Page 11 of Flowers Near Me

There was a brief quiet on her mom’s end until her sigh broke the spell. “The damage is done whether you like it or not. People are saying you’ve jumped ship to Underworld. How can I justify your position to the board now? They were already wary after you went public as my daughter.”

Persephone felt the anger rising in her veins. “That wasn’tmychoice to announce our relationship and I’m not jumping ship,” Persephone hissed as she braced her damp back against the kitchen wall.

Her mom asked, “How selfish can you be?”

Persephone took a deep breath and rubbed her forehead. “I won’t go through with any of this. I’m calling it off with the developer once we hang up.”

“At this point, I don’t care what you do.”

The dismissal in her mom’s tone triggered a rush of adrenaline. She fought it off with another slow inhale.

“You and I both know that’s not true. I’ll fix this. Yes, the press is alarming, but nothing we can’t navigate. I’m sure Hermes is scrambling as we speak to draft my public statement refuting Hades’ claims.”

“Don’t put out a statement until I’ve talked with our lawyers and PR team. And send me that Fates-damned contract immediately.” Demeter yelled the last bit.

“I’ll do that right now, but I’m putting you on speaker so I can open my email.”

“Just send it,” Demeter snapped.

Standing nearby, Laura rolled her eyes, mutteringtypicalunder her breath.

Persephone opened her email. To her horror, her inbox had exploded with a slew of unread emails from Underworld Unlimited. Each one with attachments and subjects starting with “Please sign and return ASAP.”

Poor Hermes.If her assistant had already caught wind of this disaster, then he was probably pacing around his loft, yanking his curly hair. For his sake, she hoped he hadn’t checked her email after work.

“Alright… I just emailed you and your PA.”

“Got it. Don’t talk to anyone until I call you back. You know how Hades is with contracts. If you make any more mistakes, it could cost us every cent we’ve earned this year in profits.”

The racing of her heart threatened to cut off her voice, but she managed a reply. “Of course. Keep me posted on what the team says.”

Persephone ended the call, silenced her phone, and wiped the sweat from her brow. Laura squeezed her shoulder. “Don’t worry. If anyone can fix this, it’s you. Plus, Mom won’t stay mad at you for long.”

She doubted her mom’s rage would subside soon, but she appreciated Laura’s confidence. There had to be a way to get out of this mess, she just needed to figure it out.

CHAPTER SIX

THE FINE PRINT

PERSEPHONE

Persephone counted twenty texts she’d sent to her mom. Each with the same question of,What can I do?All receiving versions of the same reply.Stay put,and,Don’t know yet.Disappointment filled her when she saw the last text in their thread was the one she’d sent right before she tried to fall asleep. Persephone had only managed four hours of sleep and woke at six a.m.

No word from her assistant, Hermes, either. Perhaps he hadn’t caught wind of the announcement and was sleeping in after a packed night out. Who would blame him for his fun? He was much younger than Persephone and she appreciated his zest for life.

After a quick shower, Persephone dressed and stretched. The tightness in her jaw and neck loosened, and her thoughts soon turned to coffee. After putting on some tinted moisturizer and a decent application of mascara, Persephone looked as put together as she could, given the circumstances. Now, wearing loose jean shorts and an oversized sweatshirt, she could pretend for a bit that it was a normal Saturday morning.

The buttery smell of pancakes and the sound of Helena singing greeted her as she entered the kitchen. Helena was coloring at the kitchen island while her dad tended the stove.

“What a pleasant pair you two are,” Persephone said as she kissed the top of Helena’s head.

“Good morning. Are you hungry?” Peter asked.

“I’m good. Thank you.”

Persephone touched the coffee pot and relished its warm exterior. She grabbed the large mug she’d used last night and rinsed it in the sink.

“Sorry I kept Laura up late. How did you sleep?”

---