It was Darcy's first day back at the office. She buzzed Cade on the intercom. "Anything happen while I was away?" Cade scratched his head. "Nothing major. The Easemark and ProsperLink projects have teams assigned and are progressing smoothly. Other minor issues were already synced with you on WhatsApp. Except—" "Except what?" Darcy pressed immediately. Cade opened and closed his mouth, unsure how to phrase it. "Go on, it's fine," Darcy encouraged. Steeling himself, Cade said, "Ms. Gale, while you were out... some colleagues have been spreading pretty wild rumors about you." "What kind of rumors?" "They say... they say you went on a honeymoon with Mr. Blackwood. And that, um, you're pregnant and on bed rest at home." Cade's voice grew quieter, his fists clenching tighter. "I tried to explain, but no one would listen!" A sharp laugh escaped Darcy. She was laughing out of sheer disbelief. That's not just a rumor; that's a whole soap opera! She took a breath and patted Cade's shoulder. "Focus on your work. Don't let the gossip distract you." "But Ms. Gale, aren't you going to do something? I'm afraid it'll just get worse!" Cade was practically spinning with anxiety, dreading that the next rumor might involve Darcy and Jethro having a secret child. Darcy smiled, "Don't worry. They won't be causing trouble for much longer." As Cade left her office and was about to close the door, Darcy said, "Leave it open. Let some air in." She then casually picked up the R&D plan from her desk, flipping through it slowly, seemingly absorbed. From his seat in the adjacent meeting area, Jax's eyes were glued to the plan in her hands. Steal that, hand it to Bex, and financial freedom is mine. SummitCore's offer letter sat in his inbox. Five million dollars is waiting! He swallowed hard. But how to steal it without anyone knowing? He glanced at the security camera mounted above Darcy's office door. How to avoid that? Just then, Elliott Moore from IT Operations came over to chat. "Hey, Mr. Steel. Heads up, the server room maintenance is scheduled for the day after tomorrow. The Wi-Fi will be down temporarily. Your team will have to use wired connections. Sorry for the hassle." The Wi-Fi will be down? That meant all the wireless security cameras would go offline too! It's a sign! "No problem at all, Elliott. Thanks for the heads-up!" Jax said with a wide grin, clapping him on the shoulder.Elliott looked puzzled. What's got him so happy? ... The next day was Thanksgiving Day. In the afternoon, while busy in her office, Darcy received a call from Bram. "Hey, Bram?" "Darcy, it's Thanksgiving. Are you free tonight? I'd like to treat you to dinner to celebrate the end of your exams." Darcy suddenly remembered his persistent questioning at the library before her exams about her Thanksgiving plans. She sighed softly. "Didn't Gwen mention a concert to you?" "Not interested. I declined," Bram replied honestly. After a moment's thought, Darcy decided to accept his invitation. If Bram's intentions were... something more, it was better to clarify things sooner rather than later.She truly only saw him as a friend. Soon, it was time to leave. Darcy packed her things and headed out. At the elevator bank, Cindy approached. "Darcy! Feel like grabbing dinner tonight?" Darcy smiled politely, "Sorry, I already have plans." Cindy's eyes widened, immediately sensing something. "With who? Guy or girl?" "A guy." It was Thanksgiving. A guy asking a girl out to dinner? Cindy didn't believe for a second that Darcy was unaware of the implications. Yet she'd agreed to go. What did that mean? It meant Darcy was interested in this guy! Staring blankly for a moment at the departing Mercedes taillights, Cindy whipped out her phone and called her brother. "Jethro! Code red!"Jethro frowned. "Out of allowance again?" "...No! Darcy just got picked up by another man!" There was a long silence on the other end. "Is that so?" Jethro finally replied, his voice neutral. "Employees are free after work hours." Cindy frowned. "Fine. Forget I said anything." Back in his office, Jethro worked for a while longer before lifting his gaze to the window. Outside, neon lights shimmered and glowed, the Thanksgiving atmosphere thick in the air. Rowan knocked and entered. "Mr. Blackwood, the 7 PM conference call with the overseas team is about to start—" "Cancel the overtime tonight. Tell everyone to head home early." Rowan was stunned for a second, then broke into a wide grin. "Oh yeah! It's Thanksgiving! Thanks, boss!"He went off to notify everyone, one by one. Five minutes later, the office was empty except for Jethro. He gave a wry chuckle, picked up his coat, and strode out on his long legs. The Rolls-Royce pulled out of the garage, but its owner found himself momentarily unsure of where to go.