Suddenly asking about Ivy meant he'd noticed something. Could it be Darcy went to him complaining? "Nothing much. The board meeting is coming up. Some details I wanted to confirm with her, but I haven't seen her around lately," Jethro explained. Ivy was Clara's assistant, usually handling board-related matters. Her office hours and location weren't fixed, so contacting her usually went through Clara. Hearing that, Clara relaxed slightly. So it's about the board. I was overthinking. She put down her cup. "She took leave last week to go back to her hometown. She returns tomorrow. If you need anything, have Rowan call her directly." Jethro looked at his mother. Beneath his calm gaze was a hidden storm. He nodded. "Alright. Get some rest, Mom." In her bedroom, Cindy was applying a facial mask when she heard a knock. She got up and opened the door. Seeing it was Jethro, she said in surprise, "Jethro, you just got back from working late?" Jethro didn't say anything. He entered and handed her the bag. "Give this to Darcy at work tomorrow. Don't say it's from me." "What is it?" Cindy said, already opening the box. A blue dress came into view. Her eyes widened. "This looks just like the one Darcy liked tonight!" She checked the logo on the box—Whoa! It was the one! Cindy narrowed her eyes. "You were at Golden Summit tonight?""Yeah. Mom's purse arrived. Asked me to pick it up after work. Saw you guys trying on clothes." "Why didn't you call out to us then?" Jethro smiled, ruffling her hair, "You were doing great. Didn't need me to step in." Clearly, he'd seen Cindy scolding Kaia. Cindy, however, sighed heavily, looking at her brother with frustration. "You're wrong! In that situation, you stepping in would've been best! Think about it! The white knight appears to save the day. She'd have been moved to tears!" "Is she that shallow?" Jethro chuckled. "You've known her long enough." In truth, the reason he hadn't immediately stepped in to defend her was that he didn't want Darcy to feel awkward. She'd been avoiding him lately. His appearance would probably only make her feel worse.Cindy sighed, her face scrunched up like a worried old man. "Step up your game. You're in a bad spot—threats coming at you from all sides. You've gotta be on high alert. No slacking." Jethro replied, "Relax. I know what I'm doing." Cindy widened her eyes. "You have a plan?" "Not exactly. But I'll know the reason she's been keeping her distance soon." Jethro's eyes turned cold. The next morning, Darcy went to work as usual. At her desk, she handled a few emails, then pulled out her phone to make a call. She dialed the customer service hotline for that store's region. "Hello, I'd like to file a complaint. I was shopping at your store last night and was subjected to eye-rolling and discrimination by a sales associate. The associate's name was..." After hearing her complaint, the customer service representative apologized profusely, logged the complaint, and promised to get back to her as soon as possible. It was surprisingly fast. Within half an hour, she got a response. "Ms. Gale, we have received your feedback. After verification, the two sales associates from last night have been terminated. As an apology, we are upgrading you to VIP status and offering you two complimentary shopping vouchers. Please check your messages shortly." Darcy frowned. "They were already fired?" "Yes. The reason for termination matches your complaint." "...Alright. Thank you." Hanging up, Darcy was still puzzled. The two associates were fired that quickly? Could the customer service rep be lying to placate me? I'll have to check when I have time. Just then, Cindy knocked and entered. "Darcy, a gift for you. Take it."With that, she handed the gift box to Darcy with both hands. Seeing the box's shape, Darcy guessed it was the blue dress from last night. Opening it confirmed it. So, the two associates being fired was also Cindy's doing. A warm feeling spread through Darcy's chest. She pulled Cindy into a tight hug, her eyes getting misty. "Thank you, Cindy—you're way too good to me." Cindy hugged her back. "It's the least I can do. As long as you like it, that's all that matters. "I just wish I weren't a girl! If I were a guy, we'd be the perfect pair!" Darcy laughed through her tears. "I wouldn't want Mr. Knight hating me over it." Cindy's cheeks turned pink. "What are you even saying?!" Darcy teased, "C'mon, I'm not blind! Remember the last team building? When Mr. Knight carried you, the soft look in his eyes was so obvious." Cindy protested, "You definitely saw wrong! He's never looked at me like that."