"Why?" Zane pressed, his gaze sharp as a blade. This was the second thing he couldn't fathom. "The Moss family has its own legacy. Why did it have to be SummitCore?" Zora threw her head back and laughed, the sound hollow in the large office. "The Moss Group hasn't been what it used to be for a long time. Ever since my mom took over, profits have been declining year after year. Many of our assets have been sold off. The Moss Group today is a beautiful facade, but the structure inside is rotting. To keep it standing requires money. A lot of money. And new, profitable ventures." She sighed, a theatrical sound of regret. "Zane, don't blame me. I was born into the prestige the Moss name provides. Naturally, I also have to fulfill my duty as a daughter of this family—to ensure its survival. That's the responsibility of a Moss woman. You can't wear the crown without bearing its weight. "Go home and rest. Don't worry, I'll treat SummitCore like my own child. Once the IPO is successful, the CEO title can still be yours. I'll just enjoy the dividends. You like managing; I just like the money. We won't get in each other's way." Zane's eyes were bloodshot. His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. "In your dreams," he ground out through clenched teeth. The last vestige of the smile vanished from Zora's lips. "If that's your answer, then there's nothing more to discuss. Don't say I didn't give you a chance." She pressed the intercom on her desk. "Send in the guards at the door. Throw him out." Zora knew Zane wouldn't take this lying down and would show up sooner or later, so she'd placed security on the top floor in advance. The moment she gave the order, those guards—former special police—would charge in. A guard reached for Zane's arm. Zane blocked him and barked, low and hard, "Hands off. I'll walk out myself." He wasn't foolish enough to fight a losing battle against trained professionals.He straightened the lapels of his suit jacket and turned on his heel, walking out with whatever dignity he had left. Not long after, Rex followed, carrying a cardboard box containing his personal effects. "They told you to leave today?" Zane asked, his brow furrowed. Rex offered a bitter smile. "My position has already been reassigned." Zane said nothing. He pulled out his phone and called Ines. "Ines, do you need an assistant? Rex is available. I'm recommending him to you." The voice on the other end went blank for a few seconds. "Fuck, what the hell are you talking about? Zane didn't waste breath. "Short version? Someone set me up. I got booted. Rex got dragged down with me." Ines was stunned. He sputtered angrily, "Holy shit! Was it Darcy? She's still holding a grudge over that engagement party bullshit?""No," Zane said, unnervingly calm. "It was Zora." "What?!" Ines shot up from his chair. "You're saying Zora orchestrated this? She... she... she..." He couldn't form another word. He wondered if he was dreaming—otherwise, why couldn't he understand a word Zane said? The Zora he'd known since childhood had set a trap and kicked out his best friend—her own fiancé—then took the CEO seat for herself?! He actually slapped his own face twice. Wake up. This has to be a dream. Quit sleeping! But the call log on his phone was a cold, hard reminder. This was real. He sank back into his chair, his hand trembling as he lit a cigarette. Suddenly, Hugo's warning echoed in his mind."I suspect there's more to Zora and Lucian's relationship." The scales finally fell from his eyes. Lucian had returned not long after Zora came back. Had she been planning this from the very beginning? If that was true, Zora was the most terrifying woman he'd ever encountered. Back on the top floor of SummitCore, shortly after Zane's departure, the heads of the Project and Tech departments came to see Zora. To be exact, Zora had called them in. "Today is the scheduled delivery date for the first batch of features to Voyager Securities," Zora began, her tone expectant. "Status report. Can we guarantee an on-time launch by the end of business?" The two department heads exchanged anxious glances. Sensing their hesitation, Zora's frown deepened. "Well? Spit it out!"The Project head's face was ashen. "I'm sorry, Ms. Moss. We... we can't launch today." Before the words even faded, the folder in Zora's hand flew across the room. It cracked against the Project head's skull, raising a lump. Seeing that, the Tech head got even more rattled. Zora gritted her teeth. "Give me one good reason why not!" "Because... because several critical functions are failing stability tests. A forced launch would definitely be rejected by the client," the Tech head stammered, wiping sweat from his brow. "With so many people working day and night, how can the code still be unstable?!" Zora roared. "Because... because most of the team are new hires. Their coding proficiency is lacking." The truth was stark. Not only were the junior engineers inexperienced, but even the Tech head himself was new.