Chapter 119

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. Feeling 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 them and hand everything over to our president for final approval. After that, we’ll announce the results. Please be patient.”

Aurora pressed her lips together, her fingers instinctively curling into her palms. She couldn’t help the tension building in her chest—everything came down to this.

Joseph had been watching her every move. Seeing the anxiety in her expression, he nearly laughed. So, what if she was nervous? It was already over for her. “Let’s hope that person doesn’t let me down,” he thought.

Meanwhile, in the conference room.

“Where’s Walton Corporation’s proposal?”

Lucas stood in front of the final ten selected submissions, his voice sharp as he questioned the coordinator who had just spoken on stage.

The man flinched, his voice trembling. “Mr. Carter, I–I don’t know. These were the ones handed to me by the executives. I wasn’t part of the actual sorting process…”

Lucas’ narrow eyes turned icy. “Find out. Now.”

Something was off. He knew exactly how much Aurora had poured into this project. How could it not have made it to the final round? Lucas knew Walton Corporation’s proposal inside and out, and Aurora’s design approach was nothing short of outstanding.

Before the coordinator could stammer out a reply, Desmond quickly stepped in, sharp and perceptive. “Understood, sir. I’ll look into it right away.”

The coordinator wiped sweat from his brow and asked nervously, “Sir, what about the bidding event? All the other companies are still waiting.”

“Make something up. Stall them.”

“Yes, sir.”

The coordinator backed out of the office without saying another word. Returning to the event hall, he addressed the crowd with a practiced smile. “Apologies, everyone. All of the proposals this round were extremely strong, so our executives are taking a bit more time to carefully review everything. We’d like to ask for just another thirty minutes. In the meantime, please help yourselves to the refreshments. You’re welcome to step out for a break if you prefer.”

No one complained. After all, who would dare speak up at an event like this? Only Aurora raised an eyebrow slightly, sensing something was off. A half-hour delay? Something had definitely happened.

Though everyone was told they could come and go freely, no one left. This project was a prize too big to walk away from, so waiting another thirty more minutes was nothing.

The only one who looked increasingly pleased was Joseph. If they were stalling, that could only mean one thing—that person had pulled it off. “Aurora, let’s see how long you can keep your little act going. By the time this is over, even if you’re on your knees in front of me, I still won’t forgive you,” he thought.

Chapter 120