One'd think they were sworn enemies. As for his biological daughter, he obviously had no expectations left. He didn't think about reclaiming her anymore. John said coldly, "As for some people, let's just drop it. She's been corrupted by her mother. There's no father-daughter bond between us." Hearing that, Darcy's expression remained calm. "Perfect. I hope you keep your word." John's face turned livid. Just then, the meeting room door was pushed open. "Mr. Caldwell!" Zora and Zane hurriedly stood up, bowing to the middle-aged man leading the group. Darcy's team also stood up, respectfully greeting, "Mr. Caldwell!" Ethan chuckled, "Could hear voices from the meeting room from down the hall. Seems you were having a lively discussion."The room fell silent for a few seconds. John, feeling that arguing with his own daughter was undignified—family shame shouldn't be aired in public—was about to laugh it off and move on. But to his surprise, Zora spoke up, "Quite the opposite. John and Stratagem Tech's Ms. Gale just had a bit of a disagreement." As she finished, John's face looked awkward. He gave a light cough toward Zora and shook his head slightly. Zane frowned, squeezing Zora's palm. "Just a joke. Time is precious. Let's discuss the real business." Zora sneered inwardly, but a light smile appeared on her face. She brushed her bangs and said to Ethan, "It's really nothing important. Your time is valuable. I won't bore you with it. Let's get down to business." Ethan was an old fox. He immediately sensed bad blood between the two groups. Still, disagreements between competitors weren't unusual. But what could cause a rift between John and Darcy?They weren't even in the same league—age or seniority. "What could make John and Ms. Gale have a disagreement? In my memory, John is very mild-mannered. For a gentle man to lose his temper, it must be something big," Ethan said, smiling. Mild-mannered? More like spineless. John scratched his head. "It's nothing—" "The biological daughter he's been looking for is Ms. Gale," Zora answered first. "Unfortunately, Ms. Gale misunderstood John and just gave him a tongue-lashing." John was stunned. Is... is that how it went? But Zora was speaking up for him. He couldn't embarrass her in front of everyone. So, he deliberately put on a pained expression. "It's also my fault for neglecting her and her mother in the past." Ethan's expression darkened. A daughter cursing her father?That's outrageous, against all decency! Even if John messed up first, a daughter shouldn't dress down her father in public. Parents are to be respected. Immediately, Ethan's look toward Darcy held judgment. Someone who lacks basic respect—no matter how competent they are, what good are they? With that, impatience flickered in Ethan's eyes. "It's getting late. John, Mr. Vance, Dr. Moss, let's go to the conference room across the hall." He spoke and walked out with his assistant, heading across the corridor. Throughout, Darcy wasn't even given a chance to explain or defend herself. Cade couldn't help but feel anxious. Overstepping, he called out to Ethan, "Mr. Caldwell, our appointment was scheduled before SummitCore's!" Ethan stopped walking, frowning tightly at Cade. "Who are you to say that to me? Voyager, as the client, has the right to decide who to see first and who to see later." "Mr. Caldwell, don't bother with an assistant. Let's go," Zora said kindly, trying to smooth things over. Before leaving, she shot Darcy a triumphant smile. Just wait. Voyager is mine for the taking. As long as we secure Voyager, SummitCore can launch its IPO immediately. And once SummitCore goes public successfully, I'll become its largest shareholder. Darcy, just watch carefully how the company you fought for, sweated for, almost gave your life for, becomes my meal ticket! Leaving the meeting room, Zane pulled Zora's hand and hissed, "Zora, you shouldn't have said that just now." "Said what?" Zora raised a brow. "Don't you want to secure a major client like Voyager?" Zane tugged at his tie. "Of course I do. But you didn't need to mislead Mr. Caldwell." "Mislead him about what? What did I say that was wrong? Zane, you said it, the process doesn't matter, only the result does." Zora reached out, straightening his messy tie, speaking softly, "Alright, let's go in. Don't let Mr. Caldwell think we have a bad attitude." Zane let out a heavy sigh and pushed the door open. Fine. Zora wasn't wrong. Stratagem has taken too many of SummitCore's clients already. And Voyager? SummitCore must secure it. The process doesn't matter, only the result does. He repeated the phrase to himself twice, then put on a proper demeanor, beginning the pre-sales presentation. Back in the meeting room, Cindy and Zephyr returned from the restroom to find the SummitCore group gone, guessing they'd gone to the conference room to meet with Ethan's team.