He let out a heavy breath and found a seat near the back with Zora. Wave after wave of clients arrived from next door. True to her word that all guests were welcome, Darcy greeted each one individually. When she reached the last row and saw Zane, she froze for an instant. What are they doing here? Her personal desire was to ignore them completely. But SummitCore was an industry peer, a friendly competitor. She had publicly stated that all were welcome to attend and offer guidance. She had to play host, however reluctantly. "Welcome to Stratagem Tech's product launch," she said, her tone professional and distant. She handed them a brochure. "Here's the event guide. Please feel free to ask any questions." Having delivered the obligatory lines, she turned to leave. Zora's angry voice stopped her. "Darcy, you're winning dirty!" Darcy raised an eyebrow. "Thank you for the compliment, Dr. Moss. The event isn't over yet, and you're already sure we'll win. But hey, don't feel too bad. Your new product isn't entirely useless." The barb struck home. "Zane and I fought for the Automated Yield Curve Model patent!" Zora hissed. "But you stole it from us using your connections with Prof. Reed and Jethro! Shameless!" Darcy's smile turned icy. "Dr. Moss, such language is beneath you." She turned her gaze to Zane. "Mr. Vance, perhaps you could teach your girlfriend some business etiquette. You wouldn't want outsiders laughing at her, right?" Zane's sharp eyes bore into her. He gave a low, humorless laugh. "Ms. Gale, you do have a slick tongue. Guess I misread you before." Where was the gentle, accommodating woman she used to be? She was all cold, hard edges now. Zane even found himself wondering if this was truly Darcy, or just a stranger who looked like her. Darcy almost laughed. Does he really think his words could still hurt me? Not a chance. He can't lay a finger on me anymore. On stage, the clear, accessible technical presentation concluded to enthusiastic applause. Next up was the Q&A session. The first three questions came from people Cindy had planted in the audience—a precaution against awkward silence. The questions were pre-arranged, harmless. Hearing these softball questions, the genuinely interested audience grew restless. Finally, the microphone reached an unfamiliar face. The man asked urgently, "Ms. Gale, earlier you said you'd explain during Q&A how you obtained the patent. Could you please elaborate? To my knowledge, the patent is held by Quest University's Prof. Reed, who has never publicly collaborated with any company." Darcy smiled, "Of course. The reason we were able to secure the patent is that—" "Because she pulled strings and used shady tactics!" A sharp, mocking woman's voice cut Darcy off. The whole crowd turned to look. People were surprised to see who was speaking. Zora, holding a microphone she'd gotten from somewhere, sneered, "Everyone knows SummitCore was dead set on buying this patent. We talked back and forth with Prof. Reed a lot, put in a ton of work, and showed we meant it. But too bad—he said no, and made it clear the patent wasn't for sale." She switched gears, words turning even more heated. "Yet Stratagem Tech obtained the license. Not because they offered a higher price, but because—Prof. Reed is Mr. Blackwood's uncle! Darcy got it by backdoor connections, not fair play. Not only that, she deliberately scheduled her launch on the same day as ours! Her intentions are malicious, meant to humiliate us!" Her words hung in the air. The audience was stunned, their eyes darting between Darcy on stage and Jethro in the first row. Using connections to get a deal wasn't unheard of. But to knowingly schedule a competing launch on the same day, rubbing the opponent's face in it... that felt like a low blow. Many in the audience were industry peers. Putting themselves in SummitCore's shoes, they could imagine facing a similar situation someday. A wave of disapproval toward Darcy's tactics rippled through the crowd. "Ms. Gale's methods are a bit too harsh, aren't they? It's like slapping someone in public." "Huh, didn't you know? Darcy used to work at SummitCore. She left and joined Stratagem. There was even a non-compete lawsuit." "I heard about that too. SummitCore lost. Huh, this woman really has some skills.""And Mr. Blackwood is so protective of her. Don't you think they're..." As the whispers grew more speculative, Cindy rolled up her sleeves, ready to stand up and defend her friend. A hand on her arm stopped her. Zephyr sighed, "Your temper hasn't changed at all, has it? Still so quick to jump into the fray." "What gives you the right to tell me what to do?" Cindy glared at him. "Do I have no right?" Remembering that night, Cindy's cheeks flushed. She mumbled, "That was normal. I'm not making you take responsibility." Zephyr frowned, about to respond, but Jethro cut in. He glanced at the two of them. "Stay out of it. Darcy can handle this herself."