When Lucas returned to the bedroom, he finally noticed Aurora was nowhere in sight. He searched the entire place before finding her in the guest room.

Aurora had clearly made up her mind.

She wasn’t going to sleep in the same bed as him tonight.

Now that his true love was back, it only made sense to draw the line in their marriage.

The image from earlier that day still lingered in her mind, and every time she looked at Lucas, a wave of discomfort rose in her chest, especially knowing those hands had just touched another woman.

Lucas stood at the door, his lips parting slightly, as if wanting to say something.

But in the end, he said nothing at all.

His fists clenched, a wave of helplessness washing over him.

Just last night, they had been wrapped up in each other.

Tonight, a wall divided them, and so did the silence.

The next morning, Aurora got up early.

After washing up, she left for the office without even acknowledging Lucas.

Normally, she would have breakfast prepared by him, but today, she wasn’t in the mood.

When she arrived at the company, she noticed the shift instantly.

Everyone greeted her with a new level of respect, addressing her as their General Manager.

In that moment, her identity fully transitioned.

Aurora gave a slight nod to the crowd. “No need to be so formal. Just treat me the same as before.

“We all have the same goal – the success of this company. That’s our shared purpose.”

Applause broke out across the room.

Aurora caught sight of Lucy in the corner, standing nervously as if she wanted to say something, but held herself back.

Aurora raised a brow and waved Lucy over. “What’s wrong? You look like you don’t know what to say to me.”

Lucy shifted awkwardly. “It just feels like things are different now. Your identity’s changed.

“You’re our General Manager and the younger heiress of the Walton family; I have to show you proper respect. I know where the lines are.”

The comment left a sour taste in Aurora’s mouth.

She looked at Lucy seriously and said, “Don’t put yourself down like that.

“In my eyes, you’ve always been that cheerful, positive girl with a smile in her eyes. I’ve seen you as a good friend for a long time now. Or… do you not think of me as a friend?”

“Of course not!” Lucy quickly replied.

“I’ve always seen you as a friend too! As long as you don’t mind someone like me, I’ll always be your friend!”

Aurora smiled warmly. “Why would I ever mind?”

The two exchanged a glance and laughed, their friendship genuine enough to make others envious.

After comforting Lucy, Aurora headed to her office to get on with the day’s work.

Though they’d already secured Vanguard Group’s hot spring resort project, proper follow-up would require someone experienced – someone she could trust.

She wasn’t about to take chances.

She knew exactly how important this project was to Walton Corporation.

It was also her first major assignment since taking over, and she had to get it right.

Without a strong start, she’d have a hard time building her authority moving forward.

Grace was well aware of that too.

That was why she had arranged for Aurora to receive Leonard personally.

“You should communicate more with Leonard. He’s got a few notable achievements overseas and holds a solid reputation in the design world.”

Aurora nodded. “Don’t worry, Madam Grace. Things are going well with Leonard so far. We’re easing into the partnership at a steady pace.”

“What’s he like as a person?”

After all, he was a key partner – Grace needed to know who they were dealing with.