There were just over twenty days until the graduate school entrance exam. After the exam, it would be Thanksgiving Day. He planned to confess his feelings to Darcy on Thanksgiving. Today, besides his usual math tutoring session, he also wanted to set a date with her in advance. The thought made Bram's heart flutter with excitement. As he neared the library entrance, his steps faltered. A luxury car was parked across the street. A Mercedes G-Class. A man leaned against the vehicle, smoking a cigarette. Slowly exhaled smoke partially obscured the man's expression, making it hard to read. Bram recognized him instantly. It was Gwen's cousin, Hugo.What was he doing here at this time? Bram's gaze instinctively shot up to the library's third floor. He had bumped into Hugo and Darcy walking together before. As a man, he naturally understood Hugo's unspoken interest in Darcy. He continued walking. Suddenly, Hugo's gaze shifted and locked onto him. Their eyes met. Hugo gave a slight nod of acknowledgment. Bram paused and returned the gesture with a nod of his own. Though the formalities were observed, an obvious sense of distance and wariness hung between them. It was the instinctive defense of one male against another. On the third floor, Bram spotted Darcy immediately. Gwen, who had been sitting across from her, was nowhere to be seen. He pulled up a chair beside her."Bram! You made it," Darcy said, looking pleasantly surprised. "Finished with Prof. Reed's project?" "Yeah, all done," Bram replied with a smile. "Which problems are you stuck on?" "Just this one," Darcy said, pointing. "Impressive. The list of problems you can't solve is getting shorter. Looks like you're set for the written exam." Bram leaned in to explain the problem. Darcy understood it quickly. She worked through it again from scratch herself, solidifying the logic, then finally put down her pen. Darcy stretched, then remembered something. "How come you told Gwen we had plans for Thanksgiving?" she asked. Bram froze, then his face flushed bright red. He hadn't had a chance to bring it up with Darcy yet, and Gwen had already spilled the beans.He could have kicked himself! "Bram, I know you told her that to let her down gently. But you didn't have to. If you really don't want to go to the concert, just tell her no. Gwen isn't the type to be overly persistent," Darcy advised. Bram pulled a face. "That's because you don't know her well enough." Gwen was the queen of persistence! But that wasn't the point right now. Bram swallowed nervously and asked quietly, "Darcy... are you free on Thanksgiving night?" Darcy thought for a moment. "I should be. If I remember correctly, it's right after the exams." "Could I... take you out to dinner then?" Darcy was taken aback. The flush on Bram's cheeks made it hit her all at once— His invitation probably wasn't just for a casual meal.Darcy was momentarily at a loss for words. "I... I just remembered, I might have to work late that day..." she stammered. Darcy had no intention of starting a new romantic relationship right now. Whatever Bram's intentions were, she needed to nip this in the bud. Unfortunately, Bram didn't pick up on her gentle refusal. He ran a hand through his hair. "You said 'might.' I'll check with you closer to the date." "Bram, actually, I don't really—" "Bram! You're here!" Gwen's cheerful voice rang out. Her eyes lit up when she saw him. Bram felt a headache coming on. "Darcy, I've got to run," he said quickly. "Hey, Bram! Wait up!" Gwen chased after him, following him all the way to the library entrance. Three minutes later, she trudged back, her shoulders slumped.No need to guess. Bram had turned her down again. But matters of the heart were complicated, and Darcy didn't offer any advice. ... The day of the arbitration hearing arrived. Darcy called Jethro to request time off and explain the reason. Jethro was silent for a moment. "Would you like someone from the company's legal department to accompany you?" "No, thank you. I can handle it," Darcy replied. Besides feeling fully capable, she also thought it would be... strange to have the Blackwood Group's legal team involved in her personal dispute with a former employer. "Don't worry about gossip. I'll manage any fallout," the man on the other end of the line said, as if reading her mind. "Really, it's not necessary. I'll be fine on my own," Darcy insisted."Alright. But remember, don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything at all." After hanging up, Jethro still felt uneasy. He immediately sent a message to his sister, "Darcy has her arbitration hearing today. Go with her." Cindy was stunned and replied, "I remember someone swearing he didn't have a thing for her." Jethro sent, "Is your head filled with nothing but trashy thoughts all day?" Cindy texted, "Fine, fine! I'll go! Resorting to personal attacks and still pretending you don't like her? Yeah, right!"