Clifford"s brows wrinkled because he was puzzled with Ingrid"s remark. "Won? Did I join some contest?"Ingrid rolled her eyes and hissed angrily while her best friend was so amused with her reaction.
"Look, I went here because I accompanied Clark and we need to talk also, alone." Clifford looked at Ingrid then to Liane.
"Uhm, so you mean that Clark and I need to leave or both of you need to leave?" Liane"s brows rose as she asked no one in particular.
"No." "Yes." Ingrid and Clifford simultaneously answered Liane.
Liane raises her hands and said, "Okay, okay... you know what? I think both of you should go out and have some time to talk and leave Clark to me." then she moved her gaze to Clark and go to his side "...because I miss this cutie patotie so much!"
"I guess, Liane is right, we need to talk outside far from the distraction." Clifford agreed to Liane"s suggestion.
Ingrid then took a deep breath and nodded. "I could no longer evade this, might as well face this and then move on."
"Okay, where to?"
"You"ll see..."
Without delay they left the mansion and went at the outskirt of the metropolis where there is an overlooking view of the city.
"WOW!! Gosh! The view, this is breathtaking! How did you find this?" she looked at Clifford with so much amazement.
The air is so fresh that she filled her lungs with it as if she is inhaling a very sweet-scented perfume. The surroundings gave her such a calming effect.
"I did not just find it, but I am planning to buy this."
"Are you kidding me?!"
"Yeah, I am serious, after with so much consideration I"ll buy this place. But tell me, what do you think of this place? Is this worth investing?" he asks her casually and Ingrid looked everywhere and mentally calculated and a.n.a.lyzed the potential of the place for business.
"If for business, such as overview hotels, restaurants are possible, but I think this place is perfect for a home." Ingrid smiled at the thought of home, because this is her ideal place to put up a home.
The serenity of the place is calling her to stay; she could imagine the late night talks with some friends, the pool party with family, holiday seasons with her loved ones.
Little did she know that Clifford was only staring at her and was pleased at what he is seeing in her reaction.
Clifford then cleared his throat. "So, I bought you here not to talk about the place but about the result of the DNA test. Honestly, I don"t know what to expect about the arrangement after the announcement. Knowing that you and uncle John had an agreement to, you know...." Clifford trailed off and did not finish what to say and just gulped his saliva as he recalled the agreement they made which makes him nervous.
"I am a woman of my word and I will do what I say I will do. But I"m pleading you, let"s not do it in a hurry because I need to rebuild myself yet again." she faced Clifford and stared at him straight to the eyes and continued to speak what"s on her mind, "By the time that I am already prepared to commit myself to you, I"ll marry you and I believe that by that time I have already choose to love once again. I could not give Clark a family that is only built by hasty agreement and that is not bound by love and commitment."
"Ingrid, I want to give this a shot, too. I have so many inhibitions, too, even a little fear. But then I need to try to know. The same as you, I want to give Clark a family that is build on trust, commitment and love." Clifford uttered sincerely.
To get married is also hard for him because he already had planned out his life but fate has other plans, besides he is already a father. Taking deeper breath, he asks,
"So...Can we start to have a dating relationship today? And after seven months, let"s go here again on the same date today and then we must both decide if our relationship could progress to marriage or not."