The Flower That Grew from Ashes novel Chapter 198

The scent of sawdust still lingered at the top of the stairs.

The contractor was crouched on the floor, sanding down the final edges of the natural timber bar counter.

Emma stood by the window with a measuring tape, carefully checking the wall dimensions.

Annelise walked in and ran her hand over the freshly finished surface. The light wood grain felt smooth beneath her fingertips.

"Light natural timber, right?" Emma looked back with a smile. "The contractor did exactly what you asked. As organic as possible."

"Yeah," Annelise nodded. "It's perfect."

This upstairs teaching studio had gone from signing the lease to launching its first class in just one month.

Now, it had been running for almost half a year.

And securing a spot in the "Advanced Floral Aesthetics" course still required booking over a month in advance.

But over these past six months, the core issue had slowly made itself obvious.

"Anne, we are genuinely out of space."

One night after closing, Sophia slumped into a single armchair, waving a stack of student registration forms with a distressed look on her face.

"Three sessions a week, capped at eight people per class. The waitlist is already stretched three months out."

"Not to mention," Emma chimed in. "Last week, the Paris Academy emailed us wanting to host a boutique showcase and salon here in Oslo featuring your work. But we don't even have a decent space to set up a proper exhibition area."

Annelise sat behind the counter, slowly sipping a glass of warm water without saying a word.

The vague idea that had been floating around in her mind for months was finally being thrust into reality by these two girls.

She needed a real space.

Not a cramped classroom squeezed above a flower shop.

But a true, independent studio—a place to teach, exhibit, host salons, and fully establish her mother's "Zenith & Borealis" design philosophy.

"I want to find a new location," she set her glass down, her voice steady. "Downtown."

Sophia sprang up from the armchair instantly.

"Are you serious, Anne?!"

"I am," Annelise replied. "Emma, I need you to keep an eye out for a suitable storefront. It needs excellent natural light, high ceilings, and ideally, a historic building with some character."

"Why a historic building?" Sophia asked, confused.

"Because flowers need room to breathe," Annelise explained. "Newly built glass boxes are too cold. They don't do the flowers justice."

Emma grinned. "I understand completely. I'll hit the pavement tomorrow."

When Emma got to work, she moved incredibly fast.

In less than a week, she returned with a stack of portfolios.

"Anne, I toured seven locations," she pushed a photograph across the table. "This one is by far the best."

The photo showed a three-story historic building.

It had a cream-colored exterior, arched wooden windows, and aged stone pillars flanking the entrance.

It was situated right on the corner of the busiest pedestrian street in Oslo's Old Town.

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