This is my latest story, A High Price To Pay, which as you'll find out if you read the story, contains a double meaning within the title ;) Maybe you could even figure it out within the summary.

This is the story's full and complete summary:

Bella Swan, Washington's freshest and unknown Journalist is given the biggest job of her life - Work undercover as Edward Cullen's assistant, to get the inside scoop on the bachelor's life. How will she cope when given the challenge of working for America's richest businessman? Who takes nothing less than perfect? She soon realises that he's private for a reason, and his darkest and most heartwrenching secrets are spilled out for her when they became closer than ever. Will she be able to deliver the report, telling the whole world everything she's found out? Or will her career suffer for that stupid thing called Love?

The story is Rated M for lemons and once again, i do not own Twilight, only this storyline :)

Enjoy!

"All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem." Martin Luther King, Jr.

"You're crazy." I mumbled, holding my head with one hand as I stared at Emmett across the desk, "Fucking crazy."

"I am not." He shook his head, "Think of how amazing this will be for the paper and your career! You'll be the most famous Journalist in the world! An editor by the time you're 26!"

"Not if I do it!" I said too loudly, cringing slightly as my head pounded with the sound, "I can't do it Emmett."

Emmett McCarthy was my boss, and even though we were good friends, when he wanted the job done, all joking and messing around was pushed aside. He always got results.

"You're doing it Bella. No complaints." He smirked, "And just because I love you, I'll get Jessica to buy you a coffee and get you some aspirin for that hangover."

How could I turn down the aspirin?

I sighed, "Emmett I'm really not the best girl for the job." He wasn't looking at me now, only writing something down in his planner, "Seriously, I can't do undercover work."

"You can! You've never tried." He leant forward at the desk, resting his hands in front of his body, "I know you Bella, and when you want something you go for it. You never disappoint me. I believe in you." He smiled kindly.

I sighed, shutting my eyes for a moment as I rubbed my temples, "Alright fine. I'll do it."

"Thank you!" He shouted and I shrunk down into my seat at the noise, "Oh sorry. That'll teach you for going out drinking on a Saturday night without inviting me."

"Well, I went out drinking because I didn't think I'd get called into work on a Sunday morning." I got up, rolling my eyes at him before I headed towards the door, "I want that coffee and pain relief... Now McCarthy!"

"Jessica!" Emmett was already shouting for his assistant.

I sat at my desk, shutting my eyes for a moment as the headache began to ebb away. I moved the mouse across the computer screen, watching it buzz to life and bring up the "Washington Times" homepage.

I'd only been in the job for a year, but Emmett and I had gotten close and became good friends. He trusted me as a journalist, and I always gave my best. I wasn't the kind of person to backstab and climb over others just to get to the top, something I think Emmett, the editor, admired in me.

I took another sip of my coffee, thinking about my meeting I'd had with him this morning.

Apparently he'd chosen me for "the biggest event the paper had seen in years". It included me working undercover for the biggest business in Washington, and being an assistant to the richest bachelor in America.

All my other workload had been cut and because he hadn't given me names or times or anything yet, I had to wait before I could do some research.

I flicked onto Google, searching the latest reports on world issues, the type of Journalism I really wanted to be a part of.

"Bella." Emmett's grinning form was sitting on my desk and I looked up at him in response, "I have everything you need."

I moved my hands away from the computer so I could take the file he was handing me. It wasn't too thick, so I should be able to go through it quite quickly.

"It's quite simple." He spoke clearly, "Your new boss is Edward Cullen. Well of course, I'm lying. I'm still your boss, but as your undercover work he will be your boss for all intents and purposes. He doesn't have time to interview new assistants, so instead he receives the best candidates from an agency. I used my contacts to make you look like the best person for the job, therefore you got in almost instantly." He leaned forward a little, as if he was getting to the interesting part, "You will be his assistant, the same type of thing you did when you started your first job. But it will be very intense. He leads a hectic lifestyle, meetings every day, deals done and cut, office files and documents, money sorting... You have to do it all. But I believe in you..."

"There's more though." I stated, "I have to do your job too."

"Exactly." He nodded, "Not only are you working for him, but for me too. I want you to delve into his life, find out the good things and the bad. He doesn't give interviews, only press releases from his lawyers. I want the real deal Bella, nothing less. I want business, I want private, I want personal. I want everything on Edward Cullen, understood?"

I stared at him in shock, "Emmett that's not fair. We could get sued."

He waved a hand dismissively, "Don't worry about the legal side. I have that covered."

"It's not just that!" I set down the file on my desk, talking louder than I'd intended, "You can't go snooping around someone's life! He is a human being."

"No Bella." Emmett turned sombre, "He's a spoilt, rich womanizer who believes he can have the world. Well... So can we."

He stood up, fixing his suit before he glanced at me again, "Pack up everything you need from your desk. Don't come back here at all, if you need something I'll get Jessica to bring it round to your flat. You never know who will be watching you. Another thing, take as much time as you need with this job, I won't pressure you, I just want good gossip. Oh and don't use the computer at your desk to email me, use your Blackberry, much safer."

"You sound like you did this before." I noted, raising an eyebrow at him.

"No. I'm just taking this job very seriously. As should you." He began to walk away, "Good luck Bella. You start tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" I shouted, swinging around in my chair to watch his retreating figure, "Emmett!"

"You'll be fine!" He shouted back, waving to me absently, "Oh and get some new clothes! Skirts and nice blouses. Your jeans and t-shirts won't do at his office."

I sighed, turning back around to my computer as I lifted the file up slowly.

I opened to the front cover and read the letter Emmett had left me with all the instructions he'd just spoken aloud.

Underneath that was his scribbled handwriting, You start at nine tomorrow morning. Dress NICE, Edward Cullen will fire you on the spot if you're less than perfect!

I sighed, flicking through the file quickly as I skimmed over the notes. There was nothing about Edward Cullen in here, just my instructions on how I had to keep Emmett updated from time to time, as well as what I should include in my report.

I guessed that Emmett thought I knew who Edward Cullen was.

He couldn't have been further from the truth.

I opened up a fresh Google page, and typed his name into the search engine.

He had his own Wikipedia page. Classy.

I clicked onto the page and I blinked as I took in his picture. He was wearing a tux, fitted with a bowtie and fancy cufflinks. He'd been freshly shaved, although he had a slight shadow over his jaw that was far too prominent not to be straight from a Greek God. His eyes were a striking green colour and his hair was an unruly shape, with a bronze colour that seemed so natural it was unnatural.

I stared at his picture for about five minutes, trying to put together the fact that I'd have to work with this man.

What struck me almost painfully was the fact that I'd have to betray him.

I scrolled down the page, reverting to his business life in my reading.

Business

Edward Cullen, owner and CEO of Cullen Enterprises started his company when only fifteen years of age. He used the money to pay his way through college until he could later pick up relations in the company once again. He deals in the handling of foreign and domestic exchange and it is estimated that he is the richest man in Washington, if not the United States of America, second only to the President.

I laughed once at the information, wondering how the hell anyone could have enough brains or wit to start a business at that age. The way Emmett had spoken of him, I thought he'd gotten the job and inherited his business through family. But it seemed I was completely wrong.

I glanced through the information once more before heading down to his personal life, intrigued to find out if there was a woman in his life.

Personal Life

Edward Anthony Cullen, born on June 20th 1986 (24) in Chicago, Illinois was the first young man to create and run his first business at the age of fifteen. After completing his degree course in Business Management and Mathematics with a Modern Language he moved to Washington where his business expanded to one of the leading exchange programmes in the US.

Edward Cullen is famously known for his selection and rejection of ladies, although at the age of 18 he became engaged to be married to his fiancée of two years, Tanya Denali. They separated on his 20th birthday while they were still at Princeton University and are said to have not spoken since then.

I frowned slightly at the mention of his brief engagement. Perhaps that was why he was a "womanizer"...

I looked through the typed words once again before noticing one more line at the bottom.

Edward Cullen's parents have never been mentioned by himself or his lawyers, although speculation tells that he was given up at birth and resided in orphanages from a young age, however nothing has been confirmed and no records have ever been found.

I suddenly felt a wave of remorse for the young business man, and came to vaguely understand exactly why he'd started a business at such a young age.

He wanted to make something of himself.

I ran my mouse back up the screen, looking again at his photograph. Now I knew why Emmett wanted me to do this job, he wanted to know what no-one else knew.

Edward Cullen was a fiercely private man, given by the information I'd just read. People knew the outside, but no-one knew what lay within.

It was my job to figure it out.

I stared at the gorgeous man and felt my stomach tighten in anticipation. I was a horrible liar, and if he were to question my motive for working for him I'd probably tell the truth.

But I knew it would be out of choice, rather than my inability to lie.

He seemed too much of a nice man to lie to, or to take his private life out from under his nose. As I gazed at his green eyes I saw secrets deep within them, and I wasn't sure if I could pull them out.

No matter how much I wanted to.

I'm really quite eager to get the next chapter out, so if you guys show me some love and review, i may just have to type faster ;)

Hope you guys enjoyed, please review!

Love, Ashley. xx