“Bella, I’m sure it will come out that we already know each other,” Tyler said stepping up beside her. “Bella is actually my father’s goddaughter. She wanted to make her own way in the world and went behind our backs to get a job here.”
“Sorry Grant, I just didn’t want anyone else thinking I got it because of family connections. But look on the bright side, you won’t have to worry about Tyler killing me at any point, I’m his father’s favorite out of all of us.”
“There’re more of you?” Grant asked appreciatively.
“Not exactly, my sisters take after our parents. I’m nearly an exact replica of my great-grandmother she was just a bit shorter than I am.”
“I’m surprised you’re not a model,” Grant stated and both Bella and Tyler couldn’t help but laugh. “What?”
“Bella is a model,” Tyler replied, and Grant’s brow lifted trying to place her she could tell.
“Tyler, that’s it,” she said getting an idea. “Not only am I an ace at PR but I’m also a client, who better to make the statement?”
“I thought you wanted to keep Arabella out of your work,” Tyler stated.
“I did but I think this will work. If the situation isn’t as bad as their actual financials or personal info getting out it might not be needed but it might also be just what we need.”
“Arabella?” Grant said looking at her closely. “As in Arabella Angel, the face of the Angels line…holy hell…”
“Yeah, now do you know why I’ve kept it in the past?”
“I do and I just have to say you’re amazing as a model and a PR rep. I agree that it might be needed but let’s see how much has gotten out before we go that far. If you want to keep your privacy and I’m assuming you do since you didn’t use it to get here, we’ll do everything we can to keep it that way,” Grant told her.
“Thanks,” she said smiling warmly. “Oh sorry…it’s my mother,” she added as her phone rang. She walked to the far corner of the room and answered the phone, her mother didn’t call often but when she did it meant something was up and she likely wouldn’t like it. Ten minutes later she hung up gritting her teeth, there was no way she was going to give her mother the satisfaction of finding out that she’d done something that could be considered right in their eyes.
“Change of plans…whatever we do, Arabella stays out of it,” she said curling her fingers around the phone until they turned white.
“Everything okay Bella?” Tyler asked knowing she was upset, very upset and he didn’t like that look on her face.
“Just peachy, Izzie’s pregnant and Mom and Dad have decided to move to London until after it’s born, and they naturally assumed I’d just drop everything and run over to make sure the house was taken care of. Like I don’t have a life of my own or that I would even care about that place…”
“Don’t worry Bella, I’ll make sure Arabella doesn’t come out before you’re ready,” Tyler assured her as he slid his hand onto hers.
“We should get going,” Grant said suddenly uncomfortable with the closeness between them Tyler could tell.
“Right behind you,” Tyler stated putting his arm around Bella and guided her to the conference room. He dropped it just before they entered the room and he hoped he could keep his promise to her. He loved Bella and he’d do anything to help her, show her that her family was the stupid ones. She deserved more than what they gave her and maybe one day she’d see that she was completely deserving of love.
Chapter 1
Five years later…
“Careful Bella the boss is in a bear of a mood,” Sandra, Tyler’s newest assistant, stated.
“With the latest estimates on the market I can fully understand it,” Bella told the young woman. “Go home to your husband Sandra, I’ll cover the grouch.”
“I can’t do that Bella; I mean it he’s in a horrible mood. He’s trashed his office twice today.”
“Don’t worry Sandra, I can handle it. I’m probably the only one who can,” she assured the almost frightened looking woman.
“I wouldn’t feel right leaving you alone with him. Bella, he’s—I don’t know…”
“Scary?” she offered. “Tyler and I go way back, we grew up together, he won’t lay a hand on me. Go home, put your feet up and enjoy a nice quiet evening with your husband. I’ve got something that’ll take Tyler’s mind off of business and get him in a better mood. All the arrangements for his parent’s fortieth wedding anniversary are now finalized.”
“You got them done already? But how? He asked me to look into how you were doing last week but we got so swamped…”
“I have excellent resources and it’s easy when you can throw around Tyler’s money and not have to worry about a budget; go on, I’ll settle him,” Bella added warmly, knowing just how Tyler in a mood was. He never turned them on her and that was something special she couldn’t give up, especially not with the way her work was going.
“Okay I’m out of here,” Sandra said with a huge grin. She paused at the door and added, “I have to admit I was intimidated when I took the job and then met you. I know you must hear it all the time, but you should be a model.”