Chapter 1258
The reporters on site quickly recorded Aurora’s words, already planning to draft their articles. A few journalists she knew asked follow-up questions, all harmless and easy to answer. Overall, nothing serious arose—the whole process was smooth from start to finish.
Aurora was just about to wrap up when, suddenly, a man shoved forward from the back of the crowd. The moment she saw him, something in her gut told her something wasn’t right. Still, with it being her studio’s opening day, she kept a polite smile in place. The man wore a baseball cap pulled low, dressed head to toe in black, with a mask covering most of his face. When he spoke, he pushed the microphone so close it nearly brushed Aurora’s lips.
“Miss Walton, do you regret leaving Walton Corporation?”
At once, the entire crowd seemed to hold its breath. Eyes snapped toward him in shock. Lucas‘ voice cut in, cold and sharp. “Which outlet are you from?” But the man didn’t falter in the slightest. Calm and unfazed, he said, “That isn’t important. What matters is the question. I believe many people want to know how Miss Walton will answer.” The weight of it landed hard—it wasn’t just personal, it touched both business and society.
After all, Aurora’s words at the corporate banquet months ago had been witnessed by the city’s elite, and now her new studio was under just as much scrutiny. In that sense, the question wasn’t out of line. Plenty of people really did want to hear her answer. Hearing him, Aurora knew immediately–this wasn’t random. He had come prepared. Anyone else would’ve been rattled by Lucas‘ intimidating presence, yet this man didn’t so much as flinch. Clearly, someone had primed him in advance. If this had been before, he wouldn’t have dared ask in such a way. But now that he had, the others in the crowd began to realize the same thing. No one stepped in to stop him. Instead, all eyes turned to Aurora, filled with curiosity, waiting for her response. Lucas was about to speak again, but Aurora reached out and stopped him. With a calm smile, she looked at the reporter. “You’re right. Which outlet you belong to isn’t important. But the question itself? I can answer that. If it’s something everyone wants to know, I have no problem with it.”
The reporter didn’t seem the least bit embarrassed. He simply pulled out a notebook, camera ready, and prepared to record her words. “Since Miss Walton doesn’t mind, then please answer directly.” Even as he spoke, he never raised his head, only shoved the microphone close to her lips, as though refusing to give her space. The other journalists shifted uncomfortably. Something about his manner felt off. Interviews were one thing, but pressing a mic into someone’s face? Was he worried it wouldn’t pick up sound otherwise? Though irritation stirred in Aurora’s chest, she reminded herself it was her opening day. There was no reason to create an awkward scene. Keeping her composure, she smiled and replied, “I’ve already said this studio was born from my dream. So how could leaving my old company ever be something I regret?” She paused, then added lightly, “Besides, I’m only in my twenties. That’s hardly old. If I’m chasing my dream, even if I make mistakes, I’ll always have the courage to start over.”