Chapter 40

Finally, in England!

"Everybody's been there

Everybody's been stared down by the enemy

Fallen for the fear

And done some disappearing

Bow down to the mighty

Don't run, just stop holding your tongue

Maybe there's a way out of the cage where you live

Maybe one of these days you can let the light in

Show me how big your brave is

Say what you wanna say

And let the words fall out

Honestly, I wanna see you be brave

With what you want to say

And let the words fall out

Honestly, I wanna see you be brave."

Brave by Sara Bareilles

AN: I was unsure what the soundtrack to this chapter should be… Sara Bareilles for sure, but there's something about the song "she used to be mine" that I find so relatable. I saw "waitress" in NYC a couple of years ago, and although I didn't love the storyline at the time, that song stuck with me ever since.

As a side note, I rewrote this chapter a few times, because even though I knew where I needed to go, I didn't know how to get there, so I ended up summarizing the first three months. Otherwise, I'd have two or three extra chapters, and I might lose focus. If you're interested in having more in-depth information, I'll probably write it as EPOV and post it as an extra, as I've done a couple of times before. That way, I won't lose my primary focus. So, if you're interested in additional content, I can add a bit of light if some doubts or questions arise at the end of this chapter. Just let me know in your review or PM me if you prefer.

_THoLHM_

"It's such a beautiful day outside," I said gazing at the beautiful green lawn circumventing the alluring lake that lazed in the front of the More Park mansion. The sun was going down, and the murky waters mirrored the blue and cerulean sky in a misty effect. It was a languid July afternoon, and it was an unusually warm day, so I opened the window to bask in the sunshine and feel that earthy clean fragrance that I now instinctively recognize as familiar, homely even. I stretched my neck and back, trying to alleviate some of the pressure behind it. "It's a shame we're stuck here," I said in idle contemplation.

"We're almost done for the day," Professor Walker said.

"Thank you for coming in a Saturday," I said, facing him again. "You don't know how much I appreciate all you've done for me so far. You're basically running this empire on your own."

"Don't let Edward hear you say that. He'd be disappointed," he teased, but there was a bit of seriousness in his regard.

"I just don't want you to feel that I don't appreciate and value all you've done for me."

"I know. It's been a gratifying experience for me. You're a fast learner. A couple of years from now you'll probably ditch me, which will suit me fine as I'm dreaming of that nice retirement plan you have aligned for me."

"Be serious, I still feel so out of my league here." Moving to England was a challenge. Being an American, albeit a rich one, did not guarantee an easy acceptance. Behind the veneer of good manners, my lack of pedigree, and the circumstances surrounding my inheritance made everyone around me weary. And in all honesty, most of Edward's acquaintances were snobs. I've yet to meet a true friend. His mates with whom he occasionally played rugby were nice enough because there was this sense of comradery between them as most of them knew each other from Eton.

"You're doing fine. You have perfected a neutral poker face, and I find it brilliant how you manage to leave everyone always so unsettled. For some reason, people tell you more than they would normally with someone else in the same circumstances. It's so odd…"

"Practice from medicine… you have to find a way to leave people comfortable enough to tell you all sorts of details about their private lives. It's something that you can learn; there are some great book references that I can recommend to you."

"Sure, why not?" He paused for a while and fidgeted a bit behind the desk he was working with. He did that when he wanted to approach a delicate subject, or when he was unsure of himself or the situation.

"Professor Walker, whatever it is, it's not worthy of rattling yourself over," I told him truthfully. He was one of the few people I could be blunt without concern.

"As always, you read me too well. I've been dying to know how the hell you managed to get back the extra 11% of MorePharm shares, giving you full control of the company again. 52% to be exact."

"Honestly, I'm not sure you want to know. I can tell you that Edward was of great help."

"Was he? I had the impression that he was as surprised as I was."

"Maybe, but I hope it was a nice surprise."

"Well, yes. Maybe… There's a reason why Henry sold a big part of his shares. MorePharm is not as profitable as it once was, and he didn't believe in using his own money to salvage companies he felt could fail. That's why he was such a corporate shark, soundly investing when appropriate and backing away before the fountain dried out. He had a knack to make money."

"The stocks went up, though…" I defended myself.

"Good PR from Edward and the close FDA approval of twivirin are good reasons. I'm glad that you overcame your ethical concerns about the way this molecule was being rebranded."

"It needed to be done. Otherwise, the company will collapse in the next couple of years, and hundreds of people could lose their jobs. Taking a break from my residency helped to refocus my priorities. I'm still not happy about it, but I can still sleep at night," at least some of the nights.

"But how did you do it?" He insisted.

"Perseverance and a bit of luck. Come on, Professor, a woman, is entitled to a few secrets."

Rowland Hall had been very accommodating with my requests while he was in the hospital. In truth, his father had no idea that he'd been using ghost companies created with the help of James, to buy himself some stocks of MorePharm, excluding Mr. Hall senior from the deal. I had guessed right, but I couldn't imagine for the life of me why he'd done it. I reckon James had something to do with it… Or maybe he decided to cut his losses and sell everything, keep the money only for himself and avoid a long and strenuous legal investigation and risk losing everything in the process?

I take no pride in it, but I think he was a bit scared and convinced that his life was endangered. I manipulated the situation well enough with Sister Jenkins, and even though I'd never do anything that could cause him physical harm, he didn't know me and I didn't disabuse him of that ridiculous notion.

Regardless of the why and how, we ended up agreeing in a sum 30% lower than the price market, and naturally, the money was deposited in a bank in the Caiman Islands. With that, I managed to regain full control of the company.

The final report of the investigation surrounding the fire in his warehouse stated that it was accidental. It was a relief to know that Edward didn't have any involvement with it. The shady business Hall was into was uncovered because of the explosion, and it happened by chance. Even though a lot of the money I gave him would inevitably be used to bribe and silence a few witnesses and police officers, he could still face serious charges. I promised not to interfere, and I haven't so far, so I was curious to see how he was going to extricate himself from that. He was smart, and J reckoned he'd never be officially prosecuted.

In all honesty, this move was more about making a statement - of injured pride - than an absolute necessity. MorePharm was just one of many companies we had to manage as Henry had been careful to invest in different markets. Regardless, I needed to be taken seriously, and I found this was an excellent way to do so. It bothered me that everyone was trying to pull the rug under my feet, so sometimes attacking can the best defense. This matter became personal.

"The stocks went up 3% last month. It's going up in a steady trend," the Professor admitted eventually.

"Let's hope for the best and try to stay with this trend." Twivirin was going to be a game-changer.

I sat down again to sign and review some last papers before dinner. We'd have Sunday for rest. Edward took a three-day business trip to Hong Kong, something about investing in a new mobile phone enterprise, and should be landing in an hour or so in London. He'd arrive just in time for dinner. Even though I was ready for some time off, Sundays with the near in-laws weren't fun.

It's been three months since I moved to the UK permanently, and so many adjustments had to be made. The smallest things became a matter of incensed debate between us. For instance, things like where would we live. I always assumed that I'd stay mostly at More Park. But, to my chagrin, Edward preferred to remain in his house in London, which I hated with a capital H. It was less time commuting for sure, but the old Victorian house was too dark for my taste and old. Everything was pretty much off-limits with a do-not-touch vibe. And what's with the thematic rooms? The Chinese room, the pink room, the summer room, the main dining room, the family dining room, the main sitting room, the smoke room… The only place I liked was the library, even though most of the books were also to be handled with care, preferably not at all. It's not the sort of place I envisaged myself living permanently. I missed my apartment in Seattle, and I cried a bit when I signed the papers to finalize the selling. I could never live there again, but it marked the end of an era. The perspective future I had planned out for myself, and now, it felt like I was improvising every step of the way.

A month after I moved, we had a dinner party at his place (I still couldn't embrace it as home). I believe it was both because he wanted to introduce me formally to his closest acquaintances as his fiancée and because he knew I felt lonely. At the end of it, the gentleman retired to the smoke room, and the ladies went to the sitting room. It was a cliché and became a reason for another fight, and for a "this will never happen again or else" kind of argument. It was also followed by hot sex that made me blush.

Anyway, I found myself again out of my comfort zone, trying to avoid the curious gazes and the meddling inquiries. The women weren't there to congratulate me on my future happiness, but to meet the elusive heiress who managed to snag one of the most eligible bachelors. There was a trace of bitterness and even contempt that was disguised by tutored calm manners. To be fair, it wasn't a Madeline sort of fiasco, but it was difficult, nevertheless.

"I didn't know Edward was already looking for a bride…" Prattled one of the girls sitting close to me. I admit, I really can't remember her name as I met so many new people. It's terribly awkward when everyone knows who you are, but you can't single anyone out.

"Neither did I," I told her.

There was a burst of rushed fake laughter around the room before someone asked, "have you set a date?"

"Not yet. I believe it'll take a while until we do. Our marriage will require a lot of planning, and we both want it to be absolutely perfect," I told her, trying to dodge giving an actual answer.

There were a few nods around the room, and one kind soul, the only I can remember the name, because since I've met her in other events, and she may become someone I'll call friend someday. Lara diverted everyone's attention in her direction with the tale of her own wedding planning. She had been married for a year, and it took her over two years of careful preparation to have the perfect day. "It's so stressful. All eyes are on you, and everything needs to be just right. Edward and Isabella's case is special. I mean, can you imagine having the queen in your guest list? Nerve-wracking! Such a protocol nightmare… Security issues... Oh! I can understand why it will take a lot of careful planning."

That aspect never crossed my mind, so when I asked for a small wedding, and Edward circumvented giving me a straight answer, this was probably why. A small wedding was probably inconceivable, as far as he was concerned. But a big wedding was utterly out of the equation for me, and it'll never be something I would compromise.

I came out of my reverie as I escorted Professor Walker out. "Give my love to your wife and tell her she's more than welcome to come here and hang out with us," I told him as we walked side by side towards the door.

"Thank you, Bella. So we'll have Greta back on Monday?"

"Wednesday, actually," I clarified, and he nodded. Greta had been on a short week vacation. I have reminded of how I'd been sidetracked with the proceedings surrounding the moving and adaptation to a new life, but I wanted to refocus on the James situation. At this point, I don't think that Greta has ever harmed me intentionally. I think he was using her to his advantage. As long as they were in a relationship, I couldn't trust her doing her job adequately, and it was becoming more and more noticeable that my trust was withering. She was beginning to resent me for it.

I knew that if I dug deep enough, I would find proof that she committed indiscretions and told more than she should to James. But, I didn't want to fire her, not only because of how much Henry had always relied on her but also because she was a brilliant and capable woman, who knew the intricacies of the business better than anyone else. Besides, I could understand how candid pillow talk could be. It was pretty much the only moment Edward had his guard down.

I couldn't blame her for finding herself in love with a man who was younger, attractive, and seductive. The element of the forbidden probably added that extra spice. No, I didn't want to harm Greta, but unfortunately, she would be hurt down the road. James didn't seem like the reliable and faithful type; I'd probably find something that would make Greta stand back and end that relationship in her own time. At least, that's the excuse I gave myself for what I was planning to do; I would only be speeding things up a little.

It would be the most Machiavellian think I've done so far. I decided to pretend to be unaware of that relationship and keep the status quo so I could ambush James in his own game. I'd wait for him to slip and then plan what to do next as I couldn't risk her ever finding out that I had anything to do with it. I had a meeting with J on Monday, and I was hoping for something I could use.

I went back to the library, wondering what to do with myself. I couldn't face another pile of papers, so I ended up fetching my Goldman-Cecil's book of Internal Medicine, reading about the "diseases of the liver, gallbladder, and bile ducts." God, how much I missed working as a physician. If anything, this life-changing decision made me realize how lucky I was before that I was able to do something I loved. I had been studying for about a couple of hours when my phone rang.

"Hey, baby. Just landed in London," Edward said. "I'm so tired. I literally came out of a meeting and rushed to the airport."

"Did you have a nice trip?"

"It was okay but missed you. Are you in London?"

"No, I'm at home."

"At the More Park?"

"Yes," Freudian slip. "Where else would I be? We usually spend the weekends here; you know how much I like it." I ended up saying defensively.

He paused on the other side for a few seconds before continuing. "I know, but I think you should spend some of our time off in London to go out more and meet other people."

"Well, I don't need to meet everyone in just a few months. I appreciate your concern, but I love the peace and quiet I get when I'm here. I love to go out for a walk around the garden when I need a break, go on bike to the village for the exercise…"

"Not your own, I hope."

"No, not on my own, father; and in any case not recently. I was hoping we could actually do it together tomorrow morning."

"You know we're supposed to meet my parents for lunch tomorrow," he remembered me.

"Well, how can I forget?" I questioned. "Maybe we could do this every other Sunday and not every Sunday?" I dreaded those lunches as awkwardness was the main spice of any dish served. After a month of our return, we started having lunch together, with Alice and their parents as it was suggested by her therapist that if Alice thought she needed normal, we should try to establish a routine and spend real time as a family. At least, that was what I was being told. In truth, after Madeleine sold the whole story to the tabloids and the sordid relationship between Jasper and Alice became public knowledge, the paparazzi kept camping outside their house four months after the fact. I believe they were trying to maintain a façade of normalcy with these gatherings. That story pretty obliterated a significant interest in the other events, namely Holly's murder in my apartment, even though some crazy conspiracy theories still lingered on the internet. Edward tried to protect me of most of it, but some were outright insulting, and he even sued a couple of the publishers for retraction, especially when it involved me.

The problem was that I don't think that they should be forced to be together, because, in all honesty, they have never acted as a real family before. Edward was sour for two whole days: Saturday in anticipation, and Sunday was downright painful. Alice avoided spending any time alone with me, hiding behind her work, and Esme's primary focus was on salvaging her marriage with Carlisle.

"Well, we need to try to keep a routine out of it, and in no time, you'll find that it will become normal and after a while, even desirable," Edward said.

"Are you trying to convince yourself or me?" I mused aloud, and he chuckled. "I'm glad you can see the humor in all this."

"Baby, thank you." He whispered as he exhaled. I could hear the noises in the background, the rough voice on the loudspeaker last call for- "I can only imagine how hard this is being for you, and I need you to know that I truly appreciate the effort you're doing and how supportive you've been. It's more than I deserve…"

"Well, we both knew it wasn't going to be easy."

"It pains me that you feel the need to defend the fact that you prefer to live in More Park than in my mausoleum in London," he muttered. There was a bit of shame in his voice, and I felt appeased by his care.

"How do you know I call your house a mausoleum behind your back?"

"Alice told me months ago, but I didn't give it much importance then. It's a fact that we all preferred to spend more time at her apartment in London than there. I thought that if you'd like to buy a different house in London, maybe we should. The Mansion in Grosvenor square is entailed, so there isn't much I can do about it, but maybe we could open it to the public for a portion of the year; I don't know. What I'm saying is that maybe we should buy a smaller house, somewhere you may feel more comfortable."

"Well, that's a waste of money, considering that you do have a huge house in London. It's just that whenever I'm there, I feel stared down about all that aristocratic ancestry hanging in the walls. Like there's the American fiancée," I told him making a terrible British impression. "I hate being there by myself."

"Well, you know that they can't really see you, right? And if they could, maybe they disapprove of me being the Duke, considering that I'm the cousin who inherited the title. Anyway, I should be home in a couple of hours. Even though it may take a little longer to get home tonight, it's more convenient to visit my parent's tomorrow."

"Well, how about we invite them over? Just for a change? The Park is more secluded than your parent's home, and we could avoid all the circus around their place."

"I doubt my mother would approve of changing the venue. You know she feels like we should put a solid front together as a family and it's of similar importance the fact that she already chose the menu and made all the arrangements," he tried to joke. "Honestly, I don't want to mess with the fragile status quo for now."

"Fine, but you're in charge of making the small talk tomorrow. I'm kind of running out of what to say, and there's only so long one can talk about the weather."

"You've got yourself a deal."

"God, I'm tired," Edward said as he was climbing up the bed. He pushed the covers over his body and snuggled behind me in a tight embrace with a deep sigh of satisfaction.

"You look a little rundown." In fact, he looked terrible, with deep dark circles under his eyes. As soon as he got into the house, he went straight to the shower and declined dinner.

"This trip was intense and full of meetings. I managed to condense a whole week of work in three days, so I'm quite proud of myself. The jetlag is killing me though, I was high on caffeine and Red Bull, and it was hell not to sleep on the plane as I wanted to sleep well tonight. My stomach hurts from all that acidity… I think I have heartburn."

"You definitely should have eaten something," I scolded him.

"I ate something before we landed…"

"That was hours ago. I'm going to grab you a healthy snack downstairs, and then you'll sleep."

"That's why I want to marry you – it's nice to have someone doing things for you who don't expect some kind of payment in return," he told me smiling, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. There was always this restlessness in him, somehow there was something still missing, and I didn't fully understand it.

I patted on his arm playfully as I moved away from his embrace and tried to get out of bed to prepare him something to eat. He didn't budge so I went for a different tactic.

"I'm not sure about wanting nothing in return. I was hoping you could pay me in kind…"

"Well, my lady, I'm always about obliging my duties. Let me pay you first… and maybe have some dessert at the same time. Now that I think of it, it's extremely efficient of me."

He did both, and by the end of it, we were both too tired to move and ended up falling asleep snuggling together.

Sometime later, I woke up covered in a cold sweat, instantly alert and ready to defend myself of an invisible threat. The nightmare was recurrent – once or twice a week I'd dream of a twisted Jonny's conception designed by the darkest recess of my brain. His face was transfigured in my sleep, and it differed from one dream to another. Sometimes, the scarier ones that made scream out loud had no face at all. But I always felt it was him and had a sense of foreboding so tangible I could almost smell it. When I woke up, I had a metallic taste of blood, probably prom biting my tongue or cheek. I sometimes misconstrued it as something else, and it became part of the dream, making it more real and distressing.

This also made his face blurry, and I was afraid if he were ever released, I would not recognize him if he walked past me on the street. That was also terrifying. For now, he was recovering the prison's infirmary, where he was transferred after he being discharged from the ICU. I was told he'd probably recover fully. I recall calling Mathew to say to him the news, and how relieved he felt. He even texted me a couple of days later saying that I gave him back his sleep.

But mine became elusive, and after that, I could never go back to sleep. So, I got up without noise, because I didn't want to worry about my already weary fiancé and decided to have an early start. At 4:30 a.m.

The doorbell triggered an automatic response, and I without too much thought my bland smile was botoxed into my face. Surprisingly, Alice was the one who dutifully opened the door, replacing Esme as our graciously well-bred host. Edward greeted her with a light peck on the cheek and immediately moved along while I lingered in the back.

"Alice, it's nice to see you," I told her as I embraced her tightly immediately. I didn't want to watch her school, her visage to become amiable, while her eyes remained void. I wanted things to go back to how they used to be between us, but the weirdness didn't seem to fade away. I sensed her discomfort and then felt the involuntary contraction in her back's muscles, almost in spasms, as I unnecessarily prolonged the hug.

"You too, I hope you're settling well," she told me barely in a whisper, without looking at me directly, when I backed away. I was forced to acknowledge what I already feared: wishing things would get better didn't make them so. I hoped this gap between us would narrow in time but faking that nothing happened wasn't helping, but neither was forcing myself in her personal space. "I know that I haven't said this before, but I'm happy that you're here."

"Thank you," I said, lost for words. "It's not an easy transition, but we're trying to make it work. One good thing came from it, I'm less tired than I used to be."

"That's good to hear. We probably won't get much time to talk more inside or during lunch, but I need you to know that I'm no longer upset with you about the Jasper situation. That's not what this is about, and I don't want you to think that way. Everyone walks on eggshells around me, but you… you look hurt. I know that look because I see it in the mirror staring back at me every day. I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you. I'm ashamed of myself because I wanted to be more like you. Life hasn't been kind to you recently, and you still move on and thrive. You're brave, and I'm a bit jealous of that." She managed to get that whole speech looking not at me, but through me, focusing on a point in the background. But it was hard on her, and I was happy that she took the first step. Because God knows I had no idea how to reach her.

"Alice, I'm not always brave. In fact, these lunches terrify me," I teased. But she could see the truth in it because her mouth curved in a hint of a genuine smile as she said: "I reciprocate the sentiment."

"And I'm also jealous of the way Edward looks at you, and because from now on you'll be his priority… and that's how it should be," she hastily added without noticing my reply. "But to see him happy… well, it's bittersweet."

She probably had that speech trained and needed to get that out of my chest. I understood how it felt. Haven't I felt the same for different reasons in the past?

"I understand, but Edward will always be your brother, and you're probably the one person in the world he loves the most. And I'm your friend… so what I'm saying is that we'll figure it out. We have time."

She nodded and blinked away her tears and turned around to join everyone in the sitting room where Esme sat sipping on some alcoholic beverage. I sat across from her after a casual greeting her and asked, "where's Edward?"

"He joined Carlisle in the library, he'll be here shortly."

"Oh, okay. How's your week?" I tried to start some semblance of a conversation. I was going to bite Edward's head off for leaving me here.

"It was okay," and she continued sipping on her drink, clearly dismissing me. I wondered if she hated me.

"And how about you, Alice? How is the new collection coming along?" I asked.

"Brilliant. We're going to production soon for the next spring-summer collection."

"Already? It's not even autumn yet." I inquired surprised.

"We have to work a year in advance for the retail collection, and mom really was of great help, together with the other designers we made it on time. I've only made a few adjustments to make it more cohesive, in the keeping of the a.m. vibe, but I only had to worry about smaller details. I've yet to finish the catwalk designs, and I'm really stressed about that. It has to be perfect if I want to be taken seriously as a designer and not just some rich kid whose brother invested in her business. Why don't you come over the office someday of the week to see what we're working on?"

"Really?" I asked, surprised. It was an olive branch, and I took it. "I'd love to. And maybe if I stay late, you can help me out with my wardrobe. We have a few events coming along as two of Edward's friends are getting married an I'm his plus one."

"Sure, where are you going? Do you already have something in mind?"

I didn't, and I was considering hiring someone to help me out. Alice teased me about it and told she'd love to help. We ended up chatting about clothing and accessories. Esme eventually contributed to the discussion, adding tidbits of gossip about the couples whose marriage we were attending. It was harmless chit chat and the minutes went by a lot easier than in our previous encounters. About twenty minutes into the conversation, Esme glanced at her wristwatch and asked if I could let Edward and Carlisle know that lunch would be served in fifteen minutes.

I went down the corridor silently and noticed that the door was slightly ajar. Their voices came out tense, and that's what I instantly grasped, even before I was aware of the actual words being spoken. Unknowingly, I found myself getting closer to the door and listened to what they were saying. It was wrong, but I was glued to the floor as I heard Jasper's name.

"Jasper was very candid with me and told me he loved her, that he has always loved her. Your mother was horrified, but honestly, after much consideration, I don't think they ever behaved like siblings. They were always bickering with each other, like crossed lovers. Your mother and I ignored the signs because it didn't suit us nor our relationship. I feel ashamed that I forced my son to hide his feelings. I'm as much to blame as your mother."

"Carlisle, I don't know what sob story Jasper told you about unrequited love, but you must not be aware of the whole situation. He took advantage of her, she was sixteen, didn't consent to have sex, and found herself pregnant. It was so traumatic that she obliterated the entire experience from her brain and forgot about it!"

"She was not traumatized because of that! She was drunk, and God knows what other drugs were in her system. That's what provoked her memory loss. If her memory was lost at all… I've given this much thought, and I think that she might have lied to you when she found out about the pregnancy, she probably panicked. You know how wild she was. How we always looked the other way because we were hoping it was all just juvenile recklessness and it'd go away in time."

"You haven't been there or seen how it was. She's not lying, that much I can assure you."

"Well, I can't alienate my son forever. So, we must figure out how to proceed. He wants to spend time with her. He assured me that he intended to court her like a gentleman should and see if she's amiable to give him another chance."

"Are you bloody mad?" Edward roared.

"He's my son, and I trust his word."

"And she's not your daughter and behaved like a little slut, so you're washing your hands out of it? If she's so terrible, then why do you think her fit to marry your precious son?"

"That's not what I said. I think you'd see the benefit of damage control."

Edward laugh came unexpectedly, borderline demented, and I knew he was about to snap. "What have I been doing so far if not damage control? That's what I've been doing my whole life, it seems."

"Edward, I invited Jasper to come over for lunch, as I thought it might be beneficial for all of us if we could talk about things serenely… Esme concurred as well."

"What?!" Well, that explains Esme's tension before.

"Edward, be reasonable," Carlisle tried to interrupt, but Edward was on a roll.

"No, Carlisle, I've listened to all the bullshit you said, and now it's your time to listen. I've tried to protect my sister from this, and I failed. I should have let Jasper go to jail years ago. I have proof he raped her, there's a video. The guy from the club was a sick bastard who made amateur porn videos with his guests and blackmailed them after for money. I have had the fetus DNA stored, so there's also proof that it's Jasper baby. If you even consider forcing that monster around Alice, I will make sure he'll be someone's bitch in prison. And if for some reason, he gets away with it, I'll go after him myself. You really don't know me," he seethed and took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Did you know this is why Henry disinherited me?" He laughed again, manically. "I lost a twelve-billion-dollar-empire because I wanted to protect my sister. That's how much I love her," he paused to regain his breath and sighed. "That's how much I wanted to protect this family. That's why I did what I did. And for you to be standing there in your pedestal trying to look righteous, and have the upper moral ground when all you want to do is damage control?" He was heaving now. "Are you fucking mad? They'll never be good together… he's a selfish cunt, and she's broken. They'll never be good together," he said again.

"Good God, this is why Henry More disinherited you?" Carlisle asked dumbfounded, and I wondered why from everything that Edward said, that's what he focused on. "I always thought that Isabella was related to him… after knowing her, she didn't seem the type who targeted old men," he rambled on.

"What kind of parent are you?" Edward demanded in return, interrupting his rambling.

"The kind that loves his son first and foremost and wants him to be happy. I'm sure you can understand that."

"I can. But if your son's happiness relies on my sister's unhappiness… I just won't allow it. And by the way, we're not staying for lunch." With that departing line, Edward stormed out of the library, and unexpectedly opened the door with a bang, crashing against me in the corridor. I blushed every single shade of red as I was caught eavesdropping.

"How much have you heard?" He asked, holding my arms as he struggled to keep me in balance. I almost dropped to the floor from the impact.

"I'm sorry," I stammered. "A lot of it?" Somehow it came out as a question.

"Good, then I won't have to explain why we're going out to lunch. I'll wait for you in the car. Do you mind saying goodbye to my mother and inviting Alice to come along?" He said as he strode off.

"Edward, wait! What if she doesn't want to come? Would you let her face him by herself? You need to calm down!" Then I turned around, and Carlisle was standing by the library's door watching our interaction. His stance was stiff, and his already pale face looked ashen.

"Carlisle, I suggest you call you son and tell him that he's not welcome today for lunch. Maybe next week, as it seems that we might not be coming then. Esme asked me to tell you, gentlemen, that lunch will be served in less than fifteen minutes. Please get it together before joining us."

"Bella, I can't," Edward said, as he was frozen in place, half turned around from us.

"You can because Carlisle realizes that making this sort of decisions by himself without consulting the rest of the family was a bit rash on his part. Please, go and cool off."

Edward stormed away from us, and when he was out of hearing range, I turned to Carlisle again.

"I'm going to tell you something that is every father's nightmare, but your eldest son," and I stressed the eldest part because I wanted to remind him that he had adopted Edward and Alice as his own as well, "is not a very nice person. Deny it if you must, but please, don't mess with Alice anymore. Even though she's not yours biologically, I hope there's still a spark of care, if not love for her inside you." He seemed embarrassed then, which I read as a good sign. "I don't see how they might end up together, but regardless of what happens, you should not get involved. I've been trying to get Edward to back off as well, but after this stunt, I'm not sure what he's going to do. Call Jasper and tell him not to come. We don't want the paparazzi outside to have a field trip today."

He nodded and went inside, this time, closing the door behind him before I ran after Edward.