Zane, how could you do this to me?! Her eyes red-rimmed, she stumbled forward again, grabbing Darcy's wrist with a death grip. "It's not like that! Zane loves me with all his heart! He'd never propose with a second-hand ring! You're just saying vague things to make me doubt him, trying to ruin our relationship! "You're jealous! Jealous that he's marrying me, not you! You bitch!" As if possessed, she swung her hand to slap Darcy across the face. But a strong, powerful arm intercepted hers. "Dr. Moss, watch yourself! Lay a hand on someone under my protection? Have you considered the consequences?" Jethro had appeared behind Darcy, blocking the slap just in time.Zora finally snapped back to reality, a wave of dread washing over her. No matter how furious she was, she didn't dare confront the Blackwood heir. She shot Darcy a venomous glare, then gathered her skirts and stormed off. "Are you alright?" Jethro's gaze softened as he looked at Darcy. Darcy took a deep breath, her eyelashes fluttering. "I'm fine. Thank you, Mr. Blackwood." She kept her head down and hurried toward the restrooms at the end of the hall. Inside, she splashed her face with cold water, braced her hands on the icy counter, and stayed there until her racing pulse finally eased. She closed her eyes, Jethro's words echoing in her mind. "Lay a hand on someone under my protection?" Under his protection... He said I'm under his protection...Looking at her slightly disheveled reflection, she patted her cheeks. "Stop overthinking. He just sees you as a subordinate." When she returned to the banquet hall ten minutes later, Zora and Zane were gone, probably having left earlier. Still, the incident had dampened her spirits. People kept coming over to toast her. Darcy didn't refuse. She started with small sips, then moved to large gulps, and eventually drained her glass each time. Rowan, watching from a corner, approached his boss. "Mr. Blackwood, if Ms. Gale keeps being toasted like this, she'll be drunk soon. Should I go deflect some of those drinks?" As his assistant, handling this sort of thing was second nature. Jethro glanced toward Darcy, his eyes deep and unreadable. He looked away, a faint twist to his lips. "No need. She's in a bad mood today. Let her drink." He'd overheard the exchange in the hallway.Zora and Zane were getting engaged. Darcy must be heartbroken. That's why she was drowning her sorrows. Jethro let out a slow breath, feeling some of the heaviness in his chest ease. But seeing her drink herself into oblivion was too much. After a while, he strode over, his hand coming to rest firmly against the small of her back. He gave a slight nod to the surrounding guests. "My apologies. We have to take our leave." Then, half-guiding, half-supporting her, he led her toward the exit. Rowan had the car ready. Seeing them, he moved to help. "Mr. Blackwood, I can take Ms. Gale home. Perhaps you should stay and mingle?" Jethro gave him a cool look. A chill ran down Rowan's spine. He ducked his head, said nothing, and slid into the driver's seat. Darcy, in the back seat, was restless. As the car started, she fumbled for the door handle. "My car... my car is still parked back there."Jethro pinched the bridge of his nose, instructing Rowan to lock the doors. His voice, however, was gentle when he spoke to her. "Someone'll drive it back for you later." She seemed to short-circuit. She slowly turned to stare at him, half-leaning over the center console. "You look familiar," she mumbled. "So handsome." Rowan's eyes widened in the front seat. Is Ms. Gale... flirting with the boss? The usually poised and serious Ms. Gale is actually quite cute when drunk. He shook his head in amusement, ears perked up for more. Just then, the privacy partition between the seats began to rise silently. Rowan rubbed his nose. Aww, and I was just getting into it. In the back seat, Darcy was still mumbling, leaning on the console. Jethro's gaze inadvertently dropped, brushing over the front of her dress. His breath hitched.He shrugged off his jacket and draped it over her front. Then, he leaned close to her ear, his voice low. "Don't drink so much next time. No matter how upset you are, don't drown yourself in it." The warm breath against her ear made Darcy shiver. She covered her ear, which felt hot and ticklish—all because of him. She blinked up at him, pointing at herself. "Me? Upset? Why would I be upset?" His deep eyes held hers intently. Even knowing she was drunk and barely coherent, he answered, "I heard your conversation with Zora in the hallway. In two months, she and Zane are getting engaged." Isn't that what's upsetting you? That last question, laced with a bitterness he didn't understand, remained unspoken. Darcy's foggy mind took a moment to process the connection. A laugh, mixed with exasperation, escaped her. "You think I'm upset because that cheating scumbag and that witch are getting married?"