The assistant was genuinely impressed watching Aurora spring into action with such swift, clear-headed responses. She was newly promoted and didn’t know Aurora well. When she first saw the news, she’d thought the sky was falling, but now, seeing how Aurora handled it—sharp, composed, and efficient—brought a sense of unexpected reassurance.

Still, just as the two of them began to catch their breath, the situation escalated again—faster than anyone could have predicted. Not long after, the assistant returned in a rush, unable to keep the situation under control.

“Bad news, Miss Aurora!”

“It’s not just the supplier I mentioned earlier; more and more manufacturers are pulling out one after another. If this keeps up, we’ll have to shut down every ongoing project.”

Aurora’s hand froze, pen hovering in midair.

Only then did the full weight of the crisis hit her. Things were unraveling too fast—unnaturally fast. It felt as if someone powerful was orchestrating everything from the shadows.

Still, now wasn’t the time to investigate who was behind it. That could wait. The priority was stabilizing their suppliers. Every day the projects stalled meant wasted labor and resources. If they failed to deliver on time, how was she supposed to explain that to Vanguard Group? This was their first collaboration; was it really going to fall apart this messily?

“Start by calming the suppliers,” Aurora instructed. “Also, track down whoever’s spreading this online. We’re back, and take this.”

“Understood, I’ll look into it now,” the assistant said, rushing off again.

At this point, every second mattered. Time was money, and if things dragged on, the losses would spiral beyond anyone's control. This was the weight that came with running a corporation.

Aurora studied the online posts carefully, combing through every word. Something about it felt off, as if she’d missed a crucial detail. But no matter how hard she tried to pinpoint it, the answer just wouldn’t come to her.

All she could do now was wait for her assistant to reach the suppliers and try to contain the damage. Walton Corporation couldn’t afford to lose these manufacturers. The losses would be far beyond what she could personally cover.

A while later, the assistant returned, looking utterly defeated. “Miss Aurora, they’re not giving us any room to negotiate. When called, their tone was downright hostile. I explained our position, and they told me to clean up our own mess before talking business again.”

“One of them even cursed us. They said they hoped the company would go bankrupt!”

Aurora’s gaze darkened. “The one who cursed us—cut ties. We’re not working with someone that petty and unprofessional. If they’re that dirty now, who knows what they’ll pull in the future, even if we did keep them on.”

The assistant nodded after a pause. “You’re right. I’ll tell the others the same.”

While Walton still hadn’t found a way to stop the bleeding, the storm online only grew louder. Public opinion was spiraling, showing no signs of slowing down. More and more suppliers began cutting ties after seeing the viral posts. One or two was manageable, but when it became a wave, there was no way Grace wouldn’t notice.

Just as Aurora was at her wit’s end, the door to her office was knocked again.

“Miss Aurora, the Chairwoman wants to see you.”

At that, Aurora finally looked up. A chill ran down her spine. Of course, she knew why she was being summoned now.