Secretly Mine

A little over a week later...

The house was buzzing with excitement. All of the maids were running in and out of Morgan's room, carrying various articles of clothing.

I was still under 'room arrest,' though the restrictions weren't enforced, allowing me to venture out into the hallway whenever I pleased.

Everyone ignored me as they went about their business until Morgan caught sight of me in the hallway.

"Ah, Leslie. Do try and stay out of my way today. I'm being nice enough by allowing you to attend my special day even though you've embarrassed our family with your nefarious acts," she said smugly.

I replied with a bright smile, "No worries. I'll keep to myself. I wouldn't miss this wedding for the world."

Today would be the fateful day that I would finally leave this family and house for good. I walked back into my room to gather the few things I cared about: Christian's golden, my purse, and a few important documents I would need if I had to deal with any government-related things in the future.

The clothes, the shoes, and the makeup could all be replaced and didn't hold any sentimental value to me. Plus, Christian's closet was already filled to the brim with my clothing, so I didn't have to worry about not having anything to change into for a while.

Just as I placed the few important items into my purse, a maid came over to deliver the gown I would be wearing for today's important event.

"Madam asked me to deliver this to you. Please wear it for today's wedding," she said before leaving to continue her tasks.

I brought the box over to my bed and opened it. Inside was a pure black dress. It was well-made, but it was ugly and not suitable for a woman my age.

Only someone much older could pull off the long satin sleeves and the somewhat awkward shaping around the midsection. It was surprising that my mother would choose something so unsuitable for me.

It was most likely at Morgan's request.

She most likely chose this black gown so that I wouldn't stand out during her wedding, but she failed to realize that I would most likely be the only one wearing black that day, causing me to stand out regardless.

"Oh well. What I wear today doesn't matter," I mumbled before changing into it.

I spent only a few minutes doing my hair and makeup, keeping it light and casual. As long as I looked presentable, nothing else mattered.

The dress, as I thought, looked horrible. It made me look bloated and disproportionate, causing me to let out a small laugh. I walked over to the full-sized mirror in my room and snapped a photo to send to Christian.

<Look at the wonderful dress I get to wear today. It was specifically selected for me to wear to your big day!>

A few moments later, the phone buzzed.

<You look as beautiful as ever.>

I shook my head with a smile on my face. His response was exactly what I had expected. I could probably wear a plastic bag, and he would tell me that I looked stunning, actually believing it.

<How are things on your end?>

<Good. Everything is ready. Zach and his uncle have finished all of their preparations. Everything should go as planned.>

My grip tightened over the phone. This was it, the big reveal and the end of the Moresi legacy. I knew that I should feel at least a little sad or unwilling, but that wasn't the case. Every day that had passed after the incident with Karl, I felt less and less a part of this family.

It got me questioning if I had ever really felt like a part of this family.

Shaking my head, I snapped out of my thoughts. There was no use in thinking about all of that now. What was done was done, and even if I had wanted to change things, my father's sins were too grave to do anything about.

---

As we arrived at the hotel venue, most of the preparations were getting finalized. Hotel and party planning staff were busy putting up the last of the flowers around the entrance.

There were so many different flowers that I was certain that every forest in the city had been cleaned out of its entire inventory.

"Look, Mom! Isn't it beautiful? asked Morgan.

"Mmm, it is. Let's hurry up to the bridal suite. The hair and makeup artist is waiting for you. We only have a few hours until the ceremony begins," she smiled softly.

Both of them hurried inside the hotel, and I followed behind, admiring the sea of flowers. It reminded me of my office and how it looked after all of the flower deliveries Christian sent.

I followed the decorations to the large hall that Christian booked for the ceremony. Initially, my mother was unhappy that the main service wouldn't take place in church, but Christian left little room for negotiation.

It's probably better not to invite a police raid into the church...

The hall was set up to accommodate at least a thousand guests, which only meant that my mother made sure to send an invitation to everyone in the entire city.

The more people, the more witnesses for what's to come.

I took a seat in a quiet corner before a hotel staff member walked over to me. "Excuse me, Miss, but there's been a delivery for you. Could you follow me?"

Surprised, I looked up at her. "For me?" I asked again.

"Yes," she nodded. "For the Second Miss Moresi."

I stood up and followed her out to the front desk. When we arrived, she handed me a large black paper bag with a logo I didn't recognize.

"Thank you," I said, accepting the bag.

I made my way over to the ladies' room down the hall before opening the bag. Inside was a matching box with the same logo.

"I wonder what this could be," I said under my breath as I opened the box.

My eyes widened as I finally saw the contents. Inside was a black gown, but without even pulling it all the way out, I could tell that it was stunning.

A warmth spread through my chest. Christian must have sent this over after seeing my complaint about my dress. He had so much to take care of today, yet he still managed to do this for me.

Without delay, I walked into one of the changing stalls and changed out of my awkward dress and into the one that Christian sent.

The moment I stepped out of the stall and looked in the mirror, I was stunned at how beautiful it was. It made me wish that I had put more effort into my hair and makeup.

Pulling my phone out of my purse, I snapped a mirror selfie and sent it to Christian.

<Thank you for the dress. It's breathtaking.>

Christian replied before I had a chance to put the phone down.

<Where are you?>