The assistant stood frozen nearby, too afraid to step forward. She could only muster a quiet, tentative voice. “Mr. York, please don’t be upset. Did something happen?”

It was only then that John’s fury began to simmer down a little. “Tell me, what the hell is that bitch Aurora thinking?” he growled through clenched teeth. “How dare she?”

Just the thought of it made his chest tighten with rage. She used to be his, completely aligned with him from the start. And now? She just up and switched sides like it was nothing?

The assistant pulled out her phone and glanced at the day’s headlines, feeling a mix of awe and concern. She hadn’t expected Aurora to find a new partner so quickly. And now, what would become of LC Group?

She had considered asking about it, but seeing the state John was in now, she didn’t dare open her mouth. Truthfully, she’d wanted to say it from the beginning: he was the one who pushed Aurora away. So, what if she went and partnered with someone else? It was the natural outcome. But now he was throwing a tantrum over it, like it wasn’t entirely his own doing. If she were in Aurora’s shoes, she’d think her boss had lost his mind, too.

Of course, those thoughts stayed locked in the assistant’s head.

John shot her a glare, then grabbed something from the desk and hurled it at her. “Get out. And close the damn door!”

“Yes, sir.”

She scurried out obediently, shutting the door behind her. Once out of sight, she rolled her eyes and muttered to herself, “What a lunatic.”

Inside, John stared at the closed door for a long moment before snatching up his phone again. Aurora had really teamed up with that bastard, Randy, who was always waiting to strike the moment there was a crack.

John clenched his fists. “Fine. Since you don’t want to work with me anymore, Aurora, then don’t blame me for throwing all courtesy out the window. If she didn’t want him to profit, then no one would.”

Before he could even figure out his next move, a message from the company headquarters came through–there was a mandatory meeting at HQ later this week. The real purpose, though, was something he’d heard through the grapevine: the final decision on who would take the general manager position.

John knew full well that LC Group had been planning to expand their domestic operations for a while now; Walton Corporation had always been on their radar. But now, thanks to his price hike, Aurora had gone straight to that bastard Randy instead.

It was clear that this meeting was nothing but a stage for Randy’s promotion. “Fine. If I’m not allowed to profit, then no one will.”

He hadn’t intended to go this far. But this news? This was the final straw.

John grabbed his coat, snatched up his car keys, and stormed out. Before leaving, he casually took a knife from the desk.

His assistant noticed him leaving in a rush, and her brow furrowed in confusion. “What’s going on with him? He was just ranting and throwing things… and now he’s suddenly running out the door?”

She scratched her head, watching him disappear down the hallway. Still, she shook it off and went back to work. Her boss had been acting weird for days, and she didn’t see the point in getting involved.

John, meanwhile, had only one destination in mind: Walton Corporation. His face was twisted with malice, a black mask covering half of it. Just one look at him would send chills down anyone’s spine.

Silent, he slammed his foot on the gas, his mind consumed by the image of Aurora shaking hands with Randy.