Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Serendipity (3)
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I finished my business without a hitch and washed my hands at the sink.
Staring blankly at the girl reflected in the mirror across from me, I let out a sigh of relief.
"Huu..."
It had already been several months since I'd suddenly started living in this body.
I figured I'd gotten pretty used to it by now... but there were still moments when I felt the differences between male and female bodies.
Like right now—holding back a sudden urge to pee was harder than I'd expected. I'd known intellectually that it came down to the physical structure, but I never imagined I'd feel it firsthand. In the early days after arriving in this world, I'd nearly made some real blunders a few times...
'No, what am I even thinking right now.'
I shook my head to clear the stray thoughts and stepped out of the bathroom.
Esty was waiting quietly outside, leaning against the wall.
"Thanks for waiting, Esty. Let's head up."
With a light nod from her, we made our way back to the hotel elevator.
As we retraced our steps down the hallway, the earlier incident suddenly crossed my mind.
The woman who'd had a panic attack in the hotel corridor.
I'd helped her out, but I felt a twinge of guilt for not sticking around to properly look after her. ...My own errand had just been too urgent.
On the way back to the elevator, I scanned the hallway again, but the spot was empty now.
'She'll be okay. Even if I held back on the power, a miracle's a miracle.'
I was a little worried... but I figured there wouldn't be any real problems.
'Come to think of it, that woman was stunningly beautiful.'
Even with her face a mess from tear tracks, it couldn't hide her looks. She might've been an actress or model, for all I knew.
If she was some celebrity like that, I'd probably never cross paths with her again in this lifetime. But that was fine. I hadn't helped expecting repayment or anything. If fate willed it, maybe we'd meet again someday. That was the vague sentiment drifting through my mind.
Lost in those thoughts, I'd arrived at the elevator without realizing.
Whir— The maglev elevator carried us silently up to the top floor.
Beyond the doors as they parted once more, at the far end of the corridor, lay our destination for the day: the conference room.
Stepping cautiously inside revealed a serene, luxurious meeting room at a glance. Executives from each company had already taken their seats, but the talks hadn't begun—they were clustered in small groups, conversing quietly.
The first thing to catch my eye was the Godfather in the center of the room, deep in conversation with someone.
His counterpart was a man in his early forties with a sharp, sleek air about him.
Their exchange drifted faintly to my ears. The man said,
"Honestly, it's a bit surprising. Lumina Group doesn't have the reputation for dipping into things like this. And personally speaking, you don't have any bad blood with Nexus, do you?"
The Godfather chuckled heartily in response.
"When opportunity's staring you in the face, why turn up your nose?"
"Haha, fair enough. Couldn't agree more."
As the two wrapped up their chat,
the Godfather spotted me and beckoned with a hand.
"Ah, Evania. Come say hello."
I approached in a daze, and he smoothly introduced us.
"This is Mr. Jeffrey, CEO of Eaton Mobility."
Then, turning to the man, he added,
"This is my niece from a relative's side. She studied abroad in another city since she was little and only came back recently. She's shadowing me to learn the ropes now."
CEO of Eaton Mobility. The name startled me a bit, and I quickly bowed my head for a closer look.
At first glance, he was just an ordinary middle-aged guy. Neat suit, nothing flashy—almost folksy. But I knew that unassuming vibe was the scariest part. It was the ease of someone with real power, who didn't need to posture or flaunt their presence.
He eyed me with a curious gaze before letting out an impressed murmur.
"Well now, for Chairman Lumen himself to keep you close and mentor you, Miss Evania—you must be as gifted as you are stunning. Quite the promising talent."
After a few polite compliments, Jeffrey cut to the chase.
"Well, everyone's busy, so we should get started... though the last seat's still open."
This gathering was a tripartite summit among the conglomerates that toppled Nexus Initiative. Yet the spot reserved for Tessellation Investment's lead rep remained vacant—even though their staff had all arrived.
Eyeing the empty chair, Jeffrey muttered,
"That impeccably punctual woman must be timing her entrance exactly on the dot again today."
"We got here early. Let's take it easy and wait."
Unlike the Godfather's laid-back demeanor, Jeffrey's face stiffened slightly as he replied,
"Chairman Lumen, you should watch your step too. She's... infamous, you know. The white shark of the Obersch family. Sniffed out the blood in the water and showed up this time as well. She'll dance right along our pre-agreed lines and squeeze every last drop she can. Terrifying woman."
His words jogged the intel I'd crammed before coming here.
Tessellation Investment. Their rep today was Celestina Obersch, eldest daughter of the owner Obersch family.
Word was, at just thirteen, she'd bankrupted a mid-tier firm and pocketed massive profits—a born corporate predator.
Since then, her flawless investment record had propelled her to Tessellation's vice presidency by twenty-eight. A near-certain heir. And so skilled at wielding astronomical sums that even whispers of nepotism fell flat.
'What kind of person could she be?'
As my mind wandered,
precisely on the hour, the conference room door slid open, revealing a woman.
"........."
A jacket slung indifferently over her shoulders, an elegant black lace dress.
Beneath long cascades of platinum blonde hair, a sharp-featured beauty swept her gaze across the room.
Her blank expression housed ruby-clear red eyes brimming with an eerie charisma.
Her arrival blanketed the formerly lively room in heavy silence.
Click, clack. Her heels echoed across the floor, drawing every eye.
"......"
"........."
I held my breath, watching too.
'Every bit the force they say.'
But... why did she feel so familiar?
Dismissing it as nerves, I started to shake my head—
when her scanning red eyes locked precisely on mine.
"....."
I swallowed reflexively. A memory had surfaced.
A pale face twisted in mounting dread.
Platinum strands plastered to a sweat-slick forehead.
'No way...!'
I gasped in horror.
Omega Detroit's 37th in capital rankings, heir to global finance giant Tessellation Investment...
was the very woman who'd collapsed in panic in that hotel corridor moments ago.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "The estimated redevelopment value on Nexus Initiative's 13 districts of downtown real estate is as reported, so—"
The meeting had been underway for a while, but none of it registered in my ears.
My head throbbed with a single, explosive thought.
'This can't be...!'
Celestina Obersch.
A twenty-eight-year-old genius investor infamous for her ruthless aggression, puppeteering cosmic sums of capital.
The financial scion even top execs dubbed the 'white shark' and steered clear of.
Why on earth would someone like that suffer a panic attack alone in a deserted corridor, no bodyguard in sight? It defied logic, circumstance—everything. That I'd stumbled on it felt like some cosmic prank.
If I'd known who she was, I'd have agonized a hundred—no, a thousand times before using my power.
'Tch, calm down... It'll be fine. No miracle traces left. I dialed it back just right.'
I'd tuned it solely to steady her heart rate and breathing, so even scans wouldn't pick up a thing. Just like any panic episode—it fades naturally with time, no intervention needed.
Trying to steady myself with that logic, my pulse hammered on.
Frankly, it was unreal. Even now, it felt like a dream.
The fragile patient from before and this commanding woman were night and day.
That incisive voice, poised bearing, aura dominating a room of elite execs.
"We can't agree to that equity clause on the Nexus sub-lab, Prometheus Lab, as you just outlined."
Especially her eyes.
The teary vulnerability of irrational dread versus those predator's eyes, dissecting clauses to claim every scrap of profit... utterly different people.
'Right, my imagination? She just... looked alike?'
As I tried to rationalize it, our gazes met. Her vivid red stare made me flinch. Something had been off since earlier. Through the whole meeting, her eyes kept drifting my way.
She carried on as if it were coincidence, but she'd just glanced again...
Each time those red pupils hit me, ice prickled up my spine.
"......"
I forced calm. Nothing had happened yet. My secret-guarding guilt was making me paranoid. Objectively, no grudge reason—she was just someone I'd helped.
Worst case, if trouble brewed, I could handle it. I had my foundation now.
No need to shrink like old times just 'cause she was big-league corporate.
Even if her firm outranked Lumina by miles in standings.
City rankings were asset tallies—often mismatched with real muscle. Intangibles like sway, talent pools, market locks, unique tech... money didn't tell the full tale.
Any top-100 firm earned respect for its edge. Surface rank didn't greenlight picking fights.
Hunting big game meant risking wounds for the hunter too. Slip up, expose flaws, and you'd bait other predators—like Nexus Initiative.
'So... no big worry. Godfather's here.'
But logic aside, unease gnawed.
Before I knew, the meeting wrapped while I fidgeted.
I barely recalled the details. But the CEOs' satisfied handshakes suggested solid wins all around.
With formalities done, tension thawed; staff mingled greetings, packed bags.
Chance time.
I blended into the shuffle, aiming to slip out quietly with the Godfather. Non-involvement was safest.
But then—a voice from behind halted someone.
"Hey."
"......"
I nearly froze but willed superhuman denial, kept moving.
Yet a cold grip clamped my wrist firm.
Unable to wrench free, I turned... and ruby-red eyes bored into mine.
"Could we talk for a moment?"