"So you really—Why did you invite her without talking to me first?" His cold tone rubbed Zora the wrong way. But today was her day. Why had she gone to such lengths to bring Darcy and her mother here? To prove one thing—while Darcy might have her beat in business, when it came to love, Zora was the undisputed winner. She had stolen Darcy's fiancé, the man Darcy dated for seven years. She was the one holding the victory. At that thought, Zora tilted her head back with a faint smile. "Darcy and I are sisters. Isn't it perfectly natural for her mom to attend my engagement party? I'm sure she's happy to witness our joy." Her gaze softened as it landed on Darcy. "Don't worry, Darcy. I'll take you to her right now. You can see for yourself whether she was invited or kidnapped." The small group followed Zora to a guest suite on the third floor. Inside, Ione sat calmly on the living room sofa. The coffee table before her was laden with an assortment of fruits and snacks. "Mom!" Darcy rushed forward and hugged her tightly. "Are you okay? Did they do anything to you?" Ione's eyes were slightly red, but she shook her head. "I'm fine. What about you? You must have been frantic when you couldn't find me." Darcy said, "I'm fine too. Seeing you safe is all I need." Zora strode in, her heels clicking decisively on the floor. "See? I told you. Who kidnaps someone and treats them to refreshments? I simply invited your mom as a guest. Darcy, you blew it out of proportion and judged a decent person with a petty mind." Ines seized the moment, pointing an accusing finger at Darcy. "Exactly! How could someone as kind-hearted as Zora ever kidnap anyone? You're just causing a scene to smear her reputation!" A flash of something dark passed behind Zora's eyes before she adopted a wounded expression. "Ines, don't blame her. We just have a misunderstanding. I get why she'd think that of me." "You're just too forgiving, Zora," Ines sighed. Seeing Ione unharmed, Zane let out a massive, internal sigh of relief. He tugged at his tie, loosening the constriction in his chest. "Well, now that the misunderstanding is cleared up..." He gave Ione a slight, respectful bow. "Ms. Gale, since you're here, why not stay? You and Darcy should join the celebration." Hugo nodded in agreement, addressing Darcy. "Your mom still looks a bit pale. Perhaps she should rest here for a while before heading back." Perhaps because Hugo was present, Ione's demeanor softened considerably. "That's a good suggestion. We'll stay, then."Darcy was still worried. Staying meant having to watch John and his picture-perfect family play happy. She glanced at her mom and whispered, "Mom, you don't have to be polite. If you're uncomfortable, we can leave right now." "It's alright." Ione patted her hand. "Don't worry about me. I've long since made my peace. John can't stir a single ripple in my heart anymore." Hearing that, Darcy finally relaxed. "Okay." Zora saw Ione agree to stay and felt even better. She deliberately raised her voice. "I've prepared seats for you two in the second row. Great view. You'll see me and Zane exchange rings and our happy kiss. Hope you like it." Darcy remained unmoved by the blatant gloating. She simply put a protective arm around her mother's shoulders and guided her out of the suite. Hugo offered to escort the two to the ballroom, and the trio departed.The moment they were gone, the smile vanished from Zora's face, her lips pressing into a tight, angry line. She walked up to Zane and reached out to touch the corner of his mouth. "Tch—" Zane couldn't suppress a wince of pain. Zora snorted, "I just noticed. Hugo has a cut on his lip. So do you. Did you two get into a fight? And over who?" The air in the room froze. Zane opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Finally, he turned on his heel and headed for the door, his tone dismissive. "I need to greet the guests. Finish your makeup and join me soon." Zora trembled with anger, all the resentment she'd bottled up bursting free. "Zane! Tell me the truth! Did you and Hugo fight over Darcy? Are you still hung up on that little bitch?" Zane spun around. Pressure rolled off him, his face going cold. "We've got powerful guests today. Watch your mouth." "Zora, let's get you to makeup." Ines quickly stepped between them, pulling Zora toward the dressing room. The smudged eye makeup would have to be redone, wasting more precious time. Ines sat to the side, unable to relax. After a long silence, he couldn't hold back any longer. "What's going on with you and Zane?" Until that explosive moment, Ines had believed Zora and Zane were the model couple everyone described, destined to become the perfect married pair. But the scene he just witnessed had shattered that illusion. Perhaps Zora and Zane weren't nearly as happy as he had assumed.