Chapter 471

Not long after, Desmond stepped out as well, perceptive enough to light a fresh cigarette for Lucas.

“All cleaned up?”

Lucas exhaled a trail of smoke, his tone casual.

Desmond nodded. “Don’t worry, sir. Everything’s been taken care of. No loose ends.”

“Let’s head back.”

Lucas sounded displeased. These petty thugs had cost him two full days away from Aurora.

It was utterly worthless, nothing but a nuisance.

He returned on the third day.

In that time, Aurora had been swamped with work, especially after her mother’s sudden health issues.

Her plate had filled up fast, and the pressure mounted sharply.

She barely had the energy to think about Lucas, let alone anything else.

Ian, though silent, had been watching everything unfold.

“Miss Walton, maybe you should take a proper break?” he suggested gently.

Aurora rubbed her temples. “I can’t. There’s still a mountain of things waiting for me.”

She forced herself to stay focused, slipping on her glasses and turning her attention back to the screen.

Seeing that, Ian quietly stepped out.

Not disturbing her, at this point, was the most helpful thing he could do.

Outside, the rest of the department looked at him with worried eyes, quietly asking:

“How is she?”

“She’s still working?”

“This can’t go on… She’s human too. What if she burns herself out?”

Their concern touched him.

Usually, people had plenty to say about Aurora – most of it not particularly kind.

But in a moment like this, they genuinely cared.

And in that moment, he realized that maybe this company wasn’t so bad after all.

“Everyone, just stay calm and focus on your own tasks. I’ll keep an eye on Miss Walton,” Ian reassured them before heading off to buy lunch.

The department fell into a deep, thoughtful silence.

Then, someone finally spoke up. “Honestly, she’s always treated us well.”

“Yeah. Even though she’s the Walton family’s second daughter, she’s never acted entitled. She started at the bottom like the rest of us.”

“Should we ask if there’s anything we can do to help her out?”

After a quick vote, they nominated Lucy to go check in on Aurora.

Adjusting her black-rimmed glasses, Lucy took a deep breath and finally worked up the courage to knock on Aurora’s office door. “Miss Walton?”

“Come in.”

Hearing her voice, Lucy pushed the door open and stepped inside.

“Miss Walton, I just wanted to ask if there’s anything we can do to help you.”

Aurora looked up and met Lucy’s big, blinking eyes.

“This idea… was it yours?” Aurora asked, eyeing the group of curious faces peeking from the hallway.

Lucy lowered her head, cheeks flushed. “We all came up with it together. We just thought you’ve been working way too hard lately.”

“We’re all women here, and honestly, we think you should be a little kinder to yourself. You don’t need to push so hard all the time.”

Aurora was taken aback.

Was she really that hard on herself?

“You think I’m not treating myself well?”

At that, Lucy suddenly let go of her hesitation and gave Aurora a once-over – honestly and thoroughly.

She had a beautiful face, perfectly sculpted.

Hair? Healthy and shiny.

Body? Curves in all the right places – slim where it should be, full where it matters.

But still, Lucy sighed with a touch of envy. “But Miss Walton, all that? That’s just… genetics.”

Chapter 472