After a long moment, she replied, "I'll consider it." Since she was determined to leave, she had no reason to refuse a new opportunity, especially one from the renowned Blackwood Group's wholly-owned subsidiary. Seeing her openness, he immediately replied, "Good. If you're free today, I can give you a tour of the company. You can decide after seeing it." Perhaps it was his respect that won her over. Darcy replied with a simple "Okay" before going to finish her breakfast. Later, she took a taxi to Stratagem Tech. It was early autumn, the air crisp and clear. Darcy rolled down the car window. The wind tousled her hair and seemed to blow away some of the gloom in her chest. Soon, the car stopped at the ground floor of the Blackwood Group tower.To Darcy's surprise, the heir to the famous Blackwood Group was waiting at the entrance to greet her personally. He looked like he'd been waiting for a while. She approached and nodded. "Mr. Blackwood. Good morning." Jethro, dressed in a sharp black suit, his features deep and distinct, extended his hand. "Thank you for coming." Sensing her slight tension, he smiled and gestured toward the elevators, politely holding the door for her. "Don't worry. The Blackwood Group isn't the mafia." His tone was light. "This is about mutual interest. If you tour the place and aren't interested, that's perfectly fine." At these words, the heavy weight in Darcy's chest eased slightly. Jethro was the eldest son and heir of the prestigious Blackwood family. Young as he was, he helmed the entire family empire, having expanded and strengthened it into Aethelburg's highest-valued company.Stratagem Tech, the subsidiary he mentioned, was founded just two years ago, focusing on fintech product development. It was housed within the Blackwood Group tower. Initially, it received significant market buzz, but for some reason, its growth had stalled, and it had faded from industry conversations. Meanwhile, SummitCore Tech had risen to prominence. Stratagem Tech and SummitCore Tech operated in overlapping sectors—both developed tech products for domestic and international financial firms. They were peers, but also competitors. That's probably why he's trying to poach me. Their acquaintance was a coincidence, stemming from a government reception. They'd only exchanged brief pleasantries then. Their real interaction happened during her recent business trip up north. Jethro, representing Stratagem Tech, had personally met with the client—a significant gesture. Yet, the client ultimately chose to continue negotiations with Darcy. As she left the client's building, Jethro had approached her, introduced himself with a slight bow, and handed her his business card. His handsome face was earnest, his eyes smiling. "Ms. Gale. I've heard much about you. Seeing you in action today was impressive. I wonder if you'd honor me with a dinner invitation?" Darcy was surprised that he knew who she was. She politely declined. "I'm sorry, I'm in a hurry to get back." Coincidentally, they ran into each other again in the airport terminal. Jethro extended another warm invitation. Darcy declined again. Even someone like Darcy, who didn't focus overly on looks, had to admit Jethro was strikingly handsome. His appeal was completely different from Zane's. Zane was cold, aloof, and untouchable—distant.But Jethro... In the elevator, Darcy couldn't help but glance at him sideways. The man beside her seemed to sense it. He raised a brow slightly. "Is something wrong?" "Oh, no. Nothing." Darcy averted her gaze, calmly looking down at the floor. She thought for a moment, finally landing on the right words to describe him. Clear-eyed, with a bright and open demeanor. That's Jethro. At Stratagem Tech, Jethro personally showed Darcy around. Then, he led her to his office and laid out the company's situation with complete honesty. Though Stratagem was still in its early stages, it was backed by the formidable financial muscle of the Blackwood Group. With the right guidance to get on track, its potential was massive. Surpassing SummitCore was only a matter of time. Jethro's eyes held a spark of anticipation. "The team is only about thirty people right now. The product is just a prototype. If you're willing, this team will be yours to shape as you see fit." Darcy felt a stir of excitement. She pursed her lips, speaking frankly, "I'm very interested. But my situation with SummitCore is... complicated. I can't extricate myself immediately." "I understand," Jethro's voice was calm and reassuring. "I can wait. However long it takes." "How about this?" Darcy proposed a compromise. "I'm taking a month's leave starting now. I could do a one-month trial period here. If it's a good fit, we can sign a formal contract then." A month from now would be right around when her resignation from SummitCore would be finalized. She could join Stratagem formally after cleanly leaving SummitCore. Jethro's eyes brightened. This was progressing more smoothly than he'd anticipated.It seems there really is trouble between her and Zane. "Good. Your benefits during the trial period will be the full package," he confirmed. When it came to compensation, Jethro was generous. When he placed the agreement in front of Darcy, she was stunned. A three-hundred-thousand-dollar annual salary. Ten percent equity. Annual dividends... She counted the zeros. Her eyes widened. Jethro's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he offered her a pen. "We can negotiate if anything is unsatisfactory." "N-no, it's fine. It's more than fine," Darcy managed, slightly embarrassed to admit that after all her years at SummitCore, her base salary was still only 5,000 dollars a month. Without her sales commissions and bonuses, she'd have struggled to get by. Knowing the hardships of building a business from scratch, and seeing how Zane lost sleep over funding, she had never asked for a raise, let alone equity.And now, all those years of devotion had turned out to be a cruel joke. She signed the papers quickly and handed them back to Jethro. She assumed she'd start work immediately, but Jethro told her to come back next Monday instead. "Huh? Isn't the business urgent?" Jethro smiled, "It is. But you resting well is more important right now." His gaze fell to the suitcase at her feet. It was clear he knew she hadn't gone home last night. Darcy accepted his kindness. She was utterly exhausted and desperately needed a proper sleep. When she arrived home, her mother, Ione Gale, took her suitcase and patted her cheek, looking concerned. "Oh, dear, your eyes are all red and bloodshot. This business trip must have been rough."Darcy hugged her mother's neck, sniffing, her voice choked. "I'm fine, Mom. Just really tired." Ione patted her head. "Don't push yourself too hard. If it's too much, talk to Zane. He's going to be your husband soon. It's his job to look out for his wife." Mentioning it was like opening the floodgates. The tears Darcy had been holding back threatened to spill over. How could she tell her mother that Zane didn't love her and would never look out for her? But she knew her mother already saw Zane as family. With her surgery imminent, Darcy decided to keep it to herself for now. She would tell her after her mother's condition stabilized. Darcy looked up at her mother, forcing a playful tone. "Mom, I'd kill for some of your spaghetti." "Alright, alright, I'll make it for you right now." Once Ione was in the kitchen, Darcy collapsed onto the sofa, all the strength draining from her body. ... On the top floor of SummitCore Tech, Rex accepted the envelope from the courier, completely baffled. Who was it from?