The Grand Mistress

Everyone knew what a Brielle Doll meant and it sure isn't an ordinary doll. 

It used to be a socialite' doll and once they became a trend a few decades ago when wives of significant powerful families around the world brought them to luxurious parties to flaunt their wealth. These dolls were considered as their mini's and so they were dressed up expensively just like their rich mistress. Henceforth, Brielle dolls were then considered as a luxury item and a sign of status.

Around the world, only a dozen of Brielle Dolls were made and five were still owned by powerful families while six had been displayed in big museums. Only one doll had been missing and only now that Mr. Wandall had found it.

"A Brielle Doll? Impossible!" Erwan looked at Serafina with great incredulity.

"Even it was the great Mr. Wandall himself said it, it seemed surreal to me. How could the Monteria own such a treasure?" The crowd was frantic like how Erwan was feeling. It was true that the Monteria's were rich but their level of richness wasn't the type that could own a Briella Doll. Brielle Dolls were once owned by princesses and queens, something that the Monteria's status could not match up to.

"Mr. Wandall, are you certain about this?" Erwan almost laughed at his conclusion.

"Are you questioning my ability Mr. Zhao?" His frightening eyes shut him off completely.

"No! No! Mr. Wandall.. I'm just…" 

"May I know your name Miss?" Mr. Wandall heaved a sigh at the boy's foolishness and turned to Gabriella's side. He became interested in her specially because she owned one of the world's greatest treasures he could only dream of having.

"Gabriella Monteria, sir," She answered and this caused Mr. Wandall's brow raised.

"Interesting," he commented in a pleasant surprising tone as if he did not expect such an answer. Just like Erwan, he could not imagine how the Monteria's could afford the girl such an extravagant treasure. "May I know where you got this doll?"

"It was an heirloom. From my mother, the only thing she left me," Gabriella answered and Mr. Wandall kind of got the situation. It had been of everyone's knowledge that the first Madam of the Gabbro Monteria's household died after she gave birth to a daughter. While Mr. Wandall was still full of his thoughts, Madam Razeila and the rest of the visitors, the significant ones, gathered toward them. The little commotion earlier didn't give them much of an interest so they separated themselves from the young blood's chaos but the appearance of Mr. Wandall caught all their attention that suddenly they already wanted to check what the chaos was all about.

"Gabriella my dear!" Mother Lilith immediately exclaimed when she saw that her stepdaughter was the center of attention there. She certainly did not expect she would be involved in such a commotion since she  had carefully instructed her not to cause it and wait at the sidelines.

Gabriella's father, Gabbro, was also surprised but instead of coming to her daughter's aide, he chose not to, although  his eyes very much wanted it. It had been a long time since his daughter had not returned home and it was only then that he had seen her but immediately he wished she should have not just attended the party.

"What do you think you are doing?" Madam Lilith paced the whole room toward Gabriella and chided her gently. Then she turned to Mr. Wandall and apologized. "I'm very sorry sir. My daugther—

"Madam Raziela, what a surprise…" Mr. Wandall turned his head to the matriarch of the Monterias. "How come you had never told me your granddaughter owned a Brielle doll?"

"A Brielle doll?" Madam Raziela was confused. She flushed a rather hesitant smile not sure how to respond on such a statement—not comprehending whether Mr. Wandall meant a mockery or a compliment.

"Your granddaughter, Miss Gabriella, owned a Brille Doll. She says it was her an heirloom from her mother," Mr. Wandall gave way a bit so that all the new comers can get a view of Serafina. "The previous Madam of the Gabbro's household must be a very great woman. Very interesting,"

The guest and even the Monteria's themselves was very surprised with Mr. Wandall said. They all looked at Serafina, the doll they all considered trash with so much incredulity. That doll had been with them for decades and yet they were all oblivious to its true value.

"Mr. Wandall, I think you are wrong," Madam Lilith tried to discredit it as like her daughter Angelisa, she was convinced the doll was just nothing. "There is nothing of great value of this toy,"

"A toy?" Mr. Wandall seemed to have heard an insult. He looked at Madam Lilith from head to toe and said, "Madam, it was obvious you have no eyes for good treasure. How can you conclude then that this was just a mere toy?"

"I...I…." Madam Lilith shrinks at everyone's disgusting eyes. Every guests and elites knew Mr. Wandall had keen eyes for treasures and no can simply discredit  him unless you had great credentials that match up his profile.

"My old daughter-in-law was a very good hearted person," Hearing that what Mr. Wandall intended it as a pure compliment and that unexpectedly, Gabriella's heirloom was indeed of great value, Madam Raziella used the situation to their advantage, so she praised Gabriella's mother. "Someone must have given this to her as a reward for her goodwill,"

Everyone nodded their heads in pleasure at the thought of how the Monterias suddenly owned a very controversial, expensive luxury item none of the significant families in the city can match. They then all turned to Gabriella and started giving her attention. 

"Hmmm… this granddaughter of yours is very beautiful," A lot of the guests complimented and it was true. Among all Gabbro's children, Gabriella had the most exquisite unique features that most of them thought she was a foreigner. 

"The most beautiful among all the Monteria heiress I could say," The praises for Gabriella began that both Angelisa and Madam Raziela could only fake a smile at it. Of course they cannot blatantly criticize Gabriella or else the whole city will know how they were all bullying her and would only put Erwan and Angelisa to a negative spotlight.

"Ah Erwan Zhao must be so lucky to have been engaged with her," One of the guests carelessly commented. Although the despicable couple was on the news lately, surely not all elites keep up with the news so some remained uninformed about the breakup of the original couple.

"Pssst! They are not engaged anymore!" Someone chided and the ambiance sure went awkward. Angelisa then was holding her fist, almost could not withstand such a humiliation but the warning glare of her grandmother halted all her plans to throw tantrums.

"I am not anymore engaged to him," Gabriella cleared as she had seen the troubled expressions of all the Monteria's present, specially all the elders.

"Oh really how is that so my child?" The others then who were still not aware of the situation inquired. Some people could not just withhold their curiosity so they all went on asking without restraint.

"I….I….everything...I mean," Gabriella just couldn't bring herself to lie to so many people. She lowered her head hoping she could just provide the answer that would not bring her to a difficult situation especially that all the Monteria elders were there.

"My granddaughter Gabriella wanted to be a nun," It was Madam Graziella who brought up the answer. She then turned to Gabriella with a victorious smile. "This granddaughter of mine wanted to dedicate her whole life to the church,"

"Oww!" The crowd grasped at the answer. Rumours had been going around that one of the couple cheated but there was no official believable statement that had been released. Hearing such words from Madam Raziela herself, then the crowd was surprised as the rumour did not say anything about Gabriella wanting to become a nun. 

"Ah so that was the real reason for the break up!"

"Omygod! Gabriella Monteria wanted to become a nun!"

"Don't you think she's too beautiful to become a nun? What a waste of her beautiful genes,"

"Don't say that, being a nun is a very humble profession. Besides it was not rather shocking for any Monteria heiress to pursue  a humble profession at church as they were all good and religious people,"

Gabriella could only smile half heartedly at the announcement. It was rather a better answer than people going around saying it was she who cheated Erwan but despite that, she felt intensely upset at this. 

Of course people did believe her grandmother and so all the elites now will think it was really what she wanted. They all surely expected to go into the nunnery very soon and that kind of put so much pressure to become one even when she didn't really want to. Did her grandmother intentionally announce it so it would be hard for her to back out?

Surely, she will get negative criticism if she backs out. What was she going to do now, should she really pursue such a profession?