The two of them were laughing and chatting, and in Lucas’ eyes, they looked exactly like a family. A flush of red crept into the corners of his eyes as he forced himself to suppress the emotions surging in his chest. He told himself over and over to stay calm and trust Aurora. But watching the scene through the glass, he felt like he was on the verge of losing it. The image of a handsome man, a beautiful woman, and an adorable little girl was the perfect picture of a family. No matter how he looked at it, that’s exactly what it seemed to him. Jealousy churned inside him, bubbling to the surface. In the end, he could only turn and leave. Even though anger simmered beneath his skin, he was still standing near Walton Corporation. He reminded himself that Aurora would give him an explanation. “What if he was only a working partner?” he reasoned, trying to hold on to that thought.

Meanwhile, Joseph paced anxiously in his apartment. He dragged a hand through his hair, now disheveled and greasy, his once-handsome features dulled by a patchy stubble and a look of defeat. Ever since being thrown out of the Walton gala, Joseph hadn’t stepped outside. He spent every day holed up indoors, muttering things under his breath, like a man unraveling. Even when Judy approached, he didn’t look at her the way he used to. She came over to call him for dinner, her eyes flashing briefly with disgust at his current state, though she quickly masked it. “Dinner’s ready, Joseph. Your mom made your favorite. Come down and have some.” Joseph looked at her, and at some point, a trace of resentment had crept into his gaze. If it hadn’t been for this woman, would he have ever broken things off with Aurora, who was the younger heiress of the Walton family and the current general manager of Walton Corporation? Her family’s wealth alone far exceeded the Hunts by several times. All because of Judy–he’d handed over his golden ticket just like that?

Joseph took a deep breath, his gaze toward Judy growing darker and more twisted by the second. Judy instinctively stepped back, a flicker of fear flashing in her eyes. “Joseph, what’s going on with you?” He clenched his fists, barely holding back the rage boiling inside. "Nothing. I’m just going to freshen up,” He made his way to the bathroom and stared at his reflection in the mirror, running a hand over the stubble shadowing his face. Then, suddenly, it hit him. If Aurora had fallen for him once, she could fall for him again. He refused to believe otherwise. Women were all about appearances anyway.

All he had to do was clean himself up. Once Aurora saw him at his best again, she’d come running back. At the gala, she must have held back because of the crowd. She couldn’t throw away her pride in front of so many people. But could she really toss away three years of relationship with me easily? He was the young heir of the Hunt family, not some nameless preppy boy. With the younger heiress of the Walton family and the heir of the Hunt family working together, wouldn’t they be unstoppable in Ravenshore? The more he thought about it, the more smug he became. His lips curled into a self-satisfied smile, a laugh rumbling from deep in his chest. Outside the bathroom, Judy stood frozen. She had heard his laughter, and her once-innocent face sank into a cold, unreadable expression. She wasn’t stupid. There was no way she hadn’t noticed the change in Joseph’s attitude toward her these past few weeks. Men really were all the same–completely unreliable. “Aurora Walton, this is all your fault,” she thought.

That afternoon, Joseph took Judy along to get a new makeover. His feelings toward her were complicated. Yes, he liked having a delicate little girl clinging to him–it fed his ego and sense of superiority. But a woman with no real value or usefulness? In the end, she’d never be able to hold her place.