Everyone turned to look.
Other than the few brothers who had already met Elara, the collateral relatives of the Ashford family had all assumed the girl from the countryside would be some skinny, sallow-faced village nobody in cheap clothes.
Reality hit them like a slap.
Elara stood there in a black leather jacket and fitted black pants, her skin so fair it almost seemed to glow.
That cool, breathtaking face of hers looked sixty or seventy percent like the Ashford brothers.
And those three legitimate Ashford sons?
Pick any one of them at random and he’d still count as absurdly good-looking.
So just imagine how stunning Elara had to be.
Celeste Voss’s heart dropped straight to the floor.
Her hands on her knees clenched tight without her even realizing it.
“My precious granddaughter!”
Reginald Ashford couldn’t hold back anymore.
Years of longing and emotion surged up all at once.
Bracing himself on his cane, he stood and reached toward Elara.
“Come here, quickly.
Let Grandpa get a good look at you!”
The two brothers beside the old man had reddened eyes too, both clearly fighting to keep their feelings in check.
Elara hadn’t felt this kind of love from family in many, many years.
Reginald’s warmth caught her off guard so hard she didn’t quite know how to react.
Her hand was seized tightly by that old, wrinkled palm.
“You’re back.
Finally…
finally back.” Reginald’s eyes turned red.
“If we hadn’t found you, I truly wouldn’t have known how to face your father and mother when I die.”
Elara didn’t know how to comfort the old man in front of her, but this kind of family affection made something inside her slowly warm up.
She tightened her grip around his hand and softly called, “Grandpa.”
“Yes!”
That one “Grandpa” nearly melted Reginald’s heart on the spot.
Right then and there, he wanted to pile every rare treasure in the world in front of his granddaughter and spoil her rotten.
“I’m your older brother, Tristan Ashford.” Sitting on the sofa, Tristan introduced himself, his voice full of emotion.
“Who would’ve thought the one who saved my life would turn out to be my own sister?
Seriously, fate is wild.”
Elara still remembered the wooden token Tristan had given her.
She called out, “Alexander,” then added, “I remember you’re supposed to have surgery soon.
Why did you come back?”
Tristan answered like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Because I didn’t want to miss the day my sister came home.
We’ve been looking for you for years.
This moment matters a lot to me.
The surgery can be pushed back a few days.
It’s fine.”
Elara had never imagined there would come a day when she would be cared about this much.
So this was what it felt like to have real family around her?
The sharpness in her eyes softened a little.
“Thank you, Alexander.
But your health comes first.”
“And there’s me.
I’m your Broderick, Dorian Ashford.” Dorian wore a gentle smile on his refined face.
He stepped forward and gave her a light hug, every bit the gentleman.
“So, that time I called you ‘little sister’ in the academic building…
I didn’t get it wrong, huh?”
A faint smile appeared on Elara’s lips.
“You didn’t.” Then she called him, “Broderick.”
The last one was naturally the third brother who had gone to bring her home.
Elara turned and called to Leander Ashford, “Callum.”
A relieved smile spread across Reginald Ashford’s face.
“This is great.
All my grandchildren are finally here.”
Just then, Miriam Voss suddenly spoke up.
“Now that Elara’s back too, will she be staying in the Capital City from now on, or going back to Y Country with Uncle?”
Only then did Elara notice there was still a family seated on the sofa off to the side.
Reginald Ashford explained, “This is your aunt.
Next to her are her two children, Celeste Voss and Brennan Voss.”
Celeste Voss stood up gracefully and greeted Elara in a soft voice.
“Hello, Cousin.”
Brennan Voss also called her cousin, though it was obvious he wasn’t exactly thrilled about it.
Reginald Ashford looked at Elara with warmth in his eyes.
“Elara, do you want to stay here for a while, or go back to Y Country with Grandpa?”
Elara immediately thought of Adrian Whitmore’s condition.
She still had follow-up treatment to handle, so she said, “I want to stay in the Capital City.
I haven’t finished school yet.”
Reginald Ashford nodded at once.
“Then Grandpa will stay here with Elara too.
Yazhi, the room’s been prepared, right?”
Miriam Voss clearly hadn’t expected Elara to stay.
For a second, she looked a little stuck.
Celeste Voss quickly picked up the conversation.
“Mother was already planning to give up my piano room for Cousin to stay in.”
Miriam Voss nodded again and again, then shot Celeste Voss an approving look.
“That’s right.
I’ve already been getting it ready.”
Brennan Voss immediately looked unhappy.
Frowning, he said, “Mom, couldn’t you just clean up any guest room for Cousin?
Why do you have to touch my sister’s piano room?
She’s been arranging music lately, and that score is for Director Nathan Harlow’s film opening.”
A film by Director Nathan Harlow was never some random small project.
Every one of them was a major production, the kind that aimed straight for film awards.
Naturally, an opening piece for one of his movies would attract plenty of attention.
Miriam Voss put on a surprised face.
“Celest’s that impressive now?
No wonder she’s been skipping dinner these past few days and locking herself in the piano room.”
Celeste Voss blushed a little.
She stole a glance at Dorian Ashford, then said softly, “It’s all because I was inspired by Broderick’s music.
That’s the only reason I even had the chance to arrange for Director Nathan Harlow’s film.”
“Since Celest needs the piano room, then Elara…” Miriam Voss said gently, “How about I arrange for you to stay in a guest room first?
Later, I’ll sort out another room for you.
If you don’t like it, we can switch anytime…”
“Mom, I’m really fine.
My work’s no big deal,” Celeste Voss said considerately.
“Just give the piano room to Cousin.
She’s been living outside all these years.
She probably hasn’t even had one proper night’s sleep.”
What Celeste Voss really wanted was simple: use her brother’s complaint as a setup and make herself look generous, thoughtful, and effortlessly gracious.
Too bad things didn’t go the way she had imagined.