"Wishing you success in advance on your exams," Jethro said, handing her the bouquet of lilies cradled in his arms. A refreshing, elegant fragrance filled her senses. Lilies symbolized everything going smoothly. He sure is a man who appreciates ceremony. Darcy thought of the purple handkerchief in her pocket and smiled helplessly. Are all men this superstitious nowadays? The three of them took their seats. The server handed over the menu, and Cindy immediately pushed it towards Darcy. "Priority for the examinee." "Alright," Darcy replied without protest, choosing two of her favorite dishes. The Blackwood siblings each picked two as well. After ordering, Cindy piped up, "Such a good day calls for wine! Bring us your best red!""Little lush," Jethro said, lightly flicking his sister's forehead. Darcy pressed her lips together. "Maybe we shouldn't. Driving home after drinking isn't safe." "It's fine," Jethro reassured with a smile. "You two drink. I'll stick to coffee." This—having the boss act as her chauffeur—didn't seem right. "Don't worry about it!" Cindy cut in with a grin. "Just give my brother a chance to drive a beautiful lady home!" Her words instantly plunged the private room into silence. Darcy felt heat rush to her cheeks, her gaze darting around awkwardly. Jethro, meanwhile, narrowed his eyes at his sister in clear warning. "I'm joking," Cindy said, sticking out her tongue. Soon, the food arrived, and the atmosphere between the three gradually returned to normal. Halfway through the meal, red wine accidentally splashed onto Darcy's blouse. She excused herself to the restroom to clean up. The moment the private room door closed behind her, Jethro lowered his voice. "Enough with the nonsense." Cindy puffed out her cheeks. "Do you really have no feelings for Darcy at all? If not, why keep sending her flowers?" She genuinely couldn't figure her brother out. Jethro's eyes grew deep and thoughtful. "My feelings for Darcy are of appreciation." "Fine. I guess I'm just reading too much into it," Cindy said, stabbing a piece of food with her fork and chewing vigorously. Jethro shook his head. "You're just bored. Speaking of which, Mom mentioned you're of the right age and asked me to keep an eye out for potential matches. An old friend of mine is moving back to Aethelburg soon from Valeridge. I'll arrange a meeting once he's settled.""No blind dates!" Cindy protested. He had never seen her in a relationship all these years, yet she showed such enthusiasm towards Darcy. His expression suddenly shifted. "You don't... like women, do you?" Cindy's mouth twitched. "Darcy and I are just friends. Pure and simple. Don't trash women's friendships, you obtuse man!" Jethro chuckled, "I've never seen you fancy anyone all these years. It's hard not to wonder." Cindy's hand, holding her fork, stilled. The shadow of a certain person flashed through her mind. Back in her naive youth, she had confessed to him, only to be brutally rejected. Damn it, why am I thinking of him again? What a jinx! After tidying her blouse, Darcy dried her hands and stepped out of the restroom. That's when she spotted a familiar figure. Though the man wore a baseball cap pulled low, Darcy recognized him instantly. It was Jax. A strong intuition urged her to follow him. After several turns down the corridor, she saw him enter a private room. She waited roughly five more minutes. Another guest arrived for the same room—Bex, the former Tech Department manager from Easemark Ventures, who had been fired. How do those two know each other? Darcy looked at the photo she'd managed to snap on her phone. She didn't know if it would ever be useful, but having captured it, she saved it anyway. The private rooms in this restaurant were soundproofed exceptionally well; trying to eavesdrop was pointless. So, she turned and left. As she walked, her mind raced. What exactly is their connection?Then, she remembered running into Zora downstairs earlier. Her steps faltered. In an instant, the pieces clicked into place. She quickened her pace back to their private room. Seeing the seriousness on her face, Jethro asked, "What happened?" Darcy set down her fork and recounted running into Jax. Not just that, she voiced her suspicion. "I suspect Jax is secretly colluding with Bex, leaking company information to Zora at SummitCore Tech. "Though it's probably not critical information. At most, things like travel itineraries." Cindy's eyes widened. "So, that time we ran into SummitCore at the same client's office wasn't a coincidence!" "Most likely not," Darcy confirmed. Cindy grew worried. "But last time, you told me to deliberately leak next year's R&D plan to him. Didn't we just play into his hands?""It was just one specific patent," Darcy explained calmly. "And we don't need to worry about SummitCore buying it." "Why not?" Cindy asked, confused. "Because that patent is already in my hands," Darcy replied, a slight curve touching her lips. "You... you bought it out from under them? That's brilliant!" Cindy exclaimed. Darcy shook her head gently. "Not bought. That patent is originally mine."