"Exactly! Ms. Gale's skills are proven. She knows the tech, the product, and she closes deals. What can this new CEO do? Probably just talk out of his ass." However, many others were thrilled. Being integrated into the Blackwood Group meant access to corporate-level benefits, and the announcement promised more funding and resources—signaling rapid growth. Outside the office, Cindy was meeting with a client when she saw the internal announcement. She excused herself immediately and stormed into Darcy's office. "Darcy, have you seen the news?" Darcy looked up, a flicker of confusion in her eyes. "Yes, I saw it." Cindy's brow furrowed. "You agreed to this demotion?" A wry smile touched Darcy's lips. "No one consulted me.""What?" Cindy's eyes widened. "They issued the notice without even talking to you?" Cindy's lips pressed into a thin, furious line. She rolled up her sleeves as if ready to march upstairs. Darcy quickly caught her arm. "Don't. Please." "But they can't do this to you!" Cindy felt a hot, suffocating ball of indignation in her chest. Darcy lowered her gaze, her voice quiet. "Did your brother know about this in advance?" Cindy paused, then grasped Darcy's hands firmly. "Darcy, you have to believe him. I had no idea, and he definitely didn't either. If he'd known, he would never have allowed it." She gritted her teeth. "I'm betting this was my grandfather's unilateral decision. I just never thought he'd do something like this without a word to us—bypassing my mom, my brother, and me completely." Her voice was thick with frustration and disappointment. All these years, while my aunt and cousin were away, it was our family—Mom, Jethro, and me—who stayed by Grandpa's side, who looked after him. Jethro and Mom are the ones who've been running the company. And now, the moment Jasper comes back, Grandpa can't wait to put him on the board, and now this? Appointing him CEO of Stratagem Tech outright? The favoritism is just blatant. Darcy nodded. Her own assessment matched Cindy's. Jethro hadn't known. No one had warned him. Darcy forced a smile, turning to comfort her friend instead. "I'm okay, really. It's just a change in who I report to. My salary and benefits aren't being cut. As long as the paycheck stays the same, I can handle the rest. Besides, is your cousin Jasper some kind of monster? He's younger than me. I'm not scared of him." Though Darcy said the words, Cindy's sense of injustice burned even brighter. "How dare they? How can they just do this without any discussion? Even a criminal on death row gets informed! Demoting you without notice is just bullying! I'm going to find my brother right now!""Don't!" Darcy was deeply moved to have a friend who championed her so fiercely, but she didn't want to be the cause of a rift within the Blackwood family. "Your brother isn't in the office. He's probably at a business dinner. Don't disturb him." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "Cindy, promise me you won't let anger over this spill onto anyone else. And you have to help keep your brother calm. It's not the end of the world. I'm still a VP. My team still answers to me. A CEO isn't going to roll up his sleeves and do the grunt work, right? So, in reality, my day-to-day job hasn't changed. The only difference is my report line goes to Jasper instead of Jethro. Everything else stays the same." She spoke earnestly, trying to make it sound light, trying to convince Cindy—and perhaps herself—that the impact was minimal. Please, don't let me be the reason the Blackwood household is turned upside down. I'd never forgive myself. After Cindy left, Darcy took a deep breath. She decided to call a short all-hands meeting. Her goal was to calm nerves. When information is scarce, rumors and fear spread like wildfire, and morale plummets. Several critical projects were on tight deadlines. The leadership change couldn't be allowed to derail delivery. Real money was on the line. Darcy didn't shy away from the awkwardness. She addressed her "demotion" head-on, openly acknowledging it as a corporate decision and clearly stating her position. "The Group's integration of Stratagem Tech is a good thing—for me, and for all of you. It means we're operating on a bigger stage, and the Blackwood name will give our work even more credibility. "Furthermore, the appointment of a trusted family member as our new CEO signals the Group's strong belief in our company's potential. I'm confident that under our new CEO's leadership, Stratagem Tech will reach even greater heights."Until our new CEO formally assumes his duties, if anyone has questions or concerns, my door is always open." Her straightforward, reassuring words had the intended effect. The speculative chatter and whispered fears about internal power struggles, even rumors of a feud between the Blackwood cousins, began to subside. People dispersed, refocusing on their projects. Soon, only Darcy and Zephyr remained in the conference room. Zephyr, who had slipped out at some point, returned with two cans of Coke, still frosty from a cooler. He tossed one to Darcy.