When he mentioned Megan, Aurora’s lips curled slightly.

If she really went through with this marriage, she couldn’t imagine how Megan would react.

But then again… Lucas’ face alone made it hard not to waver.

She needed to marry someone she didn’t dislike, someone with good character.

Honestly, Lucas was the best option.

Aurora’s red lips curved into a smile as she blinked playfully. "Lukey, I don’t think I have a reason to say no."

"Then tomorrow at 10 a.m., at the city hall," Lucas said, meeting her gaze.

Aurora nodded.

It seemed he had other matters to attend to, as he turned to leave.

But just as he was about to step away, he paused.

His brows furrowed slightly, his tone casual but pointed. "About Joseph Hunt…"

"It’s over," Aurora lowered her gaze, recalling Joseph’s arrogance earlier.

"Don’t worry, I’m not the type to go back to an ex."

Only then did Lucas turn and walk away.

Aurora watched his retreating figure, feeling an odd sense of disbelief.

She was really about to marry Lucas.

…

She didn’t tell Grace about the marriage in advance.

Lucas had always been low-profile, an elusive figure even in the media.

And in truth, this marriage felt more like a formality to satisfy their families.

If she really thought about it, their connection, aside from that one reckless night and her fleeting, unspoken crush, mostly came from the fact that he was Megan’s cousin.

The next day, they walked out of the city hall, each holding a crisp marriage certificate in hand.

Only now did the reality of marriage begin to sink in for Aurora.

"Now that we're officially married, should we move into our place?" she asked hesitantly.

She wasn’t exactly experienced in these matters, nor did she know Lucas well enough to predict his response.

Aurora didn’t know much about the specifics of the Carter family’s business, only that they were exceptionally wealthy.

However, families like theirs always had an estate or a property set aside for newlyweds.

At the sound of the word “we,” Lucas’ lips curled slightly, an almost imperceptible reaction that vanished in an instant.

"Of course," he said coolly.

He handed her a set of keys along with a small red box.

Aurora opened it and paused.

Inside was a diamond ring.

And not just any ring—it was exactly the style she liked.

Understated yet exquisitely crafted, luxurious yet elegant.

It suited her past tastes perfectly.

"A wedding ring," Lucas said in his usual calm tone, his gaze resting on her as he added casually, "Want to try it on?"

Even after playing the role of a struggling student for three years, Aurora still couldn’t resist something that sparkled this beautifully.

She nodded.

Lucas took the ring and slid it onto her finger.

"Do you like it?" His voice remained indifferent, yet his gaze was focused entirely on her.

"If not, we can get another one."

Aurora’s lips curved into a smile.

"I like it."

There was no reason not to like a diamond ring worth nearly seven figures.

Back when she was with Joseph, the most expensive ring he ever gave her was a plain one.

She even returned most of the money he transferred to her.

He had barely spent his money on her.

For men like him, the truest sign of sincerity was investing in the woman they cared about.

The Waltons were never short on money, but feeling Lucas’ generosity still put Aurora in a rare good mood.

Lucas handed her another card.

At first, Aurora assumed it was for household expenses.

But then, he glanced at her and said in an unhurried tone, "The house is taken care of by the staff. This is for your personal spending, Mrs. Carter."

His voice was calm, indifferent, as if he were mentioning something trivial.

Aurora’s eyes flickered as she arched a brow, her red lips curving playfully. "Lukey, aren’t you worried I might run off with your money after I’m done sleeping with you?"

"Run off with my money..."

Lucas let out a low chuckle, his voice deep and smooth. "That’s fine. Name your price, Mrs. Carter. As for sleeping with me..."

Their eyes met.

His sharp, narrow eyes, porcelain-like skin, and perfectly sculpted features grew nearer and nearer.

Then, he leaned forward, pulled her close by the waist, and kissed her.

It was an unrestrained kiss—deep and intense.

She gasped softly, but he captured her breath entirely, feeding it back into her lips.

Instinctively, she clutched the hem of his shirt.

Only when her legs grew weak did Lucas finally stop.

He gazed down at her, his voice low and husky. "Did you really think you could just walk away after sleeping with me? Mrs. Carter, your skills are still lacking."

Aurora was never one to back down.

The corners of her red lips lifted slightly before she suddenly pressed a kiss to his Adam’s apple.

Feeling his body tense for a brief moment, she pulled back half a step, her lazy smile carrying a hint of provocation. "Mr. Carter, you're not that impressive either."

Lucas' gaze darkened slightly, but Aurora knew when to stop.

After exchanging contact information with Lucas, she moved into his home.

The house was in a prime location.

Before moving in, she mentioned registering the marriage to her mother, though she hadn't brought up Lucas.

Grace was a little surprised at how quickly Aurora had gotten married, but she merely responded indifferently, "The Walton family doesn’t believe in divorce. You made your own choice, so you should be clear about it.

“Now that you're married, focus on the company."

Aurora couldn't quite describe how she felt.

Grace had always been like this—so long as nothing directly went against her wishes, she rarely interfered with Aurora’s decisions.

There was a fleeting moment of disappointment that Aurora couldn’t quite grasp.

She simply smiled and said, "Alright."

Just before hanging up, Grace added, "Bring him home sometime so I can take a look."

That afternoon, Aurora reported to Walton Corporation for her first day.

Grace hadn’t concealed Aurora’s identity.

Her intent had always been for Aurora to quickly familiarize herself with the company’s operations.

As a result, the managers treated Aurora with the utmost respect.

"Miss Walton, this is the project we’re aiming for this month. Vanguard Group is planning to develop a wellness hot spring resort.

“Aside from Walton Corporation, several other companies are bidding for it. If we can secure this project, it will be highly beneficial for us."

Aurora took the file the manager handed her and skimmed through the details.

Vanguard Group was the industry leader.

A few years ago, they underwent asset restructuring and seemed to have changed ownership.

In recent years, they made bold moves, and without exception, their profit margins were among the highest in the field.

People often said that even the leftovers from Vanguard Group were worth more than what most companies could dream of in a lifetime.

Even Grace mentioned how crucial this project was.

Her gaze swept over the list of competing companies, and as expected, she spotted the name Hunt Enterprises.

Her brow arched slightly with an unreadable expression.

So, the Hunt family was after this project too.

"Send me the full project details, along with Vanguard Group’s information."

The manager nodded, then added, "After the restructuring, Vanguard Group's new owner has remained a mystery.

“However, they are hosting a business gala soon, and their boss is expected to attend."

Aurora glanced at the notes and committed the key details to memory.

If they wanted to win Vanguard Group’s project, this business gala would likely be the perfect opportunity.

Meanwhile, at the Hunt estate.

Harold Hunt, the head of the Hunt family, handed Joseph a file with the competitors' profiles.

“Take a look. These are the companies we're up against for this project. Walton Corporation will be our main competitor.

“I heard the Walton matriarch’s younger daughter is personally involved in the bidding. No matter what, you must secure this project.”

Walton matriarch’s younger daughter?

Joseph frowned slightly.

He had never heard of this woman before, but in the end, she was just that—a woman.

There was no way he would lose to a woman.

"Don’t worry, I won’t let you down."

"And another thing," Mr. Hunt continued, frowning. "Settle things with Judy as soon as possible. I heard that college girl you were keeping around didn’t take the breakup too well?

"At a time like this, drama is one thing, but don’t let it turn into a mess."

"Rest assured, I’ll take care of it."

Joseph thought of Aurora and felt a wave of impatience.

Women like her, who had never seen the world, were always restless—clinging and refusing to let go.

His eyes narrowed as an idea crossed his mind.

He called his assistant and instructed, "Do something for me."

Aurora worked late into the night at the company.

Real estate was a cutthroat industry, and as a newbie, she had to work twice as hard to catch up.

Just as she was finishing up, a message popped up.

It was from Joseph.

"Aurora, a breakup should be clean. Return all the gifts I gave you."

He attached a list of items.

Everything from necklaces to slippers—he even included the ten dollars deal from a fast-food promo.

When she didn’t respond, he sent another message:

"I’m giving you three days. Since you think so highly of yourself, you wouldn’t want me to look down on you!"

He wanted to take back all the gifts he gave her after a breakup?

Aurora couldn’t help but laugh at Joseph’s pettiness.

She had always thought he was just a little sleazy, but she hadn’t expected him to be this cheap and stingy.

Thinking about how she was once with a man like that, she felt utterly disgusted.

When she returned to her new home, she immediately started digging through her things, determined to gather up every single gift Joseph had ever given her.

Just then, Lucas walked in.

"What are you looking for?" His voice was calm and indifferent as he glanced at her.

Aurora paused, then casually replied, "Settling debts from a breakup. My ex wants all his gifts back. I've never met a man this desperate for scraps in my entire life."

There was a hint of frustration in her tone, her striking face carrying traces of annoyance.

The next second, her phone chimed.

A bank notification popped up, informing her that $40,000 had been deposited with a memo stating it was a gift.

Lucas cast an uninterested glance at the pile of cheap trinkets scattered on the floor, his expression as indifferent as ever.

"Throw all that junk away."

Aurora froze for a moment before she heard him adding, "Mrs. Carter, I don’t like my wife keeping another man’s things."

She quickly realized that her history of being hopelessly romantic had probably spread far and wide.

Lucas must have assumed she was still hung up on her ex.

"Relax, trash belongs in the trash."

Aurora twirled the sparkling diamond ring on her finger and arched a brow. "Besides, I already have my favorite one."

And she truly did love this ring.

Besides, now that she was married, as Mrs. Carter, she couldn’t let Lucas down.

At her words, Lucas’ lips curved slightly.

Aurora hesitated as she looked at the bank transfer. "Lukey, I should probably return this money to you."

Lucas certainly didn’t care about such a small amount.

But still, it was better to keep things clear.

"No need."

He raised a brow, his tone unhurried. "Don’t worry, I’m not the type to ask for compensation after a breakup. Just think of it as me spoiling my wife."

Aurora had been on the receiving end of Lucas’ generosity before.

She was always close to Megan.

As kids, Megan would often pull her along, acting cute and sweet in front of the adults.

Lucas had been one of those adults.

She remembered how, whenever she pouted and played along, Lucas would smile slightly, his gaze warm as he handed her a thick stack of cash as pocket money.

But this was the first time she was receiving money from him as his wife.

For some reason, her face felt a little warm.

"Then… thank you, Lukey."

She didn’t refuse again.

After packing up the old gifts, Aurora was about to take a shower when she suddenly noticed that the gold necklace Joseph gave her had a patch where the color had worn off.

Her brows furrowed.

She instinctively ran her fingers over the discolored patch and let out a laugh—half amused, half exasperated.

The gold necklace was a fake.

The only valuable-looking gift Joseph had ever given her turned out to be a knockoff.

…

That night, curled up in bed, Aurora couldn’t resist video calling Megan to vent.

Megan was completely stunned.

"A fake?" Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Has the Hunt family gone broke or something? Who gives a girl counterfeit jewelry as a gift?"

"It was probably something one of Joseph’s friends arranged," Aurora said lightly.

All of Joseph’s gifts were picked out by the people around him.

He had never put much thought into her.

So, it wasn’t surprising that even the gifts were cheap knockoffs.

Megan’s mouth twitched.

Joseph’s behavior was so absurd she didn’t even know where to begin.

Just as they were talking, the bedroom door suddenly swung open.

"It’s late. Aren’t you going to sleep?"

At the doorway, Lucas stood casually, dressed in a thin pajama set.

His dark eyes were unreadable, his posture relaxed, exuding an effortless elegance.

Aurora froze for a moment.

Meanwhile, Megan, still on the video call, was utterly dumbfounded.

"Holy shit! Why is my cousin with you?!"