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Chapter 36
CHARLOTTE
I spent most of the day in the establishment, which did me a lot of good. It was warm. The atmosphere smelled delicious, and I felt safe. My head still throbbed, and my body trembled slightly; this reinforced my need to sit still.
The restaurant was located in the city’s hub, and sitting next to the window gave me a vintage view of the world outside as well; it felt like a movie I had been missing out on. Elena’s visit roused something in me, possibly fueled by the possibility of losing shelter, but it was there nonetheless.
It was a thought that had been creeping into my mind slowly, a voice I hadn’t been paying attention to, but recent events had given it some credence. “The world’s moved on without me,” I muttered, staring at the people on the
street.
I had spent time engulfed in my grief of losing my parents, going between numerous foster homes, and finally being too old for that, then coming to Milan to work. I had been so focused on myself that I forgot to see the world as
it moved past me.
Now, it felt like I could see things better. I wasn’t sure what I felt exactly, but I understood that the time had come to stand up for myself. To make something I’d look back on and be proud of.
I tried to convince myself that it wasn’t too late to play catch–up. There’s certainly more to life than dead parents and failed marriages. I could go back to school. I can start my own business or pursue something that I would
consider worthwhile.
Fighting for the estate of the man who divorced me wasn’t something I looked forward to wasting time on. I had to find a way to sort out this issue quickly. “Or I could leave,” I said to myself, and I pondered on the words.
I could start my life somewhere else, on a clean slate. I had no ties left in Milan, besides Maria. My shoulders slumped as I thought about her. Where would she go? She loved that estate like her own; I’d never be able to get her to leave. And I can’t let Elena take over either.
They don’t seem to like each other very much. I reached into my purse for my phone as I considered calling Rogerio about the altercation. I decided against it and put the phone away. If I needed to heal from a situation, I had to do everything possible to stay away from it.
A few minutes later, the waitress returned with a basket of pastries I had ordered, which included some cornetto, cannoli, and sfogliatella. As she dropped them on the table, she glanced at my hand once more, and her eyes lit up
with curiosity.
I watched in amusement as she walked away. I was fairly certain that I had given her a day filled with unanswered questions. I picked up one of the pastries and bit into it. I moaned in delight and closed my eyes to experience the satisfaction. It felt like I had fulfilled a yearning somewhere in my heart.
As the flavor filled my mouth, I sighed in relief and made a mental note to get some more on my way out for Maria. She would love them. I reached out for my drink, finished it in one gulp, and asked for a refill. As I ate from the baskets, I took out a notepad and started to write my plans for the estate.
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Dancing into the Heart of Mr. Cold
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First on the list was hiring new staff; that was the most important aspect. We needed competent security men; nobody was allowed through the gates without an appointment. But at the same time, I knew I had to watch the numbers; I didn’t need a lot of people. Just enough to keep the house running; Maria would supervise the activities. She knew the house better than I did.
“Chefs… Two gardeners, one preferably,” I muttered to myself as I listed the positions. When I was done, I reviewed them and moved on to something else. There was no time to sit around and sulk about how sad my life had become.
I was back to where I was from the very beginning, walking through life on my own. Every minute I spent reinforced my will to spend more time alone with myself. I needed to build my life from scratch, and this might be the best way to do it. I didn’t start well the first time, given that I had limited resources. This was my chance to get better, and I wasn’t going to waste it.
When I was done writing, I gestured to the waitress, who came over and wrote down my new order. “Those were some delicious pastries,” I said with a smile.
She smiled in response and replied. “Glad to hear that you loved them, Signora. Would you like to get a fresh batch to take with you?”
I smiled at her answer and nodded in response. “I’d like a fresh batch of everything here, please.”
“I’ll be right back,” she said, walking away. I spent the next few minutes observing my surroundings. I had spent so much time living in a bubble and had forgotten the world around me; this felt like a wake–up call. I suddenly wanted to do something meaningful with my time and make myself proud.
I wanted to be able to look back on the life I’ve led and be proud of the things I invested my energy in, rather than spend it living with regrets and pain. My head throbbed slightly as beads of perspiration gathered on my forehead.
I chuckled lightly at my body’s attempt to remind me that I was still sick. I made a mental note to book an appointment with the doctor the following day, as she arrived with the new order. “Thank you,” I uttered, picked them up, and made my way home.
I drove through the gates, trying to ignore their state, and parked in front of the main entrance. Maria opened the front door as I got out of the vehicle.
“You’re back,” she mumbled as we locked eyes.
“Not for long; I just need a quick bath and fresh clothes.”
“I’ll run a bath and…”
“No, you won’t. I do have something you could do, though; I got these for you.” I handed her the package containing the pastries, and she smiled.
“What’s the occasion?” She asked in a teasing tone.
“Oh, nothing. We’re allowed to have good things, and I had these for lunch. I thought you’d like them.”
“I love them. Thank you.” She stated as we walked into the house.
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“There’s something else I need you to look at: a list of new staff we need in the house, I’d like to hear suggestions, recommendations, anything.”
Her expression morphed into confusion, and she started to say something, but interrupted her. “No, Maria, I’m not letting you do all the work here yourself, and we need more people in case…”
“She won’t come back here,” she answered immediately.
“We can’t be too sure; better safe than sorry,” I replied and I handed her the notepad. “You’ll handle the interviews.”
“Me? Why? You’re the signora.” She protested, and I shrugged in response.
“You’re the one that’s going to be working with them. Overseeing their work and everything, I think it’s better if you’re the one who picks the people you want to work with.”
“Alright, Signora,” she replied as we walked in separate directions. She took the pastries to the kitchen while I went to the bedroom to take a bath.
I grabbed some painkillers from the bottle she had left in the room and reminded myself that I needed to have dinner before returning home. The first part of recovery was taking care of oneself. I was willing to dedicate time and effort to make sure I looked like a better version of myself.
Two hours later, I stepped out of the accountant’s office as a slightly happier woman. The estate had more than enough money to hire more people to help around the house. I didn’t need to pawn my ring or use some of the money I had saved from when I was a bartender.
As I stepped into the car, my thoughts wandered to Rogerio. He had not mentioned anything about the ring throughout the divorce process, nor had he asked me to return anything he gave me. It was understandable; he didn’t need them, but that left me pondering about Elena. She had walked onto the property without thinking about repercussions; the only reason that seemed plausible to me would be that she had his approval.
It was either that or she just decided to disrespect me; given her sour demeanor, I couldn’t put it past her. Now that I knew I could achieve something substantial, I was willing to maximize the opportunity.
The lawyer’s office was my next stop; not to lay a complaint about Elena, I was past that for now. I just needed some advice about the ring, as it wasn’t listed in the properties given to me. If I ever needed to use it as a lifeline, I needed to make sure I was doing the right thing.
