Chapter 19 - The New Foundation
By the following spring, Hannah Ross Design had officially opened its secondary flagship studio in the heart of Atlanta’s Buckhead design district.
The studio was everything I had ever dreamed of: soaring ceilings, polished concrete floors, an expansive textile library, and an all-female team of six brilliant young interior architects who were paid twice the industry standard and treated with absolute respect.
Maya had stepped down from her logistics firm to become my Chief Operating Officer, managing our expanding commercial portfolio with the precision of a master general.
On our opening night, the studio was filled with over a hundred clients, developers, and friends. Sparkling wine flowed, jazz drifted through the surround sound speakers, and the walls were adorned with photographs of our latest luxury resort project in Savannah.
Standing near the catering table, watching our guests celebrate, Maya bumped her shoulder against mine.
“Look at this room, Hannah,” she whispered, her eyes shining. “Two years ago, you were standing in a kitchen in Nashville with a second-degree burn, being told you were nothing without a man’s last name.”
I looked around the room—at the brilliant women laughing together, at the contracts displayed on the mahogany drafting boards, at the peaceful, thriving world I had built from the ashes of betrayal.
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“They thought they were burning my house down, Maya,” I smiled softly, raising my glass to the light. “They didn't realize I was made of brick.”
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