At that, her crimson lips curved into a smile. "And when that time comes, my door is always open. I can't promise you the moon, but a Director of R&D position is well within my authority to offer." Darcy tilted her head, returning the smile. "Thank you for thinking of me, Ms. Vance." But she wasn't considering it. Not yet. Even if internal strife was inevitable, she couldn't just walk away. Her lover was there. She would stand by him. Upstairs, Zane was shown into Viktor's office by the assistant. "Dad." Seeing Viktor at the desk, he greeted him with proper respect. Viktor's brows drew tight, his gaze cutting cold.Zane immediately corrected himself, standing straighter, eyes lowered. "Mr. Vance." Viktor's expression softened marginally. He removed his reading glasses and rose slowly from his chair. They moved to the sitting area, taking opposite sides of a large sofa. Unable to contain himself, Zane spoke first. "Dad, is Vance Group really teaming up with Stratagem? You know SummitCore has more products, more mature tech, and a stronger standing in the field. Why is Vance Group passing on SummitCore and turning to Stratagem instead? And you promised me—if Vance really needed it, we'd prioritize SummitCore." His face was a mask of barely suppressed resentment. Viktor saw it, of course. He narrowed his eyes. "What are you trying to say? Spit it out." Zane tugged at his tie. "I know Lilian has it out for me. She's been blocking my mom and me at every turn for years, doing everything she can to keep me out of the Group. Now she's deliberately buying from our direct competitor just to undermine me, to humiliate me!" Anger made the corners of his eyes turn a frightening red. "I've had enough! We're both your children! Why does she get to call the shots here while I'm not even allowed through the door? Fine, I accepted that. I thought I could prove myself to Grandpa on my own merit. But now she's using my background as an excuse to buy from someone else. Once word gets out, how do you think people will laugh at me? They'll say the Vance son is less welcome than a stranger." Finished, Zane was still breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling with emotion. Viktor listened to his son's tirade in prolonged silence. He knew he owed Olena and Zane. For years, due to pressure from his own father and other elders, he had failed to treat his children equally, focusing on his daughter while neglecting his son who also needed his guidance and support. Thinking that, Viktor let out a deep sigh. "I know you've carried this grievance for a long time. But you're wrong about Lilian this time. This isn't about suppressing you on purpose. "At the engagement party, to secure Darcy's cooperation, your grandpa said we would agree to any condition. Her condition was that if the Vance Group ever procured software, Stratagem would get first consideration." Zane's eyes widened in disbelief. Viktor's gaze was stern. "If you want to blame someone, blame Zora. If she hadn't caused that scene, none of this would have happened. I did promise you priority for SummitCore. But a debt of honor must be repaid. Let this one go. If there's a next time, I'll instruct Lilian to prioritize your company." Zane sank back into the sofa, his lips pressed tightly together. He closed his eyes, feeling like a complete fool for his earlier confrontation with Lilian. "I understand. Thank you... Mr. Vance." As he started to rise, Viktor suddenly mused aloud, his voice tinged with regret. "Things would have been so much better if you'd married Darcy."Hearing that, Zane went rigid. He whipped around to stare at his father. Viktor's expression was complex. "I've had several dealings with that young woman recently. She's truly impressive. Character, capability, emotional intelligence... first-rate. She's not inferior to your sister in any way. With someone like her by your side, your entry into the Vance Group would have been a certainty." Zane stumbled out of the building in a daze. His hands trembled as he fumbled with the car door handle. He collapsed into the driver's seat, feeling utterly drained. Frustration and agitation were eating away at him, deep and raw. He was desperate for something to take the edge off. He rummaged in the console for a cigarette case, his fingers shaking as he extracted one and lit it. He took a long, deep drag, filling his lungs with smoke, and only then did some of the tension begin to uncoil. Since the breakup, more than one person had hinted, directly or indirectly, that leaving Darcy had been a colossal mistake, an act of pure idiocy. Even he'd had those late-night thoughts himself. What if I hadn't broken up with her? Would things be different? But nothing had hit him with the raw, gut-punching force of his father's words today. Entering the Vance Group had been his and his mother's lifelong aspiration. It represented acceptance by the family, acknowledgment by high society. For that goal, he had worked diligently, tirelessly, never allowing himself a moment's slack. And now, his father was saying that marrying Darcy would have been the key to achieving it all.