Rachel dashed out without even glancing back at Tessa, too flustered to bother with anything else.

Meanwhile, Tessa was still lost in her own thoughts. This kind of lackey—so eager and proactive—was just too satisfying. Rachel had gone and taken on extra work all on her own. Tessa clearly needed to reward her with more perks. If she kept this up, she’d only become more loyal and hardworking. The thought alone made Tessa feel smug and content.

On the other side of the room, Aurora remained completely unaware of their scheming. She was fully immersed in conversation with a circle of industry elites, discussing trending topics and her long-term vision for the Walton Corporation.

With effortless poise, she spoke with clarity and confidence. Her fitted off-shoulder evening gown accentuated her graceful figure, and under the warm lights, she seemed to glow from within, capturing the attention of the entire room. All eyes were on her.

“My god, how can someone be this beautiful?”

“Right? And I heard she’s incredibly capable. She took down those two major deals?”

“Not only that, she’s actually outperforming most men. She’s the general manager at Walton Corporation, too.”

Whispers rippled through the crowd, voices hushed but full of awe. The more they learned about her capabilities, the more impressive she became. It wasn’t just her beauty—they were floored by how successful she was.

And as soon as that was mentioned, more than a few young heirs started to show interest.

“You’ve got to be kidding. How did no one tell me that Aurora Walton wasn’t just gorgeous, but also a financial genius?”

“Seriously. If that’s true, then I might actually be falling for her.”

“Yeah, but does anyone know if Miss Aurora is still single?”

“Come on, let’s be real. Do you even know what kind of person she is? Or the kind of company she’s in?”

That remark made everyone turn to look at the man who had spoken.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He gave a knowing smirk. “I’m talking about the Walton family’s rules.”

The crowd looked confused, clearly unfamiliar with what he was referring to. The man scanned the puzzled faces, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

“Unbelievable… bunch of amateurs.” He lifted his chin, sounding smug. “Let me break it down for you. The Waltons have a rule: if a woman wants to take over the company, she has to be married. Otherwise, she has no right to inherit.”

The room fell silent for a beat before a wave of realization swept over the group. No one had expected the Walton family to enforce such an outdated rule. It made their own families suddenly seem much more progressive by comparison.

But then someone suddenly caught on.

“Wait a minute… if that’s true, doesn’t that mean Miss Aurora already has a fiancé or husband?”

The man who’d been so full of himself froze. His expression fell instantly.

“Right… now that you mention it, I completely forgot about that…”

Everyone around him looked unimpressed now, realizing he had just been bluffing without knowing the full story. So much for being the expert.

But now, a new curiosity spread among them—if Aurora was married, then who exactly was her husband?