Darcy caught the can easily and smiled. "So, you're a cola man." Zephyr scratched the back of his head, a little embarrassed. "Someone likes it." Darcy's eyebrows lifted in understanding. She popped the tab and took a long, satisfying gulp. "Wow, ice-cold. Hits the spot. No wonder Cindy's hooked." Zephyr's hand, poised to open his own can, froze mid-air. He looked down, his expression sheepish. Darcy gave his shoulder a light, exasperated tap. "Hey, you're a grown man. If you like someone, have the guts to tell her. Are you really waiting for her to make the first move?" Zephyr rubbed his nose, a wry smile tugging at his lips. Cindy didn't even want to see him lately. How was he supposed to confess? Long road ahead.He took a sip of his own drink, his gaze turning serious as he looked at Darcy. "Are you holding up okay? Today's announcement came out of nowhere." "I'm fine," Darcy replied, her tone pragmatic. "It's a demotion, not a firing. If it were the latter, trust me, I'd be raising hell." A faint smile returned to Zephyr's lips. "Jethro didn't warn you?" Darcy shook her head. "I don't think he knew either." Zephyr's brow furrowed. "So you're saying this wasn't his decision, but rather—" Darcy cut him off with a deep breath. "Let's not overthink it. It's almost the weekend. Let's just go home and get some rest." With that, she pushed open the conference room door and left. Zephyr stared at the can in his hand, lost in thought. With Jasper's return, is the Blackwood family headed for a full-blown internal war? At nine that evening, Darcy was lounging in bed, scrolling through a reality show, when Jethro called. "Darcy, I'm sorry." His voice was heavy with remorse the moment she answered. Darcy sat up against the headboard, a teasing note in her voice. "What for? Did you have a drunken one-night stand?" A low, rumbling chuckle came through the line. "I would never." "Then what other terrible thing did you do?" "Nothing." "Exactly. You haven't done anything wrong, so stop apologizing." His voice grew husky. "I didn't protect you. I let someone else treat you unfairly." Darcy couldn't help but smile. "Your girlfriend isn't some delicate flower. I've got plenty of strength and my own ways of handling things. Nobody gets to push me around. Okay, full disclosure? I lied the other day at the movies. When I said I ran into a couple of dogs... it was actually Zane and Zora. And I gave Zora a few good slaps."The mood of the conversation shifted instantly, turning lighter and strangely intimate. Jethro laughed again, the sound warm and close in her ear. "That explains the red palm." Darcy lay back, propping her feet up with a satisfied smirk. "See? Told you I can handle myself." "I believe you," Jethro said, his voice softening. But a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, unseen on the other end of the line. That doesn't mean I'll stand by and let anyone mess with you. It was as if she could read his mind. "Don't worry about me, okay?" Darcy's voice grew soft but firm. "And please, promise me you won't start a fight with anyone over this." Her gentle plea struck him right in the heart. His girlfriend was asking him to let it go. She was asking him not to cause trouble within his family because of her. Jethro closed his eyes. A long moment passed before he finally replied, his voice a low murmur. "Okay."The next day, Darcy drove to Quest University for Gwen's graduation ceremony. She'd chosen a thoughtful, not overly extravagant gift and a beautiful bouquet. When she arrived, Gwen was in her cap and gown, caught up in a whirlwind of photos with classmates—hugging, crying, sharing bittersweet farewells. Spotting Darcy out of the corner of her eye, Gwen quickly wiped her tears and broke into a radiant smile, dashing over. "Darcy! You made it!" Darcy handed over the flowers and gift with a warm smile. "Congratulations, graduate." She reached out to gently straighten Gwen's graduation cap, a wave of nostalgia for her own student days washing over her. Five years already. Time flies. But a flicker of excitement followed. In just three months, she'd be a student here herself. Gwen beamed, clutching the flowers, her face even more radiant than the blooms."Darcy, let's take some pictures!" "Of course." Gwen was a natural at selfies. She threw an arm around Darcy's shoulders, expertly finding flattering angles and fun poses. Both women were photogenic to begin with, but under Gwen's enthusiastic direction, they looked absolutely stunning. They were mid-photo session when a video call notification popped up on Gwen's phone. It was Hugo calling. He was out of town on business and couldn't make it to the ceremony, so this was his way of being there. Darcy's smile tightened. She took two quiet steps back. "You should take that," she said to Gwen. Gwen understood immediately. She wants me to talk to him alone. "Darcy..." Gwen whined, latching onto her arm again. But the puppy-dog eyes didn't work this time. Darcy had stopped falling for that trick. After Gwen had secretly tipped off Hugo last time, leading him to "coincidentally" show up to give Darcy a ride home, Darcy had pulled her aside the next day and laid down the law—no more matchmaking, or their friendship was on the line. So, with a resigned sigh, Gwen answered the call, not daring to say anything more.