Jethro tugged at his tie, letting out a low breath. It was a reminder to his sister, and to himself. "Hugo is Zane's best friend." She hated Zane that much. How could she possibly be with Hugo? Hearing her brother's logic, Cindy sighed, "Feelings don't play by the rules—who can say for sure? Let's be real—you can't control who you catch feelings for." She turned to look directly at Jethro. "Spit it out—do you like Darcy or not?" Jethro met her gaze, seeing the earnest expectation in her eyes. He gave a light chuckle and patted her head. "Stop dodging the question—just tell me the truth!" Cindy bristled. "I know you still have hangups from the past, but you've gotta move forward. Darcy's a real catch—if you let her go, I swear you'll regret it for the rest of your life." Outside the window, neon lights flashed in a dazzling river of color. Occasional beams of light swept across Jethro's forehead and jawline, illuminating his handsome features. But the eyes hidden in the shadows held pain. Move forward? After a long pause, his throat worked. "Hmm, I see." Hearing the huskiness in his voice, Cindy couldn't bear to push any further. Fine. Relationships are a matter of fate and timing. She dropped the subject and looked up, instructing Rowan to drive. On the other side, dinner with Hugo and Gwen was over. Darcy hadn't driven, so she planned to take a cab. Suddenly, Gwen exclaimed, "Oops! I almost forgot! I left something at the office. I'll grab a cab there. Hugo, you make sure Darcy gets home safe." As if on cue, a taxi pulled up right beside them. In less than two seconds, Gwen was inside and the cab sped off.Darcy blinked, then immediately understood. Was she doing this on purpose? She couldn't help but look at Hugo. He raised his hands in a gesture of innocence. "I had no part in this." But inwardly, he couldn't suppress a flicker of joy. Good girl, Gwen. All those treats weren't for nothing. He opened the passenger door. "It's late. Let me drive you." The last time they were alone was when Darcy returned his scarf. That lasted less than two minutes. Now, alone with her again, Hugo couldn't contain his happiness. He tried to keep the conversation going with various topics. The person in the passenger seat, however, seemed too tired to engage much. At a red light, Hugo glanced over. Seeing the exhaustion etched around her eyes, his heart ached for her.He wanted to tell her not to push herself so hard, but he knew her determined nature. Carefully choosing his words, he said, "You must be exhausted lately. No matter how busy you are, you need to rest." "Mhm." Darcy's head rested against the seatback, her response perfunctory. Seeing her state, Hugo fell silent, simply saying, "Have a nap. I'll wake you when we get there." Darcy was indeed bone-tired. She actually fell asleep. She woke up to find herself still in the car. Embarrassment washed over her. "Sorry, I fell asleep." This guy... Didn't he say he'd wake me? Hugo had intended to. But she looked so peaceful in sleep, he couldn't bring himself to disturb her. So he just sat quietly in the driver's seat, watching her. He smiled. "It's fine. It's not late." Not late—my foot! It's almost midnight.Darcy got out and headed upstairs. At her door, she noticed the car downstairs still hadn't left. She paused. A sudden thought crashed into her mind. Could Hugo have feelings for me? Connecting the dots from recent events, she couldn't help but frown. I hope I'm just overthinking it. ... Soon, another month passed. It was Saturday, the day of the lab project's monthly review meeting. At the end of each month, the research team had to report its progress to the investors. This was to ensure the investment wasn't going down the drain. The lab team arrived early. Among the investors, Zane, Zora, and Hugo were all present. Darcy was seated directly across from Hugo. Because of her suspicions, Darcy had avoided seeing Hugo since that night. She had been keeping her distance. Today, however, she had nowhere to hide. She could only keep her eyes downcast, avoiding his gaze. Hugo, on the other hand, had the perfect vantage point. His seat allowed him to watch Darcy openly. Seeing her deliberate avoidance, he sighed inwardly. So she's finally sensed my feelings, hasn't she? Well, maybe that's for the best. Zane would be engaged to Zora soon. Hugo had planned to confess to Darcy after that. Now that she seemed to have figured it out, moving his timeline up a bit wouldn't hurt. Zora noticed the strange dynamic.Her eyes followed Hugo's gaze, confirming it was fixed on Darcy. A chill ran down Zora's spine. Hugo likes Darcy?! The realization shocked her. No way! Her heart hammered in her chest. She shot a venomous glare at Darcy. Who knew she was such a man-stealer! Alistair was running late, held up by other matters. Bram was presiding over the meeting in his stead.