Chapter 15 - Decisions.

"Where's my father?"

Cara asked as she reached her parents apartment.

The housekeeper Mrs Amber was very surprised to see her.

She was a slim petite woman that only started working for her parents a few years ago. Cara didn't know much about her except that she was very good at her job.

Her parents have had lots of employees in their home, it wasn't easy for Cara to keep up with them all and apart from the woman who had been her nanny, Cara had not expected Mrs Amber to have survived working for her parents for so long.

"Cara, your father isn't home. I don't think anyone's expecting you."

Cara sighed.

She should have called, but there was really nowhere else her Dad could have been than at home.

That was what she thought.

"My mother? What about her?"

"She's inside. Do you want me to get her for you?"

"That'd be all Amber. No need."

Cara's mother said as she walked out of the hall.

She was dressed in white pants and a silky floral blouse. Her dark brown hair, just like Cara had been cut short a few days ago.

Her mother had a small smile on her face as she hugged her daughter.

"Oh you look like a complete mess! What the hell are you wearing?"

She scrunched up her nose at Cara's outfit but what she was wearing was the least of her worries.

"That's not why I'm here. Where's Dad?"

She asked and her mother shrugged.

"He's out."

"Out where? I'm just coming back from work and Alex is there and he has made some pretty big changes."

"I don't understand! Why didn't anyone tell me anything about this?"

From the look on her mother's face, it was obvious that she knew exactly what her daughter was talking about.

"Sweetie, sit down for a minute. Would you like something to eat or drink?"

Cara rolled her eyes and she settled in a chair and groaned in relief. She forgot how comfortable the seats could be sometimes.

Her parents apartment was a classic old new York apartment that Cara had lived in briefly as a teenager. Her parents loved the design so much that they decided not to renovate and leave it exactly the way it was.

It was also one of the things her parents had fought hard not to lose.

"I don't want anything. I just want to know what the hell happened today "

"I need an explanation. Did you know this was going to happen?"

She asked as she turned to her mother who hastily shook her head.

"Sweetie you know that if I knew I'd be the first person to warn you about it. Your father only told me when it was done."

Cara sighed

"He didn't tell me he was going to let Alexander take over the company."

Her mother put her hands on Cara's shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I know how much it meant to you. But you should have known that the moment your father made that deal with Thomas there was no way he'd have full control over the company."

"It was always going to be theirs. That's why you're getting married to Alex."

"At least that way the company will always still be yours in a way and in the family."

Cara scoffed.

"I'm so sick and tired of you guys making all these crazy decisions about how I'm supposed to live my life. It's annoying."

She pushed her mother's hands away from her and her mother blinked.

"It's only because we want the best for you. Alex is a great catch."

"And the Greenes are wonderful people."

"Alex?!"

Cara exclaimed.

Of course, they'd think he was a great catch. Because his family had money, that was the only reason they thought so.

"Great catch? We don't even get along! And he didn't have the guts to tell me what was going to happen. Do you even think I love him?"

Her mother rolled her eyes.

Then she sighed as she shook her head.

"I knew something was wrong with the both of you at the dinner. Come, sit, tell me what's wrong."

Cara quietly obeyed and let her mother gently stroke her hair.

"I don't want to marry him Mum. I don't love him."

"And what has that got to do with it?"

Her mother asked and she turned and looked at her mother and stared stared at her incredulously.

Her mother sighed.

"Marry for love?! That was a pretty dumb thing to do back in my days."

"Alexander is a fine young man, I'm very sure you will grow to love and care for him as the years go on."

Cara shook her head strongly.

She didn't see that happening. At all.

"Fine young man? You don't know him! You've barely sat down and had a conversation with him."

"Oh Cara I know all I need to know about Alexander and trust me he's a good enough catch."

"Besides, there is really nothing you can do."

"What are you going to do? Call off the wedding??"

Her mother said as she chuckled and Cara slowly looked away.

The thought has crossed her mind more than a few times and that night after she had slept with his brother she had tried to.

But then she had been made to remember that she wasn't particularly in the relationship out of choice, no not really.

Her mother gasped.

"Cara Kinsley Devine! Are you trying to call off the wedding?!"

Cara shrugged as she stood up and left her mother's side

"The thought has crossed my mind a lot of times. It seems like a perfect idea."

She turned and found out that her mother looked horrified.

"You will do no such thing!'

"Why?"

Cara asked as she watched her mother's dazed expression. She found it quite funny.

"Why?! Because you simply cannot call off the wedding. What would people say? What would they think?!"

"They'd assume the worst of us! They'll think there's been some sort of scandal or wonder if you've been caught in some kind of illicit affair."

Cara's heart leaped as her mother mentioned the word 'scandal' and affair and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

Eager to change the topic, she cleared her throat quickly.

"Mum! Mum! Seriously stop... I was just thinking about it I never said I was going to actually do it."

She lied smoothy and her mother sighed.

"Well get such terrible thoughts out of your head! You almost gave me a heart attack."

Her mother put her hand on her chest as she collapsed back on her chair, fanning her face dramatically.

"I have to go. Call me when Dad's around. I have to get back to work."

"Are you sure you're okay Cara?"

Her mother asked and she nodded.

"I guess I'll be fine."

Her mother turned to her with a serious look.

"You have to go through with the wedding and marry Alexander. You know just how much it means to this family."

"Whatever problems you have with Alexander. Make it work Cara."

"Make it work."

Her mother repeated and Cara nodded as she looked away, blinking away salty painful tears threatening to drop.

Ugh! She needed to go somewhere and she needed a drink.

It was still early in the day, but she was sure she could find someplace to put all her sorrows.

"Bye Mum!"

She said and her mother called her back and gave her a hug.

It was warm and soothing, exactly what she needed.

"I promise you Cara, ten years from now when you have kids and you're enjoying your tenth anniversary on a beach in the Bahamas while soaking up the sun, you're finally going to understand what a great decision we've made for you."

Cara frowned her face.

Oh she highly doubted that.

She was going to have to need a lot of convincing to have kids with Alexander and she definitely felt like they wouldn't last that long.

Her mother had too much faith in their relationship.

Cara didn't know if it was simply because her mother refused to acknowledge what a disaster they were together or she was simply too oblivious to the truth.

Either way, she didn't want Cara to call off the wedding.

And Cara knew that her father would feel the same way too.

Her fate was sealed.

She found herself at the rooftop lounge she had been in with Nicholas earlier

She had no idea why she was there.

And for several minutes she had stayed in her car contemplating her decision to go there.

She could go anywhere.

Anywhere else.

Why did it have to be the one place she felt she genuinely talked and had a connection with Nicholas.

And why was she going back there?

She sent him a quick text, silently hoping that he wouldn't see it or he would ignore it.

She had already convinced herself that he probably wasn't going to be there.

But the minute she set foot in the rooftop lounge, Nicholas was the first person she could see.

Sitting at the bar with his phone in his hand.

He had looked up instantly and saw her looking at him.

Cara murmured under her breath.

She was fucked.