The first thing Bella noticed was how quiet her mind had become.
Not empty, but focused.
She sat at Chloe’s dining table, laptop open, sketches spread around her like a controlled chaos. Sunlight filtered through the window, catching on paper edges and half-empty coffee cups.
This was her space now.
Not borrowed. Not temporary.
Earned.
The email from the design firm hadn’t been a fluke. The call that followed was deliberate, enthusiastic, professional.
They wanted her vision.
Not her proximity to anyone powerful. Not her name. Her work.
Bella ended the call with steady hands and a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
Chloe, pretending not to eavesdrop from the kitchen, raised her eyebrows. “That sounded promising.”
Bella smiled wide, real. “They want me.”
Chloe grinne
