Chapter 2:

Lexxi and Rory stood in the doorway of the new home in awe. The front foyer was bigger than the one in the house in Italy and the one in France as well. A large and wide spiral staircase led to the upper levels of the house, the chandelier hanging in the center was big and sparkled brightly casting dancing lights on the hardwood floor.

"Nana, it's so pretty! It's even better than the pictures on Mommy's 'puter!" Lexxi exclaimed bouncing happily.

Isabella smiled and nodded, "You girls want to pick out your bedrooms? You can choose either room on this side of the hall way." She said pointing to the right wall.

"We both get our own?" Rory asked smiling brightly at the idea. When Isabella nodded both girls shot off up the stairs giggling loudly in search of the perfect room.

A knock at the door drew Isabella's attention from her granddaughters on the staircase before she could follow them up. Opening the door she smiled at the young men in uniforms announcing that they were from the furniture company.

"Ah, just in time I see. Follow me if you will." She stated before heading back into the foyer of her new home. "Alright, if you continue on straight ahead you will find the library we need the tan furniture set up in there. There is a diagram just to the left of the door that will give you the idea of how we wish to have it set up, likewise for the additional rooms with in the house. The family room is to the left down that hall; there you will also find one of the guest bathrooms. Use it if the need arises however that is the only one in the house you are to use. The dining room and kitchen are down the hall on the right. There is also two study offices and the pool room on this level as well as the sunroom, greenhouse and garden. Each study is to have one of the leather sofas placed in it along with two arm chairs and of course the desks. When you get to the 7th level you will see four doors, two doors leads to bedrooms. The last door on the left is my daughter's bedroom, this room has special instructions that were left with your supervisor a few days prior to today, and I expect them to be carried out to the best of your abilities. That room is priority once you finish down here. The first door on the left of the 6th floor is my bedroom; I will assist there when you come to it. The children's rooms will be the one they currently left their bags in, also on the 6th floor. The bags have their names on them and the furniture for the girls' rooms are labeled with their names. The additional rooms on the 5th and 6th floor will be guest rooms and entertainment rooms, one media the other the girl's playroom. The additional room on the left will be set up as an occasional guest bedroom. Everything you need to know is detailed throughout the rooms. Bonus for you if you get the 2nd floor guest bedrooms, sitting rooms, and offices done. If you manage to complete the 3rd and 4th floor renovations there is an additional bonus for you, however there is no rush on that project. The 8th and 9th floors are going to become in home studios for our work as well as the in home gym. If your management has provided you with the layouts and information on those areas, you are free to work on those. Her art studio is on the third floor and off limits to you as per her instructions.

Any questions or concerns for me that you have?"
When both men inside shook their heads Isabella smiled and left them to inform their team and get to work. She mounted the stairs and went in search of her granddaughters.

She found Lexxi in the room directly across from Andrea's staring out of the open window. She smiled watching her silently for a while. The little girl was a photocopy of her mother in a miniature version however. Her soft chestnut hair falling down her back in waves, her big doe eyes soft and innocent the color of warm milk chocolate covered with long delicate lashes. Her skin usually creamy porcelain was slightly tanned from her time spent on the beach back in Italy. She turned and smiled her eyes lighting up beautifully, "Nana this room is so pretty! I picked it all by myself because I'm a big girl now."

Isabella smiled and nodded picking her up and spinning her around before taking her along on the hunt for Rory. They found her on the 4th floor in the one room set up before they arrived, Andrea's art studio.

"Rory we have a movie room just for us! Nana showed me! Isn't that the neatest thing ever?" Lexxi exclaimed climbing from her Nana's arms.

Aurora smiled and nodded before hugging her Nana tightly, "Nana I am so excited we moved. I love the new house! Mommy's work room is so big and look it has all her stuff already here! She'll be so happy now."

Isabella chuckled, "Let's go shopping for your bedrooms, we'll get paint and stencils, and bedding, whatever you want for them. Mommy should call Nana soon and we'll meet up with her later on. Ok?"

The three of them left the art studio and made their way down the stairs to the front door. Isabella informed Irene that they were heading out and left her to oversee the movers until she returned. Taking a little hand in either of her own the trio made their way out into the streets of New York.

Andrea stood in the semi empty space looking around and liking very much what she was seeing, "So the minor adjustments can be made today and finished by the weekend if extra time is needed, correct?"

The gentleman with her, Mr. Stuart, nodded and smiled kindly. Andy left him in the main area and ventured further into the building. Walking through the doors at the back of the room she came into a hallway with 2 doors on the left and a big archway to the right. Mr. Stuart was following right behind her and spoke up, "The doors to the left both lead to offices. The one further down was my office and this one here my wife used for the children so the décor is a little different. The archway to the right leads into the room I was telling you about over the phone. He led her over and stood to the side to let her look around.

Andrea smiled, "Beautiful." She whispered reverently. The archway led into an open room set up like a theatre with rows of soft plush chairs arranged to give each person perfect view of the stage. The stage is a dark mahogany wood polished to shine even in its unlit state, set in the back center of the room. Along the front of the stage deep red curtains with gold trimming ran the length of it. Walking onto the stage by way of the hidden stairs to the left Andrea spun about slowly looking at the amount of space provided and the vantage point before nodding and smiling at Mr. Stuart.

"If you look behind the black curtains behind you, you will find the area I mentioned that would serve very well for the changing area you stated you would need. As well as an area to place items on hold, you don't wish to display, etcetera."

She nodded and peeked behind the curtain taking in the vast emptiness broken up only by the array of floor to ceiling mirrors running along the either side of the far back walls. There was what looked like a ballet bar as well. Nodding she returned to the archway and glanced up and down the hallway before walking to the first office. Opening the door she peered around at the large room with one huge window, "Any other exits from the building besides the front door?" she asked opening a door that sat off to the right in the large office and walking into what was an attached bathroom complete with a shower. The bathroom had another door on the opposite side from her and she walked over to open it, finding it led into the second office. This one was slightly smaller than the first with two windows looking out into the city. Andy walked through the room and looked at it thoroughly before walking back out into the hallway.

"This way," Mr. Stuart stated walking to the rear of the building again, "there is a door leading out right through here as well as a stairwell to the upstairs. There are 2 large rooms and a kitchen upstairs one is an open area right at the top of the stairs and the other is closed off mostly with an open archway to give access.

Andy nodded pushed the exit door open and looked out before turning and walking back to the main room at the front of the building. "Mr. Stuart, you have yourself a buyer." She said smiling and shaking his hand professionally.

2 hours later Andy was talking to Isabella on the phone while a few people rushed around her making changes she requested to the building's rooms and front, "Mom, the building is everything we wanted and more. You and the girls should head down here when you get a chance. I'm so excited and I have a surprise for the girls!" she pointed one of the women to where she wanted the name to go along the wall before walking outside to look at the progress there. "Yes, our name is now on the building along with the coming soon banner, which is huge by the way."

Laughing softly she hung up her phone and leaned against the building watching people move along the streets rapidly, some chatting into cellphones, other hailing taxis, and some just rushing about from sidewalk to sidewalk. Something shifted in the air and Andrea experienced an acute since of déjà vu as she watched a silver car stop in front of a building down the street across from where she was standing. A thin redhead jumped from the car with bags in her hand scribbling something on a pad while holding her phone to her ear with her shoulder. Shaking her head she watched the woman dart into the building as if the devil were chasing her. The silver car continued to sit there and then a man jumped from the driver seat. He seemed to look at Andrea before turning and opening the door for a silver haired woman exiting the building the redhead had just entered. Just as quickly as she appeared she disappeared and the car pulled away driving past her and continuing on its way.

"Hey," Andy called to one of the men carrying a mannequin into the building behind her, "what is that building there?" she asked pointing to the building the young woman rushed into and the older woman exited.

"That, ma'am, is the Dragon's Lair, also known as the Elias-Clarke building. Home of the Dragon Lady," he chuckled slightly, "You will meet her soon I am sure, what with you being an international fashion designer, your clothing is everywhere, and New York is going to go crazy when they realize that you are here. How did you keep it quiet for so long?" he smiled admiringly at her before continuing his journey inside.

Dragon Lady… career obsessed… Snow Queen runs off another Mr.…

"Mommy."
"Mommy."

Andrea shook her head pinching the bridge of her nose as a slight ache started up behind her eyes before looking up and smiling at her girls and Isabella as they walked over to her from the car.

"Hey Munchkin, Monkey how are my little angels?" she asked leaning over to hug and kiss them both.

Isabella smiled and walked behind the three of them looking at the building before glancing over her shoulder as a silver car pulled up to a large building down the street. As she watched a silver haired woman dressed impeccably in what she recognized as one of her Andrea's pieces, slowly and fluidly stood from the car and regally walked into the building her red soled heels catching the eye quickly and showing the only color visible on the woman's person.

"And that my good women, was the Dragon Lady herself in living color. She is the editor-in-chief of the premiere fashion magazine, or the bible if you are my wife and 16 year old daughter." He chuckled before moving back to the truck and unloading more equipment for the studio.

Andrea rubbed her temples before shaking her head and going back inside to show her girls there surprise, Isabella following slowly behind her.