Aurora let out a soft "mm" and asked, "What is this?""Hangover tea," Lucas said, settling beside her and gently guiding her to lean against his broad shoulder. "You drank quite a bit last night. I figured your head would be killing you this morning, so I made this for you. Drink some—it’ll help."She looked down at the warm orange-yellow liquid in the cup, a quiet warmth blooming in her chest.Her eyes lingered on the sharp lines of his profile and the elegant curve of his nose, and her heart skipped a beat before she could stop it.As a potential husband, Lucas was everything a woman could ask for.Compared to Joseph, he was on another level entirely.Lucas tilted his head, puzzled. "What are you staring at? You need to drink it while it’s still warm, or it won’t work."Snapping out of it, Aurora gave a dazed nod and parted her lips slightly, letting him feed her the first spoonful.The moment it touched her tongue, her eyes widened in surprise.She’d expected it to taste bitter base
It was the first time Lucy had seen Aurora like this.Feeling a bit intimidated, she nodded. “Yeah, he looked like he was in a hurry to leave. Probably something urgent happened at home. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be in such a rush to resign.”Aurora sneered coldly at those words and didn’t respond.She knew perfectly well why Hank resigned.It was simply because he couldn’t bring himself to face her anymore. Besides, being caught between her and Tessa wasn’t exactly a pleasant position to be in.Aurora had already made up her mind. With the contracts signed by the two CEOs in hand, she headed straight to the chairman’s office.She knocked on the door, and only after hearing a response did she push it open.When she entered, she saw Grace wearing glasses with a rosary bracelet attached. Her presence was refined and commanding.Aurora greeted respectfully, “Madam Grace.”Only then did Grace look up, surprised to see it was Aurora.“What brings you here?”After all, despite being at the c
Stepping out of Walton Corporation, Aurora narrowed her beautiful eyes. The sun was shining bright, yet there was a lingering chill in her chest.She couldn’t understand it. The evidence was practically laid out in front of Grace, so why wouldn’t she believe her?A wave of frustration hit her. She never imagined that, in her mother’s eyes, her words would carry so little weight.If that was the case, then she’d investigate the matter herself.She refused to believe the truth couldn’t be uncovered.Aurora had come to a realization—no amount of arguing could compare to putting solid evidence in front of Grace.Just as she was about to contact a private investigator, her phone rang. It was her mother.She hesitated at first, unsure whether to answer. But in the end, she softened her stance.What if her mother had changed her mind?Her slender fingers slid across the screen. Before she could say a word, Grace’s anxious voice came through.“Aurora, whatever you’re planning, put it asid
Someone recognized Aurora and stepped forward to greet her.She responded with a slight nod, every movement graceful and perfectly measured.As she mingled among the elite, she seemed completely at ease like wherever she went, the spotlight followed.Even the CEOs couldn’t help but praise her.Across the room, Joseph stood watching her, his fists slowly clenching.That woman sure seemed to be doing well without him.How did she managae to dress like that? There was no way a broke college girl could afford an outfit like that.Beside him, Judy leaned in, her expression filled with concern. “Joseph, how do you think Aurora managed to afford that suit? You don’t think she rented it, do you?”At that, Joseph’s expression eased slightly.He turned to Judy with a rare look of approval. “You’ve got a point.”That was exactly what he’d been thinking.Judy tilted her head, feigning innocent confusion. “Wearing a rented outfit to something this important? If someone notices, how could she possibl
She had spent so much time preparing for this project—her proposal aligned perfectly with Vanguard’s design philosophy.She’d double- and triple-checked every detail to make sure nothing could go wrong.There was no way someone like Joseph could derail it all with a few underhanded tricks.Aurora returned to her seat, watching as Joseph dropped his proposal into the submission box and turned back toward his own table.But… that knowing little smirk on his face unsettled her.Something about it didn’t sit right.She mentally went over the entire process again—her proposal, the submission, and every step. Everything had been in order.Feeing reassured, she let herself relax, quietly waiting for the results.As for Joseph? He was just a petty clown who was not worth her time.It took another ten minutes for everyone to finish submitting their documents.Then the coordinator stepped up and announced, “We’ll now move the submission boxes to the back. Our executive team will begin reviewing
Though suspicion lingered in her heart, Aurora forced herself to wait patiently.That was when Joseph approached with Judy by his side.“Still waiting around?” he said with a smug grin. “You might as well head out. You’re going to end up with nothing anyway.”“What’s that supposed to mean?”Aurora frowned. There was something different about Joseph today—something unnervingly smug, as if he was completely sure she wouldn’t win the bid.But the project wasn’t even under his jurisdiction. Where was all that confidence coming from?Judy, hearing his words and recalling all the little things leading up to this, finally pieced it together. He must’ve pulled some strings behind the scenes to sabotage Aurora.The two of them going head-to-head was exactly what she wanted. She couldn’t stand Aurora’s smugness either.Joseph lifted his chin arrogantly. “You don’t need to know what I meant. Just understand that there’s no way you’re getting this project. “And don’t say I didn’t warn you. We
“It better not be,” Aurora said coolly, arching a brow. “In that case, Mr. Hunt, I suggest you sit down, show a little manners, and enjoy my speech from your seat.”Joseph stared at her smug expression, his fist curling slowly at his side.“Bitch, just you wait,” he thought.Aurora met his glare without flinching.It wasn’t until Judy tugged gently on Joseph’s sleeve that he finally sat down, though clearly against his will.Seeing this, the curve of Aurora’s lips widened slightly.If someone insisted on making a fool of themselves in public, she had no problem playing along. It cost her nothing.She turned and walked toward the coordinator, accepting the contract with composed elegance.“Congratulations, Miss Walton. We look forward to a successful partnership between Vanguard and Walton.”Aurora nodded. “Naturally.”She turned back to face the room, eyes sweeping across the banquet hall, including the furious, fuming Joseph.Her words of gratitude spilled from her lips with effortle
Aurora stood to the side with a constant smile on her face. This time, she could finally breathe a sigh of relief.She had passed Grace’s test. What came next was the real challenge.Once the excitement died down, Grace looked at Aurora with a smile in her eyes. “Aurora, come to my office.”Aurora was a little surprised but simply replied, “Okay,” and followed her mother out.“The Chairwoman’s definitely going to reward her with something.”“I think there’s a good chance she’ll get promoted.”“You’re probably right. We’ve all seen what Aurora’s capable of.”“Exactly. Aurora’s ideas played a huge role in securing this project!”No one in the department thought otherwise. Everyone genuinely felt happy for her.As Aurora followed Grace into the office, she understood that her mother was about to honor the bet.But ever since what had happened last time, there was still a thorn in her heart.“Madam Grace, what do you need from me?” Aurora shut the door behind her and looked calmly at Grace
All it did was make Aurora feel like her past self had been unbelievably naive.But Joseph kept going, oblivious to her discomfort. "Those were our best memories. I still remember the first time you blushed, the way you looked in that white dress—so sweet and shy. “You were always so gentle and soft when you were with me… it was such a beautiful time."As he spoke, he watched her face closely, searching for some flicker of emotion.But to Aurora, hearing those words from him made her skin crawl.The more he went on, the more irritated she became. Her expression turned colder by the second.She reached for her phone, ready to call a ride. Staying here any longer felt like a direct assault on her intelligence.Joseph noticed the gesture. That was when it hit him—she hadn’t been listening to a single word he said.And in that moment, he felt like a complete fool.He had poured out his heart, and yet this woman—this ungrateful bitch—could still be so heartless.His eyes darkened. He
Aurora’s anger ignited the second those words left his mouth.Without hesitation, she slapped Joseph hard across the face, her voice sharp and cold. "What the hell is wrong with you?"This is still Walton Corporation, and you think you can throw a fit right here? Whether I talk or not is none of your damn business. Try worrying about yourself."The slap caught Joseph completely off guard. Before he could react, Aurora had already snatched her phone back.He clutched his cheek, momentarily stunned, not even sure where to look.Rage overtook him. "You bitch! You actually hit me!"Aurora raised her chin defiantly. "So, what if I did? You brought it on yourself."Joseph couldn’t stand the smugness in her expression. Grinding his teeth, he snapped, "You think you can just cut me off like that? It’s not gonna be that easy!"Aurora, we were together for three years. Don’t forget, I’ve seen everything. You're not afraid I’ll send it all out?"His threat made Aurora pause, eyes narrowing as s
After all, this was a choice, and a gamble, Aurora had made for herself.Even if she lost the bet, she knew she'd have to deal with the consequences on her own.She pulled out her phone, opened the ride-hailing app, and was just about to book a car when a voice laced with fury and bitterness cut through the air."Aurora Walton, you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?"The sudden sound startled her. She hadn’t even noticed someone standing nearby.Steadying herself, Aurora looked up, only to be met with Joseph’s face, dark and twisted with resentment."Well, look who’s changed careers," she said dryly, unable to resist the jab.Joseph blinked, caught off guard. "What’s that supposed to mean?""Nothing much. Just surprised to find a clown performing right outside my office," Aurora said casually. "Now move. Stop blocking my way."At that, Joseph’s expression twisted. The fresh style he’d worked so hard on couldn’t hide the rage contorting his face. "What the hell does that mean? I ca
"Judy, I know things have been tough on you lately. Go ahead and pick out whatever you want."With a grand gesture, Joseph handed her a bank card. "You know the PIN. If it’s not enough, just let me know."Judy was momentarily stunned by the gesture, caught off guard by the sudden generosity."Joseph, you’re so good to me."He pulled her into his arms. "You’re my woman. If I don’t treat you well, who else should I treat well? Go to the mall this afternoon. Don’t come back until you’ve spent it all."Judy leaned into him, looking blissfully content. She could only hope all her previous doubts were just in her head.After sending her off, Joseph got himself styled up and prepared to head to Walton Corporation to see Aurora.The more he thought about things, the more stifled he felt.That spiteful woman—Aurora had kept things from him for three whole years. It had to be intentional.There hadn’t been a shred of trust between them—that was what made being with her so exhausting, and what
The two of them were laughing and chatting, and in Lucas’ eyes, they looked exactly like a family.A flush of red crept into the corners of his eyes as he forced himself to suppress the emotions surging in his chest.He told himself over and over to stay calm and trust Aurora.But watching the scene through the glass, he felt like he was on the verge of losing it.The image of a handsome man, a beautiful woman, and an adorable little girl was the perfect picture of a family. No matter how he looked at it, that’s exactly what it seemed to be.Jealousy churned inside him, bubbling to the surface with every breath he took.In the end, he could only turn and leave.Even though anger simmered beneath his skin, he was still standing near Walton Corporation. He reminded himself that Aurora would give him an explanation.“What if he was only a working partner?” he reasoned, trying to hold on to that thought.…Meanwhile, Joseph paced anxiously in his apartment.He dragged a hand through his
"Yes, our GM’s been busy coordinating with a new project partner. She already left for lunch, probably eating at one of the restaurants nearby."The receptionist answered Lucas’ question without holding anything back.He gave a small nod in thanks and turned to leave.Glancing at his still-silent phone, a flicker of unease crept into his chest.It appeared that Aurora was still upset.He stepped out and wandered around the nearby restaurants, checking one after another. With all the people casting glances his way, he reluctantly pulled on a mask and got back in the car, driving slow laps around the area.Honestly, he hadn’t expected much—just hoped he might get lucky and run into her.But then, through a restaurant’s glass window, he caught a glimpse of a familiar smile.At first, from a distance, he wasn’t sure if it was really her. After all, she was sitting across from a man and a little girl.When he rolled the window down for a better look, the uncertainty vanished.It was Auror
But Lucas wasn’t falling for her tricks anymore. His face remained cold as he said, "Stay a couple more days if you want, but once you're done having your fun, go back.""You’re kicking me out?"Wendy stared at him in disbelief, her face full of shock. They had known each other since childhood—was that bond really worth nothing now?Lucas stayed unmoved, firm in his stance.No matter how much Wendy pouted or begged this time, he didn’t say another word.In the end, the whole scene ended in frustration, with Wendy stewing in her own anger.Lucas had no appetite left either. Grabbing his coat, he headed out the door.Ever since Wendy arrived, he’d realized he needed to reevaluate his relationship with Aurora. He couldn’t keep treating it so casually.Wendy watched his retreating figure, her fists slowly clenching, eyes wide with fury.She had no idea what kind of spell Aurora had cast. Even after acting that smug, Lucas still indulged her.He even cooked for her.Wendy had never see
When Aurora got up, she saw Wendy sitting at the dining table, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Lucas."Wow, Lukey, I didn’t expect to taste your cooking again today. I’ve missed it so much!"Wendy exclaimed dramatically, "You have no idea, the stuff overseas is practically inedible. None of it tastes right. Home is still the best. And especially Lukey’s cooking."But Lucas remained expressionless. "Don’t touch anything. Wait till your sister-in-law gets up."Wendy pouted but, under his gaze, reluctantly put down the piece of fried egg.From the corner of her eye, she saw Aurora.The woman didn’t say a word. She just stood there quietly, like an outsider watching it all unfold.Wendy then walked over to her and, feigning intimacy, hooked her arm through Aurora’s. "My dear sis-in-law, look at all the delicious food Lukey made. Don’t stay upset anymore."If you ask me, you really are lucky. Lukey’s looks and background are both top-tier, and he even knows how to cook. Isn’t that the
Lucas watched Aurora’s retreating figure but didn’t follow. He knew what she needed right now wasn’t more pressure, but space to cool down. If he pushed too hard, it would only make things worse. His fists clenched tightly at his sides. Only when the guest room door slammed shut with a loud bang did he snap out of his daze. Letting out a long, heavy sigh, he turned and headed toward the master bedroom. Meanwhile, in the guest room, Aurora sat in silence, unable to shake the frustration tightening in her chest. She had told herself from the very beginning to never believe a man’s promises. She and Lucas had always been about mutual benefit, and nothing more. And yet, something had started to shift. Something she hadn’t accounted for. Things were slipping out of her control, veering in a direction she didn’t expect and wanted.She raised a hand to her chest, fingers pressing lightly against her heart. That steady thrum felt more and more unmanageable. Why had she go