"I'm calling the police right now! We'll sue him for defamation!" Cindy said, growing angrier by the second. Darcy felt a lump in her throat, touched. Cindy genuinely cared for her, feeling the sting of the insult as if it were her own. That's what a real friend is like. Darcy looked at her. "Let's let the situation develop a bit more. No need to rush." "What do you mean?" Cindy was confused. "I suspect Jax isn't just spreading nasty rumors. Last time we went on that business trip to Techwood, I suspect he leaked our itinerary. Also, before the arbitration with SummitCore, there was supposed to be a mediation process. The mediation notice was intercepted." "You think Jax is behind all of this?" "Yes. But I have no proof yet."Cindy frowned. "We can't just let him get away with it, can we?" "Of course not. We shouldn't alert him. In fact, we can deliberately leak some information, make him show his hand even more." She had used this tactic in the arbitration case. She was even more adept at it now. At these words, Cindy's eyes lit up. "Ha! Playing the long game. You and my brother are so alike!" Darcy was taken aback. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Mr. Blackwood is so refined and proper. How does he become a ruthless capitalist in your eyes?" Cindy nearly choked. "Your perception of my brother is way too kind. You'll find out what he's really like eventually." Leaving Darcy's office, Cindy walked over to Cade's desk. She deliberately raised her voice. "Next year's company R&D plan is set. Our focus will be on one particular patent." "What patent?" Cade asked, curious and puzzled. "One called the 'Automated Yield Curve Model.' It's a game-changer. You should do some homework on it." "Will do!" From the corner of her eye, Cindy saw Jax perk up, his gaze shifting towards them. A slight smile touched Cindy's lips. Just as Darcy predicted. Now, they waited to see who would take the bait. The patent belonged to Darcy. Telling others about it was harmless; they couldn't buy it anyway. ... Lately, Zane's mood had been visibly worsening. In the private room, he drank glass after glass. It wasn't drinking; it was drowning. Ines and Hugo exchanged a glance but said nothing. They had both heard about SummitCore's loss in the arbitration against Darcy. Ines crossed his legs, took a deep drag of his cigarette. "Never thought Darcy had it in her. To win against you all on her own..." At these words, Zane's face darkened further. Ines quickly changed tack. "Darcy went too far. You were together for seven years! She didn't give you any face at all. And to have kept that card up her sleeve... the woman is downright ruthless." "Just self-preservation. Nothing wrong with that," Hugo said calmly. "What the hell, man? Whose side are you on?" Ines exclaimed, shooting Hugo a disapproving look. Hugo shrugged. "Just stating a fact." In the midst of their bickering, neither noticed Zane clutching his stomach, a pained expression on his face. But he seemed oblivious to the pain, continuing to drink glass after glass. Before, he had always believed Darcy was just throwing a tantrum. That she would eventually return to him. Now, he wasn't so sure. In the arbitration hearing, the look she gave him had been terrifyingly cold, devoid of any past affection. Was she truly planning to leave him for good? Zane couldn't accept it. Not at all! Night after night, he lay awake, rolling around, replaying every little moment with Darcy. Stuff that used to feel ordinary now tasted sweet in memory. Sometimes, he even wondered—if Zora hadn't come back, would he and Darcy be engaged by now? But Zora... Zora was the dream of his youth. How could he even imagine her not returning? In short, Zane was utterly conflicted. Not only that, his reputation within the company was also deteriorating. At first, some senior executives looked at him with scrutiny and assessment when reporting. Later, even regular employees gave him odd looks as he walked through the office. Zane had Rex discreetly find out what was going on. Rex came back and said, "People are talking... They're saying Ms. Gale helped you build the company for five years, but when your first love came back, you kicked Ms. Gale to the curb. They're calling you..." "Calling me what?" "A... scumbag." And so, Zane went from being the respected "Mr. Vance" to being nicknamed "Scumbag Zane" in private chat groups.Suddenly, the glass in his hand fell to the floor. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and his entire body began to shake uncontrollably. "Zane, are you alright?" Hearing the noise, Ines and Hugo looked over. Zane waved a hand. "I'm—" Fine. But before he could finish the word, he collapsed to the floor.