Chapter 98 Test Question
She stood there silent for a moment, letting herself take several calming breaths before finally finding the strength to walk back into the living room.
Forcing a smile to her face, she sat back down on her seat, smoothening her dress and trying to hide her discomfort.
"So," Tori was the first to speak up. "I heard your business is doing well, you are the CEO I presume?"
"Yes," Cara tried to keep calm as she responded. "Yes I am. I uh recently took over the company from my dad. It has been just a year plus though."
Tori nodded her head softly and majestically. The woman made Cara feel so tense, to her, every single movement that Tori made was queenly like and oozed of full born royalty.
She did not even want to look at Marcus because his silence alone weighed heavily on the room already. Eye contact with him could break her soul and cause her to squirm.
"How does it feel taking care of a responsibility as big as that?" Marcus suddenly spoke up and Cara felt her heart stop for a brief moment.
She turned to look at him, trying to keep her posture and her back straightened. "How does it... Feel?" Her perfectly shaped brow twitched upward.
Marcus gave a nod before explaining further. "You know being a CEO is a big duty that comes with an even bigger responsibility. Some people feel like quitting every morning when they wake up for work, some others have gotten accustomed to it because it is what they have to do. What about you? How do you feel? What is your own perspective?"
Now that he had broadened his question, she understood what he was trying to ask. She opened her mouth to explain but something told her to stall.
What if it was a test? What if her reply would determine something big? After all, the Armani family lived to do business, they were a conglomerate family and their daughter in law should know how to be one as well.
She let her lips fall tightly together for a second to gather her words thoughtfully then opened her mouth to explain. "It was a sudden change for me, I had not expected my dad to hand over the company for me when he did. Ever since then, my life changed... Drastically." She let out a soft chuckle and continued.
"It is a great responsibility indeed, shouldering everything that I have to, it is stressful for me, tiring, time consuming and also draining me physically and mentally.
"But I made a promise to my dad that I would make sure the Smith's company is one of the best companies in the world and I mean to live by that promise."
Marcus stared at her like he was expecting more. "So," he finally spoke up. "The only reason you are doing this is because you want to live up to the promise you made to your dad?"
"At first, yes." Cara responded, her voice was more confident than it had been before and she seemed less tense as she spoke. "But along the line, I have come to the realization that I have achieved a lot of things that I never thought I would achieve in a million years.
"Not just in the monetary aspects. I have some assets now with great value such as connections, friends, and many more. I have come to enjoy the responsibility. When I am working during the day, it is stressful to me but when I think back on everything I have done, it brings a smile to my face and anything that makes me smile is worth doing."
Marcus nodded his head thoughtfully. Just then, the Cook came and announced that their meal was ready and served. "Well," Marcus said as he rose to his feet. "Let us eat." He turned and walked away.
Tori rose to her feet and ushered Cara to follow but Cara could not help but to hold her hand and stop her for a second.
Tori looked back at her and waited for the young woman to speak.
Cara did not know whether what she was about to do was the smartest move yet but she had to ask. "I am so sorry if this is disrespectful but I am afraid and curious. Did my answer... Perhaps... Displease him?"
Tori broke out in a soft laughter. She reached out and took Cara's hand in hers. "Oh dear, you see, my husband is always like this with people he meets for the first time. It takes time for him to adjust properly with anyone, a lot of time. Believe me. He was like that with me when our parents arranged our marriage. It took him years to warm up to me. All it takes is patience and you need to keep trying."
Cara was surprised, she had not guessed that the famous Armani couple were brought together through arranged marriage. They seemed to love each other a lot and maybe they did!
Maybe arranged couples-- or some of them-- finally learn to love each other and they end up spending eternity with each other.
But that wasn't the only thing that surprised cara, it would take Marcus years to warm up to her that was if he accepted her into his family at all.
How many years would she have waited-- if she was lucky enough to be accepted into their prestigious family-- before she would be able to call him father in law with her full chest?
Would she ever be able to look him in the eyes and call him her family? Would she ever be accepted into their family?
Now she knew why Romeo wanted them to keep the pregnancy a secret, he wanted his parents to like her and accept her for who she was not because she was carrying their expected grandchild.
Romeo was always so thoughtful, he had never ceased to surprise her. For him, she would do all she could to make sure they would be impressed by her.