But her cousin wasn't in cahoots with them. Gwen looked at Darcy, speaking up softly in her cousin's defense. "Darcy, don't get the wrong idea about Hugo. He doesn't hang out with them much lately. The other day at his place, I even heard him arguing with his parents about this. Hugo would never blindly follow or believe them." Cindy pouted. "What do you mean 'not much'? A few days ago at the SummitCore team-building, he tagged right along." Gwen argued anxiously, "No, he went because Darcy was there! Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered." "Hmph! I knew he had designs on Darcy!" Cindy gritted her teeth and slapped the table. Gwen continued, looking at Darcy with soft, pleading eyes, "Anyway, Darcy, my cousin's really a good guy. All these years, I've never seen him care about any girl so much." Cindy scoffed, "Making your cousin sound like some pure, innocent boy. Don't tell me he's never had women around?" Forget a man as powerful as Hugo—even regular guys pushing 30 don't make it through life with zero women. But Gwen shook her head firmly. "Never!" Cindy was stunned. Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Darcy was stunned. Hugo had never been in a relationship? That was wild. "Her cousin is okay, but my brother is the best!" Cindy plopped down next to Darcy, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, and started rattling off Jethro's virtues like a list she knew by heart. "Look at my brother. Handsome, great body, gentle and refined personality. Education goes without saying—Quest University for undergrad, Wharton for his MBA. Okay, he has a bit of a past, but just one, and it's been completely cut off for ages."And besides, most importantly, if you marry my brother, I guarantee no sister-in-law conflicts, no mother-in-law drama. The family is totally harmonious!" Cindy was like a super salesperson, desperate to sell her brother on the spot. Darcy was stunned. Meanwhile, Gwen stared, eyes going wide. Mr. Blackwood likes Darcy, too? Hearing more of what Cindy said, Gwen's heart sank halfway to the floor. Her eyes slightly red, she tugged at Darcy's sleeve. "Darcy, my cousin really is great. He's really—" "Gwen," Cindy called her name menacingly, "if you keep praising your cousin, I'll have your intern salary docked completely!" Gwen froze in shock. But then she remembered—in the Blackwood Group, Cindy and her brother were the real insiders. She was just an intern.You can't fight when you're at the mercy of others. Gwen swallowed her frustration. Cindy burst out laughing and flashed a V-sign. "Yay! I win! So you're my sister-in-law now!" Gwen pouted, still not conceding. "You're forcing a sale!" "My brother isn't some object for sale! Who's forcing a sale? Pah, your cousin's the one who's not worth a dime!" "Boo-hoo, you said it first—your brother's trash." "Anyway, your cousin's out." "My cousin's not out!" "Your cousin is out!" "Your brother is out!" Darcy held her forehead, sighing helplessly. Just as she was finding the noise unbearable, the two of them suddenly hugged her arms, one on each side."Darcy, who do you pick?" Darcy was speechless. "I pick neither. Right now, I just want to earn money and live my life well." The two fell silent for a moment, then let go. They were thinking the same thing—Darcy's last relationship. Yeah. She'd just come out of a failed seven-year relationship. She needed time to heal. Pushing her into a new relationship now really wasn't appropriate. Some wounds could only be healed by time. Cindy shot Gwen a look. Gwen instantly understood and picked up a piece of crispy fried mozzarella stick for Darcy. "Darcy, try this. They're a specialty—super crispy on the outside, melty and delicious inside." "Really? Let me try. Mmm, it really is good! Here, Darcy, have more." Cindy also piled a few pieces onto Darcy's plate. Just like that, the boyfriend debate slid right past, and the three of them dove into gossip and good food, happy as can be. By the time they were almost done, it was nearly nine. Too late for the murder-mystery game. As the weather was getting hotter, they decided to go to the mall to check out the new season's clothes. Both Cindy and Gwen were heiresses from wealthy families. Their usual shopping haunts were high-end. But thinking Darcy might not be used to those places, they gave her the choice. "Darcy, where do you want to go?" Darcy appreciated their thoughtfulness and smiled, "You don't have to accommodate me specially. I am, after all, an executive with a seven-figure salary." Cindy grinned. "Our Darcy is the best! Then let's go to Golden Summit." Golden Summit was Aethelburg's long-renowned high-end shopping center, home to all the world's famous luxury brands, a money-burning paradise for the city's wealthy. Cindy wanted to buy a dress, so they headed straight to the fourth floor, to a niche luxury brand she frequented.