Thank you so much to Mel!

CHAPTER NINE

Bella

"The measure of a man is what he does with power."

― Plato

Despite the exhaustion from spending the last week of my life on the run, I couldn't sleep.

Edward had a chef who had prepared Alice and me the most gourmet meal either of us had ever eaten, and true to his word, when we came back from dinner, both Alice and I had clothes hanging in our closets. It was mind boggling how Edward was able to pull off such elaborate stunts so quickly, but for once, I was grateful for it.

I should have passed out, but for the life of me, I couldn't shut my mind off.

My pajamas were luxurious, silky and warm despite the seemingly thin material of them. They were surprisingly modest: long sleeves, long pants, and a button-up top that allowed me to close the shirt to my throat if I so wished.

I would have assumed Edward, being the prick he was, would have gotten some skimpy lingerie, forcing us to parade in practically nothing for his own amusement.

It was just one more instance in which I had been absolutely wrong about him.

Groaning, I climbed out of bed, hoping that I'd be able to figure out how to make tea in Edward's fancy kitchen.

The house was silent as I gently pulled my door open. I glanced up and down the hallway, but when I didn't see anyone, I took a breath and crept out, heading toward the kitchen.

Low lights flickered on as I entered the space, and my eyes scanned the empty countertops, trying to identify where a kettle might be kept.

I couldn't spot anything, so sighing, I resigned myself to opening every cupboard.

I was in the midst of my raid when I heard footsteps enter the kitchen. I glanced up to see Edward watching me curiously. He was dressed in sweats and a long t-shirt, by far the most casual I'd ever seen him.

"Can I help you with anything?" he asked, sounding surprisingly playful.

"Tea," I said, crawling out from a cabinet.

Edward motioned across the kitchen. I wouldn't have gotten there for a long time.

I crossed the space, opening the cupboard he'd pointed to. There was an electric kettle, mugs, and a nice selection of teas. I pulled everything I would need out and turned to Edward.

"Want some?"

He shook his head and held up a tumbler with clear liquid. "I'm good,"

I filled the kettle and set it on the counter, plugging it in.

"Can't sleep?" I asked, looking over my shoulder at him.

Edward arched a brow. "I don't sleep."

I scowled and twisted around to stare at him. "What do you mean?"

Edward smiled flatly as he sipped his drink. "I mean," he said after a moment. "I'm an insomniac. I don't sleep."

I considered that as I moved to select a tea bag.

"Where were you?" I asked, looking at him once I'd selected a nice chamomile. "When I called."

Edward settled at the kitchen island with a shrug. "Montevideo."

I thought about it for a moment. "Uruguay?"

He nodded, taking another sip.

I busied myself with opening my teabag and placing the silk pouch into my mug. "Why did you come?" I asked, glancing up at him. "Why did you drop everything to help me?"

I don't know why I was asking. No answer he could give me would help the situation we were in.

Edward stared at me. "Bella, I swore to protect you when we got married."

"So this was about fulfilling a contractual obligation?"

Edward didn't blink. "Yes."

I nodded, spinning around toward the kettle. "Good," I said quietly. My fingers tapped on my mug and I turned back to him again. "What were you doing in Uruguay?"

Edward let out a breath. "Selecting a new president."

I arched my brow. "Don't they get voted for?"

Edward smirked. "That's what we let the people think."

I shook my head and turned when the kettle began to whistle. I filled my cup before moving to the island, sitting beside Edward.

If he was surprised by my sudden proximity, he didn't show it.

"So," I said, tipping my head to peer up at him. "What do you look for in a Uruguayan president?"

Edward chuckled, shaking his head. I watched him glance down at his drink and swirl it around once before he tilted his face back toward me. "Currently, someone pliable and young enough to be interested in furthering the development of the telecommunication sector."

I frowned. "Why?"

Edward leaned toward me, like he was going to share a secret. "Because no one will see them coming."

I shook my head and Edward grinned, finishing off his drink.

"What is the point of all this?" I asked. "Playing with foreign governments, messing with global peace and trade. Why do any of it?"

Edward shrugged. "It's all a chess game to keep our power." He sighed. "Before the rift, I imagine things were a bit easier. But the Sixteen are at war with one another. We have to be proactive."

I shook my head. "It sounds exhausting."

"It is." He agreed. I studied his profile. He hadn't shaved in at least a day, maybe two. There was light stubble along his jaw, and under his eyes he had dark circles, hinting at his true levels of exhaustion.

"Can you walk away?" I asked, making him look up in surprise. "Just quit?"

Edward snorted. "You think the Sixteen are a group you can walk away from?"

"No, I suppose not," I agreed. "Still. It seems remarkably unfair to be born into a life that you could never escape."

Edward shrugged. "It's better than being born with nothing."

I wondered about that. I'd been born with so little, had been clawing my way in life for everything I had. Was it worse than being born into this immense pressure?

I wasn't so sure.

"I don't know that I've thanked you," I said, shaking myself out of my thoughts. Edward looked at me in surprise. "For coming to get us, for bringing us somewhere safe." I paused and tugged on my pajama top. "For the clothes."

Edward's eyes wandered over me, landing somewhere around my breasts. Inadvertently, my nipples began to harden under his gaze, and I scowled, trying to hunch my shoulders so he wouldn't notice.

The smirk on his lips told me that my actions were futile.

"It was business," Edward said quietly.

"Well, even still. Thank you."

Edward's eyes lifted to meet mine. Sometimes he was that cocky, arrogant asshole I'd known at the Academy.

But more and more, I was getting glimpses of someone else. A broken, lonely man he kept locked away.

Who was the real Edward?

A small, tired smile pulled at his lips. "You're welcome."

…

The next morning, Edward wasn't around for breakfast. I hoped he was sleeping, but the truth was, he could have been halfway around the world again and I wouldn't have known.

Alice looked more rested than I'd seen her since she'd found me in Oxford, but I could tell from the frenetic energy rolling off of her that she was deeply uncomfortable.

"How long are we supposed to be staying here?" Alice asked me as we sat and ate salmon on toast.

I shook my head. "I don't know."

Alice pushed around a cucumber slice on her plate. "Bella, Edward can't be trusted. He's one of them."

I looked at her. "We don't have a lot of options," I pointed out.

Alice let out a mangled sound.

It was moments like this that I wondered if Alice did actually know who had been holding her captive. She seemed determined not to trust most people, but if she'd been held hostage by someone for years, what if she'd developed some sort of attachment to them?

I'd never really believed Stockholm Syndrome was a thing until now.

"Who had you for the last several years?" I asked, looking at her dead-on.

Alice shook her head. "I don't know," she moaned, reaching up to pull her hair.

"How can you not know?" I asked, my tone belying my frustration.

"Don't you get it?" Alice hissed, letting her hair go. "That's what scares me so much. I don't know where the hell I was for the past four years. Anyone could have had me, including Edward."

It was a fair point, one that made my stomach twist to think about.

But lately, Edward had given me no reason not to trust him.

Sighing, I picked up my coffee, taking a long sip.

There were too many unanswered questions, too many variables in my life. I needed to start digging to the bottom of things.

…

After breakfast, I left Alice to explore the house. She refused to venture farther than the kitchen, and when she was done eating, she went back to her room.

Presumably to write more in her notebook.

The house was large, but not quite as large as I would have suspected. It was certainly bigger than any apartment I'd ever had, but by my account, there were five bedrooms. Hardly enough to throw an elaborate soiree as I pictured most Sixteen properties were equipped to do.

In the westernmost point of the house was the only closed door I'd encountered. I hesitated only once before reaching for the handle and pushing it open.

Opposite the door was a large glass wall framed in dark stone. There were deep grey bookcases the color of storm clouds along the walls and a desk in the middle of the room where Edward was working on a laptop.

I paused at the door when he looked up at me.

"Sorry," I said, feeling slightly guilty for being caught snooping. "I was just curious what this room was."

Edward leaned back in his chair and motioned me into the room. "It's fine," he said. "Close the door."

Immediately, I was wary of whatever was coming next. I shut the door and made my way to a sleek black chair that faced his desk.

He still hadn't shaved, and the bruises under his eyes seemed to be darker. He'd have to sleep soon, right?

"What's up?" I asked, my voice feigning casualness.

Edward's mouth pulled into a thin smile.

"Do you remember Jasper Whitlock?"

I frowned, taken aback. "That douche you hung out with at the Academy?"

Edward's smile turned genuine and he nodded. "One of them, at least," he confirmed.

"What about him?"

Edward's long fingers tapped on his desk as he looked me over. "His father has just died. Heart failure."

I blinked. I didn't know Jasper, nor his father, but I tried to summon even a small degree of empathy for them.

Before I could figure out what to say, Edward was continuing.

"Jerome Whitlock has named Jasper his successor."

I shrugged one shoulder. "Good for Jasper."

Edward nodded, leaning back and rubbing a finger across his lower lip. "It's a good move. Jasper is smart. His brothers might be more brutish, but Jasper has a tactical mind, much like his dad. It's what has elevated their family to their current rank."

"Rank?"

Edward nodded. "After the rift, there was a new ranking system that went out. My parents rank the highest, at least on our side. Jasper's family is currently fighting for the spot right below us."

"There are sides?" I asked.

Edward nodded. "Two, post rift."

I frowned. "Who is Jasper's family fighting with?"

"The Hale family," he said. I tried to remember who belonged to that name. The image of a stunning blonde flashed behind my eyes and I nodded.

"How do they win?"

Edward let out a breath. "There are a couple ways," he said, his eyes falling to his desk. "But probably the most efficient way is to form an alliance with the top family."

He glanced up at me, but my eyes were already trained on his face.

"What are you going to do?"

He smirked. "My parents won't sign an alliance. They aren't the kind of people to pledge their loyalty to anyone, though they expect it from everyone else."

Briefly, my mind flashed back to that morning in the Academy when Edward and I had run into each other in the garden.

I'd asked him if he had my back should anything go wrong, and I had seen immediately that I had asked for the one thing he could not give.

"So that's that?" I asked, wondering what he was getting at.

Edward's eyes focused on me. "No." He cleared his throat. "Jasper has contacted me to let me know he'd be interested in signing an alliance with me."

I tried to process that for a moment. "I take it this is a big deal?"

Edward nodded. "It is. No head of any family would make an alliance deal with a potential successor. It's completely unprecedented."

"Who is your competition to be a successor?" I asked, suddenly curious.

"A few years ago, my parents managed to have a second baby." Edward rolled his eyes. "He's about three or four, I don't know. I've never met him."

I frowned, my mind doing the math. "That's why you asked for my help," I said after a moment. Edward looked at me. "At the Academy. That's why you needed an insurance policy."

Edward nodded, and I considered that. What must it be like to have a sibling out there you'd never met? One that by his very nature, threatened your life?

It all sounded horrific.

"So what are you going to do?" I asked.

Edward let out a breath. "Well, to sign an alliance with Jasper before I've been confirmed successor is risky. There are a lot of potential benefits as well as liabilities." Edward's eyes flickered to me. "But I couldn't sign anything alone."

I stared at him, trying to process his words. "You want me to sign the deal with you?"

"Now that we are married, we'd have to sign all the contracts together."

I shook my head. "But I'm no one."

Edward rubbed his finger across his bottom lip again. "No, Bella. You're married into the Sixteen. That definitively makes you someone."

I looked away from him, my gaze falling outside the vast window. The mountains were bleak, barren except for patches of low grass. It almost felt like being on a different planet.

I looked back at Edward. "I'm not signing any deal without knowing who I am going into business with."

Edward nodded. "Sensible," he agreed.

"And though I am happy to consider your input on the matter, I will review any and all documentation on my own to gain an objective view of the situation."

Edward's lips quirked up. "Very sensible." Edward leaned forward and picked up a thick folder. He slid it across his desk toward me. It would take me ages to read through it all.

"How urgent is this?" I asked, picking up the folder and leafing through the first pages.

"Jasper will be joining us for dinner," he said, making my head jerk up in surprise. "Ideally, we'll be able to hash out some details over drinks."

I scowled and Edward smiled tiredly. "Fine," I agreed. "I'll read through this. On one condition."

Edward looked at me curiously and I fixed him with my most withering glare. "Get some fucking sleep."

Edward's eyebrows rose in surprise, but then he smiled again. "Yes, boss."

…

I was in the foyer, dressed in a black wool cocktail dress that I'd found in my closet. The sleeves came down to my elbows, and despite the low back, the front was modest enough that I felt it would be sufficient for a business meeting. At my waist, the skirt flared out softly, giving me more shape than I normally appeared to have.

The only shoes I'd found that could come close to matching had been a pair of staggering black pumps. I felt off balance in them, though I could recognize they completed the look well.

I'd warned Alice that another member of the Sixteen would be coming to the house, and she'd taken it upon herself to hide out in her room, out of sight.

It was just one less thing for me to worry about.

Edward met me in the foyer, and I took in his shaved face and refreshed eyes. "You slept," I said in greeting.

"I did indeed," he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He was wearing a suit, though he'd left the jacket buttons open and his tie had been left behind.

He looked good, of course, but I turned from him so he wouldn't see me noticing.

"Jasper is just landing," he said, shaking his wrist and checking his sleek watch. "Did you have a chance to review everything?"

I turned to him. Luckily for Edward, I was fucking smart. I was used to cramming and studying, so while he'd handed me a frankly lofty amount to read, I'd been able to get through all of it.

"I did," I said with a nod.

Edward looked surprised, maybe even a touch impressed. "Any objections?"

I turned away from him when I heard activity outside the front door. "I think I'll save that for our meeting," I said, not looking his way.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him smirk.

There was a knock on the door, and then it was opening to reveal two guards and a tall blond man I recognized as Jasper Whitlock.

Jasper strode into the foyer, flashing Edward a bright smile before his eyes landed on me.

He froze, his eyes widening a fraction before he let out a low whistle. "Damn, Edward. You said you'd been busy." He chuckled. Jasper took a step toward me, and instinctually, I took a step back. He froze, his hands lifting in front of him. "Hey, I don't mean any harm. It's good to see you again, Miss Swan."

I was surprised he remembered my name. I'd never spoken to him before. "Thank you for coming, Mr. Whitlock," I said, my voice shaking slightly, betraying my nerves.

Jasper flashed a lopsided grin at me, and Edward cleared his throat. "Come on in, Jas. Let me get you a drink."

Jasper motioned for me to move first, and I spun around, trying to focus on my steps as I led them both into the living room.

"We'll take the drinks in the study," Edward told me, and I glanced back to see him motioning to a room off the living room I hadn't explored yet. I nodded and followed him through.

Inside was cozier than the cold living room. There were large chairs gathered around a dark stone gas fireplace. Edward motioned for us to sit while he prepared us drinks. I took the furthest chair in the room while Jasper sat opposite me.

"The years have been kind to you, Miss Swan. You look great."

I frowned. Did he know I was married to Edward? Surely, he must have guessed by now, right?

"Thank you," I said, my voice stiff.

Edward brought Jasper a glass with golden liquid before he brought me a large glass of wine. I took it gratefully. Finally, Edward retrieved his own drink before settling in the chair between Jasper and me.

"Shall we get to it?" Edward asked.

Jasper's eyes flickered toward me. "Is she your secretary?" Jasper asked, not unkindly. Still, I felt my blood boil at the mere suggestion.

"No," Edward said, his eyes flying to me quickly before returning to Jasper. "No, I guess I should start with that." Edward let out a breath. "Bella is my wife."

Jasper sat back in his chair, stunned. His blue eyes flashed over me before traveling back to Edward. "I'll be damned," he said finally. "I imagine every woman in the western world is heartbroken over the fact that Edward Cullen is officially off the market."

Edward rolled his eyes and I snorted. Jasper turned his gaze to me. "You really agreed to marry this megalomaniac?" Jasper's voice was light and teasing, and I couldn't help a small smile.

"What can I say," I said with a light shrug. "I love a challenge."

Jasper let out a hearty laugh and took a long sip of his drink. "Fuck me, you're married," he said, shaking his head. "Well damn, this does change things."

Edward raised an eyebrow. "Your offer?"

Jasper looked him over. "Of course it changes my offer," Jasper said, sipping his drink again. "What did your parents say?"

Edward sipped his drink and Jasper groaned. "Christ, they don't know. How long have you been married?"

Edward cleared his throat. "Almost a year ago."

Jasper looked surprised. "You've almost made it to a year?" he asked, his voice skeptical.

I looked at Edward. "Why is that such a big deal?"

Jasper and Edward both looked at me, and Edward sighed. "If our marriage can go uncontested for a year, then it is irrefutable and can't be undone."

I pursed my lips. It would have been nice to know this, although it did make sense why he'd been so good about keeping me beyond arm's length.

"I'm dying to know how you've pulled this off," Jasper said, his voice teasing.

Edward rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter. It'll be a year next month, and I'll finally have the leverage I need to negotiate with my parents."

Jasper looked impressed as he considered this. I wasn't sure I knew what was going on, but it didn't matter yet. I was focused on figuring out if Jasper was someone I could trust.

"That brings up a good point," Jasper mused to Edward. He turned to me and smiled. "I imagine you have questions for me."

I swallowed a large sip of my wine and nodded. "I do." I pulled out a slip of paper from my pocket and unfolded it. "On average, what percentage of your wealth is used to better the lives of humanity annually?"

Jasper looked taken aback, and Edward snorted, sipping his drink with a shake of his head.

"What?" Jasper asked, looking between Edward and me.

I stared at him expectantly. "Ballpark," I said.

Jasper cleared his throat. "I suppose," he started. "That it depends on your definition of helping." He shrugged one shoulder. "It could help humanity progress to completely tear apart a government system or start a war," he mused.

"I'm not talking about dysfunction," I said, shaking my head. "Concrete steps to improve the suffering of people."

Jasper nodded. "I'll admit, I don't have a percentage for you," he said with a shake of his head. "It's not something we tally."

Though I knew to expect this sort of answer, my heart dropped anyway. "That needs to be remedied," I said, my voice hard.

Jasper tilted his head. "I'm open to hearing your suggestions," he said with a smile.

I sat back and nodded, glancing at my paper for the next question.

"What are your political leanings?"

Jasper sipped his drink. "Nonpartisan, just like the rest of the Sixteen."

I blinked. All of the Sixteen were nonpartisan? That seemed incredibly unlikely.

"Okay," I said slowly. I fixed Jasper with a hard stare before asking my next question. "Nearly five years ago exactly, I was dragged from my bed at the Academy and buried alive." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward jerk in shock, but I stayed focused on Jasper. "Did you have any part in it?"

He looked stunned, genuinely shocked. "No," he croaked, then cleared his throat. "My god, who would do such a thing?"

He seemed genuine enough. At the very least, I didn't have any internal alarm bells going off. Of the Sixteen I'd met, he was the only one I'd venture to call nice.

"Jesus, Bella, why didn't you tell me this happened to you?" Edward asked.

I finally looked at him, surprised he was livid, his eyes storm clouds.

I shook my head. "I didn't know who I could trust back then, clearly."

They were both quiet for a moment and I finished off my wine. I looked back at Jasper and gave him a small smile when he met my gaze.

"I'll sign the deal."

He looked surprised again and glanced at Edward. Edward was still brooding, glaring into the fire.

"Edward?"

He blinked and looked up at me. "Yeah, fine," he grumbled.

"Sir?" The three of us looked up as the maid I'd seen only glimpses of since our arrival entered the room. "Dinner is served."

Edward waved her off and we all stood. We refreshed our drinks before heading out to the dining room to sit down for supper.

While we ate, Jasper and I spoke about the alliance, hashing out small details from the file I'd poured over. He seemed impressed that I was so well informed, which bolstered my confidence.

By the time we were eating dessert, someone had produced updated contracts and brought them in to be signed. Edward was still in a dark mood, though he'd been able to pull himself together enough to join our negotiations.

It was my turn to sign the contracts, and I hesitated when the paper was set before me. I looked up at Edward, annoyed by my own question before I'd even asked it.

"What is it?" he asked.

"What name do I sign?"

I hadn't legally changed my last name to Cullen, but I also recognized that my own last name would mean next to nothing on a document like this.

Edward smiled. "Isabella Swan will suffice."

I was surprised, but grateful as that was the only signature I'd ever practiced. I bent over the contract and signed my name, praying I wasn't making a deal with a devil.

…

After Jasper left, promising us he'd be in touch, I found myself back in the parlor with Edward.

He offered me another drink, which I took, and he filled his own glass before sitting beside me.

"You've been pouting all evening," I said after taking a sip.

"I'm not fucking pouting," Edward snapped, and I had to turn my head so he wouldn't see my smile. "I'm trying to come to terms with someone fucking burying you alive."

I looked back at him to see his gaze was heated and fixed on me. I let out a breath. "Why do you think I didn't trust anyone?"

Edward let out a harsh breath. "Because you were fucking smart. No one should be trusted."

I rolled my eyes and nodded, sipping my wine.

"Jesus, Bella. Did you tell anyone?"

I thought back on it. I hadn't told a soul. Not even Alice. "No," I said after a moment. "I figured there was no use."

Edward stood suddenly from his chair, pacing the space behind us. I twisted in my seat to watch him. He looked like a caged lion, coiled and tense and ready to maul the first person to come near him.

"What's done is done," I told him. "We can't go back and change things."

Edward glared at me. "I need to know who did this."

"If I knew, I would have dealt with it myself," I hissed.

At that, Edward stopped pacing. He looked confused, maybe surprised even at my own bloodthirsty need for revenge.

He looked like he was about to say something to me. His mouth opened, and I watched his chest rise as he took a breath.

But whatever words he'd intended to say never came as a deafening blast shot through the house. I stood, panicked, but a moment later, armed men were barreling through the parlor door. I didn't even have time to scream before one of them was shooting me with a tranquilizer gun, knocking me out.

…

I woke up again in the middle of a bed laid with gold.

I stared up at the ornate ceiling above me and tried to understand what I was looking at. The ceiling was painted in the style of the Italian Renaissance masters, but the scene seemed to depict Eve, a serpent wrapped around her shoulders and wound between her legs, its fangs sank into her left breast while she held an apple to her right breast in apparent ecstasy.

I blinked and shook my head, turning to focus on the rest of the room. The walls were foiled with gold, the furniture the same shade. Even the bed and bedsheets shone with that bright yellow hue. I had no idea where I was, but slowly, I climbed off the bed, feeling frustratingly wobbly. I left the heels off, though I saw they were sitting beside the bed, and headed toward the door.

To my surprise, it was open, and I stepped out into the hallway cautiously.

The rest of the building seemed to carry the theme that had been in the room I'd woken up in. It was marble and gold everywhere, with perverse biblical paintings adorning the ceilings.

Where the hell was I?

I followed the hallway down toward a large sitting room where someone was playing the piano.

Unsurprisingly, the baby grand was also covered in gold.

The woman behind the instrument was young, maybe my age, with long dark hair and brown eyes. She was stunning, and when she looked up at me, she gave me a charming smile.

She didn't stop playing at all, and I frowned, stepping toward her. "Who are you?" I asked, surprised by how hoarse my throat was.

She smiled but didn't respond.

"Where am I?" I asked, stepping toward her again. There were windows all along the wall behind her, and my eyes moved to them.

I froze, confused.

Outside the vast windows was an endless stretch of blue. Was that the ocean?

"Ah, Isabella. You're finally awake."

I spun around, my heart leaping into my throat as a tall man entered the room. He was dressed in a white linen button down and matching trousers. Despite his casual attire, the power emanating from him was unmistakable.

"Who are you?" I asked, my voice annoyingly timid.

He gave me a small smile. "It's good to finally meet you," he said, taking a seat on the low gold sectional. "I've heard such good things about you."

I frowned. "From whom?"

The man grinned wider. "Oh, you have a number of admirers," he said, tilting his head. "And a good deal of enemies. You've been busy, young lady."

I frowned. Who could he possibly be talking about?

"Where am I?" I asked.

He wove a hand before him. "Welcome to my home—El Dorado." I snorted and he grinned. "A bit on the nose, I'll admit. But one thing I have never been accused of is being subtle."

I looked out to the ocean stretching beyond us. "Where are we?" I asked.

"Somewhere in the mid Pacific," he said, waving a hand over his head.

I turned to look at him. "We're at sea?"

"Indeed we are."

I shifted. "Where are my companions?" Edward had been there when I'd been shot. Was he still alive? What about Alice?

The man smiled. "Young Mr. Cullen is recovering in his room. I'm afraid he took a hit harder than you." He looked pleased about any pain Edward might be experiencing, and I tried not to scowl. "As for Miss Brandon, I believe she is exploring the upper deck."

My heart skipped a beat. "She's okay?"

The man nodded. "Certainly. I had no reason to harm any of you."

I shifted on my feet. "Who are you?" I asked again.

The man stood, his movements surprisingly fluid given his height and the low couch. He stepped toward me, and I fought my instinct to flee.

"You have your mother's mouth," he said after a moment. "Though this"—he reached out and tugged a lock of my hair, and I had to bite back a yelp—"This is from my side of the family, I'm afraid."

My stomach dropped, and I felt myself go lightheaded. "What?"

He smiled and looked me over. "Isabella Swan, my name is Charlie Bourgault. I'm your father."