"In light of the non-compete and confidentiality agreements signed by Darcy upon joining the company, the employee is obligated to strictly adhere to company regulations after departure and may not work for any company in the same industry as SummitCore Tech. However, we currently have sufficient evidence proving the opposing party has joined competitor Stratagem Tech. Therefore, we demand that Darcy immediately resign from Stratagem Tech and pay damages of three million dollars." After the claim was read, Zora stood and submitted evidence of Darcy's employment at Stratagem to the arbitrator. A smug smile played on her lips. "Honorable Arbitrator, this is the employment contract between the opposing party and Stratagem Tech, as well as a consulting agreement she signed with them before formally resigning from SummitCore." She then looked challengingly at Darcy. This crucial evidence was undoubtedly a bombshell.Cindy's eyes were wide with shock. It took her half a minute to process before she practically jumped out of her seat. "How do you have Darcy's contract with Stratagem? That's theft!" Darcy obviously hadn't provided the copy, which meant they must have stolen it. Stolen documents couldn't be used as legitimate evidence. Zora raised an eyebrow. "You should watch what you say, Ms. Blackwood. Making accusations without proof is unwise." Cindy gritted her teeth, glaring fiercely at the other side. Darcy patted the back of her hand. "Stay calm." Then she stood and addressed the arbitrator. "Honorable Arbitrator, the documents they provided are accurate. I acknowledge that I am indeed employed by Stratagem Tech." Her words brought a sudden silence to the room.Both Zane and Zora were taken aback. They hadn't expected Darcy to admit it so readily. Wasn't she even curious about how they obtained copies of her contract? Remembering Darcy's confidence in their past confrontations, Zora felt a flicker of unease. Could she still have a countermove? The arbitrator and his assistant were equally surprised. Darcy's admission left them momentarily at a loss. The arbitrator cleared his throat. "So, with the evidence established, are you admitting to the breach?" If she admitted it, things would proceed more smoothly, moving to negotiating the penalty amount. The arbitrator glanced at his watch. If this goes well, I might still make it for lunch. But then Darcy smiled faintly."The evidence is established, but I do not admit to a breach." Both the arbitrator and his assistant turned their full attention to her. Darcy continued, "They claim that after my departure, I should have followed SummitCore's regulations and not joined a company with competing business. May I ask—did SummitCore formally notify me of the activation of the non-compete agreement on my last day of employment? And did SummitCore pay the non-compete compensation after my departure? I received neither notification nor compensation. Therefore, their constraint is invalid." Good. Darcy stays cool under pressure. Cindy let out a quiet sigh of relief and shot a defiant look back at the other side. Zora wasn't bothered. She had expected this counterargument. Is that all she's got? A confident smile returned to her lips as she stood again to present evidence. "In response to the two questions raised by Ms. Gale, we have evidence for both."The arbitrator accepted the documents—two screenshots. The first showed an email sent by SummitCore's HR department to Darcy on her last day, stating the company formally notified her that the non-compete agreement was activated, effective for two years. The second showed a payment from SummitCore's finance department to Darcy for the non-compete compensation. Darcy's eyes widened in shock. This reaction did not escape Zora, whose smile widened. Surprised? I was prepared for the points you thought of. In truth, Darcy's counterarguments were correct. Both the activation notice and the compensation payment were aspects Zora had previously overlooked. Fortunately, she had discovered the omissions three days ago. She had immediately ordered HR and Finance to create the documents retroactively. To prevent detection, she had an internal tech colleague forge the timestamps. The arbitrator handed the evidence to Darcy. Darcy was stunned. The bank account listed for the payment was an old account she no longer used. No wonder I never received any notification. And Zora had clearly done this intentionally to avoid detection. The arbitrator adjusted his glasses and looked at Darcy. "Do you have any questions regarding this evidence?" Darcy answered truthfully, "I was unaware of both of these actions. The opposing party never communicated with me about them. I do not consider this a formal notification." Zora, of course, disagreed and immediately objected.Hearing her arguments, the arbitrator began to lean visibly towards SummitCore's side. "Ms. Gale, do you have any further evidence to submit?" The underlying meaning was clear—If not, we'll proceed to the mediation phase. Cindy looked on with growing anxiety. She wondered if she should text her brother to send a professional lawyer immediately. She glanced at Darcy, who remained calm and composed. Cindy was utterly impressed. This woman has nerves of steel! But nerves alone weren't enough. The situation was clearly turning against them. Just as Cindy pulled out her phone to message Jethro, Darcy began to speak.