The conversation with my mother lingered like a gentle fog over the next few days, mixing with the steady forward momentum of our lives. She had called again the following morning, this time while I was preparing for a virtual meeting with the Singapore team. Her voice carried the familiar blend of love and worry that had defined so much of my childhood.
“I saw another article, Asha. Something about Vitale’s expansion and that Kapoor fellow being mentioned as a competitor. Are you sure you’re happy? Your father’s been sleeping better knowing the company is stable, but we both lie awake thinking about you in that big penthouse, married to a man we barely know.”
I paced the home office, glancing toward the door where Dario had stepped out for an early call. “Mom, I promise it’s different n
