Chapter Ten: Getting Cold Feet?

EMMETT ALBREICHT

After Emmett drives his fiancee home, he and his parents finally arrives at one of their mansions at the Metropolitan City. His parents will be going back to the Albreicht Estate in the countryside tomorrow. His parents prefers to live in the countryside area since the noise and the big crowd in the city makes them exhausted.

"Son, do you have a minute to have a drink with me at the mini-bar? Your mother and I will go back home tomorrow, so I want to have a bonding moment with you before we get busy with the wedding preparations." Mr. Albreicht smilingly suggested to his son.

"I like that idea, Dad. Let's go." Emmett nodded in approval.

After a few minutes, the father and the son duo are now enjoying their own alcoholic drinks. Mr. Albreicht is drinking rum, while Emmett is enjoying his own glass of brandy.

"So, tell me son. Are you really inlove with Amanda?" the old man gave his son a surprising question.

"What kind of question is that, Dad?" Emmett curiously asks his father.

"What's with that reaction? Is it too difficult to answer my question?" Mr. Albreicht did a follow-up question, instead of answering Emmett.

Emmett took a quick sip from his brandy glass before he speaks again.

"It's not hard to fall inlove with Amanda. She's a strong, smart and independent woman and I like her for that." 

"But how about her flaws? Are you willing to accept her weaknesses as well?" Mr. Albreicht  asked again, while giving his son a knowing look.

"Well, it's part of the package. I should accept everything about my wife." Emmett answered in a casual manner.

Mr. Albreicht poured another shot of of rum on his glass and drank it one shot.

"You know very well that your mother and I were arranged to be married by your grandparents. It took us a year before we were able to adjust to our married life, and it took us another year to finally fall inlove with each other. And then you came along, and I can say that I'm the happiest I've ever been. But to make the story short, being in an arranged marriage is not the end of the world. Maybe it's too early for me to say this, but you and Amanda would be a great husband and wife and parents in the future." the old man gave his son a piece of advice.

"I'll remember that, Dad. Thank you and cheers!" Emmett raised his glass for a toast.

Mr. Albreicht raised his own glass in the air as well, and clinked it with Emmett's glass.

His conversation with his father got him thinking... What does she really feels about Amanda, his future wife? He is sure that he is physically attracted to her, and she likes her personality as a modern woman. One of the reasons why he wants to push through with this wedding  is because he is not getting younger, and he wants to settle down. Another reason is, he also thinks that that Amanda is the best candidate to be his wife. She's a kind of woman who knows what she wants, and she's not clingy and dependent.

But one thing is for sure. He is physically attracted to Amanda, but it's too early for him to say that he is inlove with her.

But it could also be possible that he'll end up falling inlove with her as time goes by...

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LARA SMITH

It was abother mundane day at work. Lara just finished cleaning the Women's Comfort Room at the 16th floor of Etoile Cosmetics Building. She is now going to the penthouse, where CEO Amanda Montserrat's private office is located. She is assigned to clean the CEO's office.

Lara is now inside the elevator, when it suddenly stopped at the the 1th floor. Her eyes widened in utter shock when she realized that Miss Amanda Montserrat is stepping inside the elevator. As per protocol, the CEO should be using her own and private elevator and he or she shouldn't be using the regular employee's elevator.

"But why is the CEO using a regular employees' elevator?" Lara asked to herself, while she is still in state of shock.

Her train of thoughts stops in a halt when Amanda Montserrat suddenly spoke.

"Oh, hello there! The other elevator got some issues so I have to use this elevator. I hope I'm not disturbing you or anything?" the CEO spoke, while looking apologetic.

"No, not at all Miss Montserrat! Please use this elevator at anytime for your own convenience." Lara responded, as she tries her best not to panic and look stupid infront of her boss.

"Thanks!" the CEO chirped, then afterwards, she pressed the "close" button and pressed the "P" button which means the "penthouse."

After doing all those things, the Boss turned her attention back to Lara.

"Please, you don't have to be too formal. You can just call me Amanda. By the way, what's your name?" Amanda started having a friendly conversation.

Lara gulped down an imaginary lump on her throat and she forces herself to speak.

"I'm Lara Smith. Nice to meet you." there, she finally responded without looking so dumb.

"Great! So, where are you off too?" Amanda started talking again.

"Oh, I was assigned to clean the penthouse today." she responded.

Lara doesn't have any idea if today is her lucky day or not. Part of her mind says that it is day today because she was able to have a face-to-face encounter with her idol, Amanda Montserrat. Another part of her mind says that she's not that lucky because her Boss saw her in her not-so-great moment, wearing her old and grey one piece jumpsuit and she looks so boring compared to her Boss who looks so beautiful and sparkling.

Amanda is the sparkly Queen while she's an old depressed pauper.

Oh my goodness, now she wants to be like Amanda Montserrat so bad!