At first, Aurora didn’t think much of it.After all, Lucas had a habit of keeping his distance from others, and there was plenty of space around him.But the moment those words left his mouth, she suddenly felt countless eyes on them.It was as if the entire room had been watching this whole time.“Anything’s fine. Stop asking me,” she muttered, wanting nothing more than to escape.Meanwhile, whispers spread among Desmond and the other employees nearby.“Holy—so this is Mrs. Carter?!”“It has to be! The boss is asking her what she wants for dinner.”“Wait… The boss cooks?”“No way. I thought he was the kind of untouchable figure who never stepped off his pedestal. Turns out he didn’t step down, he just found someone just as high up.”“I just want to know what flaw God gave our boss, because I don’t see a single one.”Though everyone pretended to focus on their work, they were all eavesdropping—eyes and ears tuned in, fully invested in the scene playing out before them.Aurora felt incr
Aurora was like that—once she made up her mind, she stuck to it.The entire way to the car, she didn’t spare Lucas a glance.Lucas, of course, noticed her absentmindedness and asked, amused, “Rora, didn’t you just say I was good-looking? So why have you been looking everywhere but at me this whole time?”Hearing that, a faint blush crept up Aurora’s delicate earlobes.Her mind flashed back to the awkwardness at Vanguard.And besides, that comment had just been an offhand remark—why did he have to keep bringing it up?She shot him a mildly resentful look. “No matter how good-looking, I’ve already slept with you. Seen it enough times. Kinda losing its novelty.”It was a flippant, slightly petulant remark, spoken without much thought.But the moment the words left her lips, Lucas stopped walking.His expression shifted into something unreadable as he turned to look at her.Aurora, oblivious, kept walking ahead, still muttering to herself.Why must he keep bringing up my embarrassing momen
As Lucas caught his breath, he took the moment to murmur against Aurora’s lips, "Now would be a good time to close your eyes."Before she could react, his hand gently covered her eyes, blocking out the world.And in the next instant, he leaned in again.Aurora barely had time to process it before he was stealing her breath once more, drowning her in another heated kiss.Their silhouettes tangled in the dim backseat, locked in a silent, feverish battle…At Walton CorporationBy the time Aurora returned to the office, a few colleagues were already waiting, eager to hear about the meeting with Vanguard.But the moment she walked in, one of them gasped."Rora! What happened to your lips? They’re so swollen—it looks serious!"The exclamation came from a round-faced coworker, a bubbly and affectionate girl known for being a bit dramatic but incredibly reliable.She was the type to always have snacks to share and often treated Aurora like a trusted senior.Aurora didn’t dislike her. In fact,
She glanced at the person, taking a quick look and finding them somewhat familiar.If she remembered correctly, it was the one who had been shopping with Chuck. It seemed like her name was Linda.Aurora recalled the way Chuck had leered that day, and her stomach churned in disgust.She withdrew her gaze, calculating in her mind.Was Linda planning to take revenge for Chuck?How ridiculous. Chuck was nothing but scum, yet someone actually cared about him.Then again, Aurora thought, it did make sense. The two of them were probably just using each other.She shook her head, dismissing the thought.When the project manager arrived, Aurora pressed the Enter key one last time, saved the file to her desktop, and closed it."Hey, Aurora, come to the office for a moment.""Alright, I'm coming now."She stood up and followed the manager into the office.As soon as the door closed behind them, Linda dropped the act, glaring at the door with pure hatred.Bitch.Her resentment was impossible to h
"Aurora, you have to believe me! I really have no interest in the Vanguard Group project. If you secure it, I’d be genuinely happy for you, I swear!" Aurora looked at Lucy, pressing her lips together before giving her a firm pat on the shoulder. "Lucy, don’t worry. I understand. We’ve worked together long enough—I know what kind of person you are." Hearing this, Lucy’s eyes welled up with tears. In the office, she had always been the kind of person who gave more than she received. She was warm and helpful, always the one people turned to when they needed water refilled or documents printed. Yet once, when something went missing, she was the first suspect. That moment shook her. She had asked why, and the response was something she never expected. They said that because she got along with everyone, she had more opportunities to steal than anyone else. In that instant, Lucy had felt the weight of human malice. Still, she never let it dull her warmth toward life. So,
Aurora arrived at the office the next day.The moment she reached her desk, she noticed the subtle yet lingering glances coming from Linda’s direction.A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips.She powered on her computer and casually took a seat, pretending not to notice the stares from across the room.Linda finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.She was busy skimming through the files on her USB drive—all of them Aurora’s project plans.“Aurora Walton, just you wait. Once I tweak these a little, they’ll all be mine.”Her plan was simple.“Once I present this proposal in the meeting, let’s see how you explain yourself. With everyone watching, not even the project manager will be able to protect you.”Lucy, having noticed Linda’s odd behavior, swiveled her chair toward Aurora and whispered, "Aurora, don’t you think Linda’s acting strange?"Aurora feigned ignorance. "What do you mean?""It’s just…" Lucy hesitated, uncertain. "She keeps staring at you. Like, a lot."Aurora gave
Not only did Linda refuse to apologize, but she even curled her lips into a mocking smile. Just thinking about the proposal in her USB drive filled her with excitement. She was about to take over this project and push Aurora out of the way—what was there to be worried about? Once she secured this deal, she could do whatever she wanted in the company. If she really won the project, she’d be hailed as a major contributor to Walton Corporation. So, what if she bumped into Aurora? Why should she bother apologizing? Lucy was furious. "What kind of person does that? She ran into you and didn’t even say sorry? That’s just shameless! No way, I’m going to confront her! Linda is getting ruder by the day!" She angrily rolled up her sleeves, ready to storm over and give Linda a piece of her mind. But Aurora stopped her just in time, shaking her head slightly. "Don’t be impulsive, Lucy. "She’s not worth it. Besides, we have a meeting to attend. Securing the Vanguard Group project
Aurora remained silent, resting her right hand against her chin as she lazily observed Linda.Every now and then, she lifted her gaze, exuding the air of a relaxed Persian cat—elegant yet indifferent.Linda carefully studied Aurora’s expression. Seeing her so calm and composed, she couldn’t help but clench her fists.“Fine, Aurora Walton, enjoy your arrogance while you can. In a moment, you won’t be able to say a word. “Let’s see what you amount to once this proposal is mine in front of the manager,” Linda thought.With an air of confidence, Linda strode onto the stage, her chin lifted high.Aurora found it utterly amusing.As soon as Linda plugged her USB drive into the computer and projected the proposal onto the screen, a glint of realization flashed in Aurora’s eyes.Just as expected.So, Linda really did steal her proposal.Aurora showed no obvious reaction—she merely raised an eyebrow, a faint, unreadable smile playing at her lips.It was as if she hadn’t even noticed Linda’s p
Aurora stood in front of the wardrobe, feeling a little awkward.Looking at Lucas like this, she wasn’t sure what she felt.Usually, he was cold and aloof, like someone untouchable.The only times his emotions ever surfaced around her were in bed.Other than that, he always appeared gentle, calm, and composed.This was the first time she’d ever seen Lucas so helpless.Aurora couldn’t help but lower her voice. "Lucas, let go of me first.""No..."His head felt increasingly foggy, but he was still fully aware of what he was doing.With that thought, he tightened his arms around her.Only then did Aurora realize something wasn’t right.She pushed aside the confusing mess of emotions in her chest, turned around, and pressed her palm to his forehead. She gasped, "You're burning up! Are you running a fever? Did you take any medicine?"Lucas stubbornly clung to his need for an answer. "Don’t be mad at me, okay? Rora, I just want an answer. Nothing else matters.""How can it not matter!" Auro
The manager looked a little puzzled. "Sort of. We do have quite a few conflicting projects with Walton Corporation, but don’t worry, Miss Shaws, we and Walton…"Before he could finish, Wendy cut him off. "I already know the rest. Just assign me to the projects that go head-to-head with Walton Corporation."The manager was stunned.To be honest, Walton Corporation was indeed a formidable competitor. On top of that, they’d recently aligned themselves with Vanguard Group. Their standing in Ravenshore had surged dramatically."Miss Shaws, you haven’t been in the country much, so you might not be too familiar with Walton Corporation. They’re actually quite capable."Wendy replied with obvious displeasure, "So what? If they weren’t, I’d find it boring. I want this project. You don’t need to worry about the rest."Here, Wendy was putting on her full heiress airs.The manager clenched his fists, recalling what the higher-ups had said. In the end, he nodded without realizing it. "Right, got
Now that she’d come to terms with it, Tessa knew she couldn’t let things keep going smoothly for Aurora. She needed to start planning for her own future. Sitting nearby with a soft, pleasant smile, Tessa appeared to everyone else like the embodiment of warmth and grace.But to Aurora, it felt unsettling. That smile of Tessa’s reeked of falsehood—she was definitely up to something. Aurora’s eyes flickered with a trace of coldness, but she pushed down the feeling and stayed quiet. After breakfast, Grace and Aurora shared a car to the office. The ride was surprisingly pleasant, as if last night’s tension had completely evaporated. Aurora liked this kind of peaceful interaction, and she didn’t have the heart to ruin the rare calm. Unfortunately, the moment didn’t last long, before she knew it, they had arrived. Each went to her own office and got to work. Aurora was already well-versed in most of the company’s operations. The only thing left on her plate was evaluating
Aurora nodded as Grace spoke. "Alright, Mom. I understand." But Grace could tell she hadn’t really taken her words to heart. She couldn’t help but add, "This was your choice, Aurora. No one can walk it for you. "If it’s the path you chose, then you have to stick with it. What truly matters is the two of you are doing well." Aurora lowered her gaze. She understood exactly what her mother was getting at. It was just like the past when she chose to be with Joseph. "I get it, Mom. You should get some rest. I’m an adult now." She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and looked at her mother, speaking clearly and steadily. "Don’t worry. I can handle a lot more than you think." Grace felt a flicker of comfort in her heart. "That’s good. Our little Rora really has grown up." Aurora froze for a moment when she heard that. It had been a long time since her mother had called her by her nickname, and she wasn’t quite used to it.Grace noticed the way her daughter paus
Aurora shut the door behind her, completely unaware of Tessa’s furious muttering downstairs. Not that it would’ve mattered—she couldn’t care less. Tessa was only acting this arrogant because their mother wasn’t home. Without anyone to answer her, Tessa sat fuming alone in the living room, her cheeks flushed with anger. She raised her hand, ready to sweep everything off the coffee table in a fit of rage when Grace walked through the front door. "What’s wrong, Tessa? Your face is all red. Are you feeling unwell?" No matter what her daughter had done at those business events, Grace couldn’t bring herself to stay mad. Tessa was still her child, the one she’d doted on since she was little. Even if she was upset, she couldn’t truly be angry with her. Tessa was briefly caught off guard.She quickly pulled herself together and responded to her mother’s concern. "I’m fine, Mom, really. Aurora just got back, and I was a little worried something might’ve happened to her out th
"This ungrateful brat!" The assistant beside him spoke up timidly, "Mr. Hunt, should we find a way to get the Mr. Joseph out?" "Of course!" Melvin looked furious, burning with shame. "At a time like this, what else can we do but get him out?" No matter how disgraceful his son was, once the news got out, it would be the Hunt family’s reputation on the line. What would happen to Hunt Enterprises’ stocks then? He couldn’t afford to take that risk. Seeing Melvin’s expression ease a little, the assistant finally breathed a sigh of relief and went off to find someone to figure out how to get Joseph out. Joseph was already in jail but still hadn’t fully processed what had happened. Aurora had really thrown him straight into jail like that? "Hey! Let go of me!" Joseph yelled at the officers. "Do you even know who I am? How dare you treat me like this!" One of the officers rolled his eyes. "I don’t care who you are. If you’ve broken the law, you’re not getting away with it.
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