Darcy lowered her gaze, offering a quiet smile but no direct answer. She hadn't actively considered leaving, but given her current strained relationship with Jasper, being fired someday wouldn't shock her. Edmund studied her for a moment. "I heard Jasper is back—the one who just tried to see me. He parachuted in above you. Ambitious lad, a bit too full of himself. Must be difficult to work with?" Darcy smiled, "It's natural for the young to be ambitious before life gives them a reality check." Edmund chuckled, his tone turning earnest, "I'm glad you see it that way. But listen, if you ever do consider a change, think about Aethelburg Bank. As you know, with the national push for tech innovation, every bank is scrambling for tech talent. A versatile expert like you is exactly what we need." The more he observed Darcy, the more he liked her.No swagger, no panic. Steady, reliable, grounded. Honest and responsible. No wonder my nephew couldn't get her out of his head. Speaking of that brat, last month he suddenly showed up, saying he was heading back. Edmund had been surprised. "Back so soon?" That brat just said his objective was complete and there was no reason to stay. Edmund had teased him, "Giving up on the chase? That's not how it's done. You can't just work in the shadows and never let her know." That brat had taken a lazy drag from his cigarette, a wistful smile on his face. "Some people, just meeting them is enough for a lifetime. I don't dare hope for more." Facing Edmund's offer, Darcy smiled apologetically, "You flatter me. But I have no immediate plans to leave." As she was about to go, Edmund suddenly asked, "You haven't started any collaboration with Voyager Securities, have you?"Darcy was surprised. "No, we haven't. Why do you ask?" Edmund sighed, "Good that you haven't. You'll know why in a couple of days." Darcy suppressed her curiosity and didn't press further. The anonymous warning about Voyager Securities months ago had faded from her mind, especially since both Voyager and SummitCore had seemed fine. But Edmund's cryptic comment now... Did it mean something major was about to happen? She shook her head. Whatever it is, it's not my concern. Two days later, a financial earthquake rocked the industry. Voyager Securities was implicated in a massive corruption scandal. Multiple senior executives were taken in for investigation overnight, and numerous internal projects were suspended.At the top floor of the SummitCore Tech building, Zora threw her phone against the wall in frustration after repeated failed attempts to reach Ethan. Moments later, the Project head burst in, his voice panicked. "Ms. Moss, it's bad! Our project with Voyager is frozen! It's tied to the corruption case. Mr. Caldwell has been taken away!" He was trembling. "And... and..." "And what?!" Zora lunged forward, grabbing his collar. "Spit it out!" The Project head looked utterly defeated. "Rumors is our company is involved in bribery. We might be investigated too." "What?!" Panic seized Zora, her mind going blank for a few seconds. She snatched her purse from the desk and bolted for the door. She barely took two steps before freezing. Police officers in uniform stood at the entrance. Her blood ran cold. One thought dominated her mind—It's over. It's all over. Lucian! Where is Lucian? Lucian, save me! That afternoon, hearing the news about the SummitCore CEO's arrest, Zane immediately drove to the company. He arrived at the lobby to find a stream of employees leaving, carrying boxes and muttering curses. Zane grabbed one by the arm. "What's happening? Why is everyone leaving?" The employee looked at him blankly, then with irritation. "The CEO got arrested. Accounts are frozen. The company is initiating bankruptcy proceedings. Poor me—three months in and not even a severance check." Zane felt the blood drain from his face. "Bankruptcy? That's impossible! The company accounts have plenty of money!" The finance department. He needed to talk to Finance. He sprinted to the finance office. The large room was deserted except for one senior finance manager, a company veteran. "Mr. Vance," the manager said, visibly startled. Zane, panting, pointed outside. "They're saying the company is filing for bankruptcy. How? The accounts have money!" The manager sighed heavily, "Mr. Vance, our cash flow was fine based on the year's collection plan. But with all the recent personnel instability, many projects weren't delivered on time, so payments were delayed. Several contracts were terminated due to breach, so we lost that revenue entirely. "On top of that, the Voyager project was a massive drain. Ms. Moss authorized hiring at rates three times the market average. And... she'd been secretly slipping hefty bribes to Mr. Caldwell at Voyager. That's why she was taken away by the police."