Selena returned her cup to her mouth and took another sip of tea.

"Mum, why on earth is Lia coming back to the house?"

"Are you feeling threatened by her presence?" Selena asked her cup to make light contact with her bottom lips.

"Feeling threatened?" Isabella laughed. "Is that why you can now boldly threaten me about cutting me off from the family of because you feel Lia will take over my position?" Isabella continued with a croaky laugh.

Selena remained silent as she looked Isabella in the eyes.

"If anyone should be threatened by Lia's return, it should be you mum," she finally concluded as she leaned back in her seat, her bag on her lap.

"Why should I be threatened by Lia?" Selena inquired, her face altering expression.

"Because bringing an illegitimate child close to an empire that you suffered to build with Dad is a lot of risk" responded Isabella.

"Lia is a wild dog, but she can be tamed," Selena said firmly.

"Till she shows you that she has outgrown being a wild dog into being a wolf,"

"I would advise you to be more concerned about your position, because your father is ready to push you off the table and replace you with Lia if she proves to me to be more competent than you," Selena answered as she stood up, dropping her cup back on the table.

"We can now go pick the flowers we came for," she said as she walked away.

Isabella finished her muffins and quickly wiped her hand and mouth before standing up. She quickened her pace so she could catch up to her mother, who was already on her way down the stairwell. When they returned downstairs, Selena spoke a few words to Rosy before leading them through a door behind the counter.

The interior chamber she escorted them to had a variety of plants and flowers arranged in flower pots of varying sizes. The temperature was cool, and the aromas of the flower lingered thick in the air.

There was a group of individuals going about the area, led by an advance guy dressed in a well-ironed white coat. When he saw Selena and Isabella approaching with Rosy in front, he lifted his hands to notify them. "Selene Bancroft," he called out "Dr. Ben," Selena said, smiling. As he came up to Selena, he signaled a young girl who was tending to some flowers on a table opposite him to take over directing the group he was guiding. "It has been a decade since I last saw you" smiling to Isabella "look how grown you are Isabella" he stated.

"Hi Dr Ben, it's been a while since I saw you," Isabella said, reciprocating the smile.

"Don't exagerate so much Dr Ben, I haven't had enough time on my hand to come pick flowers by myself, but since I am having a special event today, I decided to clear my schedule" Selena said with a grin.

"Wow! That's fantastic; we have a lot of freshly delivered flowers and plants for you to choose from," Dr Ben added.

"Interesting, and I'm right on time," Selena said. "Come over here with me," Dr Ben said as he led the way.

"Over here, we have the Ghost orchid," Dr Ben added, pointing to a neatly placed pot of flowers with a white shimmering human drawn like flower. "Uhmm," Selena remarked as she moved her nose closer to the flower, "it smells fruity, I like it." Dr Ben smiled broadly before heading over to the next table, which held another species of flower, a crimson heart-shaped blossom with an extension on the end. "This is a bleeding heart flower, one of the rarest species of flower in the world," Dr Ben delighted them. One can tell how obsessed he is by the way he talks about the flower with huge smiles on his face.

"It looks exactly like its name," Isabella commented.

"It doesn't have a strong definite scent, I don't like it," Selena stated after sniffing it.

"The beauty of this flower is in its shape alone," Dr Ben said, still smiling. "Let us keep going round," he added.

Another magnificent species of flower was on the next table they walked up to; it was planted in a flower pot that was different from the ones they had seen; the flower basin it was in was rectangular and wide in shape, with the flowers arranged in rows.

"This is another magnificent flower called the bird of paradise," Dr Ben added, his palms extended wide.

"It looks like a bird about to take flight," Isabella added, smiling.

"This also doesn't have a strong unique scent," Selena frowned as she got closer to sniff it. "No Selena, the beauty of this flower lies in its appearance and is also chosen for that just like the bleeding heart flower" Dr. Ben went on to say. "I am more attracted to flowers with great scent than their look Dr Ben, you ought to have known that by now" Selena answered with a grimack on her face.

"Oh Selena sweetie, please forgive me for skipping that. Come on, let me show you the Chocolate Cosmos flower, you're going to love it," Dr Ben said as he led them deeper into the room.

They passed many tables with various species, shapes, and colors of flowers before Dr Ben came to a halt in front of one.

"I present to you the glorious Chocolate Cosmos flower," Dr Ben said, compassionately. "Wow! "It smells like a dark, lovely chocolate," Selena added, smiling. "This is what you call maginificenté," she said with a Spanish accent as she drew her head back, closing her eyes lightly as if it would help her meditate properly on the fragrance of the flower.

Isabella also went down to sniff it, saying, "This is heavenly, I feel like licking it."

"I told you you'd like it," Dr Ben replied cheerfully, like a child who had finally been able to please his mother.

"I have one last masterpiece for you Selena," she continued, striding briskly away to the table behind the chocolate cosmos flower. "Over here is the Tuberose," he added, pointing to a pristine white flower in a flower pot.

"I've heard so much about the Tuberose flower; it's nice to finally meet it," Selena blushed. "Rich and creamy, just like I expected," Selena said after sniffing it.

"It also looks good," Isabella added. "The glory of this flower is both in it looks and its fragrence."

"That is a wrap Dr Ben, I would love to take the Chocolate Cosmos flower, the Ghost Orchild and the Tuberose flower" Selena went on to say.

"Nice choice Selena, you both can wait here and enjoy the view of the flowers while I go tell Rosy to come pack up your order for you" stated Dr. Ben as he headed out the door.

"I would advise you to be like the Oleander flower, you should be extremely beautiful on the outside and toxic when bitten by your enemies" Selena said sternly. "A threat is coming and you have to watch your back" she added.