Bella learned quickly that independence did not come with silence.
Her inbox was filled with questions, like timelines, revisions, expectations. The startup’s founder was enthusiastic but scattered, ideas tumbling over one another in long voice notes that arrived at odd hours. Bella listened, took notes, translated chaos into clarity.
She liked it.
There was something grounding about being needed for her skill alone.
By mid-afternoon, she was deep into wireframes when Julian came home unexpectedly. She sensed him before she heard him. The shift in air, the subtle weight of his presence.
“You’re early,” she said, not looking up.
“So are you,” he replied, glancing at the clock. “You haven’t moved in hours.”
She stretched, wincing slightly. “Occupational hazard.”
He set his coat aside
