At a private Bellandi family welcome party, Lorenzo heard muffled crying behind a massive oil portrait and tore open the concealed wall panel behind it.
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Chapter 15 / 17
Chapter 15
At seven, Isabella chose to attend a family garden party wearing sneakers beneath a formal dress.
Victoria noticed.
Old Victoria would have corrected her.
New Victoria stared for five seconds.
Then said:
“Those are ugly.”
Progress has personality.
Isabella replied:
“I like them.”
Victoria shrugged.
“Then suffer.”
Good enough.
Later I found them feeding strawberries to a fountain fish they were absolutely not supposed to feed.
I said:
“Stop.”
Both ignored me.
Apparently accountability had gone too far.
Marcus laughed from the terrace.
Normal.
That was what I wanted eventually.
Not a family transformed into therapeutic seminar.
People still difficult.
Still sarcastic.
May you like
Still wrong sometimes.
Just fewer children paying for adult pride.
