A soldier in black stated loudly, “Poppy Carvene.”
All eyes inside the room suddenly went on alert, more than a few gasps were heard. My father was legendary. And so was his hatred for anything corporate—especially for Mr. King who ran it all. The other candidates’ reactions weren’t surprising.
“Poppy Carvene,” the soldier repeated.
I lowered my fork and stood.
I kept my shoulders back and my gaze straight.
The eyes spearing me with curiosity were mostly annoying, though my cheeks blushed in shame. Word would soon get out that General Carvene’s only child didn’t agree with his politics. This would hurt him in some circles.
He was tough, though.
My father hadn’t held his position for over thirty years without knowing how to deal with problems such as this. There had been many men who had tried to usurp him only to be burned down. Sometimes literally.
His contacts were endless.
I followed the soldier out of the room, thankful when he shut the door to the dining hall behind us, effectively cutting off the gossip murmuring through the crowd.
The soldier peered at me from the corner of his eye while leading me down a hallway to the back. “You’re really General Carvene’s daughter?”
I ground my teeth together. “I am.”
He grunted and turned his eyes forward. “You won’t have it easy here during the tests. Those recruits will be brutal.”
“Because of who I am,” I clarified.
“Yes.”
“I know.”
His eyes flicked to me once more, glancing down my body. “Do you think you have a chance?”
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”
He chuckled. “Spoken like a general’s child.”
“Meaning?”
He stopped and opened a door for me. “Don’t let your pride get in your way.”
I stepped into the room and stared back at him.
I didn’t have a superiority complex. Not at all.
He didn’t enter the room with me. “Good luck.”
He shut the door, the wood only inches from my nose.
“Ms. Poppy Carvene?” a woman asked from behind me.
I quickly twisted and wiped away any surprise.
The room wasn’t empty.
Five CA soldiers were sitting at the back of the rectangular room. There was a long table in front of them with tablets for each person, and a lone chair sat facing their group. The room was white. Completely white, including the furniture.
Interview time.
