Love at First Novel by Gu Lingfei

When Mrs. Ormond saw the two young people embracing just now, her heart nearly stopped. It felt like the sky was crashing down around her. In that moment, she almost screamed.

But she had instinctively covered her mouth, forcing herself to stay silent.

As soon as the couple let go of each other, she spun around and walked away, no longer watching from the stairs. She wanted to pretend she hadn't seen anything, to go back to her room and process it quietly.

But she couldn't.

She had to talk to her daughter.

Just as she was struggling with her emotions, Elora came upstairs. And now, here she was, sitting in her daughter's room.

Elora studied her mother's expression for a moment before saying, "Alright, Mom, stay here. I'm going to take a hot bath."

Mrs. Ormond simply nodded.

As Elora disappeared into the bathroom, her mother let out a deep sigh.

Now that she had calmed down and thought about it more clearly, she had to admit—damn it, Tatum and her daughter were a perfect match.

The thought unsettled her. She couldn't sit still.

brushing over objects on the shelves and desk, as

landed on the bedside table, where a large framed family

during the New Year, back when her parents-Elora's grandparents were

she walked over, picked up the frame, and sat down on

the photo radiated

then, the weight of the family legacy hadn't yet fallen onto her young shoulders. She had still been a carefree girl, untouched

was pushed into the top position at such

then, that bright, unburdened smile had

different. A son would have

the wealthy families in this city had sons to take over their businesses. Their daughters might help

the freedom to do what they wanted, to fall in love with

never had

the Ormond family ever

little to shoulder any responsibility. Instead

thought about it, the

felt like a

her daughter a brother to

she and her husband hadn't been able to shield Elora from the storms of

"Mom."