"It is the time you have spent on your rose that makes her so important. - Antoine De Saint.

As expected the dinner proved to be quite eventful if the number of suspicious glances moving in between them and around the table was anything to go by. The air was tense with unspoken words and it tortured Mirena to know that she may have been the main cause of it. Had things between them escalated this much? What kind of life had she been living if her only son was now staring at her as if he somehow expected the worst from her? The looks of steel coming from Katrina were also had to miss. She must hate her, Mirena thought. All the pain and suffering their ambitions had brought these children. Suddenly Mirena felt very remorseful.

"Look, I am very sorry." She said, setting her forks down. "I have not been the best mother Ryan and for that I apologise." The other two stopped eating and turned

"You may break, you may shatter the vase if you will, But the scent of the roses will hang round it still. -

Thomas Moore

Katrina took out a key and let herself inside. The heavy black door that matched the pillars and the mansion's tiled roof swung open. She took a step into the foyer and looked around. Ahead of her was a flight of stairs. To her right, the foyer opened into a front parlor and on the left was the living room. Everything was just as she had left it. The cream walls with light grey pillars, the black leather sofas including the dark velvet curtains that grazed the white tiled floor. Everything was the same as she had left it and still spotless. The cleaning lady and the housekeeper were doing a great job of keeping the house clean. It was a shame though because it would not remain the same after she was done taking it apart.

Katrina looked around one more time, her tho

"Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns." -Leigh Bardugo

"Ryan, your dad-"

"Good afternoon to you too mum." He greeted her, his mother, who was fidgeting with her black gloves and the small handbag gripped tightly in her hands. As usual Mirena Thorpe was looking as exquisite as ever in a black skirt suit and black kitten heels. Black stockings covered the entirety of her legs, from her knees, down her calves to the toes that were peeking out from the little openings at the front of her open-toed pumps. Her blonde hair was short, cropped, and as yellow as the blonde locks on her son's head and beneath the bangs were a pair of startling blues that Ryan must have inherited.

"I wish we had the luxury of that, but your father-"

"I know mum." Ryan cut her off. "He plans on cutting me off and to be honest, I do not care."

"Don't talk like that! With Lennita in Veterum, you are our o

"It is the time you have spent on your rose that makes her so important. - Antoine De Saint.

As expected the dinner proved to be quite eventful if the number of suspicious glances moving in between them and around the table was anything to go by. The air was tense with unspoken words and it tortured Mirena to know that she may have been the main cause of it. Had things between them escalated this much? What kind of life had she been living if her only son was now staring at her as if he somehow expected the worst from her? The looks of steel coming from Katrina were also had to miss. She must hate her, Mirena thought. All the pain and suffering their ambitions had brought these children. Suddenly Mirena felt very remorseful.

"Look, I am very sorry." She said, setting her forks down. "I have not been the best mother Ryan and for that I apologise." The other two stopped eating and turned to look at her with wary looks that were full of surprise. It was unexpected, she knew so, but Mire

Chapter 16