Who Are The Roses

[January 18th, 2017]

[7:50 P. M]

"Mrs and Mr Clair, you two used to be CEOs?" Questioned Ivy tilting her head to the side in confusion.

Mrs Clair nodded, "yes dear, but we have retired and now waiting for our time on earth to run out."

Ivy slowly nodded. She didn't know that she was close to two retired CEOs, that was just shocking.

"Who are the Roses?" Ivy wondered.

"The Roses are the rulers of the business empire, they are hiding behind the public view, but they have more power than one man can dream of." Answered Mr Clair, "they say what goes on and what doesn't."

"But I thought Allenson's family was the top?" Ivy furrowed her eyes in confusion.

"In the public view, yes, but in the world of business, we are just second. Only a few had actually seen what the Roses looked like." This time it was Sebastian that answered.

"And being a close friend of Mrs Rose, I have seen what they looked like. Now that I think about it, you look a lot like her, your long blond hair and beautiful green eyes." Mrs Clair said as she fell deep into thought.

"You are just seeing that, dear?" Asked Mr Clair to his wife.

"Well, to be fair, it never came to my notice before this time. It's been three years since we last saw them." Admitted Mrs Clair, "but Ivy looks like a replica of Mrs Rose."

"Hm, Ivy was found in an orphanage so she couldn't be their daughter. Mrs and Mr Rose will never put their children in the orphanage." Mr Clair explained.

Sebastian was focusing on the conversation going on between the Clairs like it was something important.

Ivy just continued sitting innocently in the same spot in confusion. She had no clue what was going on, all she knew was it was about her.

"Do you think we should ask?" Wondered Mrs Clair, "I still have their number saved on our telephone."

"We shouldn't bother them about something like this, they are busy people and we are no longer in the business field." Answered Mr Clair.

With a sigh, Mrs Clair nodded in agreement.

Sebastian changed the topic and turned towards Ivy, "now tell me, how did you and the Clairs meet?"

Ivy looked up at him. She wasn't expecting him to be interested in knowing, but she nodded and started to tell her story.

"Almost ten months ago, I ran away from my family. Not being able to survive there anymore…"

[April 5th, 2016]

[12:53 P. M]

Tears were rolling down Ivy's beautiful face, listening to her adoptive father's loud voice that boomed after her. Her long blond hair looked shorter because of all the knots in it from her last beating after not listening to her sister.

Ivy was a complete mess and was broken beyond fixable. Ivy had suffered the moment she turned ten.

Being nothing but a slave to them, Ivy didn't know how to do much. She always had dreams of becoming a dressmaker. But before she could even attempt her dreams, they were crushed by her sister and brother.

Looking around the busy streets, Ivy found a small apartment building. It didn't look in good shape, but it was better than nothing.

[April 10th, 2016]

[1:00 P. M]

Ivy had her music in her ears, and the volume fully blasted, dancing and singing while she was making her very first dress with her scrap clothes. Then, her phone actually worked and wasn't as cracked.

During Ivy's awful singing, there was a small knock on the door.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Ivy stopped and heard the small knock. She took her headphones off and walked up to the door, opening it. There she saw an old woman, standing there with a beaming smile from ear to ear.

"Hello dear, my name is Mrs Clair, and I was wondering if you could keep your singing down. My husband is trying to sleep and your singing is disturbing his sleep."

"Oh yea, sorry about that ma'am." Ivy apologized, "My name is Ivy Alexander." She introduced herself.

"Such a lovely name, dear." Mrs Clair said as the dress that Ivy was making caught Mrs Clair's attention.

"Are you a dressmaker dear?" She asked.

Ivy shook her head, "No Mrs Clair, it is just a hobby of mine." She admitted.

"Well dear Ivy, make it into a career, you definitely have the skill."

When Ivy heard that, her smile got bigger. Instead of being put down and getting told that she was skill less, Mrs Clair was building her up and complementing her skills."

"Thank you, Mrs Clair! I would love to, but sadly I don't have the money. So I decided to just do it as a hobby."

Mrs Clair could sense Iv's passion for this and could see that Ivy was the type of person who would be grateful for the smallest crumb and not greedy and ask for more. She admired Ivy, and Ivy's approach to life, looking at the positive side of everything instead of always thinking about the what if's and the negative side.

"Well, I think that I can help with that Ivy." Mrs Clair offered. Ivy gave a confused look in return. "I can help you turn your hobby into a career." Mrs Clair clarified.

"Really!?" Ivy had a small sparkle of hope in her eyes. She would think that no one would be this kind to give a helping hand to an adopted child.

Mrs Clair nodded.

Without thinking, Ivy hugged Mrs Clair and quickly released her.

"Sorry." Ivy looked down in embarrassment.

Mrs Clair softly chuckled, "It's alright dear."

And with that, Ivy's fashion career started with the help of Mrs and Mr Clair. If Ivy hadn't sung like that on that day, she may have never met the Clairs and would have ended up on the streets a lot sooner.

[January 18th, 2017]

[7:55 P. M]

Ivy finished telling her story, and Sebastian was left in a shock after hearing that Ivy was adopted. So did that mean that her so-called father was her adoptive father? Why did she address her as father then? He was obviously not worthy title from what he heard, and he wasn't even her blood father, which gives her another reason not to call him father.