After finally moving to the dining room I hoped that Georgio would grant me a moment of peace and quiet while he ate, but unfortunately, he had other plans.
Should I fire the chef?
The food failed to capture his attention, subjecting me to more of his unnecessary flattery. Looking around the table, I noticed that most of the Moresis were uninterested in the food, instead staring at me like hungry dogs.
Yep, I should definitely fire the chef…
My eyes traveled to the end of the table where the youngest daughter was quietly focused on the food in front of her. I subtly watched as she happily took a few bites of food, her eyes curving into crescents.
The pure bliss on her face was a refreshing sight, making even me want to try the food.
On second thought, the chef worked hard.
My mind replayed the scene from our brief introduction. She seemed different from the rest of her family, but I wasn't sure exactly how.
I turned my head to glance at the elder sister, who was staring ever so passionately at me. This was the type of look I was used to, often getting it from the many ladies of the upper society.
"Your quick decision to acquire the land in the auction last month was truly brilliant!", said Georgio, his voice laced thick with praise.
I snapped out of my thoughts and smiled politely at him. He's been spouting these empty words of flattery nonstop since he arrived, and honestly, I'm a little surprised he could come up with so many.
When dessert finally arrived my eyes automatically hovered to the end of the table. I wanted to gauge how much of a raise I would give the pastry chef today.
Following the trajectory of the spoon in her dainty hand, I watched as she took the first bite of the cake. Immediately after, her cheeks flushed and a small smile formed on her lips.
"Christian, I'm not sure if you've had a chance to review the proposal I sent over recently, but I really believe it would be beneficial for the both of us", Georgio's voice brought me out of my thoughts once again.
I reluctantly turned to face him, "Yes, I've read it through. However, I couldn't help but get the feeling that it was rather one-sided".
His proposal was indeed very one-sided. He would gain millions while I would barely make any kind of profit.
I didn't dismiss it outright because I wanted to know how far he would go to achieve his goal.
Show me. I want to know how far you're willing to go.
His flustered expression made me want to laugh. Inviting this snake was worth it just for this moment.
Excuses and various explanations came rolling off of his tongue. He even brought up the Moresi reputation and how they could be trusted.
Ah, I'm not so sure about that.
I sat quietly waiting for him to finish. I was truly curious how he would weasel his way out of this.
"Christian, how old are you this year? Twenty-seven right? Have you thought about getting married?", asked Georgio.
I froze at this question. Of all of the solutions I anticipated, I did not expect him to put such an offer on the table.
After the initial shock subsided I resumed my polite appearance and replied generically, stating that I hadn't considered it.
In fact, I truly hadn't considered it since my thoughts only revolved around my business and the different ways I could destroy the House Moresi.
This could be an interesting change of plans.
The rest of the family seemed as surprised as I was at his not-so-subtle suggestion.
"Well, what do you think about my daughter, Morgan?", he finally asked, motioning towards Morgan with his eyes.
I turned my head to look down the table, catching the shocked expression on Leslie's face before turning my attention to Morgan.
The blonde older sister looked like she was either about to have a heart attack or explode. The petite woman hadn't touched a single grain of rice, too busy lusting over me to function.
At least she'll be easy to control.
After some quick thinking, I felt like there could be some use to this proposal.
A marriage to the Moresi family will grant me insider access, allowing me to accomplish my true goal. Let's see where this ends up.
Seeing my thoughtful expression, Georgio suggested speaking privately in my study and I readily agreed.
He seemed just as eager to marry off his daughter to me as he was for me to accept his shitty business proposal, and I couldn't wait to figure out why.
As we entered my study, I motioned for him to take a seat at my desk.
"Christian, if you marry my daughter, the benefits of the Moresi Family will be yours. Think of this business deal as an investment for the future", said Georgio with a slight grin.
Yes, a future investment indeed, when I use this marriage to slowly destroy your family bit by bit.
"Let's talk logistics, since your proposal isn't on a time constraint let's revisit it after I marry your daughter", I said blatantly.
Georgio's eyes lit up, "I'm glad to see you so smitten with my daughter! We can arrange this marriage to be next week if you'd like!".
I chuckled at his words, "While your daughter is indeed very beautiful, I'm afraid that next week is too soon. I have a number of important meetings and projects happening currently. Let's aim for next year".
Georgio frowned, "Isn't next year too long?".
I simply smiled back at him. This proposal was something that he wanted, so the ball was in his court.
"Very well, we'll do it your way. My only request is that we announce the engagement publicly this month", he finally said.
After thinking about it for a minute I agreed, "Very well, I can agree to this. We can meet in a few days to discuss these arrangements as I assume your wife would like to be included in the planning".
Georgio laughed heartily, seemingly very happy. This was to be expected as the deal was still very one-sided and in his favor, but at least now, I had options.
We made our way back downstairs after making plans to meet again on Sunday to meet up with the rest of the family.
As I stepped inside of the sitting room my eyes subconsciously drifted to the end of the room, searching for the familiar brunette.
Her expression was very different from the one she had at the dinner table, a lot more somber and withdrawn.
I wonder what happened for her to appear this downcast.
Georgio was rounding up the family to head home, walking over to meet with Anthony. Lucia led Morgan out first while the rest followed closely behind, leaving Leslie alone to follow.
I felt the air in the room change, causing me to hold my breath.
For the brief moment we were left alone together in the room I felt the inexplicable desire to push her against the wall and take her right then and there.
My eyes traveled down her beautiful body, committing every curve to memory.
Get a grip of yourself, Christian! She's a Moresi!
It was a fleeting desire that made me question my own sanity.
I must be ill from Georgio's nonstop yapping.
I choked back the desire but as she walked by I got a brief whiff of the sweet scent of her perfume. It smelt like a mixture of honey and vanilla with a few earthy notes, sending all of the blood in my body southwards.
My mind went blank as my mouth moved on its own.
"Have a good night, Leslie".
She smiled politely, unaware of my internal struggle, and continued on, unfazed by my presence.