23.04 % Chapter 36 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 citys 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 .
Elenas 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 hadnt been paying attention to , but recent events had given it some credence .
The worlds 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 wasnt sure what I felt exactly , but I understood that the time had come to stand up for myself .
To make something Id look back on and be proud of .
I tried to convince myself that it wasnt too late to play catch up .
Theres 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 wasnt 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 ; Id never be able to get her to leave .
And I cant let Elena take over either .
They dont 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 .
31.31 Dancing into the Heart of Mr.
Cold 23.2 % Chapter 36 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 didnt 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 didnt start well the first time , given that I had limited resources .
This was my chance to get better , and I wasnt 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 .
Id like a fresh batch of everything here , please .
Ill 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 Ive 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 bodys 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 .
Youre back , she mumbled as we locked eyes .
Not for long ; I just need a quick bath and fresh clothes .
Ill run a bath and … No , you wont .
I do have something you could do , though ; I got these for you .
I handed her the package containing the pastries , and she smiled .
Whats the occasion ? She asked in a teasing tone .
Oh , nothing .
Were allowed to have good things , and I had these for lunch .
I thought youd like them .
I love them .
Thank you .
She stated as we walked into the house.
23.4 % Chapter 36 Theres something else I need you to look at : a list of new staff we need in the house , Id like to hear suggestions , recommendations , anything .
Her expression morphed into confusion , and she started to say something , but interrupted her .
No , Maria , Im not letting you do all the work here yourself , and we need more people in case … She wont come back here , she answered immediately .
We cant be too sure ; better safe than sorry , I replied and I handed her the notepad .
Youll handle the interviews .
Me ? Why ? Youre the signora .
She protested, and I shrugged in response .
Youre the one thats going to be working with them .
Overseeing their work and everything , I think its better if youre 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 accountants office as a slightly happier woman .
The estate had more than enough money to hire more people to help around the house .
I didnt 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 didnt 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 couldnt put it past her .
Now that I knew I could achieve something substantial , I was willing to maximize the opportunity .

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The lawyers 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 wasnt 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 .