Annie looked impatient. "Well, tell him to hurry up." Beside her, Jett tugged gently on her sleeve. "Mommy, let's wait in the coffee shop." The receptionist sighed inwardly. This woman is less reasonable than the child. But this woman'd brought a child, and claimed she knew Jethro... She instantly recalled the online rumors. Could the gossip be true? Does Mr. Blackwood really have an illegitimate child? Thinking of that, she tamped down her anger and smiled, "Ms. Roby, if you'd please take a seat, I'll try contacting Mr. Kerr again." "Fine," Annie huffed. Turning while holding Jett's hand, she suddenly spotted Darcy. A sly smile curled Annie's lips. She stepped forward. "Ms. Gale, what a coincidence. We meet again. You haven't met my son, have you? Jett, say hello to the lady." Jett blinked and obediently said, "Hello, ma'am." Darcy offered a faint, perfunctory smile. She felt no goodwill towards Annie and her son and saw no need to feign politeness. If you don't like someone, you don't like them. No need to pretend otherwise. Seeing Darcy start to walk away, Annie pushed Jett forward again, blocking her path. "Ms. Gale, the child spoke to you. Aren't you going to respond? He'll think you're rude." Annie gave Jett a subtle nod. Jett added, "Yeah, teacher says ignoring people isn't nice. Then the lady isn't nice." Darcy raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?" She slowly crouched down to Jett's eye level. "Let me tell you a harsh truth, little one. In this world, the 'not nice' kids often get ahead. The 'nice' ones get left behind."Her voice was cool and firm. Jett's little face instantly paled. Annie's expression darkened. She immediately pulled Jett behind her. "Darcy! What nonsense are you spouting?! You'll corrupt him!" Darcy shrugged. "Just stating facts." "You're just jealous!" Annie snapped, her voice rising. "Jealous that I have his child! Jealous that Arthur agreed to acknowledge him! You venomous woman, I'll make sure Jethro sees your true colors!" Darcy let out an incredulous laugh. "Ms. Roby, don't assume what you covet is coveted by everyone else." "Oh, you don't covet it? Don't lie to yourself! Isn't the reason you and Jethro broke up because of the child?" "How do you know we broke up?" "I—" Annie's eyes darted away. "You're never seen together anymore. It's obvious." A faint, knowing smile played on Darcy's lips, but she said nothing more.Just then, two figures emerged from the elevator bank. Jethro and Rowan paused in their steps. Annie hadn't expected him to come down personally. Her eyes lit up, but she quickly made them glisten with unshed tears, looking utterly wronged. "Jethro!" Darcy instinctively glanced over. Her eyes met Jethro's for a fleeting second before she quickly looked away, hastening her pace to leave. As she passed by, there was not a single glance exchanged between her and Jethro. The upward curve of Annie's lips deepened. Looks like Jenna's tip was right—the two of them had really split. Leading Jett by the hand, Annie approached Jethro cautiously. "Jethro, we didn't mean to cause trouble with Ms. Gale—" Jethro raised a hand, cutting her off. He turned to Rowan. "Take them to the café across the street. Find a discreet table."Annie bit her lip. "Aren't you coming?" "I'll join you shortly." Annie studied his unreadable expression, then glanced towards the elevators where Darcy's figure had already vanished. Finally, she nodded. "Alright. We'll wait for you." Ten minutes later, Jethro arrived at the café. Annie inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Ten minutes—he probably didn't go to soothe that woman. Pacifying an upset woman takes much longer than that. If Jethro hadn't gone to soothe Darcy, it was further proof—they really were over. Annie took a steadying breath, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes softening. "Jethro, I'm sorry. I wouldn't have come to your office if I could have reached you any other way." Jethro gave a short, humorless laugh. "Are you blaming me for not giving you my contact info?""No, that's not what I meant!" Annie quickly waved her hands. "I just didn't want to cause you trouble." "Too late for that." Annie pressed her lips together. "Earlier, Ms. Gale seemed to have misunderstood—" Jethro's patience wore thin. "Get to the point." Annie's throat tightened. "I... I got a call from Mr. Arthur Blackwood this morning. He said... he wants to formally acknowledge Jett. Did you know?" "Yes. I know." Although Annie already knew his stance, she asked deliberately, "And you agreed?" "Whether I agree or not is irrelevant. Grandpa's agreement is what matters." "But won't this affect your relationship with Ms. Gale?" Jethro's eyes narrowed sharply. "I've been curious. How did you know we were involved? We never made it public."Annie's grip tightened on her water glass. "I... I heard—"