Cornelia's POV

The sun reflected off the tall glass building brilliantly in the mid day sun. Having grown up in France, I wasn't used to the large scale on which New York City lay. In fact I must've looked like some awe struck tourist to most instead of a young twenty something looking to get her first job in business.

My palms were sweating and I had to clench my jaw to keep my teeth from chattering. This wasn't an ordinary interview, if all went well I might actually meet my father, for the first time in my life. My father, the man who gave me life. For years I had been wondering what he was like. I wanted to know everything about him, his smell, the way he wore his hair, even the type of toothpaste he used. Most people don't know what it's like to have no idea where half of you came from. It's like this void that you can't fill, no matter what you try.

This is the time where people usually ask why I haven't met my father. Well, my life is what you would call complicated. So I guess I should bring you all up to speed.

My mother was the crown princess of Monaco Blair Cornelia Waldorf Grimaldi. I say was because after about twenty years in her thankless marriage she was able to get a divorce. And where was I all this time, like I said I was in France. My oh so wonderful stepfather sent me off to boarding school in France when I was three. I was just a dirty little secret to him. He couldn't have anyone knowing of my mother's little accident.

So I spent the next twenty years living in France. I too young to remember my parents and after a while I became convinced that I was an orphan. My only comfort was Sister Margaret. She was one of the teachers at the school, which as you can probably tell was catholic. I was basically living as an orphan. My parents didn't want me so I lived at school all year round. One day as everyone was leaving for the holiday Sister Margaret found me in the library crying? I was upset that I didn't have anywhere to go for Christmas. So she took me in to her home and treated me like a daughter. I grew used to spending holidays and summers with her so you can imagine my shock when one day my mother showed up to take me home.

After fifteen years of wondering where I can from my mother showed up. I could tell she was my mother because of her hair. She had the same long chestnut curls as I had. To be honest it was sort unbelievable that this woman was my mother. She was so young and beautiful but at the same time she was everything a mother should be. She smelt of honey and lavender, she was soft to touch and for some reason I fit perfectly in arms like we were made for each other. This was my mother, Blair Cornelia Waldorf and I Cornelia Rose Grimaldi was not going to lose her again. I was moving to New York.

All I could do was ask questions. Where was I from, why had she given me up and most importantly who was my father? Blair was very open about most things. She told me that when I was born she was married to Louis Grimaldi the crown prince of Monaco. Naturally I thought I was a princess but of course life couldn't be that good to me. She told that the prince wasn't my father; she had been with another man before she married the prince. It wasn't good press for the new princess of Monaco to be carrying the child of another man so Louie went cold. He insisted that Blair go through with the wedding and honeymoon as planed. He made her agree to a twenty-year marriage contract and sent me away to France. So my mother spent the next twenty years living in Monaco pretending to be happy. And eventually she was able to get out of the marriage. And the first thing she did when she left Monaco was finding me.

So now I knew why I didn't know anything about my parents for most of my life. But there was one thing missing. She wouldn't tell me who my real father was. She said that he broke her heart and she had forgotten about him a long time ago. Apparently he wasn't someone she wanted in her life.

So tried to forget about my father, whoever he was. I spent the next week being introduced to the people who apparently made up my family. There were my grandparents, Eleanor and Cyrus, who was technically my step grandfather. And there were my almost aunts and uncles. These were the people who were closest to my mother. They were the Van der Woodsens, Serena (my mothers best friend since childhood), her brothers Dan and Eric and her parents Rufus and Lilly. My mother told me that they were like family and to treat them as such.

Throughout all of the introductions and settling in mom made sure that we spent as much time together as possible. She would take me out to dinner or shopping on Madison Avenue. Then one night we decided to stay in, just order out and watch a movie. That was when I got up the courage to ask again, I thought maybe she had a change of heart. So looked her straight in the eyes and said, "who is my father?"

I half expected her to stomp out of the room but for some reason she just sat there and stared. "You have his eyes…" And then she started to cry. I didn't know what to do so I just sat there silent. After she had calmed down a bit I snuggled back up to her.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked."

"No, no you have a right to know who your father is. I just haven't thought about him in a very long time."

"Why?"

"Because he broke my heart. We were both young, nineteen years old and deeply in love. Then tried to get me to do something awful. You see we both came from very well known families and his was the richest in all of New York. His father owned most of the buildings on the Upper East Side and when he died your father took over the whole corporation. Then one day his uncle decided that he wanted everything and convinced everyone that worked for your father that he had a right to run the company. So when your father tried to fight back he did the only thing he could think of. He offered me up to his Uncle. After that I left the country for Paris where I met Louis. I thought nothing would come of it but I was wrong. He followed me back to New York because he had fallen in love with me. I thought I had gotten over your father and after a hasty courtship I agreed to marry Louis. But then your father showed still in love with me. He was the love of my life but after what he did to me I didn't know weather I could trust him ever again. He told be that he had changed and that he couldn't live without me. We ran away together for one amazing night. And then when I was about the break it off with Louis he walked way. He said that he couldn't take care of me the way Louis could and that I should forget about him. So I went on as planned, the princess to be. But when Louis found out that I was pregnant with another mans baby he went cold. He told me that our marriage was all for show. He said that if I didn't stay married to him then I would have to pay a dowry. This was a huge sum of money even for me so I agreed. He sent you off to boarding school and kept me trapped in Monte Carlo. But I never forgot about you're father."

"Wow, that's amazing and crazy and just…wow. Does my father have a name?"

"His name is Chuck Bass. Listen to me Cornelia. I don't want you trying to find him. He won't want anything to do with you. Do you understand me?"

So I spent the next month trying to not think about my father. I focused on getting to know New York and making a new life for myself. I even started to look at colleges. I thought maybe I could try and be normal for once but I couldn't get his name out of my head. He was a part of me and I couldn't ignore that. So one night as I was about to go to bed I thought I would just try searching his name. Apparently he was one of the biggest real-estate owners in the United States. Bass Industries owned half of Manhattan and operated hotels in 75 countries around the world. I wanted no needed to know this man. As much as I loved my mother and our new relationship he was a part of me.

So I hatched a plan. Bass. Industries gave daily tours to prospective applicants and business students. I signed up for a tour under a fake name so know one would suspect. I was now Rose Cornwall, business student at NYU. I thought maybe if I could get myself into the building my father would be there. So that Friday I told my mother that I was going shopping with Serena and that I would be back later that day. So I slipped out and took a taxi down Park Avenue. And that's how I found myself standing in front of the Bass Industries building preparing myself for a day that could possibly change my whole life.

I hope you guys liked the prologue. The actual story will focus on Cornelia trying to reunite Chuck and Blair. If you guys want more remember to write a review. Xoxo