Tommy had his chauffer drive him to the corporate headquarters of Hedera Chemicals. Apparently the papers his father needed were there and not where Tommy wanted to be to collect some samples of whatever could have gotten into Oliver. Trying to suppress his frustration at this, he attempted to watch the scenery go by on the way.

Hedera was in a large office complex not downtown, like most of Starling City's Fortune 500 companies. It was a sprawling modern building set into a rolling hillside. A large pond framed the drive up to the building with swans and verdant grass. Trees were artistically placed around the grounds to make the place more appealing. They were not your average trees either. Dr. Isley was renowned for her ability to grow amazing specimens of plants from all parts of the world, no matter how specialized or unusual.

She had obviously applied her trade here with rare trees, even some tropical species she had genetically engineered to withstand the colder, temperate climate here. Vines were growing on lattices close to the building, Tommy noticed; as they got closer giving it a decidedly organic feel. As they reached the final end of the drive, he noticed that it even had a living roof off forbes, grasses and shrubs. Very eco, he thought to himself as the car stopped.

Tommy asked his chauffer to park and wait for him and then he turned to the winding, shallow staircase to enter the building. Dark tinted sliding glass doors soundlessly opened as he approached revealing an expansive lobby drenched in light from the glass ceiling. The floor was teak wood and the walls a riotous mural of greens in an abstract leaf pattern throughout the entire space. A reception desk of driftwood was artfully arranged and topped with a huge slab of malachite, which was striped heavily striped in greens. The second floor balcony opened up to the atria and tendrils of ivy grew from window boxes. They hung down like a living curtain of green. Tommy could not get over the smell of earth and plant material here and decided it was defiantly not like the chemical company he envisioned.

The receptionist was a tall, slender blonde in a Mao collared coatdress of cream and her hair pulled neatly up into a tight bun at the back of her head. " Mr. Merlyn?" she asked.

Tommy cleared his throat, " Yes, that is me."

" Dr. Isley is expecting you. Please follow me." the pleasant woman said and led him to an elevator. Tommy noticed the conspicuous lack of other employees.

A short ride up the glass elevator revealed more plantings and more green. Periodically, a bright red flowering shrub would appear or some red flowering vine for contrast. They walked down a hallway that ringed the oval atrium to the end of the ellipse. A set of heavy looking ironwood doors stood firmly closed. The woman waved her hand in front of the door and waited. With audible click, they opened and they waited for them to fully open before stepping into the office suite. " Dr. Isley, Mr. Merlyn is here to see you."

Tommy could see the top of a woman's head just barely above a black leather chair. The hair was a riotous red, shining like fire. She was facing away from them gazing out a monstrous full wall window upon the property behind the office building. A series of green houses stretched away from the main building like rays of glass from a central sun in a child's drawing. Slowly, languorously, the chair rotated, " Malcolm!" a silky woman's voice said as she turned.

Tommy wasn't sure what to expect, but he could see that she was clearly not expecting him. " I'm Thomas Merlyn. Malcolm's son."

The stunning woman flicked an eyelash at her assistant, who discretely left. Tommy felt the doors close behind them. He was now grateful that his father sent him just to admire this woman. Though his heart belonged to Laurel, this older woman cut an incredible appearance. Her radiant hair was like living flames licking her face and shoulders. Eyes like emeralds were glowing within an incredibly symmetrical face and an amazing body that looked unenhanced. Her lips were painted a sharp red and her pantsuit was a deep jade, plunging and hugging in all the right places. Tommy had a hard time keeping his mouth closed. Lucky for him, beautiful women were in his near daily experience, but Dr. Isley took the cake.

" Ah yes. Tommy. Your father speaks highly of you." Dr. Isely replied, sounding slightly bored. Tommy noticed he wanted to blush.

" Thank you. Dad said you had some papers for me to bring to him." Tommy replied feeling the temperature rise under his collar.

" I do. But you know before we take care of business, I'd like to ask if you know why your father and I are talking business?" Isley replied in almost a purr.

Darkly, he wondered about his father's plans but he shoved that thought aside," Actually I'm not aware, Dr. Isley."

" Pamela, please. We're working practically on the same team!" she laughed a light, delicate laugh and stood from the chair. Tommy noticed she was slightly taller than him and it wasn't all heels. " Please, let's take a walk."

" Alright. So you mentioned we're on the same team? How so?" Tommy mentioned as she stepped around her expansive desk and came towards him. He could smell roses.

" Let's move this way." Pamela gestured to the doorway and out into the hall, " Your father and I have a lot of similar ideas for Starling City."

" Is that so? Such as?" Tommy countered putting on his best engaged expression.

" We both want to see it grow and prosper. " she put an emphasis on the word grow.

" Interesting. How did you name your company Hedera? That is a unique name." Tommy commented.

She looked at him with her gem-like eyes, " It's the genus for English Ivy. I do adore ivy." She smiled a sumptuous smile and Tommy felt his knees weaken.

Swallowing to regain his composure, Tommy commented " Appropriate. I've noticed you really have amazing landscaping."

She broke her gaze with him and swept the atrium with her arm, " This building is a prototype for what Starling City will see once we clear some land down town. It's almost completely self-sustaining from the roof to foundation. We recycle rainwater, collect produce from the gardens; it cools itself in the summer and heats in the winter almost free of any outside energy inputs. A true wonder."

" And my father is going to help you build these in the Glades?" Tommy inquired politely but his unease was starting to rise.

Ivy looked straight into his eyes like drills; Tommy's blood chilled, " Yes. The Glades. That is where you, the Merlyns come in."

She wrapped her fingers around the railing of the balcony overlooking the atria with maliciousness, " You're father is going to clear the Glades for me like a plow breaking earth for spring planting."

" Oh yes." Tommy replied playing along with this clandestine information that he had no idea was going on. Deep inside he was not really surprised with the levels of depravity his father was capable of. " I forgot he had told me that was the plan. I think it's brilliant!" he lied.

"I've been doing my part, you know." She looked at him seriously as if to validate she was not just taking advantage of the Merlyns, but that she was an active player in this scheme.

" And what is that? Dad didn't tell me." Tommy leaned in conspiratorially.

" Poison." she whispered to him almost seductively.

Tommy almost stood ramrod straight at that revelation but he held himself loose and casual even though every cell in his body was screaming to leave and tell Felicity and Dig. " Really? That sounds very complicated. Could you elaborate?"

A wicked smile worked its way over her pretty face like a branch that had broken from a tree and she said, " You know, your father never showed interest in my work. Let me show you, if you have the time."

" For you, Pamela, I have all the time in the world." Tommy put on the charm and followed her downstairs to the lab.