Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Aurora's assistant showed up at my place. Once I heard about Aurora's condition, I handed my kid to the nanny, changed clothes, and rushed to the hospital with her.

At the hospital entrance, a bunch of reporters were already there, waiting. The moment we stepped out of the car, they swarmed us. "Can you give us an update on Aurora's condition?"

"There have been rumors about Aurora's health. What's really going on with her?"

Aurora's assistant moved quickly towards the hospital, looking serious. I followed her closely while security kept the reporters at bay. Inside a fancy ward filled with doctors, nurses, and Aurora's students, it was eerily quiet. The smell of disinfectant was strong in the air. Aurora was lying on the bed in a gown and oxygen mask, looking pale and worn out. She managed a weak smile when she saw me. Her doctor, seeing she wanted to talk, took off her oxygen mask for a bit.

"Emily."

Aurora reached out her hand to me.

I walked over and held her hand. "Aurora."

I always knew Aurora's heart wasn't in great condition. But she was so health-conscious, I didn't think it would get this bad so soon. Seeing her now, with the heavy atmosphere in the room, I feared she was on her last breath. Aurora was my mentor in my entrepreneurial journey. She taught me professional knowledge and helped me build my confidence, guiding me to become a healthy, confident, and independent woman.

Even now, with her last breath, Aurora still had a smile on her face.

It was like she wasn't about to die but was about to be freed, heading to a better place.

"Emily, there's something you have to promise me."

"Tell me. If I can do it, I will," I said quickly.

Aurora smiled, relieved. "You can do it; I know you can."

She then looked at her assistant, who took a document from her bag and handed it to me.

I glanced at it and understood what Aurora wanted, quickly shaking my head.

"No."

Aurora held my hand, encouraging me. "Didn't you already promise me? I believe you can do it."

Aurora's contract meant she wanted me to take over the Moore Group for just one dollar.

I felt both honored and nervous about her trust in me.

The USB drives she gave me last year suddenly made sense they held the essence of her life's work. She must have known her time was running out and wanted her legacy to continue. Aurora spent her life empowering women to feel confident and beautiful. It was her passion and her life's work.

She squeezed my hand, her usual gentle eyes now filled with hope.

I couldn't let her down or betray her trust, so I nodded.

Aurora's face lit up with relief and satisfaction, like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"Emily, do my makeup."

Those words hit me hard. But I turned my face away, not daring to cry in front of Aurora.

Aurora's calm and smiling expression was like she was about to attend a banquet. And she still wanted to be a beautiful sight at that banquet.

I knew she had been beautiful all her life, and she wanted to leave beautifully as well.

The assistant took out Aurora's large makeup case, and I personally did Aurora's makeup.

After the makeup was done, Aurora looked beautiful. The blush made her face look rosy, and she looked no different from a healthy person, mainly because her eyes were still bright, without a trace of fear of death. Holding my hand, she told me, "Emily, the harder you work, the luckier you will be."

It felt like an invisible force was transmitted from Aurora's hand-a spiritual wealth that no money could buy.

Life was about quality, not quantity.

Though Aurora's life was short, she lived fully and made others feel beautiful.

Aurora left with a smile, without pain or regret.

I later learned from her assistant that Aurora knew about my progress in Seabreeze Harbor. Aurora predicted my success and planned to pass her career to me when she saw my passion for beauty and took me as her apprentice. Aurora entrusted me with more than just her career; it was a profound trust.

I considered shifting my career focus to Starlight City, which didn't have an Emberlyn Beauty Retreat branch yet. I even thought about moving its headquarters there to stay close to Ethan.

With the Moore Group's strong foundation in Starlight City and nationwide, I seized the opportunity to hold a press conference. I rebranded Emberlyn Beauty Retreat as the Emoire Artistry Group and set up our new headquarters in Starlight City.

We weren't just a beauty brand anymore; the Emoire Artistry Group branched out into multiple fields.

Aurora's passing and my takeover became the biggest news in Starlight City early in the year, grabbing national media attention and boosting the company's profile.

Combining Emberlyn Beauty Retreat with Aurora's legacy, we opened our flagship store in the heart of Starlight City. Aurora's old beauty center now serves as our administrative headquarters and training academy.

Through integration and expansion, the Emoire Artistry Group refined its departments and brought in a ton of talent, including former Moore Group employees.

Dakato also moved from Seabreeze Harbor to keep being my driver.

On opening day, we had a grand ribbon-cutting ceremony. The entrance was packed with media, making it a lively scene.

The most eye-catching thing was the flower basket sent by Skyline International Corporation. It was as tall as two floors, making it the queen of all the flower baskets and impossible to ignore.

On the first day of the Emoire Artistry Group's opening, after the ceremony, I personally hosted the morning meeting.

I wore gray wide-leg trousers, a white shirt, and a matching mid-length vest.

I calmly walked to the front of the team and signaled the supervisor to start the roll call.

Among them were many veterans from Aurora's team and some new recruits. From their subtle reactions, I could tell that some people weren't convinced about my takeover of the Moore Group. After the roll call, a young woman in her early twenties rushed in, tidying her wind-blown hair as she ran.

"Sorry, I'm late."

The young woman appeared in a flurry. Seeing everyone staring at her, she quickly shut her mouth and stood quietly at the edge of the team.

The morning meeting was interrupted by her arrival.

I walked steadily to the young woman and stopped, raising my wrist to check the time.

"Do you have an explanation?" I asked calmly.

The young woman was so nervous that she stammered, "Sorry, I was late because of traffic."

I looked into her eyes calmly, making her voice grow smaller and her head lower.

"Traffic?" I nodded. "According to some media reports, traffic is the number one reason for being late to work. Every city has rush hours. If traffic causes lateness, does that mean everyone going to work will be late?" The team, which had been murmuring, suddenly became very quiet.

I looked at the young woman, my tone calm but with a hint of sharpness.

"Moreover, your hair is messy, your clothes are unpressed, and you have no makeup on. Are you sure the reason for your lateness is traffic and not oversleeping?"

The young woman lowered her head further, biting her lip and saying nothing.

I returned to the front of the team, my gaze sweeping over everyone before finally landing on the young woman.

"Today, you made two mistakes: one, being late, and two, lying. The Emoire Artistry Group does not need people who lack a sense of time and sincerity."

The young woman suddenly looked up, surprise and regret flashing across her face. "Ms. Russell, I."

"Continue the meeting!" I no longer looked at her.

Those who had been watching the commotion quickly averted their gaze, lowering their heads as if afraid of being implicated.

The late young woman, perhaps wanting to retain a bit of dignity, finally tidied her messy hair and turned to leave.

After the meeting, I asked Alice to bring the new employees' files to my office.

I looked carefully at the resume of the young woman from earlier. She was a graduate of a regular college, with no outstanding academic background or sufficient experience.

Her resume noted: [I may not have the qualifications, but I have the ability to learn. I will work hard to ensure that one day I can be worthy of The Emoire Artistry Group.] This was the sentence on her resume that left the deepest impression on me.

I called Dakato over and handed her the young woman's phone number.

"This is the phone number of the young woman who was late earlier. Call her and send her to the training department, with a salary increase to 1.2 times her original pay." Surprise flashed across Dakato's face, but she quickly understood. She took the phone number and turned to leave.

Suddenly, there was applause at the door. I looked up, stunned. It was Victor.

Dakato paused, concerned. I waved her off, and after a brief hesitation, she walked past Victor and left.

Victor walked in..