Back then, upon hearing her decision, he had held her hands and solemnly promised he would never let her down. But now— His face turned ashen, a sharp pain piercing his heart. In the end, he had let her down. But was the person Alistair described really Darcy? It felt like meeting her for the first time. They had been together for seven years—how had he never known she had such capabilities? The meeting ended, and everyone went their separate ways. Downstairs, Zora studied Zane's expression and spoke with a hint of complaint, "Ms. Gale is something else. With talent like that, she still kept it under wraps on purpose. If not, SummitCore would've gone public ages ago. How calculating of her." In the past, Zane might have agreed. But today, the words grated on his ears. He frowned, his tone stiff. "She wasn't hiding it intentionally. Don't say things like that again." Zora's eyes widened in shock. He's defending her? Is he... regretting it? She bit her crimson lip hard, anger boiling in her chest. She stood there, prideful and silent, waiting for Zane to apologize, to backtrack. Zane merely turned to her. "If you've got something to do, I'm heading back." Watching his tall, straight figure disappear, Zora stamped her foot in fury. Zane, just you wait. One day, you'll beg me! Still, now wasn't the time to sulk. Since a rift had appeared between her and Zane, she needed to mend it.She pulled out her phone. "Hey, Lucian, run the product launch the way we discussed last time. Move it up to mid-March. I know your time is tight. Just pull a few more all-nighters. "Hmph, of course I know Stratagem Tech is launching the same day. That's the point—we're going head-to-head. I'll invite peers and clients across the board. We'll pack the place way more than Stratagem. Guess where everyone will go?" After the call, Zora drove home. She found her mother, Susan, in the study and recounted the day's events. Susan's expression turned serious. After a moment's thought, she said, "To avoid further complications, I'll push the Vance Manor on finalizing the marriage alliance soon." "Good. I agree." Leaving the study, Zora almost collided with her stepfather, John. John rubbed his hands together ingratiatingly. "Zora, you're home." "Mm." Her reply was cool. "Mom's in the study." John gave an awkward smile. In over twenty years with the Moss family, this stepdaughter of his had never warmed to him. She's not my own child. She'll never take care of me in my old age. He sighed. I need to try harder with the Gale family. I must get Darcy to acknowledge me as her father. ... Darcy didn't leave immediately after the meeting. She stayed behind to discuss her recent studies with Alistair. Only then did she head to the parking lot. Unexpectedly, someone else was still there. She paused, her gaze landing on the young man leaning casually against her car. Meeting her puzzled look, Hugo smiled and owned it. "I was waiting for you.""Waiting for me?" Darcy blinked. "What for?" For some reason, that idea flickered through her head again. Is this guy actually into me? She took a deep breath, taking a subtle step back. No matter what, there was absolutely no possibility of that between her and Hugo. "Congrats," he said. "You tore it up in there. Total badass." "Thank you," Darcy replied. Then she looked at him. "Anything else? If not, I need to get home." She reached for the car door handle, but his hand stopped her. "One more thing I'd like to confirm." Hugo hesitated, then asked, "Is the 'Automated Yield Curve Model' patent in your possession?" The question took her by surprise. She hadn't planned to hide it from him. "Yes. It is."Hugo gave a bitter smile. His hunch had been right. Hearing Alistair say the model his students used was Darcy's work, he immediately connected it to the patent. No wonder she was so certain it wouldn't be for sale at Gwen's birthday party. Turns out, it really was with her. "So, you really don't intend to sell?" he pressed, unwilling to give up. Darcy looked at him, her tone cool. "As I said before, it's not for sale. I believe you know the reason." Hugo's brow furrowed. "You plan to use it in Stratagem Tech's new product." "Correct." "When is the launch?" "Mid-March." Hugo fell silent.SummitCore was also planning a March launch. That meant the two companies were on a collision course once again. Deep down, Hugo didn't want to be on opposing sides with Darcy. Before, it was because he couldn't bear it. Now, it was...messier.