The next morning, I join Edward to the office since Jerome had some things he needs to attend to and I am not allowed to stay at home alone.

When we arrive at the office its 7:30 and all the workers gather downstairs in the lunchroom. It's sort of an unspoken tradition that everyone makes small talk over a cup of coffee and the occasional bagel. It really sets a happy mood for the rest of the work day.

"Ms. Domenico!" Linda, a close business associate with sharp eyes and a hooked nose, smiles. "What a pleasant surprise."

She extends her hand for a handshake and I oblige.

"The pleasure's all mine." I return her smile. "And my, do you look as stunning as ever."

Linda's face fills with colour. "Why thank you." She smiles. "I see your grandfather taught you well."

"He did, as well as my father." I smile, slowly making my escape.

"Ms. Emmanuela." Another voice calls from behind me and I plaster a smile onto my face.

"It's been such a long time since you visited us." Peter shakes my hand. He comes closer to my ear, dropping his voice. "You know, we all can't wait for you to step in your grandfather's shoes."

"I'm sure it'll be a pleasure working with you." I purr, pulling my hand out of his and making my retreat.

In actual fact, I don't even know if I actually want to take over my family's business. I mean, I love the course I'm studying in college and I really don't think I could combine it all.

I just figured since Edward is doing such as good job being both lawyer and manager in my absence that perhaps he'd like to continue and we'd share the profits equally. There's more than enough money to go around.

Sometimes I wish I had a brother to worry about things like these.

A few more people come to me, making small talk about business, school and whatnot. I kind of find it all exhausting.

"Emma." Edward calls, sidling up to me after a while. "We should head up."

"Of course." I sigh in relief as he leads the way to the elevator.

The ride up is silent and even when we enter his office Edward makes a bee line for his computer muttering something about making myself at home.

7:45AM

I shadow Edward as he checks all his emails. We have a lot of business on the east coast so there are tons of emails. We have the property managers on our site on our East Coast companies so I assist him in fielding their calls and emails.

8:00AM

Edward tutors me on how to review contracts, looking at financial information, creating a budget for each project and perusing through the tenant leases. We recently acquired a building that is older but in a prime area so we have decided to renovate it. This means that I have to seat through Edward's discussions with architects, engineers and lenders to figure out the best way to go about it.

It's a really tedious and boring affair. I wonder how Edward survives this at all.

9:00AM

Edward speaks to a couple of clients by email and phone while I gaze at his beautiful face from across the room. In one of our office projects, a tenant has a certain space need- he's outgrown the building space. Edward informs me of plans to expand the building and I groan inwardly. I do not want to re-submerge myself in this.

11:00AM

Tina, our invoice manager, calls for Edward and he leaves with her to go look over whatever it is that she called him for.

My phone has been buzzing incessantly with voice mails and text messages from my friends. It hurts to ignore them but I have to do it. I have to keep them safe.

Since I have time on my hands, I pull out granddad's journal which I had packed in my bag and begin translating. I am afraid to cover any more secrets so I pick an entry which dates just a few months before his death in the hopes that it will be a safer choice seeing as he spent them in the hospital.

"Dear Diary,

On the day I die a lot will happen.

A lot will change.

The world will be busy.

On the day I die, all the important appointments I made will be left unattended.

The many plans I had yet to complete will remain forever undone.

The calendar that ruled so many of my days will now be irrelevant to me.

All the material things I so chased and guarded and treasured will be left in the hands of others to care for or to discard.

The words of my critics which so burdened me will cease to sting or capture anymore. They will be unable to touch me.

The arguments I believed I'd won here will not serve me or bring me any satisfaction or solace.

All my noisy incoming notifications and texts and calls will go unanswered. Their great urgency will be quieted.

My many nagging regrets will all be resigned to the past, where they should have always been anyway.

Every superficial worry about my body that I ever laboured over; about my waistline or hairline or frown lines, will fade away.

My carefully crafted image, the one I worked so hard to shape for others here, will be left to them to complete anyway.

The sterling reputation I once struggled so greatly to maintain will be of little concern for me anymore.

All the small and large anxieties that stole sleep from me each night will be rendered powerless.

The deep and towering mysteries about life and death that so consumed my mind will finally be clarified in a way that they could never be before while I lived.

These things will certainly all be true on the day that I die.

Yet for as much as will happen on that day, one more thing that will happen.

On the day I die, the few people who really know and truly love me will grieve deeply.

They will feel a void.

They will feel cheated.

They will not feel ready.

They will feel as though a part of them has died as well.

And on that day, more than anything in the world they will want more time with me.

I know this from those I love and grieve over.

And so knowing this, while I am still alive I'll try to remember that my time with them is finite and fleeting and so very precious—and I'll do my best not to waste a second of it.

I'll try not to squander a priceless moment worrying about all the other things that will happen on the day I die, because many of those things are either not my concern or beyond my control.

My business, my empire, it all seems to take a lot of my time and replace beautiful memories I should be making with my beloved family but dearest Diary, it is for them I do these things.

For my loving Francesca, her husband Alfredo whom I love as my own son and dearest darling little Emma; the key to my heart and Fia, though my love for her wanes.

I know it'll hurt them when I go but the day I die, surely it must come."

I smile sadly through my tears as I read twice the words which I have now penned down to the best of my ability in English. I really do love my grandfather and the fact that he wrote those words about my parents, about me, makes my heart both sad and glad at the same time.

1:30PM

Edward returns and we walk across the street to the café opposite the office. We could just as easily as had lunch in the lunch room but Edward insisted that on such a beautiful day, we had to walk beneath the sky at least once during his workday.

There is a big talent agency right across the street and it's interesting to watch wannabe models and entertainment types hoping they see an agent.

2:00PM

Edward has another meeting, this time with a senior asset manager. He says they need to look at projects to see how construction is coming along and if there are any issues or roadblocks.

Before he leaves, he checks to make sure I'm okay and pecks me softly on my cheek. The warm feeling emanating from the spot his lips touched spreads all the way to my belly and erupts in a swarm of butterflies.

I tell myself to work on some coursework for school but it's hard to concentrate with images of Edward drifting in and out of mind without my control.

4:30PM

It's been hours and my eyes hurt from staring at my computer screen. I've managed to complete some work for school which is good because it'll help make up for everything I'm missing.

Earlier on, I'd completely switched off my cell phone after breaking down from listening to a voice mail Eric had left me. He sounded so concerned and so sad; I just didn't know what else to do.

Edward's back now so I watch him as he packs his stuff. He typically wouldn't leave the office this early but I'm tired so he's getting off work on time.

6:00PM

We're home and so is Jerome. He seems miffed off about something but would only talk to Edward about it. I feel left out but maybe it's none of my business anyway.

Maria, the housekeeper made us some delicious dinner and now that we're all done eating, Jerome has headed out again.

Edward is on the phone with some clients so I have no choice but to watch TV.

9:00PM

"Hey." Edward smiles as he drops on the bed next to me. "So how did you like the office?"

He's just showered and smells amazing so I subtly scoot closer to his side of my bed. The way his damp hair sticks up all over the place doesn't do much to help.

"Honestly," I scrunch my nose. "I don't know how you survive it."

"I love what I do." He beams. "It's just not your sort of thing."

"Oh, really?" I reply, quirking my eyebrows at him. "So what is my sort of thing?"

As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I regret them and only wish I could take them back.

Edward's eyes turn a dark grey and his lips curl into a smirk.

Slowly, he raises his right hand and tucks some stray strands of hair behind my ear. I can see him biting his lips and it only re-ignites the swarm of butterflies in my belly.

He inches closer and a sweet intoxicating scent encases us. The world seems to pause as static crackles softly in the air between us.

"This." He smiles leaning closer, "Might be your thing."

A feeling of anxiousness overwhelms me and my heart beats faster within my chest as I realise what is about to take place.

Within me, an internal debate erupts on whether or not to pull through with my side of the bargain.

Slowly, I turn my face to the side so that Edward's plump lips land on the side of my face in a way that one would kiss the cheek of their sister as they waved her good bye.

The frenzy of emotions in my belly comes to a halt as relief washes over me anew.

That is definitely not my thing.

"Is something wrong?" he asks, clearly bewildered by my actions.

"Nothing's wrong." I reply, attempting to smile. "I think that we are both tired and should get some rest. Don't you agree Edward?"

"Oh...err, sure." Edward, who is never at a loss, fumbles as the words fall cheerlessly from his lips.

He is too much of a gentleman to disagree and I had played that to my advantage. It is not that I do not have feelings for Edward, but I do not know exactly what those feelings are and I refuse to make decisions rashly. 

There is too much happening right now and I do not wish to complicate things any further. If it is meant to be, he will understand. He will be patient with me and go about things the right way.

"Good night Emma." Edward offers somewhat apologetically. "I'm sorry if I've made you uncomfortable."

"Apology accepted." I smile. "Good night Edward."