The Hidden Heiress is Back

"So you‘ve finally decided to attend the banquet," Amelia Quinn asked in a rather delighted tone, retrieving her phone from between her shoulder and cheek as she straightened her back excitedly. She had been trying to convince her daughter to debut in high society, but she had been rather uninterested in such matters. "Have you decided on your escort yet?" "I haven't thought that far yet.” Venus paused at the question her Mom threw at her on the phone. “Besides, it's a masquerade ball. Is it necessary for me to bring an escort? Dad plants a lot of undetected bodyguards everywhere I go anyway. What could go wrong with going alone?" "My dearest, you don't plan on attending just so you could be a wallflower, do you?" 'Welp! She totally saw right through me.' Venus thought. In truth, she was only attending to indulge her mom and hope that after this, she would stop bothering her about her social life. She chose this specific event among all others for one thing--- she needed not reveal who she was and peacefully move on, living her life as a “normal” person afterward. "I'm only going because I won't need to reveal my identity, Mom. My brothers are too much of an eye candy. I bet flies would swarm around them the moment they step into the banquet, even with masks on." Venus groaned, remembering how noble and notable her brothers looked. "Touche." Amelia nodded in agreement. At this point, she wouldn't even dare to probe further in fear that her daughter would change her mind. Her priority was to make sure she attended. "Then, how about that guy?" Venus halted, taken aback by the question. She didn’t expect her mom to include her boyfriend to such an important matter. “You mean, Ceddy?” "Yeah, that shady guy,” her mother answered, playing with rhymes. “Are you sure you'd like to continue seeing him?" She almost groaned at her words. She had always known that her mom was not fond of him, but she never directly opposed, in fear of creating a gap between them. “Well,” the young lady in a beige knitted sweater smiled softly and continued on her tracks despite the sting in her heart. "My dad and brothers said they have enough money to support me for a thousand lifetimes no matter how luxurious I live. So, even if I fall in love with a fly, it won't be a problem," she answered with a chuckle before sipping on her Frappuccino. Those were the words of her eldest brother when she voiced her concern regarding arranged marriage. In the circle of old money, treating marriage as another business transaction was a common practice, and she didn't want that for herself. "That's..." Amelia hesitated. As much as she wanted to give her child a piece of her mind, she didn't want to ruin the mood and create any unnecessary fights between them. In fact, she was grateful that her daughter trusted her enough to reveal this relationship to her from the very start. "That's true, but that fly should at least not be sketchy." "What? You haven't even met him yet." Venus giggled at her mom's remark. "My Ceddy is not sketchy at all! He's an honest and sweet guy--- and he's cute."
 "Hmmm..." Amelia Quinn replied in a serious, displeased tone. Perhaps they have spoiled and sheltered her too much that she became quite clueless on how the world works. "But you just admitted he's a fly."
 Venus wrinkled her nose at her remark. Her mom was not really the type to look down on people, but she gets too overprotective when it comes to her children. Regardless, she appreciated her mother's consideration over her relationship so far, considering she hasn’t meddled with them. "That was just a figure of speech in a general statement! I didn't mean that he's, specifically, the fly." "Honey, I think that's just your instinct knowing what he is." Though she was glad that her daughter was happy with that guy in the past 6 months, she still felt uneasy about him. "Then, how about this--- if he's a good man like you said he is, take him as your escort at the cruise soiree next week."
 "That's..." she trailed, halting over the entrance of her mom’s main boutique. She knew exactly what event madam Quinn was talking about, and not only was it one of the most exclusive events of the year for the elite of elites, but it was also hosted by one of the biggest conglomerates in the world. "Haven't you been seeing each other for 6 months now? Surely, you don't intend to keep your real identity from him forever, do you?" "Well---" That's true. Cedrick might be from the prestigious Gunner family, well-known in the food enterprise, but they would seem like a fly on a lion's mane compared to her family. A smile formed on Amelia's lips when she heard uncertainty in her daughter's tone, even over the phone. She knew her well, after all. Her suggestion was not really to encourage Venus to take her relationship to the next level by revealing who she really was, but to test to see how much her child trusted him and how deeply she was attached to him. Perhaps, there was nothing she should worry about, after all. "Well if you are that confident that he really isn't some fly, you should let him know your real identity." Of course, there were a lot of risks involved in this, if Venus truly accepted the challenge. Nonetheless, her family could just deal with that guy in a snap of a finger if he acted out. "He's not a fly. He's just---" "A mosquito?" "Mom! That's not very nice." She lightly told her off with a soft laugh before she regained her composure and continued her steps. In all honesty, she wasn't a hundred percent sure if she should tell him either. Her whole life, Venus had to conceal who she truly was for her safety, as well as so she could live a normal and peaceful life. Was a 6-month-old relationship long and deep enough for her to give that amount of trust that might cost her life?
 "It can't be that you've dug him up, though, right?" She probed with a raised eyebrow as she stepped foot into Aphrodite. The exquisite combination of pearl and sapphire hues, accented with a soft glint of gold, was the interior that welcomed her eyes. White and beige marble floors and walls gave the place an air of Greek Royalty, enhancing the elegance of the deep blue sofas. Intricate moldings, columns, and arches made the high ceiling seem like the heights of Olympus. The whole place was designed in such a way that would make guests feel like actual deities— very fitting for the seven-storey building, standing like a queen at the heart of the fashion capital. "Of course, not!" Her mom exclaimed over the phone. "You trusted me with this, so I respected your privacy. I even bribed your father so he won't meddle in your business or tell your brothers." "Wait, dad knows?" she asked, gracefully gliding towards the reception desk. "Honey, you dad might not be the talking type, but he is definitely the stalking type." Venus couldn't help but giggle at her mother's harsh remarks about her dad. She couldn't really get mad at him since she knew the root of his overprotectiveness over her. Besides, though he planted bodyguards to keep her safe, these professionals are undetected even by her, so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable with them following her around. "But kidding aside," Amelia spoke once more in a serious voice. "It seems that you're not confident he isn't a two-faced, either.”