The Flower That Grew from Ashes novel Chapter 192

The rainwater gathered into small streams across the transparent umbrella, the sound of the heavy drops drowning out the noise of the entire street.

Annelise walked forward, stepping through puddles. The soles of her shoes were already soaked through.

Yves walked half a step to her right, keeping quiet, matching his pace to hers perfectly.

The two of them walked in silence for half a block.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted behind them.

First, a muffled thud, followed by the gasps of pedestrians. Someone started shouting urgently in Norwegian.

Annelise didn't stop walking.

Yves, however, glanced back.

Through the curtain of rain, the man who had been standing under the street tree had collapsed straight to the ground.

His body hit a puddle by the curb, sending up a splash of water, and then he lay entirely motionless.

A few passersby rushed over. One crouched down to check his breathing, while another pulled out a phone to dial emergency services.

"That man collapsed," Yves retracted his gaze, his tone flat. "Someone's already called an ambulance."

Annelise gave a brief hum of acknowledgment.

She didn't look back.

She didn't even break her stride.

"You're not going to take a look?" Yves asked.

There was no judgment or pushing in his question—just a simple inquiry.

"No," Annelise answered decisively. "Someone else is handling it."

Yves didn't push the subject.

He tilted the umbrella slightly more in her direction, letting his own left shoulder quickly soak through under the heavy rain.

The commotion behind them grew louder as more people gathered around the fallen man.

Before long, the wail of an ambulance siren pierced through the downpour, growing louder as it approached.

Three years ago, that sound would have made Annelise's heart seize and her fingers tremble.

Now, she simply listened to it with calm indifference, not even furrowing her brow.

The blue warning lights swept back and forth across the wet asphalt, casting flickering shadows over the entire street.

Annelise stopped at an intersection, waiting for the light to turn green.

She turned her head and glanced at the ambulance parked across from her flower shop.

Two paramedics in fluorescent vests pulled a stretcher from the back and rushed swiftly into the crowd.

"He's running a severe fever," Yves remarked out of nowhere.

"The Carp." Yves chuckled at the nickname. "Is that what you call the wholesaler?"

"Sophia came up with it." Annelise's lips curved into a faint smile. "She said his face constantly looks like a carp at the fish market, forever scheming to squeeze every last krone out of your pocket."

"Sounds fitting."

"He's incredibly stingy," Annelise said. "Last time I asked for three extra bundles of baby's breath, he haggled with me for half an hour. I ended up having to load five buckets of flowers into the van myself before he finally agreed to knock off the loose change."

"You loaded five buckets by yourself?" Yves frowned.

"What else could I do?" Annelise said evenly. "Sophia had a dentist appointment that day."

Yves fell silent for two seconds.

"I'll go with you tomorrow," he said. "I need to head over to the market area anyway to check out an old factory renovation project."

Annelise turned her head to look at him.

"It's on the way," Yves added, making his intentions crystal clear to avoid making her feel indebted.

"Alright." Annelise didn't decline.

She had long since figured out this man's temperament.

He never spoke unnecessary words, and he never framed his help as charity.

"On the way" was the most stress-free kindness he could offer.