Both of them had prepared themselves, convinced that Daniel would be difficult to deal with.

But the next second, he stood up with surprising enthusiasm. "You must be from Walton Corporation?"

He turned his gaze to Aurora, his smile growing even more ingratiating.

"And you must be the general manager of Walton Corporation. Truly, meeting you in person surpasses everything I've heard–you're so young and accomplished."

Aurora raised a brow, genuinely surprised by his reaction.

"I’ve also been curious about you, Mr. Lewis. Now that we’ve met, it seems the rumors don’t quite match the reality."

She followed his words smoothly, a faint, composed smile resting on her delicate face.

Clearly, his unexpected warmth piqued her interest.

Daniel, of course, knew he was acting differently than usual, but he pretended not to notice her remark and eagerly invited them to sit down.

Aurora exchanged a quick glance with Ian, and neither of them stood on ceremony.

If–for whatever reason–he was choosing to be this welcoming, they might as well take advantage of it.

Business, after all, was full of such opportunities.

Once they sat down, the waiter, quick on the uptake, began serving the dishes.

Aurora had already ordered ahead of time.

Seeing the table filling, she didn’t waste any time and went straight to the point.

“Mr. Lewis, it’s an honor for Walton Corporation to have this meeting with you today. Since we’re here, I’m sure you know what our purpose is. So, I’ll be direct.”

Daniel’s smile stiffened slightly, but he kept his composure, answering with patience.

“Of course. The fact that we’re meeting today already means I’ve made up my mind.”

Aurora arched her brow and couldn’t help but praise him. “Mr. Lewis, you certainly are straightforward.”

With that, she shot a look at Ian.

He immediately understood, pulling the documents from the bag.

Ian respectfully handed the file across to Daniel, speaking politely. “Mr. Lewis, this is a token of our company’s sincerity. Please take a look.”

Daniel himself looked a little surprised. He hadn’t expected them to be so direct, presenting documents right at the start.

Normally, this sort of thing would be delayed until much later in the process.

Forcing a couple of awkward laughs, he said, "I didn't expect you to be so straightforward, Miss Walton."

"Time is valuable for everyone," Aurora replied with a smile. "If you find it suitable, Mr. Lewis, you can take a look at our contract."

Ian added quickly, “We’ve shown plenty of good faith. If there’s anything that doesn’t seem right, we can always discuss and make adjustments.”

Daniel opened his mouth as if to object, but after a brief pause, he plastered on his usual ingratiating smile.

“Of course, I’m more than happy to work with you.”

With that, he picked up the file, flipping through a few pages in a perfunctory manner.

A contract of this weight should have been studied carefully, but his attitude made it clear he wasn’t serious.

In the end, he simply closed it and looked at them with a broad grin. “Everything looks fine to me. What matters most is that we’re moving forward with this partnership. So, when do you think would be the right time to sign?”