The envelope was marked with a large "TO ZANE VANCE." There was no other information. As his personal assistant, Rex was thorough. He quickly asked the courier, "Who sent this?" The courier showed him the order details in the system. Darcy? Rex was even more confused. What kind of game are these two playing? Zane ran a tight ship. He was strict about separating professional and personal matters and despised office romances. Because of this, aside from the original founders who started the company with him, most employees didn't know the true nature of Zane and Darcy's relationship. Usually, Zane didn't allow Darcy to casually visit the executive floor. So, sometimes, Rex acted as a go-between for them. But communicating by letter... This was a first. Without hesitation, Rex went straight to Zane's office. "Mr. Vance, a letter arrived for you," he said, deliberately not mentioning the sender. Mentioning it will ruin their little game. Zane was dealing with emails. Hearing that a letter had arrived for him, he frowned and took it. He tore it open but hadn't had a chance to read the contents when the receptionist appeared at the door. "Mr. Vance, Mr. Sharp, Mr. Dalton and his team have arrived." Brian Dalton's team was a major potential client for SummitCore's second half of the year. They couldn't be kept waiting. Zane set the opened envelope aside on his desk, grabbed his notebook, and hurried with Rex to the conference room.As he left, his notebook brushed against the desk, knocking the torn envelope into the nearby trash bin. Five minutes later, the cleaning lady came in. Seeing the letter in the bin and noting it was already opened, she emptied the bin without a second thought. By the time Zane emerged from the meeting two hours later, he had completely forgotten about the opened, unread letter on his desk. Knock. Knock. Knock. "Come in," Zane said without looking up. "Mr. Vance." Hearing the voice, Zane finally looked up. Zora was standing at the door, smiling at him. His heart gave a little jump. The scene overlapped with a memory from years ago. Back then, he had just been brought to the Vance residence. He and his mother were looked down upon by everyone. At a party, all the other kids his age avoided him because of his illegitimate status. Only Zora had taken his hand without hesitation, smiled, and said, "We can be friends." She had never really left his heart since. As the Vance family's illegitimate son, he had only ever dared to admire her from afar back then. Now, they could finally sit together as equals. And yet, he was about to have a fiancée. A bitter taste rose in his throat. "When it's just us, you can call me Zane. No need to be so formal," he said, standing up to pour her a glass of water. Zora smiled playfully. "Okay, Zane." Zane nodded. "What did you need?" Zora set down her cup, her expression turning serious. "Zane, about you making me VP... does everyone know?" "Of course. I've already spoken with the tech and product teams beforehand." Zora hesitated. "What about R&D and Sales? Do they know too?"Zane glanced at her. "They do." Zora paused, seeming to want to say more but holding back. "What is it?" Zane frowned. "Is someone giving you a hard time?" Zora looked down with a faint smile. "No." She took a deep breath and looked up again. "Anyway, I've been reviewing the company's R&D plans. If we can integrate a specific model into the core product, it would be a game-changer." "What model?" "The Automated Yield Curve Model." Zane's interest was piqued. "It sounds promising. But is it patented?" Zora nodded. "Yes. It was developed by Professor Alistair Reed from Quest University and his students." "I see. I'll have someone look into the pricing." "Prof. Reed is a leading authority in financial engineering. It's not something you can just buy with money." Zora smiled confidently. "Leave this to me." Zane felt a swell of satisfaction. "I appreciate it, Zora. I knew I was right about you. Your qualifications and capabilities are outstanding." "You flatter me," she said with a mock scold. After she left, Zane pressed the intercom and gave Rex an instruction. Soon, Rex knocked and entered. "Mr. Vance, I looked into it. A few colleagues in R&D and Sales have... reservations about Dr. Moss' appointment. They're saying..." Zane's voice was low. "Saying what?" Rex swallowed. "They're saying the VP position was supposed to be Ms. Gale's. That it's unfair to her." Zane's eyes turned cold. "Who said the VP position was for Ms. Gale?" Rex shrank back, not daring to say another word.Zane rubbed his temples, his tone dismissive. "Put the word out. Zora is here by my personal invitation. Anyone who has a problem with her has a problem with me." Rex was shocked. He had never seen Zane defend someone so fiercely. Even with Darcy, he was always somewhat distant and cool. He'd thought that was just Zane's personality. But he was clearly different with Zora. Realizing where his thoughts were going, Rex quickly stopped himself. It can't be. Zane and Darcy had been through seven years together. Everyone from the old guard who knew their story respected him for it. They all said he was a good man for standing by the woman who was with him from the start. Zane worked through lunch. Finally catching up, he remembered something. Darcy still hadn't replied to the message he sent last night. That wasn't like her. Is she angry? He pulled out his phone and searched for her name on WhatsApp. He rubbed his temples and called her. At home, Darcy heard her phone vibrate. She picked it up. It was Zane. She paused, not answering immediately. Ione looked puzzled. "What's wrong, dear? Why aren't you answering Zane's call?" With that, she pressed the answer button for her daughter. It was too late for Darcy to stop her. Reluctantly, she brought the phone to her ear. "Hello?"