Chapter 261
Aurora didn’t want any issues surfacing at the office while she was out. If Tessa made any new moves, she needed to know about it immediately. After all, Tessa’s ambition was no longer a secret—it was practically written all over her face. Ian understood exactly what she meant and gave an enthusiastic promise. “Don’t worry, Miss Walton. Go with peace of mind. I’ll keep things running smoothly here. Not a single thing will go wrong.”
To seal the vow, Ian even gave a dramatic, mock-serious salute. Aurora couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, knock it off. I’m not disappearing for a week—I’ll be back this afternoon.” After wrapping up the rest of her instructions, she grabbed her things and headed out. With her assistant holding down the fort, she felt reassured.
After lunch, Aurora made her way to Vanguard Group with the latest project documents in hand. Staring up at the sleek high-rise in front of her, she couldn’t help but feel a familiar twinge of awe. How long would it take before Walton Corporation could grow into something like this? She didn’t know when it would happen, but she was on her way. And she believed with everything in her that it would.
The moment she stepped into Vanguard Group’s lobby, the receptionist immediately recognized her and greeted her warmly. “Miss Walton, right? You’re here to give the progress update?” The receptionist’s bright, cheerful smile caught Aurora off guard for a second, but she quickly nodded. “Yes. Where should I wait?” “Same as before. You can head straight up.”
After a polite thank-you, Aurora walked to the elevator, familiar with the route by now, and went up to the designated floor. When she spotted a familiar figure down the hallway, she barely gave it a second thought. She assumed Lucas was here for a meeting—probably something work-related—and didn’t think much of it. Still, the way he had treated her during their last encounter at Vanguard suddenly flashed through her mind. Aurora had her suspicions, but without concrete evidence, she couldn’t jump to conclusions. She shook her head and decided not to dwell on Lucas showing up here.
Aurora stepped into the conference room and began presenting the latest progress on the Vanguard project to the lead coordinator. By the time she finished, the project head couldn’t help but click his tongue in amazement, his eyes filled with clear admiration. Someone finally spoke up. “Didn’t expect someone as young as Miss Walton to handle this project so impressively.” “Exactly. Looks like we made the right call putting her in charge. If it had gone to anyone else, we probably wouldn’t be seeing results this solid.”
The executives around the table all nodded in agreement, their approval unanimous. The wave of praise caught Aurora slightly off guard, and a faint flush crept up her ears. She casually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, subtly hiding the redness, and responded with graceful humility. “Thank you for the kind words. You’re all too generous.” “No, no, the credit is yours, Miss Walton,” someone replied. “Absolutely. This kind of progress is only possible with strong leadership.” “We’re definitely looking forward to working more closely with you. It’s been a real pleasure.”
As the compliments continued to flow, Aurora responded with poised confidence. “I’m just as excited to continue working with all of you, and even more excited for what’s ahead. “Everything I’m doing now is for the better future we’re building together.”