Buzz... Zane's mind exploded. His hand, resting on the arm of his chair, clenched into a fist. Did Zora find out about Darcy and me? No way. I dropped hints to Kaia to keep quiet, and privately warned Hugo and Ines. She shouldn't know. Unless someone messed up. "Look at your face! I was just kidding," Zora laughed, blinking lightly. "Your mom mentioned you don't have a girlfriend. She's constantly worried about setting you up on dates." Zane let out a subtle breath of relief. "I was too busy starting the company before. No time for dating." Zora's eyes glimmered, a smile curving her lips. "That sounds familiar. I was buried in my studies before. No time for dating either."But that was before. What came after... neither of them spelled it out. ... Early Saturday morning, after a hearty breakfast, Darcy shouldered her backpack and headed out. "I won't be back for lunch—no need to make anything for me!" she called to the housekeeper on her way out. Ione smiled widely, "Going on a date with Zane?" Last night, Zane had called, but their talk was short. When Ione asked what they'd chatted about, Darcy had been vague—only said Zane couldn't come over right now. Ione had brushed it off. It's no big deal. The important thing is you two are good together. But her daughter's face had been so cold last night that Ione had worried all evening. Now, hearing Darcy was going out and wouldn't be back for lunch, the heavy feeling in Ione's chest finally went away. "And don't hurry back tonight, either!" Ione added, her voice warm with a playful hint. "If it gets too late, just stay at Zane's place. You're engaged now—time to build that spark." Darcy caught the implication, her cheeks instantly flushing. "Mom! I'm leaving." The door clicked shut behind her. Only in the elevator did the heat in her face finally subside. In all these years with Zane, they had never crossed that particular line. She used to think it was sweet, a sign he cherished her. Now she knew the truth—Zane had someone else in his heart. He simply had no interest in her that way. ... After two hours of focused study at Quest University library, Darcy's eyes felt strained. Lifting her head to relax, she saw a man holding a professional tome walking towards her. She froze. The man also paused. "What a coincidence?" Jethro pulled out the chair across from her and sat down. A faint smile touched his narrow eyes. His gaze swept over the books piled on her side of the table. The words "GRAD SCHOOL PREP" made his eyebrows lift slightly. "What's this?" Jethro looked at Darcy. Seeing his expression, Darcy knew he'd jumped to a conclusion. She hurried to explain, "Mr. Blackwood, please don't misunderstand. I'm preparing for grad school, but it won't interfere with my work. It's a part-time program. Weekend classes." Jethro hadn't actually misunderstood. On the drive back after his uncle's birthday, Alistair had mentioned it. He knew about the missed student-teacher connection between Darcy and his uncle.He gave a casual, low "Mhmm," but his brow remained faintly furrowed. Watching his face, Darcy bit her lip. Putting herself in his shoes... if she were Jethro and saw the employee she'd just headhunted already studying for grad school, she'd have doubts too. When they barely knew each other, how could he be sure what was true? Yeah, his worry makes sense. Darcy set her pen down, thinking for a moment, about to offer a more heartfelt explanation. But Jethro stroked his chin, his expression serious as he said, "Darcy, I told you—off the clock, don't call me Mr. Blackwood. Call me Jethro." Darcy's nerves had been wound tight trying to find the right words. That's what he was frowning about? She almost laughed. The tension drained from her shoulders. "Okay... Jethro." Perhaps because it was the second time she'd said it, his name came out surprisingly smooth. His eyelids flickered, looking rather pleased. After this little detour, and feeling sufficiently rested, Darcy immediately dove back into her studies with deep focus. Warm sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a beam of golden light right over her. But the person bathed in that light was completely unaware. The scene looked serene and beautiful. Jethro crossed his long legs, leaning back in his chair, quietly watching her. A long time passed before he realized he was still on the same page—the very first page of his book. He shook his head slightly and looked down to find the table of contents, then forgot what he was even looking for in the first place. What information did I need to find again? The professional book was as thick as a brick. Without using the index to locate what he needed, he'd be flipping through it forever. A flicker of impatience made him glance up again. The woman across from him was totally calm and focused, not even looking up, as if he weren't there at all. This was a bit... unfamiliar for Jethro, who had been the center of female attention everywhere he went since he could remember. He turned his head slightly, casually scanning the surroundings, and immediately met the gazes of several young women. Their looks were the kind Jethro was very accustomed to. His gaze returned to the woman opposite him, then dropped back to the pages of his book.