Love at First Novel



If she thought back far enough, it must have been in third grade. Her mother used to tell her that, as a child, she loved wearing princess dresses. Being the firstborn-and a beautiful one at that her family dressed her like a little princess. Her closet had been filled with frilly gowns, gifts from her parents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives.

Then, at some point in fourth grade, she stopped wearing them. No matter how many new dresses she received, she always gave them away to her cousins.

Eventually, everyone realized she wasn't interested, and the dresses stopped coming.

Her mother once asked why she no longer liked them. Elora had replied, "Skirts slow me down. I like to move fast."

Her mother had smiled and said she had always been decisive and strong-willed, which was why her grandparents had chosen her as the family's

successor.

And she hadn't let them down.

From a young age, she had shouldered the family's burdens. Under her leadership, the Ormond business hadn't just survived-it had thrived. Some of her grandparents' old acquaintances were still around, and whenever they saw her, they praised her. They envied her grandparents for having such an exceptional granddaughter, especially since their own sons had accomplished little.

But Elora never told anyone about the conversations she had overheard.

More than once, her grandfather had sighed and lamented, "If only she were a grandson."

If she had been born a man, the eldest grandson of the Ormond family, her grandfather would have been at peace.

Because she was a granddaughter, no matter how capable she was, he always feared that one day she would marry, and her focus would shift away from the family business.

The Ormond family was steeped in tradition. Even though her grandfather had no choice but to entrust her with the family's legacy, he never truly accepted it.

By the time he and her grandmother had passed, her two younger brothers hadn't been born yet. They had assumed there would be no male heirs in their generation.

Her grandmother had often said that an old rival from her youth had once taunted her: "I gave birth to all sons, while yours can't even produce a grandson."

Shaking off those memories, Elora grabbed another suit and put it on.

Standing before the mirror, she examined her reflection-poised, powerful, and commanding.

But the dark circles under her eyes were impossible to ignore.

Sighing, she sat down at her vanity and carefully applied makeup to mask her exhaustion.

She had said she would be downstairs in half an hour, and she kept her word.

By the time she reached the dining room, Tatum had prepared a fresh breakfast. Today, he had chosen lighter fare, knowing she hadn't slept well. He set a cup of honey water in front of her first. "Drink this before anything else."

Then he brought out her meal, followed by a steaming cup of coffee.

Watching her, he hesitated before speaking. "Miss, why don't you stay home today and get some rest?"noveldrama

She had done her best to cover up her fatigue, but he could still see it.

"I have two important clients today," she replied. "If I cancel, everything I've worked for will be in vain."

"I'll be fine. Coffee will do the trick."

She sipped her honey water nonchalantly. Then, as if remembering something, she asked, "Are Alonzo and Angelo running late? Alonzo loves to sleep in."

Alonzo wasn't afraid of anyone except his big sister. When he overslept, he always waited for her to wake him.