The makeup artists arranged by Evelyn Ashford entered Elena's room. Evelyn was overjoyed when she heard that Elena wanted to appear in public. She had always wanted to flaunt her daughter in front of everyone but her daughter was so shy that she couldn't even talk to strangers properly. As Evelyn didn't want to pressurize Elena, she let her take her own time. Now with Elena taking the initiative, Evelyn wanted her daughter to have an eye-catching appearance.
Elena smiled and greeted the makeup artists. The makeup artist Tessa Cole was one of the popular makeup artists of the country. She usually worked for A-list celebrities and hiring her was not easy. However, this was not the case for the Ashford family. It was an achievement for Tessa Cole to be hired to dress up the heiress of the Ashford family. This was because the influential families had a different circle than the entertainment circle and usually the business community despised the entertainment industry. So, the achievements of Tessa Cole in the entertainment industry were nothing in the business community. However, now that she was recruited by the madam of the Ashford family, she had been given the opportunity to step in the business community.
Since this was a rare opportunity, Tessa Cole took the job without thinking. However, later she frowned when she thought that the heiress of the Ashford family might have a strange temper which would make things difficult for her. But her worries disappeared on seeing Elena's amicable smile.
"Miss Ashford," Tessa Cole led her team along and walked over. She handed Elena a name card. "Nice to meet you, I'm Tessa Cole. I'll be your make-up artist for you today."
"Okay, I'll be in your care today," Elena smiled and said.
"No problem."
There were many people in Tessa Cole's team. It included Tessa Cole's assistant, students, and hairdressers, etc, each and every one of them specializing in different areas.
With Tessa Cole taking over Elena's face, the others took over different areas. Tessa Cole was surprised when she cleaned Elena's face. When she first saw Elena, she felt that the latter had applied makeup and thus looked so flawless. However, even after cleaning the face, Elena had a soft, luminous skin, like light passing through fine porcelain. Smooth and even-toned, her complexion carried a natural radiance, with the faintest flush of pink on her cheeks that looked as if it came from within. Moreover, her almond shaped eyes were so beautiful that anybody could get sucked in them.
"You have such beautiful skin," Tessa Cole said sincerely.
Elena smiled faintly; her eyes calm in the mirror.
Tessa Cole didn't require much effort to put makeup on Elena. Just some light touches of foundation and highlighter made Elena appear party-ready. The hairdresser did Elena's hair and all of them couldn't help but marvel at her beauty after she was ready.
…
In a seven-star hotel, a banquet hall was booked by the Ashford family to host Reginald Ashford's birthday party. The vast hall was draped in sheer silks that swayed like clouds. The lighting was soft and ambient, with a gentle mist curling along the floor, giving the illusion of walking on air. Floral arrangements of orchids, plum blossoms, and silver branches added an ethereal softness, while soft music drifted through the air — a melody so subtle that it felt part of the atmosphere.
It was almost 7:30 in the evening and people had already gathered in the hall even though the party hadn't even started. Elena felt nervous, sitting inside the limousine with her father and mother. Evelyn noticed her daughter's nervousness and held her hand to make her feel at ease.
Reginald also waited for his daughter to calm down before he asked, "Should we proceed now? It's almost time."
Evelyn looked at Elena asking for her confirmation. Elena took a deep breath and nodded with a smile. She was nervous because she wanted everything to go well. She still had the glimpses of her past life in her brain and it was difficult for her to make everything right. Still, she knew that she had to face the world someday. She didn't want to stay dependent on anyone and for this, it was required for her to step into the world and gain a foothold for herself.
Reginald gave his two hands to the two ladies and the three of them entered the venue together. Evelyn was on one side of Reginald while Elena was on the other side. As the three stepped into the hall, the music changed and the host announced the arrival of the Ashford family. Everyone's eyes landed on the entrance where they saw the dazzling family of three.