Chapter 14
Lucas froze for a moment before a slight smile appeared on his face. Suddenly, he wrapped an arm around her waist, leaning down, his voice cool and laced with laziness. “Rora, I’ve never pursued anyone before. Whether it’s infatuation at first sight or feelings that grow over time, give me a chance. Let’s turn this act into something real, alright?”
Rora was her childhood name. When she was young, her family loved calling her that. She hadn’t expected Lucas to bring it up again. How did he even know about it? Aurora’s heart trembled slightly as she met his gaze.
Her red lips parted, but she couldn’t bring herself to refuse. She lowered her eyes, her long lashes trembling slightly before she finally spoke. “Alright.”
Meanwhile.
After leaving the restaurant, Joseph dragged Judy away with a dark expression. There was quite a crowd inside, all eager to watch the drama unfold. Someone even recorded the moment Aurora confronted him and later uploaded the video online, eager to stir up the buzz. Joseph’s reputation was completely ruined.
Fuming, he immediately summoned Shawn Smith, the one responsible for delivering the gift to Aurora, and snapped, “Are you out of your mind? Was it really about saving that little bit of money? You actually gave Aurora a counterfeit gift?”
Shawn rubbed his nose sheepishly. “Jo, this isn’t about the money. Aurora isn’t in our circle. Why should we give her something expensive? She’s just a broke nobody!”
Joseph let out a bitter laugh, clenching his jaw. “Even so, I wouldn’t sink so low as to give a woman a knockoff gift! Now my reputation is in shambles!”
“I didn’t think she’d be so serious about it. Honestly, Jo, you shouldn’t have even given her that money! Three years, and she charged you twenty-two thousand dollars for labor? She must be desperate for cash!”
His words only made Joseph even more frustrated. Thinking about the bills Aurora mentioned, he couldn’t help but wonder if she had really done that much for him over the past three years. But that thought quickly faded. She was pathetic, born to grovel at a man’s feet like a dog.
Aurora was nothing like Judy. No matter how poor she was, Judy remained gentle and resilient, never losing her dignity for money or love.
“Joseph, Shawn was just looking out for you. He didn’t want you to be deceived. Don’t be mad at him.” Judy bit her lip, hesitating before adding, “But with Miss Walton making such a scene, it might affect the partnership between the Hunt family and Vanguard Group. We should figure out a way to contain the fallout.”
Joseph frowned deeply. Under different circumstances, he wouldn’t have cared about a scandal like this. But of all times, it had to happen right when the deal with Vanguard Group was at a critical stage. Shawn’s eyes darted around before he suddenly grinned. “Jo, when it comes down to it, this is all Aurora’s fault. I remember seeing her working at Walton Corporation. If they fire her, those negative rumors will die out on their own.”
In the construction industry, getting fired from a major company could ruin an employee’s reputation. Joseph’s lips pressed into a thin line.
“That could work,” he said coldly. “She was never that competent to begin with and doesn’t belong at Walton Corporation. With Vanguard Group’s press conference coming up, I’ll reach out to some old contacts there and give them a heads-up.”
His eyes narrowed. He hadn’t intended to make things difficult for Aurora, but her relentless pestering was starting to wear on his patience. More importantly, he didn’t want her drama to affect the deal. Besides, she was just an ordinary college graduate with no background and real qualifications. Did she really think a small-town nobody like her deserved a place in a major corporation?
The next day, Aurora returned to the office. To secure the Vanguard Group deal, Aurora meticulously reviewed their projects from recent years. A company’s architectural style rarely changed drastically, meaning past designs largely dictated future trends. The more she understood, the better their chances of winning the project. She carefully compiled and organized Vanguard Group’s architectural designs from the past few years and submitted the files to her supervisor. Just as she was about to leave, he narrowed his eyes and called her back with a cold snort.
“This is the report you put together?”
Aurora didn’t understand what he meant but nodded. The man suddenly tossed the documents to the floor, his voice icy. “This is how you work at Walton Corporation? Your design concepts and references are completely off the mark! Walton Corporation doesn’t need employees like you. You’re fired!”
Fired?
Aurora raised an eyebrow. She bent down, picked up the scattered documents, and calmly asked, “Are you sure you’ve gone through them all and still want to fire me?”
“This is all nonsense!” Chuck Mills sneered, looking at her with contempt. “I don’t care how you got into Walton Corporation, but you can get out now!”
Joseph had made it clear–this woman was nothing but a poor college graduate. She had no background, no connections, and no impressive resume. There was nothing stopping him from handling her however he pleased.
Aurora knew Chuck had been with the company for years and had a habit of throwing his seniority around. She just hadn’t expected him to see her as an easy target, a fresh graduate he could bully at will. If she really were just another ordinary graduate, she might have actually been fired by this so-called executive of a major corporation today.
Unfortunately for him, she was a Walton. And Walton Corporation had no need for parasites like him.
“Alright,” Aurora looked at the man, her tone laced with amusement. “Fire me if you want but follow proper procedures. The reason must be clear, and everything must be handled legally. As long as the process is legitimate, I won’t linger a second longer.”
“Don’t worry,” Chuck sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Walton Corporation has always done things above board.”
Before leaving, Aurora asked one last question.
“Are you sure you won’t regret this?”