Page 6 of Flowers Near Me

CHAPTER SIX

THE FINE PRINT

PERSEPHONE

P ersephone 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?”

Peter turned to Persephone with a smile. “Oh, I assumed you two would stay up. Of course, our little night owl over here still woke up at five thirty, even after staying up past ten.”

Helena giggled.

“Are you tired?” Persephone asked as she sat next to Helena.

“Nope!”

So much like Laura. Her niece’s quirks and resilience mirrored her mother’s natural confidence, something Persephone had always tried to emulate, even if she’d never admit it.

Helena picked up a blue crayon and began shading the shirt of a figure on her paper, her little hands moving with focused intent. Calming swirls of blue and purple filled the page. Persephone found herself entranced by the simple rhythm of the strokes, the soothing colors, and the melodic hum of Helena’s song. The pressure in her chest slowly unraveled, tension bleeding away with each sip of coffee.

But two cups later, her mind began to spiral again. Why hasn’t Mom called me back? How did Hades manage to buy an app I already owned? Was Eurydice a traitor, or was she forced into it?

When Helena had to touch her aunt’s cheek to get her attention, Persephone snapped out of her thoughts, offering a quick apology. Excusing herself, she retreated to the guest room to grab her running shoes, sunglasses, and a baseball hat. Within minutes, she was outside, the townhouse door clicking shut behind her.

Sprawling oaks lined the sidewalk and the air smelled like laundry and baked goods. She walked past a woman wearing leggings and a fitted tank top with a yoga mat slung over one shoulder. Minutes later, an older man nodded a hello as he held the leashes of four tiny but vocal dachshunds. Eventually the sidewalk widened, and rows of bricked buildings turned into taller oaks and maples. A few fiery leaves peeked through the green branches. An iron fence spanned the perimeter of a grassy field with footpaths and flowering shrubs. Persephone rolled her shoulders back and picked up her walking pace. Parents pushing strollers lifted one hand in greeting, squirrels darted left and right on the sidewalk, and the crisp air grew heavy.

Reaching into her shorts’ pocket, Persephone pulled out her phone. There was one unread message from her mom, which she opened immediately.

Mom

Ran into issues. Will keep you posted.

Persephone’s heart sank. She typed back:

Persephone

Alright. Let me know what I can do.

She dabbed the sheen of sweat on her face, then pushed up her sleeves and continued on the park’s path. She drew deep breaths in and out, trying—and failing—to shed the worry at her mom’s reply. After fifteen minutes, she left the park and headed back to her sister’s townhouse when her phone pinged.

Laura

Get back here. Hell has broken loose.

Persephone

What happened?? I’m coming!

She broke into a run, halving the length of the return trip. Fates, what had Laura meant by that? Now her heart was racing so fast, she felt a pounding in her ears.

Parked outside the townhouse was a gunmetal-gray SUV with impossibly dark windows. Two suited men she didn’t recognize stood near it with arms crossed and tight frowns on their faces. Once she approached the front steps, they each gave her a smile and nod. Too confused as to what they were doing outside her sister’s, she returned the gesture and hurried to the townhouse’s entrance.

Skipping steps two at a time, Persephone launched herself towards the door and swung it open.

“Persephone!” Her assistant Hermes stood in the middle of the foyer, dark bags under his eyes and the tight curls of his hair tousled. Persephone rushed towards him as she yanked off her hat and sunglasses.

“Hermes!” They exchanged a brief hug. “Why are you here?”

Had he been crying? No tears lined his brown eyes, but the whites were red.

“Your mom asked me to stop here this morning.”

“Oh? Why didn’t you text me?”

“She said not to contact you. I’m so sorry. I really wanted to reach out, especially last night. I can’t believe this is happening.”

Her coffee churned in her stomach. A mix of low voices sounded from the kitchen. “What’s going on? Did Hades steal the flower app?”

“Don’t you know? I thought you signed the new agreement?”

Lightheaded, Persephone gripped Hermes’ arm. “What new agreement? Is my mom here?”

“No.” Hermes gulped. “Has anyone from the office talked to you?” He looked as sick as she felt, his tawny complexion grayer than its normal, warm hue.

Shaking her head, Persephone begged, “Please tell me what’s going on.”

“You might want to sit down,” he began. But the unmistakable sound of a determined god approaching from down the hallway made Persephone and him stop in their tracks.

A shadow loomed beside them. Then, a deep voice said, “Go on, Hermes. I’m eager to hear your explanation.”

Hermes’ throat bobbed before he shot her a sympathetic look then fled into the kitchen. Some help he was. She could hardly blame him.

With the fiercest scowl she could muster, she straightened her back and leveled her eyes at Hades’ self-satisfied face. She was Demeter’s daughter and wouldn’t tremble before anyone. Especially not him.

“ Hades. ”

His smug expression turned sinister as he smiled at her, displaying brilliant white teeth. “Good morning, Persephone. It’s nice to see you again so soon.”

The last thing she needed was to exchange pleasantries with him. “Where’s my mom?”

“She’s not here, but I have her on the phone.” Hades reached into his pocket and pulled out his device. One tap on the screen then he said in a cold voice, “Demeter, I’ve got Persephone.”

Her voice sure and strong, she asked, “Mom?”

“Persephone, listen carefully. You’re bound to a six-month contract with Underworld Unlimited as the spokesperson for Flowers Near Me . Hades will fill you in on the rest of the details.”

“No, I’ve signed nothing with them. I signed with Eurydice, an independent developer.” She glanced at Hades, and he raised his brows in return.

In a flat tone, her mom replied, “Hades owns the patent for the technology used in the app. Any contract signed thereafter becomes his.”

Persephone blinked. No. That wasn’t possible. It wasn’t how this worked. She knew contracts—she’d studied them, obsessed over them, ensured every clause protected her.

She glowered at Hades. He grinned back at her. He thought he’d won, but there was no way he could’ve pulled off something like this.

Persephone’s voice was strained as she said, “No, Eurydice owns the patent, not him. I made sure of it.”

“Not anymore. She sold the patent to him.”

This was the first bit of good news she’d had all day. “Then the contract she signed with me is void if she didn’t own the tech at the time of signing.”

She heard her mom clear her throat. “Normally it would be void, but you forgot to include a key clause in your contract. Had you consulted with me first, we wouldn’t have made this mistake. But alas, you didn’t and the contract you drew up didn’t include any dissolution clause in case of an existing patent. Eurydice is still part-owner and any contract she enters must be reviewed by the patent’s co-owner, Hades. It’s his to decide now.”

“That can’t be right. The legal team reviewed it and accounted for existing IP.”

Demeter’s audible huff sounded. “No. IP law isn’t some magical catchall that protects you from patents, Sephy. You should’ve talked to me first. I’d never make this mistake. And unfortunately, Hades caught your misstep.”

Persephone’s heartbeat pounded in her head. If it was up to him, then maybe she could convince him to dissolve it? Why would he ever work with her? There was no way he actually wanted her to be the spokesperson now that he owned all rights to the app.

The bite of shame sunk its teeth into her and she stared at the floor. How could she look at the rival who’d bested her? It didn’t matter that he was a god. She should’ve known better. Mom would’ve known better. She’d never be president of Demeter’s Bounty now.

Interrupting her thoughts, her mom added, “Hades is offering you a six-month employment term to avoid binding you to a lengthy non-compete. I suggest you take it. Don’t make a fuss and don’t involve my team.”

The strong tone of her mom’s final statements left no question. There was nothing her mom could do right now to reverse it. That didn’t mean Persephone gave up hope that she’d get out of it. Demeter just needed more time, and Persephone needed to play nice long enough for things to get sorted.

Hades held up one finger to Persephone. “Demeter, is there anything else you want to say to Persephone before you hang up?”

Persephone’s mouth dropped open and her brows pinched as she stared back at Hades and held her breath. Hades’ word may be law in Olympus, but he had no right to keep her from speaking to her mom.

“You’re bound to the six-month agreement, Sephy. Don’t fight it when there’s too much to lose.”

Was there regret hiding in her mom’s words? Sadness? No one trusted Hades, least of all Demeter. How could she abandon Persephone to him now? Why wasn’t she berating him? Her mom was the most cunning god she knew; there had to be a reason she wasn’t fighting this. Now Persephone needed to keep calm despite fear filling every cell of her being.

Hades bent towards the phone. “Take care, Demeter.”

He ended the call and smirked at Persephone.