Chapter 4210

Chapter 4210
Reflecting back, she realized it must have been in third grade when her mother often told her how much she loved wearing princess dresses as a child.
As the firstborn—and a beautiful one at that—her family dressed her like a little princess. Her closet was filled with frilly gowns, gifts from her parents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives.
However, by fourth grade, she stopped wearing them. Regardless of how many new dresses she received, she always passed them on to her cousins.
Eventually, everyone recognized her lack of interest, and the dresses ceased to arrive.
Her mother once inquired why she no longer liked them. Elora responded, “Skirts slow me down. I prefer to move quickly.”
Her mother smiled and remarked that Elora had always been decisive and strong-willed, which was why her grandparents had chosen her as the family’s successor.
And she had not disappointed them.
From a young age, she had taken on the family’s burdens. Under her leadership, the Ormond business had not only survived but 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 achieved little.
Yet, Elora never shared the conversations she had overheard.
More than once, her grandfather had sighed and lamented, “If only she were a grandson.”
Had she been born a man, the eldest grandson of the Ormond family, her grandfather would have felt at ease.
Because she was a granddaughter, despite her capabilities, he always feared that one day she would marry and shift her focus away from the family business.
The Ormond family was deeply rooted in tradition. Even though her grandfather had no choice but to entrust her with the family’s legacy, he never fully accepted it.
By

By the time he and her grandmother had passed away, her two younger brothers had not yet been born. They had assumed there would be no male heirs in their generation. Her grandmother often recounted how an old rival from her youth once taunted her, saying, “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. However, the dark circles under her eyes were hard to ignore. Sighing, she sat at her vanity and carefully applied makeup to conceal her exhaustion. She had promised to be downstairs in half an hour, and she intended to keep her word.

By the time she reached the dining room, Tatum had prepared a fresh breakfast. Today, he opted for 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,” he urged. Then he brought out her meal, followed by a steaming cup of coffee.

Watching her intently, he hesitated before speaking. “Miss, why don’t you stay home today and get some rest?” Despite her efforts to hide her fatigue, 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 added, sipping her honey water nonchalantly. Then, as if recalling something, she asked, “Are Alonzo and Angelo running late? Alonzo loves to sleep in.” Alonzo wasn’t afraid of anyone—except for his big sister. When he overslept, he always waited for her to wake him.