Darcy looked down at the heavily bandaged foot, her tone dismissive. "I know. He told me. He accidentally hit you and brought you to the hospital. Any decent person would have done the same. I'm hardly going to fault him for that. The real question is, Ms. Roby, was it worth it? Risking permanent injury just to throw yourself in front of his car for a chance at a romance that died years ago?" The direct hit enraged Annie. "He doesn't love you! His heart has always been mine!" Darcy smiled coolly, "Delusions are a medical condition, Ms. Roby. I can recommend a good psychiatrist if you need one." Annie gritted her teeth, then suddenly let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Even if I can't have him back, you'll never have peace with him either!" "Going back to the tired 'eternal first love' theory? That a corner of his heart will always be yours?" Darcy scoffed. "Well, a corner of mine will always belong to my first love too. I guess we're even."Annie's gaze turned icy. "It's more than that. Our connection runs deeper. "What if I told you we have a child together?" Boom. Darcy felt the ground drop from beneath her. The world spun. She grabbed the trunk of a nearby willow tree to steady herself. Her eyes, wide with shock and disbelief, locked onto Annie's triumphant face. It felt like an eternity before she could form a coherent thought. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Annie was thoroughly satisfied with the reaction. A smug smile curled her lips. "Ms. Gale, you're so magnanimous. Just a kid—you can stomach that, right?" Darcy forced herself to breathe, to gather the shattered pieces of her composure. Her gaze turned sharp, dissecting. "You can say anything you want. It's your mouth." With that, she felt the last of her strength drain. She turned and walked away, each step an effort. Annie called after her, her voice dripping with mock sympathy. "Oh dear, was that too much for you? And here I was just joking." Darcy stopped, turning back to glare at her. She was lost in a fog of confusion. Is it true? Or just another vicious lie? If it's true... She couldn't bear to finish the thought. She spun around and practically fled, bolting straight to the company. A short while later, Jasper returned, slightly out of breath from hurrying. He held out a bottle of water, his eyes shining. "Annie, have some water. I tested the temperature—neither cold nor hot. Just right." He tested it... Annie looked at the bottle's mouth and frowned slightly. After a pause, she pretended to take a sip. Jasper took the bottle back and screwed the cap on. "Jasper, I need a favor. If it's not too much?" "Anything! Your troubles are mine." Annie gave him a sweet, fleeting smile, hooking her finger with his. "You're so good to me, Jasper." Jasper felt his heart race, his ears turning pink. "You know how I feel about you." Back at Stratagem Tech, Darcy was restless. She tried calling Jethro's private line several times. No answer. She called Rowan instead and was told Jethro was out with the Sales Director for the final bidding presentation on the Group's most critical project of the year. All phones were silenced for the duration. "Ms. Gale, is it urgent? The bid session should wrap up in about an hour." Darcy mumbled an acknowledgement and hung up.Cindy slid her office chair over. "Darcy, what's wrong? You've been off since you got back from the hospital at noon." Darcy's chest felt tight, like she was suffocating. She needed to talk. She closed her office door and poured out the whole story—the meetings, the texts, the hospital encounter. Cindy's eyes widened. She shoved up her sleeves and exploded. "Damn it. That witch Annie actually had the guts to come back! And to contact you, to try and wreck things between you and Jethro? I swear, I'm going to that hospital right now and break both her legs, then cut out her lying tongue! See if she dares spread poison then!" Darcy held her back wearily. "Her petty tricks don't bother me. What I'm worried about is the child she mentioned. If it's true..." She could accept that Jethro had a passionate past. But a child with someone else? That was a different matter entirely. A child meant a permanent, unbreakable link to Annie.It meant having to watch him co-parent with the other woman, attending school events together, taking family trips to amusement parks. Darcy had to admit she wasn't that selfless. She couldn't accept it calmly. Not unless she didn't love him, not unless she was only with him for his money. She believed no woman could. The mention of a child stunned Cindy. She shook her head firmly. "It's a lie. She made it up to mess with your head, to drive you and Jethro apart. Darcy, you've known my brother for a while now. You have to trust his character. He would never hide something like that from you."