Secretly Mine Novel – For the entire twenty years of my life, I have been known as the innocent young miss of the prestigious Moresi family. My family is widely known for two things. The first is the Grand Moresi auction house, which stands at the pinnacle of all auction houses, carrying only the most lucrative items. The auction house was established by my great-great-grandfather, who I was always told was an incredibly ambitious man.
In his youth, he built this empire from the ground up, crafting a reputation of unparalleled refinement and exclusivity. As the years passed, the Moresi name grew synonymous with wealth and sophistication, drawing in the wealthiest one percent of the world to conduct their transactions. The house now stands not just as a business, but as a symbol of success. Everyone in the upper circle of society knows our name, and most of them try their best to get into our good graces.
The second is the Moresi reputation for being extremely conservative and pure. Along with the founding of the auction house, the patriarch of the family created a hard set of rules for the family and its future generations. We call these the Moresi tenets, and they are as follows: Prudence in Decision-Making Embrace Purity of Heart and Mind Honor in all Interactions Strong and Unwavering Faith My family has always been very serious about upholding these tenets, strictly following them without question. My parents are even the type to pray before they have sex, although I’ve never actually witnessed it, thankfully… Even now, these tenets bind me like shackles, preventing me from taking even a single step out of place.
If I made so much as one mistake, I would immediately be sold off to be a bride of my worthless, distant cousin. The only thing shielding me from that fate was my pristine reputation, which made my parents believe I could be used for a better transaction—to a wealthier man. Over the years, I learned that my place in this world no longer mattered. My thoughts, opinions, and desires… none of them mattered. Only my father’s words did, without exception. — “Leslie, hurry up! Make sure you cover your shoulders properly!” My mother’s high-pitched voice rang out from the foyer. I quickened my pace while lifting the black velvet shawl over my bare shoulders.
If you didn’t want me to show my shoulders, then why did you choose a strapless dress for me? When I arrived in front of my mother, she looked me over, searching for anything out of place. A deep frown formed on her face, and my heart pounded, afraid of being scolded. I wasn’t sure what she found that made her frown, but it wasn’t enough for her to voice it. Glancing down, I looked at the stunning crimson silk gown hugging my body. The design was more fitted than what I was normally allowed to wear, so I suspected she disapproved of how it accentuated the natural curves of my figure.
Having been lucky to receive the Morsei genes from my father’s side of the family, my figure was exceptional–perfectly curated to plaster over the cover of any and every porn magazine out there. It was a feature that my mother loathed, constantly trying different methods to cover me so that I could continue to fall into the ‘angelic innocence’ category that she tried so hard to push me into. Her scrutiny was nothing new to me.
She had done this to my sister and me since childhood. Everything—from what we wore to what we ate—was meticulously decided by her, ensuring that we appeared proper on every occasion. Appear… That was all that ever mattered—how others perceived us as a family. – Today was a very special day for our family. My father had finally managed to finally secure a meeting with the wealthiest man in our country, Christian Vittoria. He’s said to be the youngest self-made billionaire in the history of our country, leading ahead of the rest of the top businesses. by a wide margin.
Though I’m not sure of the exact specifics, his business empire is said to span across multiple industries, making him well-known all across the world. My father’s been trying to get into his good graces for months now, so today’s affair demanded a whole new level of perfection.