If nothing else, the project was already halfway through, but there was no way she’d release the remaining funds.

Back in her office, Aurora dove straight into researching LC Corporation. Sitting around and waiting to be cornered wasn’t her style. It was time to go on the offensive. If the senior executives had already lost confidence, then she had to prove it even more to herself.

Chapter 339

Even if no one else believed in her, she was going to carve a path forward.

Her eyes sharpened with resolve, fingers flying across the keyboard as she pulled up every bit of information she could find.

Ian happened to walk in at that moment, caught a glimpse of her fully focused, and silently backed out. Seeing how absorbed she was, he didn’t dare interrupt and risk disrupting something important.

Aurora’s deep dive into the data wasn’t for nothing. She had a hunch–John’s urgency had to mean something. Sure enough, he wasn’t the only decision-maker within LC Corporation. There were internal conflicts among their top executives. That was why John was in such a rush to raise the price–he was trying to make a show of strength to impress the board.

Aurora scoffed when she pieced it together. So that was his goal? If this was about showing results, it meant LC still wanted the project. Otherwise, John wouldn’t be playing this game of price hikes. He clearly was counting on her being too invested to walk away, assuming she’d never dare drop the deal.

Aurora pressed her lips together tightly. Did John really believe that without him, everything would fall apart? The thought was laughable. In this world, no one was truly indispensable.

She couldn’t help but find John’s behavior laughable. Did he really think that without LC Corporation, she wouldn’t be able to move forward? The idea was ridiculous!

This time, Aurora didn’t hesitate. She immediately instructed her assistant to get in touch with another executive at LC–Randy Lowe.

At first, Ian didn’t quite get it.

“Miss Walton, why are we contacting Randy?” Just thinking about John’s attitude was enough to make him bristle. “Are we really still going to work with that company?”

Aurora explained, “Of course we are. As frustrating as it is, we have to admit that LC Corporation has been a key player in opening doors for us internationally.”

Ian paused, then nodded. That much was true.

Still… “Then why reach out to Randy specifically?” He had been outside a moment ago and didn’t fully catch on. Aurora had suddenly called him in and told him to make the call. At first, he couldn’t even remember who Randy was.

Aurora turned her laptop toward him and gave a quick explanation. Only then did it click.

“Miss Walton, you really are something. What you just said makes perfect sense.” Ian looked at Aurora with stars in his eyes. “So, what you’re doing is breaking LC down from the inside–pitting them against each other, right?”

Aurora smiled faintly. “Looks like your brain works faster than I thought.”

Flushed with pride at the compliment, Ian gave a sheepish grin. “Alright, Miss Walton, I’ll go get in touch with Randy right away.”

Over at Carter Group, Desmond stared at Lucas in disbelief, eyes wide. “Wow, Mr. Carter, that’s seriously impressive.”

Lucas merely raised a brow at the praise, saying nothing in return.