The First Meeting

The limousine continued to drive through the city, finally entering the newly developed side of town.

I watched as the cityscape quickly shifted to a luxurious neighborhood, filled with large mansions and exotic villas. It was a place where only those with both status and money could afford to live.

Christian Vittoria was exactly that, someone with an unshakable status and incredible wealth. Although this would be my first time actually meeting him, I have heard various rumors about him from the many social events I had attended in the past.

Word on the street is that he's the country's most eligible bachelor. Everyone was impressed with how he was able to reach the top from the ground up, achieving what took most of the top noble families several generations to accomplish. 

While my father was mostly interested in sticking his hands into Christian's pockets, my sister was looking forward to this meeting for another reason. 

According to a small group of women from a recent charity gala, Christian was supposedly also extremely handsome and a 'dream partner' for any single lady. Apparently, he was also recently listed as our country's most handsome man by a foreign top magazine.

I glanced over at Morgan and noticed her fidgeting with her hands. She looked so excited it made me want to laugh. Her desire to see Christian in the flesh was written all over her face, like a bright neon sign.

I turned my attention back outside of the window, checking out the towering mansions and villas of the most sought-after neighborhood in the city.

The house we arrived at was at the end of the cul-de-sac and on a small hill. It was a beautiful chateau-style mansion with perfectly manicured gardens and ponds. There were strategically planted cypress trees surrounding the property, creating a natural sense of privacy around the property.

The Moresi villa was also very large and luxurious; however, unlike this one that had life to it, ours felt more like a gilded cage, gaudy and cold, despite the excessive use of gold as décor.

As we pulled into the long driveway I noticed my father looking at my older brother. "Anthony, remember what we discussed. We cannot miss this opportunity!". His voice was cold, with an undeniable authority.

The car went even more silent as we all subconsciously held our breath. Anthony nodded respectfully and adjusted his custom-made suit jacket, sitting straight up. 

I always felt that this brother of mine was like a damp sponge, completely unremarkable. Even during his university years he barely managed to achieve average marks. His personality was also very meek and he never had anything interesting to add to any conversation.

I'm not sure what my father saw in him, alas, as the only male heir of the Moresi name, he was being groomed to become the next patriarch.

-

We finally made our way inside the beautiful chateau and were greeted by the head butler. He led us down a long hall, that was laid with black and white checkered marble tile, and into a formal sitting room. 

My mother eyed me to ensure that I was sitting straight before turning her gaze to Morgan. 

"Morgan!", she snapped her fingers. 

Morgan quickly stiffened, straightening her posture.

I wonder if Morgan will get punished as I did when I was caught slouching last time..,

We were only kept waiting a few minutes before the butler returned followed by an insanely handsome man. 

My eyes widened as I looked at him, taking in the sight of the man who resembled those statues of Greek gods.

He was tall, with dark brown messy hair and a strong jawline. But the thing that drew me in the most was his cold, deep blue eyes. 

I felt like those eyes could see through everything, through the façade that was my family. 

He rolled his sleeve up after greeting my father, exposing his muscular arm underneath.

I made sure not to stare too long because my mother was watching us closely and looked over at Morgan, shaking my head. She was practically drooling as she stared at Christian, her eyes glued to him, unblinkingly. 

As Christian entered the sitting room and greeted my father, the rest of us stood up, ready to greet our host. 

I quietly watched as Christian shook my brother's hand with a polite smile. 

My brother just stood there like a moron, hunched over with an unremarkable presence. I was sure the handshake they exchanged was as pathetic as his spineless personality. 

Father was there to intervene and patted my brother on the back. He quickly introduced my mother to Christian, tactfully pushing my brother to the side. 

My mother was, of course, graceful as ever. Her whole life revolved around etiquette, and it showed. 

All of her movements were mindful and elegant, not a single step out of place. My father loved her for this and it was thanks to her that our Morsei reputation grew to even greater heights these recent years. 

Many of the top families now used us as an example of how they should behave in upper society, referencing my mother's actions. 

Christian bowed to her respectfully and exchanged a few pleasant words. 

It was finally time for Christian to greet us. I stood one step behind my sister and watched as my mother and father joyously walked Christian over to introduce us. 

My mother did the honors and pointed to Morgan, "This is my eldest daughter, Morgan. She's twenty-two this year". 

Christian reached out to kiss the back of her outstretched arm, "It's a pleasure to meet you". His voice was deep and magnetic, even I couldn't blame Morgan for the way she froze from his greeting. 

She was so flustered that her body froze, causing her to stand awkwardly in place. Christian lifted his eyebrow, watching her make a fool of herself.

To save Morgan from her unknown embarrassment, my mother quickly pivoted Christian toward me for introductions. 

I looked up to find his deep blue eyes looking at me with an unreadable expression, and for a moment I felt like time stopped. 

The way he looked at me was different from any look I had ever received. It was deep and dangerous, almost like a hunter examining its prey. 

His eyes traced the features of my face, then down my neck.

My heart pounded violently, causing me to feel the pulse inside my head. I felt completely exposed, and even a little frightened---as if nothing could hide me from his gaze.

The clothes on my body felt like an illusion, serving no purpose beneath his gaze.

Quickly adjusting myself, I curtsied and then shakily stretched my hand out for Christian to kiss. 

His strong hand lifted mine, bringing it up to his lips. As his lips pressed down, I felt a heat spread throughout my body. The place where he kissed me was left burning even after he had pulled away. 

I felt Morgan's fiery stare on my outstretched hand. Her gaze hadn't left Christian since he entered the room, unable to look away. She was shooting daggers, seemingly jealous of my brief interaction with Christian.

My mother smiled, "This is my second daughter, Leslie. She's just recently turned twenty"

Once more, I met Christian's gaze as he greeted me, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Leslie"

I swear I could see something else in his eyes but I couldn't quite pick up on what it was. It made me want to look away, but my eyes had a mind of their own.

Even the way he said my name was different from when he greeted the others. I couldn't tell if this was an introduction or some kind of warning.