Joseph felt a dull ache in his chest at the thought, but Aurora knew nothing about it.

After setting up the appointment, Ian went straight to Aurora’s office to tell her about it.

A smile spread across her face. “Perfect. You can come with me tomorrow.”

This was a project she had only just begun to handle, and she didn’t know as much as Ian did.

So, it was better to get his input on many matters.

That way, there would be an extra layer of assurance.

Ian was more than willing to help Aurora with such matters. “Don’t worry, Miss Aurora, I’m completely at ease handling this. When the time comes, I’ll be right there by your side to assist you.”

Aurora nodded. “Mm, I do trust you. Daniel is just an old man with particular tastes. We just have to give him exactly what he wants.”

Ian suggested, “So… should we send him a bit of ‘merchandise’?”

Aurora’s eyes narrowed at him. “What do you mean by merchandise? Is that how I usually speak to you?”

Ian froze for a moment. “But Miss Aurora, if we’re talking about catering to his particular tastes, that’s really what it amounts to.”

Aurora stood up. “What I mean is, no one is immune to the word ‘profit.’ No matter how set someone is in their ways, as long as you offer enough benefit and gain, you don’t have to worry about them refusing to change their mind.”

Ian’s eyes lit up, and after a moment’s thought, he realized she was right. “My apologies, Miss Aurora. I was out of line. I wasn’t thinking the matter through carefully enough.”

Seeing him lower his head, Aurora knew he had recognized his mistake. So, she shook her head, indicating it was fine.

“In situations like this, people instinctively think about catering to his particular tastes,” Aurora spoke firmly. “But we’re different. If we pander to his preferences, how would we be any different from the rest of them? Since we’re businesspeople, we have to approach this the way businesspeople do.”

Ian understood what she meant. He hadn’t expected that in this world, someone could still think so simply, without using those worldly notions to judge the matter.

Watching Aurora work, he felt a deep sense of admiration. It seemed he had truly chosen the right person to follow this time. He could still clearly recall the faces of his previous bosses–every one of them had stopped at nothing to get what they wanted.

People like Aurora were rare. If she could stay true to herself while keeping the edge she needed, he was certain she would go far in the business world.

Aurora began packing her things, getting ready to leave for the day. She said to Ian, “Alright, it’s getting late. You pack up and head out too. Tomorrow morning, we’ll bring all the necessary documents before we meet him.”

Ian nodded seriously. “Understood, don’t worry, Miss Aurora.”

Aurora smiled with satisfaction, walking over to pat him on the shoulder. “I truly feel at ease having you handle things. You’ve been with me for years, and you know my character. Rest assured, if we close this deal, you’ll get your share of the benefits.”