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Sofia resolved to give herself some grace. She was going to stop blaming her dead brother for her troubles. She knew who was causing her problems, and she was looking that person square in the eye in her rearview mirror. She could take responsibility for her own actions. And while she got her feet back under her, she’d plan, because that’s what she did best.
She was done taking responsibility for things just because no one else wanted to. Her mother was right: no one was making her run the business. Certainly, no one was appreciating the fact that she’d done it. So, enough. If she wasn’t going to get the respect she wanted at Valenti Brothers, she could go somewhere else.
Even just thinking that thought turned her knees to jelly. So many unknowns crowded her mind, so much uncertainty. She’d worked for her father every day of her adult life. True, she had contacts in the business world from college and conferences, but putting out feelers was a big step. She hauled in a shaky breath. A big step, but a necessary one. She went back to that happy fantasy in her mind, and she could see herself in her office, drafting table full of swatches and tiles, happy as a clam. As she let the fantasy play out and soothe her rough edges, she kept waiting for a boss to come in, but no one arrived to mar her happy planning. And then it hit her.
She didn’t just want to not work for her dad. She didn’t want to work for anyone. Maybe Enzo had planted the seed in her mind, but now that she’d thought it, she couldn’t shake it. She wanted to open her own design firm. It had always been her goal to run her own division inside Valenti Brothers. This was the same vision, slightly shifted, and it still felt right.
With her fresh resolve to forgive herself and forge a new path still clear in her mind, Sofia made the long drive back to Menlo Park. She let the details swirl through her mind, plotting and planning, eager to navigate her way back to happiness. And she very carefully avoided any thoughts that led to a certain tall, dark and handsome lover who she missed terribly. That was another sorrow for another day. She was finally starting to feel warm again, and she couldn’t afford to let anything extinguish her flame.
It was past midnight when she pulled up in front of the office again, damp but happy, ready to finish the payroll one last time before she walked away.
* * *
Monday morning,Sofia was already at her desk when her dad strolled in at eight a.m. She’d spent her weekend researching and reaching out to old friends. She was ready. She patted the stack of papers she’d assembled, outlining her plan.
“Good morning. Have you got the payroll for me to sign off on?”
His terse tone told her he was still angry at her. She might as well get him furious all at once.
“I emailed you the link on Thursday.”
“I’ll go check my email then.” He turned to go.
“It’s the last one I’m going to do.”
“What is that supposed to mean? Guys gotta get paid.”
“That’s exactly why I’m hiring an office manager.”
Arms crossed, his eyebrows pulled together like they were facing off in the ring. Before, just the sight of his angry face would have made Sofia second-guess herself and back down. Not today. Not ever again.
“We’ve been over this. I don’t want money handled outside of the family.”
“Yes, I heard you, and I believe I told you to find someone in the family to do it, then. Since you haven’t, I’m going a different route.”
“The expense—”
“Is necessary, Dad. And half of her salary is already covered by the flood of new business. You can take the rest of my salary to pay her a decent wage.” She handed him the packet she’d prepped, including a qualified resumé and the cost projections.
“So you’re just going to hand our bank accounts over to a stranger? I’m not hiring someone outside the family.”
“You didn’t seem to have any qualms about selling half your business to Adrian.”
“That’s different.”
“Besides, she’s not a stranger. My girlfriend from college, Meena, is looking to change jobs, and she said she’d give us a six-month trial.”
“I don’t like it.” Dom crossed his arms over his chest, fully expecting the argument to end there.
Sofia let the silence hang between them while she gathered her courage to say what needed to be said. “Thenyoucan find someone else.”
“Why do I need someone else when I have you?” His placating tone pushed Sofia back into her resolve.
She straightened her spine and stood firm. There were things she needed to hear before she dropped her bombshell. “Why don’t you say what you really mean? You want to keep me behind this desk because you don’t think I can handle the designs.”
“Now, princess, I didn’t say that.” He reached out a hand to brush her hair back behind her ear as he’d done when she was a child. She stepped back out of reach and glared. Why did the men in her life seem determined to keep her locked away in some safe tower? She’d scale her own walls, thank you very much. Dom sighed and let his hand drop. “Your designs are beautiful, but I don’t think you can keep them in line with the mission of this company. On time, under budget, safety you can trust. That’s the promise I’ve made to clients for over thirty years.”
“Just because I want to make these homes shine doesn’t mean I can’t also hit those targets.”
