The thought made Cindy's cheeks warm. But then she remembered how busy Zephyr had been lately, buried in his project to the point of forgetting she existed. She huffed. Don't think sending your mother as a peacemaker will make me forgive you so easily! The next morning, Clara left early for an appointment. Jethro and Cindy were having breakfast when Arthur called on a video chat. "Jethro, Jasper will be coming to the company today. Show him around, get him familiar with how things run." The call ended just as abruptly, with no further explanation. Jethro was silent for a moment. "Understood, Grandpa." Cindy viciously poked her fried eggs, making the plate screech. "What is Grandpa thinking? Does he really expect you to hand over your position to Jasper?" A shadow passed over Jethro's eyes. "He has a rightful stake in the company. If he wants to be involved, I welcome it." Cindy threw down her fork in frustration. "Why should you just step aside? I know you feel guilty about what happened, Jethro! But were Jasper and his mom the only ones who suffered? Don't forget, our dad died in that accident too!" Jethro's hands, resting on the table, clenched into tight fists, knuckles turning white. Fragmented images flashed behind his eyes—a car spinning out of control, flames licking the sky, three charred bodies... The cup in his hand trembled, nearly toppling. He took a long gulp of ice water, the cold liquid shocking him back to the present. "That's enough, Cindy. It might not be what you think. Finish your breakfast." After breakfast, Jethro drove to the office. As soon as he reached the executive floor, Rowan approached. "Mr. Blackwood, today's meeting schedule."Mondays were always packed with meetings—routine executive briefings, various project reviews. Rowan always provided the schedule in advance so Jethro could cancel or delegate as needed. Jethro took the schedule and, seeing Darcy's name, couldn't help the small smile tugging at his mouth. Since last night, a vague sense of unease had settled in his chest, a lingering heaviness. Yet just seeing her name on paper seemed to sweep it all away. "Move the Stratagem Tech meeting to the front. Ten o'clock," he instructed Rowan in his usual businesslike tone. Rowan mirrored his professionalism perfectly. "Right away, Mr. Blackwood." Downstairs, Darcy was surprised to receive Rowan's call informing her that the meeting had been moved up to ten. She didn't dwell on it and agreed. The Aethelburg Bank contract was now in the final signing stage. It was time to kick off the development phase. However, after reviewing her team's capacity, she realized they were short on senior engineers. She picked up the desk phone and called HR's head, asking her to start scouting candidates early. "Aethelburg Bank is our first major banking client. Stability and security are their top priorities. We need seasoned engineers, preferably with over six years of industry experience. It'll be a challenging search. Be prepared to engage headhunters if necessary." To her surprise, the HR manager just waved a hand, grinning. "Ms. Gale, we won't need headhunters. There's a line of people practically begging to join us." Darcy was confused. "A line? Have we become that popular lately?" She thought back. There had been a surge of attention after their product launch, but things had settled down since. "Over at SummitCore Tech, tons of folks are watching us. Post a slot and they immediately ask coworkers to refer them. Recruitment has never been easier!" The HR manager leaned in quietly, opening the phone. "Look, Ms. Gale. I've infiltrated their ranks with a burner account." Darcy took the phone. It was a group chat. The members were either former SummitCore employees or those currently planning their exit. The chat was buzzing. "Is Stratagem Tech hiring? If yes, I'm deleting my code and running!" "Packing my bags +1." "+1" "+1" ... The HR manager, wearing a smug smile, typed a reply under her alias, "Rumor is they just landed a bank project. Looking to hire senior devs next."Immediate replies flooded in. "No way! For real? If it's true, put me first in line! Internal referral, please!" "I'm second!" "I'm third!" ... Darcy stared, a complex mix of emotions swirling within her. SummitCore was the company she and Zane had built from nothing. It was like their child. She'd watched it take its first stumbling steps and grow into an industry unicorn, pouring five years of her life into it. Several profile pictures in the chat looked familiar. She had hired some of those people herself. They were now SummitCore's veterans, its backbone.