Chapter 17 - Stepping Back
Despite the victory in the boardroom, Isabella quickly realized that sitting in the CEO's chair no longer held any appeal for her. The company, the meetings, the endless pursuit of profit—it all felt like an extension of Evelyn’s toxic legacy.
One evening, while sitting on the balcony of her penthouse with Amelia, Isabella made a decision.
"I'm leaving the company," Isabella announced, watching the city lights flicker below.
Amelia looked surprised. "You've worked your whole life for it."
"I worked my whole life for her approval," Isabella corrected, taking a sip of wine. "I don't need it anymore. I don't know who I am without the Hartley title. I need to find out."
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Isabella transferred day-to-day operations to a trusted board of executives, retaining only her board seat. She traded her tailored power suits for comfortable clothes. She learned how to cook—mostly burning things until Amelia, who had worked in catering for years, stepped in to teach her.
They spent the spotlight-free months completely focused on each other. It was a conscious, deliberate retreat from the world that had tried to keep them apart.
