No one said it out loud, but everyone understood. These people weren't really "busy." They had all flocked to the Platinum Hotel next door. The head-to-head battle between Stratagem and SummitCore hadn't even begun, and the crowd had already chosen sides. "Ms. Gale, bad news. I just got a call—those media outlets we'd locked in? One by one, they're bowing out with excuses." Cade jogged over, wiping sweat. Seeing Darcy and Zephyr looking grim, he slammed on the brakes and shut his mouth. Darcy drew a long breath, pulled herself together, and rallied the team. "It's fine. If they don't come, they don't come. We still have the live stream." Cade looked helplessly at the cavernous, nearly empty hall. "But... with so few people here, won't the live stream look embarrassing?" "It's fine. Aim the camera at the stage. Put some mannequins on the chairs. Who's gonna know how many people are here?" Darcy joked. Cade was genuinely impressed. To be able to joke at a time like this... Her mental fortitude is something else. While they were talking, Darcy spotted Kaia lurking near the entrance, phone in hand, looking around. Darcy walked over, her voice cool. "Kaia. What are you doing here?" Today was SummitCore's big day. Why wasn't Kaia helping over there? Her gaze fell on the photos displayed on Kaia's phone screen. Darcy's eyes turned cold. "Why are you taking pictures of our venue?" Kaia instinctively hid her phone behind her, sneering, "Just taking pics. There's no sign that says 'no photos.' Why can't I?" Just then, a few more clients arrived, dropped off gifts, and turned to leave. Seeing that, Kaia looked even more gleeful. "All the clients are at the SummitCore event. No one's coming here. Your launch is doomed to be the industry's biggest joke. Hah! I wonder if you'll even keep your position as CEO after today!" Darcy's gaze went ice-cold on Kaia. Suddenly, the person in front of her felt like a complete stranger. All those years they'd grown up together meant less than a few months with someone new. Was she blind before, or was Kaia just that good at playing pretend? It hurt. It really did. But no matter how much it hurt, Darcy wouldn't show weakness. Since Kaia had chosen the opposing side, she was now an adversary. And Darcy showed no mercy to adversaries. "Security!" Darcy called toward the entrance. "I suspect this person is a thief. Please call the police." Kaia's face paled in disbelief. "You're framing me!""I saw you snapping pics on the down-low with my own eyes. Everyone here can back me up. Who knows what else you might've swiped?" "You're despicable, Darcy!" "Takes one to know one," Darcy replied coldly. Security arrived quickly. "Ma'am, we've notified the police. Please come with us to the lounge to wait for their arrival." Gritting her teeth, Kaia followed the security guard. Before she was led away, she couldn't resist a final jab. "Just wait to become a laughingstock! Oh, and I bet you don't know yet—Zane and Zora are getting engaged soon! He never loved you! He just used you!" Cindy walked in just in time to hear the venomous words. She lunged forward, hand raised to slap Kaia. Darcy caught her wrist just in time. "Don't dirty your hands on someone who's clearly lost their mind." Cindy thought about it and nodded. She glanced around the spacious hall—only a handful of people scattered in seats—and blinked. "What time is it? Why are there so few people? We sent dozens, maybe over a hundred invites. And what's up with the media?" Cade explained the situation with a pained expression. Cindy couldn't hold back a curse. "That bitch Zora! She deliberately chose the same date, knowing this would happen! No way. I'm calling in some faces to fill the room!" "What people are you calling? There's no time now," Darcy said, puzzled. "Relax. The people I call have clout!" Cindy declared. Darcy shook her head, letting her do as she pleased. She turned back to Zephyr to finalize the presentation details. Darcy would speak first, covering the company's development, R&D background, and the highlights of the new product. Zephyr would follow with the technical framework and key innovations.Time was ticking down. Standing on the stage under the spotlight, microphone in hand, Darcy looked out at the hall. The view from up here only emphasized how empty it was. She took another deep breath. No matter how many were out there today, she'd bring her A-game. Soon, the live stream feed was projected onto the large screen. Unfortunately, the viewer count online was also dismal. The few people in the audience began whispering amongst themselves. With only five minutes to go, a couple more clients got up and left. Cindy was practically stomping with frustration off to the side. She pulled out her phone and hissed into it, "I don't care how you do it! Get all your so-called friends over here! If this can't be a product launch, then we'll turn it into a networking party! I'm not letting the Stratagem crew lose face!"