Spy

The next morning, I heard a soft knock on my door shortly after I woke up.

"Second Miss, Madame sent over these clothes for you to wear today", a maid said from the other side of the door. 

I walked over and opened the door to accept the box. 

"Thank you. Is Father awake?" I asked softly.

"Master is awake and meeting with the young master in the study", she answered curtly. 

I nodded and thanked her for the information before closing the door once more.

-

Inside the box was a white knee-length dress and a pink tweed blazer. As usual, the clothes were made of exceptionally high-quality materials.

"Looks like mother is trying to leave a good impression", I mumbled before getting dressed. 

It would only be a little longer before I got to see Christian, causing the excitement to begin to bubble up inside of me.

After I got ready, I left for my father's study. A part of me was nervous to hear what he had to say, but another part of me was excited to actually speak with him in private. 

I rarely spent time with my father, even as a child. He was always too busy focusing on money and the fame of 'the House Moresi' to actually pay any attention to us.

Anthony was the only exception to that since he was going to be the next patriarch, even though he didn't have a single leadership quality in him.

As I walked down the long hallway towards my father's study, my mother found me and walked over.

"Good, the overall design of this outfit suits you. I'll place another order," she said, walking around inspecting me. 

"I also want to let you know that your behavior at the engagement party was exceptional. You showed great virtue when you retired early, garnering the praise of all of the Madame's present," she complimented me.

I smiled, bowing my head slightly. It was rare to receive praise from my mother, but I was smiling for a totally different reason.

If only you and the other madams knew that I didn't sleep at all that night, I wonder what you would be saying then.

I lightly tapped the pocket of my blazer, feeling the gold chain rattle inside. An even bigger smile blossomed on my face.

"Remember to be mindful of your every action while you're there. You will be representing us as a family", she finally finished her speech.

"Yes, Mother. I'll be on my best behavior", I replied and continued towards my father's study.

The heavy wooden double doors felt imposing and grand, covered in intricate carvings. I could count on one hand the number of times I've been inside, and even then, those were mostly in my childhood.

I reached over and knocked a few times.

"Enter"

My father's cold voice called from within. I gently opened the door and entered, waiting at the entrance.

"Ah, it's you, Leslie. Come over, I have a few things to say", he ordered.

I walked over to his desk, which was filled with many papers and folders. Before I had a chance to glance down to see what they were, my father quickly gathered them up and placed them inside the desk drawer.

"Leslie, I know that you care about our family. Tell me, do you understand the importance of keeping Christian close to our family?" he asked, leaning back in his large leather chair.

"Yes, Father", I replied, looking at him.

"Good. Now, the reason I'm allowing you to go to work is so that you can keep an eye on things. I want you to keep track of who he meets with and if any of our rival families try to curry favor with him."

My hands trembled slightly. He was essentially asking me to be a spy at Christian's company.

"Can you do this for me, Leslie? Can you help our Moresi family rise even higher?" he asked, looking directly into my eyes.

His oppressive tone sent a shiver down my spine. I felt like I was being suffocated by my father's own hands. 

"Yes, Father", I replied in a barely audible voice. 

I never thought that he would send me in to be a spy. His ambitions led him to send his own daughter to do the dirty work for him. 

After calming my mind, I took a step backward to leave, unsure of how to process his request.

"Oh, before you go. Karl will be visiting more often in the future. Be sure to attend to him well whenever he's around."

My body froze. I couldn't understand what my father saw in him. 

Why Karl? Why could it not be anyone else?

"Father abou-"

"You're dismissed", he cut me off with a cold look before looking down at the document in his hand.

I had no choice but to swallow my words and walk away. The last person in the world I wanted to see was Karl. 

His beady eyes appeared in my mind, showing off his undisguised hunger and lust for my body. Morgan's words about him having deviant tastes rang through my head, sending a shiver down my body.

The moment I walked out of my father's study, Morgan's sharp nails dug into my arm as she dragged me down the hallway. 

"Listen, sister. I know that Christian doesn't give two shits about you or the stupid little job you'll be doing there. Just remember, he's only letting you work there because of ME. So if you want to keep your stupid little job, remember to keep a close eye on any sluts that go near him!" she hissed.

I ripped my arm away and took a step back, rubbing the places where her nails dug into me. 

"I already agreed to do this for Dad, don't worry. I'll tell you if I see him with anyone, but I don't even know if I'll be on the same floor as him", I snapped back.

It was harder for me to remain civil with Morgan after her open hostility, but I still had to keep a degree of innocence around her.

"Good. Remember, Christian belongs to me. So be a good little girl and keep your eyes from wandering, else I'll make sure your life is a living hell!"

Without waiting for me to respond, she turned around and donned her most dazzling smile, greeting the nearby servants. She turned to face me once more, except this time her face was full of happiness.

"Have a wonderful day at work, dear sister! I'll be praying for you to succeed!"

Her fake, high-pitched voice was so nauseating that I couldn't even bring myself to act along. I simply dished out a meek smile before walking out of the front entrance to the luxury car that was waiting for me.

My family is becoming more and more intolerable. I need to find a way to deal with Karl.

As soon as I sat down, the driver set off into the heart of the city.