Still, a seed of doubt had been planted in her heart. A few days later, after Zane had recovered, Zora found another opportunity to try. Again, it failed. Her heart sank. Lucian's curse! It never crossed her mind that Zane might be incapable. Her whole plan to rush the marriage by making it a done deal was now dead in the water. Furious, she drove to Lucian's place that night—desperate to scratch that physical itch. But all she got was his sneer. Lucian took a drag of his cigarette, eyes raking over her. "Hah. Guess I was right. Your so-called childhood sweetheart can't get it up." "Shut the hell up!" Zora reached for his shirt to yank it off, but Lucian shoved her away hard. He ground out his cigarette in the ashtray, his face twisted in disgust. "Weren't you the one who said once I was back, I only do the job—not you." Zora was taken aback. Her eyes narrowed. "What? Found someone you like?" A calm, beautiful face flashed in Lucian's mind. "No," he denied quickly. "Just think it's pointless since you're about to marry into the Vance family." "How can I marry into the Vance family like this?" Zora hissed, frowning deeply. Lucian leaned back, totally confident. "Just wait and see. The worse this gets, the better your shot at marrying into the Vance family. A guy's guilt? Sometimes that's the most powerful weapon you'll ever have." Lucian was right—by the very next day, Zane was the one tracking Zora down. He pulled a box out of his pocket, his face dead serious. "Zora, marry me." He took the ring from the box and slipped it onto her finger, his eyes locked on hers, earnest as could be. Zora's heart soared. What a 180! I'm one step closer to my goal! Seeing her light up like that, Zane let out a deep breath—like a weight had lifted off his chest. He hadn't planned to propose this soon, but after two straight flops, guilt was eating him alive over how he'd let Zora down. Those seven years with Darcy, they'd never gone all the way, but he'd felt it—the heat, the spark, the way his body would react. But with Zora? Aside from a surge of desire the first time, the second time he'd felt absolutely nothing. They say the deeper a man loves a woman, the less desire he feels for her. Yeah, that must be it! It must be my pure love for Zora! To make up for it, he decided to propose.The two families agreed—an engagement party in two months, and they'd officially tie the knot by the end of the year. Zora thought the wedding date was way too far out and tried to push it up—but Susan shut her down with a single look. Later, Susan pulled her aside to scold her. "You were way too impatient—haste makes waste, you know?. Once you're engaged, you just sweet-talk him a little—he'll eat out of your hand. Then moving the date up will be a piece of cake." In the car, Zora crossed her arms and let out two sharp, annoyed huffs. "What's your problem?" Susan picked up on her mood right away. Zora's voice dripped with irritation. "I just want to get married fast, take the company, and quit playing nice with him." "Zora, what happened?" Something felt off. Zora had never been head over heels for Zane, but she'd never found him annoying, either. So why the sudden shift?"Mom, he's not capable!" Susan was confused. "What's not capable?" Suddenly, understanding dawned. Her face registered utter shock. How could that be? As a woman herself, Susan picked up on her daughter's shift right away. She let out a sigh. "If that's how it is, we gotta move quick. Once we lock down actual control of the company, you file for divorce the second it's done." Thinking this, she felt guilty toward her daughter. If she hadn't been incompetent, unable to shoulder the Moss family business, unwilling to watch it decline, she wouldn't have resorted to using her daughter's marriage to secure a future. "Mom, don't say that. I know you're doing it for the family," Zora said quietly, lowering her gaze. The Moss family used to be a force to be reckoned with—right up there with the Blackwoods and Vances, no inferiority about it. But the line dwindled. Susan was the only child, so she married a man who would join the Moss family. But he died not long after Zora was born. Then John came into the picture. Susan, worried he'd try to grab Zora's inheritance and that his ambition might get out of hand, refused to have any more kids. But as the Mosses' fortunes faded, Susan and Zora realized their own skills and luck just weren't enough. They needed a "ready-made lifeline"—a powerful ally to cling to. That's why they picked Zane. First, he'd proven he had what it takes—he'd turned SummitCore into an industry unicorn in no time flat. Second, he was a Vance—having that last name alone gave them a safety net. Third, he was head over heels for Zora—easy to wrap around their finger, or so they thought.They had never anticipated... this. As the saying goes, man proposes, God disposes. "Have you privately inquired about the stock option transfers as I asked?" Susan changed the subject. Zora frowned. "Those old-timers caught wind of the company's planned second-half IPO. They're holding out for a higher price. Unless we pay top dollar, they won't agree to transfer."