As soon as Elora descended the stairs, she was met with the stunned gazes of her parents. Automatically, she touched her face—was something wrong? Why were they staring at her like that?
"Mom, Dad, what's with the looks?" Elora asked, her expression filled with confusion.
"You look stunning today!" her father said, with an air of solemn admiration.
Elora rolled her eyes inwardly. It was clear they were taken aback by her appearance, yet they tried to play it cool. It was both awkward and endearing.
"Mom, are you back from the dead?" Elora sat down, noticing the almost trance-like expression on her mother's face. It made her feel a sudden wave of distaste.
"Huh? Oh, Lora, why are you dressed like this today? You look so beautiful! You should have dressed like this sooner! I've always told you—stop wearing suits every day. You're engaged now! Don't dress so formally all the time. Sometimes, you need to dress up and show a little more femininity. Look at you now, you're glowing! Even I'm enchanted, let alone Lucas," her mother said excitedly, winking at Elora as if sharing a secret.
"Mom... What are you saying? I just got tired of wearing suits all the time, so I decided to change things up a bit today," Elora replied, feeling slightly embarrassed. Could it be that her change was that obvious?
"Yes, yes, I understand," her mother said, her words clearly not matching her intentions.
"Let's have breakfast. You have to go to work soon," her father intervened at the perfect moment, rescuing Elora from the awkward conversation.
"Mm," Elora replied with a faint hum.
Her mother grinned with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Elora couldn't shake the feeling that her mother was plotting something—enough with that lecherous expression, please!
The Carter family was one of the three most prominent families in City A. Elora's father, Theodore Carter, was the chairman of BluePeak Realty, a man known for his seriousness and gravitas. Her mother, Evelyn Caldwell, hailed from the prestigious Caldwell family, renowned for its scholarly background. Both of Elora's grandparents were famous traditional Chinese painting masters, with disciples scattered across the nation. However, Elora often wondered how they had ended up with such an eccentric daughter.
Her poor grandparents, Elora thought, quietly shedding a tear for them in her heart.
As the only child of the Carter family, Elora was different from other young ladies of noble birth who indulged in leisurely pursuits. Instead, she was exceptionally diligent. She graduated with top marks in every subject from the prestigious Wharton School of Finance in S Country and now worked as a manager at her own company. After just one month of internships, her outstanding performance had already made her the epitome of a prodigious talent—truly a daughter of destiny.
...
"Good morning, Manager Carter!" As Elora entered the office, she was greeted by the warm smile of the receptionist, Nova. A receptionist's demeanor is crucial—only a kind and courteous greeting can make clients feel welcome. Clearly, Elora had done an excellent job managing her team.
"Good morning. That outfit looks perfect on you," Elora complimented Nova politely. After making the remark, she didn't dwell on Nova's stunned expression and walked straight into the elevator, pressing the button for the 26th floor.
Only after Elora had gone did Nova snap back to reality. My goodness, Manager Carter actually complimented me on my looks?! This is unbelievable!
...
As Elora entered the office area, she noticed a group of colleagues staring at her, their gazes fixed with unabashed interest.
Male colleague A: Who is this woman? She's absolutely stunning!
Male colleague B: Is she a new hire?
Female colleague A: Look at how seductive she looks, especially those eyes... who is she trying to charm?
"Why are you all staring at me? Go back to work! Are you all preparing for retirement already?!" Elora said coldly.
The group of employees froze for a moment, then quickly returned to their work as though the conversation had never happened.
Elora gave a frosty glance around the room, nodding approvingly. It seemed that the original owner of this body had quite the commanding presence. With a smug sense of satisfaction, she clicked her heels and walked into her office.
As her figure disappeared behind the door, the group once again gathered together, whispering fervently:
Female colleague A: I nearly died of fright just now! Did you see Manager Carter's glare? I thought I was going to be executed on the spot! I just said she was charming someone?! I'm doomed—maybe I should go prepare for my end...
Male colleague C: Did anyone notice? Manager Carter looks even more beautiful today! She's like my goddess.
Male colleague D: Yeah, she usually dresses so conservatively, acts like a man at work, and barely shows any emotion. But today, she's changed her style completely.
Female colleague B: Honestly, when you look at her now, our Manager Carter is simply dazzling!
...
...