Later that evening, after hours of planning, Elena finally settled on the first flowers she wanted to plant. She carefully listed them down on a sheet of paper, her handwriting neat yet slightly rushed from excitement as she couldn't wait to hand over the list to Nana. At dinner, she finally and proudly slid the paper across the table toward Nana, who took one look at it and let out an exaggerated sigh.
"You don't even rest or wait before planning, child. You had only just got the greenhouse today," Nana commented, shaking her head in amusement.
Elena who after handing over that list, immediately focused on her meal, didn't reply immediately, her mouth was full, and she could only grin, her cheeks slightly puffed from the food. The smaller, more intimate dining room they had chosen felt far more comfortable than the grand dining hall, which always seemed too vast and empty and without Lorenzo's presence, the place had an eerie hollowness to it, making her meals feel lonelier. But here, sharing a meal with Nana, the warmth of the conversation made her feel at home.
Nana picked up the list again, scanning through the contents carefully as if what was written was something she has knowledge on. The entire sheet was filled with names of flowers, herbs, and exotic plants that Nana couldn't identify and raising a brow, she asked, "Is this all?"
Elena shook her head immediately.
And that earned her a pinch on the cheek. "Don't overdo it," Nana chided, though her tone was gentle and playful. "This list alone is already too much for one person to handle. Don't do anything that'll harm your health, child"
Elena rubbed her cheek, laughing. "Apart from the first thirty, the other seeds can be preserved for later. I need those first ones, I...I want to try something new."
Nana's gaze dropped back to the list, her expression thoughtful as she spotted a few plants she had never even heard of. After a moment, she folded the paper neatly, tucking it into her pocket with a satisfied nod. She patted the pocket delicately, her lips twitching into a small smile. "I'll keep this safe and make sure you get your seeds, little one. Can't have my ancestors looking down on me in disappointment."
Elena chuckled at that, shaking her head as she continued eating.
Dinner was almost finished when Saif, who had been silent throughout the meal, suddenly lifted her head. She hesitated for a moment before speaking, her voice laced with a rare uncertainty. "Nana…" She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Can I learn from Elena and work with her in the greenhouse?"
Nana didn't answer immediately. She simply leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms as she regarded her granddaughter, this child was always meek except during training sessions. "That's not up to me," she finally said. "You should ask the owner of the greenhouse."
Saif turned to Elena then, her usual nervousness momentarily vanishing. She straightened her back, her expression growing professional and serious just like the first time Elena had met her. "Miss Elena," she said, "May I assist you in the greenhouse? I want to learn."
Elena was silent for a while, watching as Saif fidgeted under her gaze. Finally, she leaned forward, tapping a finger against her chin as if in deep thought.
"You can help tend to the flowers," she said at last. "As for learning how to make perfumes… that will depend on your hard work." She didn't give a definite promise on teaching her on how to create scents as that was her family's legacy.
Saif's face brightened, her lips parting slightly in surprise. Then she nodded, looking at Elena with determination.
With that, everyone finished their meal and retired to their rooms.
---
After showering, Elena sat on the bed with damp hair, absentmindedly running her fingers through the strands. The room was quiet, save for the occasional rustle of fabric as she shifted on the bed. Her mind, however, was far from quiet, it was full of the thought of Lorenzo. He consumed her thoughts.
She had spent the entire day distracted, laughing with Nana, planning for the greenhouse, yet her thoughts had kept circling back to him. It wasn't intentional, but at the same time it was unavoidable.
She missed him. The realization hit her hard. She missed him so much.
Elena exhaled sharply, flopping back against the bed. The ceiling above blurred slightly as she thought back to that night when he had pressed her against the cold surface of the fridge, her body in between his hot body and the cold surface, to the moment his lips had pressed against hers. The memory was vivid—too vivid. His warmth, his intoxicating touch, the way his fingers had lingered on her skin, igniting a sweet hot sensation wherever his fingers brushed …
Before she realized it, her own fingers had started tracing the same places starting from her lips, ghosting over the spots he had touched, squeezing lightly as if to recreate the feeling. Her breathing became shallow, her skin warming, a strange ache forming deep in her stomach as she continued recapturing the way Lorenzo had looked at her that night with intense desire. Lost in whatever she was doing, Elena eyes became hazy and as her fingers got down further to her inner sanctum, she stopped, confused on what to do there as Lorenzo never touched her there.
She squeezed her eyes shut, biting down on her lip, her body trembling.
What am I doing?
Embarrassment flooded through her, her face turning a deep shade of red. With a silent scream, she buried her face into her pillow, fisting the blankets as if that would somehow erase what she had done and the sinful thoughts from her mind.
Even though she felt, greatly unsatisfied and still aching, she couldn't bring herself to go any further now that she was aware of her thoughts. Clenching her fists, she forced herself to sleep even when it seems impossible, hoping the feelings would fade by morning.
---
Meanwhile, in a distant wing of the mansion, Nana, who should have been asleep quietly stepped out of her room and walked down the dimly lit hallway, making sure her footsteps were light to avoid alerting Saif.
With practiced ease, she pulled out her phone and dialed a number. The call had barely begun to ring when it was picked up instantly.
"You're that eager, huh?" Nana mused, not giving the other person a chance to speak first. "If you're this excited, why don't you just come home already?"
There was silence on the other end, followed by a heavy sigh. "Did you do what I asked?"
Nana rolled her eyes as if the person at the other end of the call could see her. "Yes, yes. I told Elena to use the greenhouse like her own. She was over the moon about it and even wrote a long list of what she needs."
Another sigh, this one almost… relieved. "That's all I wanted to know." And just as he was about to hang up, Nana's voice stopped him.
"Lorenzo." Nana paused for a second before continuing.
"You need to make up your mind," Nana said, her tone softer this time. "You can't keep running away like this. Either you hold onto her or you let her go. Even with her memory loss… you have to choose."
There was no immediate reply at first and then, Lorenzo spoke, his voice unreadable. "Send the list to Mateo."
And with that, the call ended.
Nana tutted, shaking her head as she slipped her phone back into her pocket. "Stubborn," she muttered to herself. "All the men in this family are as stubborn as bulls."
With a final sigh, she turned back toward her room, already thinking about how she would get Elena's seeds as quickly as possible.
Little did she know, things were about to become much more complicated.