Meanwhile, at the Walton Estate , in the lavishly decorated living room, Grace was elegantly enjoying her breakfast, a faint smile of contentment on her face. Suddenly, the shrill ringing of the phone shattered the peaceful morning.

“Hello?” Grace answered.

“Madam Grace, bad news! There’s trouble at the company! Miss Aurora beat up Chuck Mills! The office is in complete chaos! You need to come immediately!” Ben’s panicked voice trembled with distress, his anxiety palpable even through the phone.

Grace’s expression darkened instantly, her well-maintained face creasing with wrinkles as her brows furrowed in fury. She hung up, abandoning her untouched breakfast, grabbed her handbag, and rushed out of the villa.

The Waltons were one of the most prestigious families in Ravenshore, and Grace had always been meticulous about maintaining her reputation and image. Now, Aurora had caused a public scene by attacking someone at the office—an incident that had already spiraled out of control. The humiliation was unbearable.

By the time she arrived at the company in a hurry, the office was in complete disarray. Several female employees huddled together, tearfully recounting Chuck’s numerous misdeeds. Chuck, on the other hand, sat to the side, clutching his injured hand, his face deathly pale as he cursed under his breath. Grace first soothed the female employees, assuring them that justice would be served. Then, her expression grim, she called Aurora into her office.

“Are you out of your mind? Hitting someone at the company? You’ve completely disgraced the Walton reputation!” The moment Grace stepped into the room, she hissed at Aurora, her meticulously applied makeup unable to conceal the burning rage in her eyes.

Aurora, however, remained unfazed. She met her mother’s glare with an icy stare. “I hit him? He was harassing female employees. I was just defending myself.”

“Defending yourself? You beat him to that extent, and you call that self- defense?” Grace let out a bitter laugh, her fury reaching its peak. “Aurora Walton, do you have any respect for the law? Do you even recognize me as your mother?”

“Mom, I only did what I believed was right.” Aurora’s tone remained calm, yet there was a subtle hint of mockery beneath her words. “So, are you saying I should have just stood by and watched my female colleagues get harassed without lifting a finger?”

“You-” Grace was momentarily speechless, caught off guard by Aurora’s response.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to suppress the anger boiling inside her. She knew her daughter’s temperament well—head-on confrontation would only make things worse.

“Aurora, you went too far this time. Chuck’s behavior was inappropriate, but that doesn’t mean you should have resorted to violence at the office. Now that the situation has blown up, it’s damaging the company’s reputation. You need to apologize.”

Aurora arched a brow, a smirk playing on her lips. “Apologize? Why should I? He was the one harassing female employees. Why am I the one at fault?”

“You-“ Grace’s face turned livid, her chest rising and falling with fury. “Do you even respect me as your mother? When I tell you to apologize, you will apologize!”

Aurora’s gaze turned icy. Her voice was firm, unwavering. “I did nothing wrong. I won’t apologize.” She paused, locking eyes with her mother, her tone resolute. “Mom, I want to return to Walton Corporation.”

Grace froze, caught off guard by Aurora’s sudden declaration. Her eyes narrowed, scrutinizing her daughter with suspicion and distrust. “You want to come back? And what makes you think you can? Do you think the company is your playground—something you can walk in and out of as you please?”

Aurora’s voice was steady, filled with confidence. “Because I can secure the Vanguard Group project.”

Grace’s expression darkened with skepticism, but Aurora’s unwavering confidence only fueled her frustration. “Fine,” Grace said sharply. “I’ll give you this chance. If you can land the Vanguard Group project, I’ll let you return to the company. But if you fail, don’t even think about coming back to Walton Corporation!”

Aurora’s lips curled into a confident smile. “It’s a deal.”

With that, she turned and walked out of the office, not noticing the fleeting hint of sorrow in Grace’s gaze as she watched her leave.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the office, Chuck was officially fired from Walton Corporation. With his belongings packed in a box, he moved dejectedly through the office, his face dark with humiliation. Around him, colleagues whispered among themselves, their hushed voices filled with contempt and schadenfreude. Their judgmental stares burned into his back, making his skin crawl. His heart seethed with resentment—this was all because of Aurora Walton! His fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, drawing deep crescents into his skin. His eyes, filled with malice, darkened with a ruthless glint. He would never let Aurora get away with this.