Aurora arrived at the office that afternoon.Everyone turned to look at her with admiration.They were all secretly amazed—who would've thought she'd actually pull this off?When Grace called her in earlier, most of them had assumed the project was already beyond saving, especially since this project involved David, who had a reputation for being notoriously difficult to deal with.But now, not only had the materials been reinstated, the contract had even been drafted from their side.Thinking of all this, their gazes toward Aurora grew even more reverent.She had become the role model they all aspired to be."Aurora, how did you manage to pull this off?"Lucy came bouncing over, eyes gleaming with admiration and joy, unlike the others, whose eyes still held envy.Aurora noticed it immediately. She reached out to ruffle Lucy’s hair, raising her voice just a touch as she said,"Just luck, that’s all. The most important thing is staying grounded and working hard. Don’t look for shortcut
Aurora arched a brow, then reached out and shook his hand.It was brief, just a touch, but enough to signify that the partnership was back on track.A faint smile spread across her refined features. "Don’t worry. I’ll have a new contract sent over to your company soon, and we’ll continue maintaining a good working relationship. ““Of course, I understand completely, Miss Walton."David nodded earnestly. "This time, our partnership will be stronger than ever."Inwardly, he scoffed. He definitely need to build a stronger relationship with her now that he knew the Walton Corporation had Vanguard behind it now. He wasn’t foolish. In Ravenshore, he knew exactly whose word carried weight.Aurora picked up on something strange in his tone, but didn’t dwell on it.Maybe it was just the relief from clearing up the misunderstanding that made him more trusting?She couldn’t think of another explanation.Still, she was determined to find out who had sent that letter. Someone was clearly setti
"You didn’t know about this?" David looked puzzled. "But as far as I know, weren’t you the one who said all that?"Aurora’s suspicion deepened. "What did I say? Mr. Warren, I’m honestly a little lost right now."She studied David’s serious expression, a sinking feeling stirring in her chest. From the look on his face, he wasn’t making things up.And really, why would he lie? This was a business partnership between them.Even David started to realize something wasn’t right. Watching Aurora’s confused reaction, he began to believe that she truly had nothing to do with it. After all, sabotaging the deal wouldn’t benefit either side.Seeing that he’d caught on, Aurora finally replied seriously, "Mr. Warren, I think we should lay all the facts on the table and talk this through.""Alright, then I won’t beat around the bush," David said with a graver tone. "Originally, after the news online, our company wasn’t planning to continue working with Walton Corporation."But I trust your charac
The assistant on the other end was polite and quickly got to the point: "Hello, on behalf of Mr. Warren, we’d like to offer you a chance. Our two companies can meet tomorrow."Aurora was stunned when she read the message.What was going on?Just a while ago, David had made it clear there wasn’t the slightest hope for cooperation. Why the sudden change?Unable to hold back, Aurora asked the assistant about it directly.But the other party was professional and didn’t reveal Desmond’s involvement."Mr. Warren was moved by your sincerity, Miss Walton. Considering the years of business relations, he has decided to give Walton Corporation another chance. We hope Walton won't let him down."Reading the message, Aurora finally relaxed. The tight knot between her brows began to ease, and the heavy weight that had been sitting on her chest the past few days started to lift.She sent back a simple "Thank you" and turned off her phone.Now, she was looking forward to tomorrow.She understood very
Hearing the underlying complaint in his tone, Desmond immediately understood that this had been simmering for a long time."What do you mean by that?" David glanced at Desmond, then slowly explained, "It's only because you're from Vanguard. Otherwise, I wouldn't have said anything to anyone else."After getting the full picture, Desmond finally understood what was going on.He tried to persuade him. "Honestly, I think you shouldn't just go by hearsay. Why not sit down and have a proper conversation? Give each other a chance."Besides, Walton Corporation is an established company. In many ways, they're still a trustworthy and solid long-term partner."Hearing that, David had to admit it made sense. And to think even someone from Vanguard Group came to persuade him—clearly, Walton Corporation had strong backing.In that case, he might as well agree. He had nothing to lose, and it’d count as doing Vanguard a favor."Alright then. Since it's you, I'm willing to reopen discussions with th
Following Lucas’ instructions, Desmond went to meet David from the supply department.At first, David looked visibly annoyed when he saw Desmond, assuming he was yet another person sent by Aurora.They’d already made things clear—why were they still clinging on?David’s full name was David Warren. The name might have sounded plain, but after years of hustling in Ravenshore, he’d built up a strong network. In the world of materials supply, his word carried real weight.With a frown, David snapped, “Did Walton Corporation send you? I already said I wasn’t meeting anyone from them. No matter how many people they send, my answer won’t change.”He was fed up. Walton Corporation was like a piece of clingy duct tape—no matter how many times he tried to shake them off, they kept showing up.And honestly, they were the ones who’d messed up in the first place. Why should his company take the fall now?Desmond could already tell there was a major misunderstanding between them.Clearly, what th
Tessa’s smile froze. “What’s the rush? It’s not over yet. I told you to keep watching her. As for the payment, that can wait.”Seeing her like this, the investigator had no choice but to continue doing the job.He thought it over carefully—Tessa probably wasn’t the type to stiff him. After all, she needed someone like him in her pocket. Cutting him loose now would only backfire.“Alright, next time it is.”“Keep a close eye on Aurora Walton. Don’t make any moves for now,” Tessa reminded him again, worried he might slack off.“Relax. We’ve worked together long enough. I know the drill.”It was exactly because he understood what kind of person Tessa was that he felt confident she wouldn’t run out on the bill.…“Spit it out,” Lucas said, clearly losing patience.He’d watched Desmond pace back and forth in front of him, sighing more times than he could count. No one knew what had gotten into him today—he kept hesitating like he had something to say but didn’t know how.Facing Lucas’s s
She hadn’t expected a woman to carry such presence.But the next second, she reminded herself that she couldn’t back down.This was still her turf."You… you’re accusing me of slander? Do you have any proof?"The receptionist stood her ground. "If you don’t have proof, then keep your mouth shut!"Her tone grew more forceful with every word, likely feeling that she was completely justified.Their argument at the front desk began drawing attention from nearby onlookers.David, director of the supply department, happened to walk out with his assistant just in time to catch the commotion at the front desk.The moment he saw Aurora, his face turned as dark as thunder."What is she doing here? Get her out of here!" Every time David laid eyes on her, he couldn’t help but think of that incident. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.After all that was said, how could she still have the nerve to show up? Was everyone this shameless nowadays?Even if they were to find new partners in the future
At this point, the assistant was genuinely curious how Aurora planned to handle things.Aurora shook her head. “I’m not sure either. Right now, all I can do is take a shot in the dark.”“One thing’s for sure—we need to talk to the decision-makers directly. They can’t just cut ties without a word and expect us to roll over.”The assistant nodded quickly. That made perfect sense.Aurora pointed to a name on the list. “Start with Mr. Warren. He’s the key player here. If we’re taking anyone down, we start with the kingpin.”Noticing the assistant’s puzzled look, she didn’t bother to explain further.She added, “I’ll head to their headquarters myself. Maybe I’ll get lucky. The rest, we’ll take one step at a time.”The assistant could only nod along. He understood exactly what she meant—and just how tough this was going to be. It wasn’t just risky; it would eat up time and energy.“Are you going straight to their main office then?” he asked.Aurora nodded. “It’s the only option. We