man what the hell was the movie that Alice made me watch with her once that had the lady from 'The sound of music'?...
Oh yes 'The Princess Diaries 2' with Anne Hathaway, totally had to have a guys night after that one. My room is like a large penthouse suite that can couple as a fully self reliant apartment.
Under that are mine and my father's offices. Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie have an office/room; complete with bathroom; each here but they don't use them all the time for they don't need to.
Alice works as my assistant and secretary so her office is right in front of mine, so you have to go through hers to even get to mine. There is also a games room here for when we are discussing things with a large group of clients and we wish it to be a more relaxed setting and also a boy's night in or family get together, if we are not in 'the Den'.
The middle floor is my father's bedroom, like me his room and office are directly over each other just the opposite way round of mine. On this level also is a room I call 'The Memories Room', my father wished to have a place to remember my mother and all his old friends and any other mile stone we kids passed growing up and just a place to put little knick knacks and collectables in, as well as all our photo's and valuables that are not in our rooms and offices, it's like one massive safe that takes up two whole rooms.
Also on this floor is the private dining & lounge rooms, which include a private kitchen and a decent sized function room that can hold at least 200 people. It's where we had Alice and Jasper's wedding reception.
On the ground floor is the formal dining room, the formal Lounge room, the Lobby and check point, the kitchens and big entertainment room that Emmett calls 'the Den'. He says that it's because it is actually half a floor down. In this room we have every gaming console and game you can think of and even some you can't.
The basement is actually a two level underground car park that has a sound proof cellar in the lower level. This cellar is actually a bomb shelter and it is where we take anyone that we need to interrogate to.
Many people go in, but not all of them come back out. The upper and main level of this underground car park is mostly for guests to park in, but also for our workers to park. It has a lift and stairs up to the lobby of the house and between the two of its levels. This is where I store my cars in the lock up area.
As I walk into my office, I see Alice talking to Jasper. When I am about half way in they notice me and at the same time Alice is running and jumping into my arms.
"Hi big brother, what have you been doing today? What did papa want? Oh my god you need to have a shave Edward!"
I sigh and raise an eyebrow at her comment while thinking to myself.
It's nice to see you too Alice.
I look down at Alice, she is only about 4" 11 and she has the perfect hour glass figure even with her small stature. Her hair is jet black with natural streaks of bronze through it, especially in the sun, and she has it styled all spiky and sticking out at in all directions.
Don't know why she got our father's colour hair and I got our mother's, but likely I didn't because I would look silly with black hair. I answer Alice in a business like tone explaining in vague detail what is happening.
"Alice, Dad wanted to talk to me about a truce of sorts with the Swan's. Charlie and Isabella Swan are in his office still, Isabella will be coming down here in an hour and I want you to treat her with respect.
"I will explain everything later, I promise. For now just go back to what you and Jasper were doing and let her in when she get here." I pause mid-step to turn back and give Alice a stern glare.
"And I mean it Alice; don't treat her like an enemy ok. An arrangement has been made between Isabella and me, and I don't want things to start off on the wrong foot. Be cordial and professional with her, she is not just some loose woman coming in to service me like all the others have been. She is different and could very well take you in a fight, and I don't want you two to fight, got that?"
With a nod to Jasper and another brief hug to Alice, I walk into my Office, over to my desk and sit down. I open up my laptop; check my emails and do a few last minute things. I am so engrossed in my work for the day; I don't hear the knock on the door. So when I look up I see that Alice is peeking her head around the door.
I ask in a surprised and curious tone.
"Yes Alice."
"Edward, Miss. Swan is here to see you. She is a little early; would you like me to entertain her til it's time? Or..." I cut her off before she could continue because I don't mind Isabella being early, in fact I like that she is early.
"Send her in please, Alice. And thank you." She closes the door again and the next time it opens, Isabella is walking in; looking sexy as and I can't help but give her a very quick once over.
I stand and motion for her to sit down on the couch in the right hand corner of the room; I follow her and sit on the opposite couch to the one she sits in.
"Would you like a drink, Miss Swan?" I ask.
"No thank you and you can call me Bella. I didn't get to answer one of your questions before and I would like to answer it now to start off our conversation ok. You can get me a ring, if you want to.
"But please don't spend an obscene amount of money on it and make sure it's picked thoughtfully, not just some random one that the thought 'Oh this will do' goes through your head as you pick it ok.
"My favourite gemstone is Emeralds and I prefer them over diamonds, just so you know. As for the something more permanent than rings, we can figure that out later; much later. I will move in with you on one condition..." she pauses and an emotion I can't put my finger on passes across her face and is gone before I can truly get a good look at it.
She continues in a strong voice. "That my father be allowed to stay as close by as possible. There is also no need for you to change things completely for me and also because the house my father and I are in now needs to be upgraded anyway.
"I will let your sister design the dress because if I am to be honest with you I do like some of her work and I will admit that I have actually brought some of her stuff, I never knew that she was your sister, though.
"Is there anything else you want to know about me? I mean I want to get to know you before we are...you know..." she looks so unsure, worried and embarrassed all at the same time.
I know that this is not the most ideal way to start a relationship that's been nothing but near hatred up until this point and really bad beliefs our whole lives. So I finish her sentence.
"Married" I give her a half smile and I see her cheeks flush.
"Yea that" she adds almost under her breath while looking like she is ashamed and embarrassed again and looking at her hands in her lap. I get up, walk over to her and then crouch down in front of her. I place my finger under her chin and bring her face back up to mine.
"Hey, don't be embarrassed or anything like that! I don't want you to be embarrassed to speak your mind; it's actually kind of refreshing to have a decent conversation with a woman for a change.
"Just keep in mind that we are doing this to prevent a war. Maybe someday we can grow to actually have a relationship that loves one another and all that mushy stuff, but for now I am just happy and willing to be friends with you.
"I just have a feeling this will all work out, and to be honest it's scaring the crap out of me and there is not much that can scare me anymore. I have never been in a relationship where I love a person enough to want to get married to them before, so I don't know what to expect out of this or what you expect out of this and also how far you want to go and vice versa.
"So I am just going to try and treat this like a business deal that I can't get out of for the time being, I promise though to keep an open mind once we get settled and used to the idea of being together and see where things lead us. We need to work together here to make this arrangement work, so communicating is key to that.
"I don't know what you want from me and I don't really know what I want from you. But I do know that I don't want a war and I don't want to disappoint my father. You have to promise me though that you will tell me what ever is on your mind and there are no secrets between us from this point on!
"We can talk about that later, for right now though I think I may have something for you." With that I stand and grab her hand, pulling her to her feet. "There is something I want to show you, only my father, mother, my Aunt Esme and I are the only ones to ever see this before and also my father and I are the only ones with access to this room. It's special to the both of us, so will you follow me please."
With that I lead her out of my office, past Alice and Jasper; who are pretty much sucking each other's faces, and out into the hall. I then turn us left, walk to the stairs and go down to the next level.
A/N:- AS ALWAYS PLEASE REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! THANK YOU FOR READING.