The Immortal (twilight fanfiction)

Miserable. That was the best way I would describe the atmosphere in the house for the next three weeks after Evelyn's arrival. It was like a cold war, with both Rosalie and Evelyn barely hiding their dislike for each other. They never said it outright, but they didn't have to for the tension to be felt throughout the house. Nobody said anything, probably hoping they would resolve it themselves. But it was driving me nuts.

From what I could gather from watching their interactions, Rosalie was being territorial, marking me as hers by always draping herself around me whenever Evelyn was around. It was funny because Evelyn seemed more interested in Emmett than me. Except he was still grappling with what he did to her, seeming more affected by it than she was. All of that mixed together into a miserable time.

Thankfully, when I was close to losing it, I heard something that gave me an idea. While shopping for food, I was listening to a radio playing in the back, only half-listening as I moved aisle to aisle. But as I picked up a can of beans, I heard one of the news broadcasters mention a town in Nevada that was currently on the rise. It was named Las Vegas. I nearly dropped my can of beans when I heard that name. It had always been a dream of mine to own a casino, with the movie "Casino" from my past life being one of my favorites. I had thought about building one long ago back in Rome, but back then I had my hands full with Gringotts and never got around to doing it.

To say Rosalie wasn't impressed by the idea would be an understatement. She was okay with the idea of leaving the Cullens for a little while, while everything calmed down, but wasn't sold on the idea of moving to the middle of a desert. It took another week for her to finally have enough and agree. Which was good, because I had already called Julius and had him start the construction of a Gringotts bank in Las Vegas, as well as buy me and Rosalie a temporary home while my casino was built. Everyone was fine with our departure, understanding we needed time away from the family to grow closer, while also giving Emmett and Evelyn the space they needed to foster their relationship. They all knew we would come back to them eventually.

We only took the essentials, which were pretty much only our clothes and a few other things, leaving everything else with Carlisle and Esme. It took us four days to reach Las Vegas, with me driving during the day and Rosalie driving at night while I slept in the passenger seat. We reached the city close to midnight on a Friday, the perfect day and time to see the nightlife of the city. Thousands of people walked the sidewalks, casinos and bars lining the road with bright flashing signs above them, letting the outside world know what was inside. My imagination was exploding with ideas of what could be done here.

Our new home was just outside the city, a simple three-bedroom home in one of the few cul-de-sacs around the city. It was where all the lawyers and doctors lived. The house was empty, but I knew it wouldn't stay that way for long, which it didn't. Rosalie started nesting the next day after she planned how she would furnish the house all through the night while I slept on the floor of our room. She planned to leave and go shopping while I planned to find the perfect place for my casino. To go out, Rosalie wore a long-sleeve white woolen shirt with a pair of pants, which was something growing in popularity with women, called cigarette pants, which really emphasized her feminine curves in all the right ways. They were a tan color that reached her ankles, and she wore a headscarf with intricate patterns and a pair of large sunglasses to finish it all off. While I simply wore blue jeans and an old short-sleeve button-up shirt. She took the car, while I took a cab to a dealership to buy myself a car of my own. I didn't even think, picking the first car I saw, which just so happened to be the 1939 Graham Model 97 Supercharged Convertible. I must have shocked the salesman that approached me when I pointed at the car and handed him a check, because he was more than happy not to ask any questions.

Now with a car, I started driving, looking for somewhere I could have my casino built. It was actually a lot simpler than I thought. Just outside of the city was nothing but open space. I decided on an area just outside of the city where a lot of other construction was happening, with other companies coming in and expanding the city. I didn't waste time, having a thousand acres bought.

For the next three months, I worked with some of the best architects in America and the world on what was going to be the biggest casino ever built. Of course, it was just my first casino, knowing later on it would be demolished and rebuilt newer and even bigger; that's why I bought so much land. When discussing it with Julius, I decided to keep the Gringotts name out of anything to do with it, deciding enough was owned by the "bank" (me) and that the casino would be its own enterprise. In reality, it was because I knew what this city would one day become, and I didn't want the mob to be afraid when they came to me and tried to push me around to sell the casino. What can I say? I still like to have a little fun in my old age. I decided to name the casino "Eden." I thought it was pretty funny, but Rosalie thought I was just asking to get in trouble with the church. But hey, one day this city would be known as the city of sin, so I wasn't too worried about it.

The casino was going to be an ambitious project for what I wanted. It was going to be twenty stories high, with approximately 1,000 guest rooms, each designed with nature-inspired decor, featuring views of gardens or cityscapes. The casino would be on the very bottom ground floor, filled with gaming tables and slot machines, surrounded by indoor gardens and vibrant floral arrangements. Multiple restaurants and cafes with outdoor terraces overlooking garden spaces, serving a variety of cuisines. A large auditorium or theater for live performances. And a rooftop terrace with a garden, complete with walking paths, seating areas, and possibly an outdoor bar, providing sweeping views of the city and surrounding mountains. The interiors could even feature art deco elements blended with natural themes, including sculptures of mythical figures, leafy patterns, and bright, vivid colors. I was even thinking of including a spa and large outdoor and indoor swimming pools.

The best part was mine and Rose's suite room on the top floor. I gave her free rein to do as she wished, designing it however she wanted with my checkbook. I didn't know it was so easy to spend 3 million dollars. She sure showed me. All of this was going to run me about 50 million dollars to build, not including mine and Rose's suite. I wrote the checks with a smile. Me, because the casino was going to be built, and Rose, because she got to design our soon-to-be home with whatever she wanted. During all of this, Rose and I went on weekly dates and the occasional casino adventure. It wasn't our fault we had already been kicked out of two of them; I swear we weren't counting cards. At least I wasn't. Rose says she wasn't, but I have my doubts.

It took a year for Eden to be built, all the while Las Vegas only grew bigger. Partly because of Eden, while also because of the Gringotts bank. Even though it was only a branch of the main New York bank, it still brought businesses in like flies to a pile of trash. I had convinced Julius to have this one built large. Not as large as the one in New York, but nothing to sneeze at either. It was going to be an above-ground bank, so it didn't take too long to build, quickly opening its doors eight months after construction had started.

The day before the grand opening of Eden, Rose and I stood on the rooftop, staring out at the city. We were on our own little dinner date before the grand opening, wearing fancy clothes and all. It was a moonless night, but with all the lights coming from the city, everything was well-lit. Leaning my back against the waist-high glass protective wall surrounding the whole roof, I gave Rosalie a small smile, trying not to seem as nervous as I felt. The black bow tie around my neck seemed tighter than usual, causing me to tug at it a few times to no effect. She was wearing a gorgeous tight black dress, with her hair done up in a style apparently called Hollywood curls. She was absolutely stunning.

"Thank you, Rose," I said, looking into her light yellow eyes. She gave me a small smile. "For what?" she asked. "For coming with me, letting me build this place, and staying with me," I said, putting my hands in my pants pockets, trying, and failing, to stay calm. "I couldn't have done it without you," I said, the nervous smile never leaving my lips. Rose let out a short, "I highly doubt that. You practically did everything yourself. All I did was design our suite." I chuckled, "You did much more than that. You gave me the strength to believe in this crazy dream, and every time I felt like I was about to rip some city official's head off, you were there to keep me grounded." I looked out over the shimmering cityscape, taking in the vibrant life that pulsed below us. "And look at it now," I added, gesturing out to the view, "a city that's growing beyond what anyone could have imagined, and we're right at the heart of it."

Rose turned her gaze from the city lights back to me, her expression softening. "I suppose you're right," she admitted with a playful glint in her eyes. "But what now? Now that we've got the casino, what's next on your grand adventure list?" she asked with a small grin. I coughed, 'Play it cool, man. Play it cool,' I thought on repeat, pushing myself off the glass barrier. "Well now that you mentioned it," I said, walking to stand in front of her. "I think I have an idea," I said, reaching into my pocket to take out a small black box. Taking a knee, I looked up at her, her eyes shimmering. "Will you make me the happiest man to ever live…and marry me?"

Rose looked as if she was ready to cry as she said, "Yes," her voice thick with emotion as I stood, taking the ring from the box, and placing it on her finger. The ring wasn't anything special, just your average solitaire diamond on a gold band. I felt like anything crazy wouldn't work, so I decided on something timeless yet elegant, like my Rose.