Chapter 9 - THE WOMAN WHO CHOSE HERSELF
Three months after Leo's birth, I returned to work.
Not for Dante.
Not for the Romano family.
For myself.
Before marriage, I had studied interior design.
I loved transforming empty rooms into beautiful spaces.
But after marrying Dante, I'd slowly abandoned that dream.
There were always charity events.
Family obligations.
Security concerns.
Reasons to stay home.
Now I wanted my life back.
With Sofia's encouragement, I rented a small studio in Manhattan.
I named it Isabella Interiors.
My first client was a young couple renovating their apartment.
They had a modest budget.
A tiny kitchen.
And a newborn daughter.
I loved working with them.
For the first time in years, someone valued my ideas because they were mine.
Not because I was Dante Romano's wife.
When Dante heard about the studio, he sent flowers.
I returned them.
Then he sent a message.
I'm proud of you.
I stared at the screen.
After a moment, I replied:
Thank you.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
Because I was learning something important.
I could accept kindness without accepting control.
May you like
I could acknowledge change without forgetting the past.
And I could build a future that belonged to me.
