With Zane's cold, distant personality, only someone like Darcy could truly put up with him. If Zane really let Darcy go... Hugo couldn't quite name the feeling it stirred in him. He had a gut sense that Zane would regret it one day. But would it be a bad thing? Not exactly. For some reason, Hugo felt a flicker of... anticipation. He threw his head back and took a large gulp of his drink, his deep eyes melting into the night. ... After the POC at Easemark Ventures was over, Darcy tried to meet with Eamon privately a few times. She wanted to get a feel for how their POC had really gone. But he always brushed her off, claiming he was too busy. A heavy feeling settled in Darcy's chest. It looks like Easemark wasn't impressed. Or maybe Bex is pulling strings for Zora.Still, there wasn't much she could do about it now. Do your best and leave the rest to fate—that was her motto. Even if this was just a courtesy bid, she had to see it through to the end. She and Cade prepared the tender documents and mailed them out as Easemark required. After that, Darcy hit the pavement again, chasing new clients. Two smaller financial firms showed some genuine interest in Stratagem Tech's products. Back at the office, Cindy called her in. Darcy had pretty much taken a hands-off approach with Cindy. What demands could she possibly make from the boss' sister? But to her credit, Cindy had high standards for herself. She didn't push her work onto others just because of her family name. When things got tough, she actually rolled up her sleeves and dove in."I've got this old client," Cindy said, looking frustrated. "Their three-year contract is up for renewal, but they're driving a hard bargain. The old contract was for a million dollars. Now they want a twenty percent discount, down to 800 thousand dollars. They're threatening to sign with someone else if we don't lower the price." She sighed, "I've tried everything. The soft approach, the hard line. I even pulled the 'I'm the Blackwood Group CEO's sister' card. They won't budge." "Mhm, it's not surprising they didn't back down," Darcy said, taking a sip of her coffee. "What's that supposed to mean?" Cindy's eyes widened, thinking Darcy was making fun of her. Darcy just smiled and explained, "The Blackwood Group has a big name, sure. People might give someone with the Blackwood name some extra consideration. But Blackwood's main business is finance. It overlaps with this client's business. In a way, you're competitors." Cindy made a face. "With their size? They're not even in our league." Darcy shook her head with a faint smile and didn't say more. That afternoon, Cindy took Darcy to visit the old client. But only Darcy went into the meeting room. Cindy waited outside in the lounge. To Cindy's shock, in just half an hour, Darcy had not only settled things but gotten the client's representative to sign the contract on the spot. Once they were outside the building, Cindy grabbed Darcy's arm. "What the heck? What magic did you pull to get that old fox to sign right then and there?" Darcy laughed, "No magic. Just sincerity." Cindy turned and rolled her eyes big-time. Ugh, that's like a celebrity saying their perfect skin is all from drinking water! Seeing her expression, Darcy knew she'd been misunderstood. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and walked Cindy through the entire negotiation.It wasn't until they were in the car that Cindy started to get it. Darcy wasn't kidding about being sincere. She had genuinely put herself in the client's shoes. She'd laid out the pros and cons of other products on the market, explained how perfectly Stratagem Tech's solution fit the client's needs, and finally promised the same reliable after-sales service they'd always had. Cindy felt a pang of guilt. As she started the car, she said to Darcy, "To make it up to you, dinner's on me." Darcy, who was buckling her seatbelt, paused. "Make what up?" "Two things," Cindy said bluntly. "First, I shouldn't have rolled my eyes at you just now. Second, I doubted your skills before. I thought you were all talk." Darcy was silent for a moment. Honestly, if Cindy hadn't said it, Darcy wouldn't have known.But she said it anyway. Blunt and straight. Respect. So yeah, Cindy's pretty easy to get along with. Kinda cute, too! Darcy expected Cindy to take her to a restaurant. She was wrong. They pulled up to an exclusive private club. It was Darcy's first time in such a high-end place, and she couldn't help but look around. Cindy walked in like she owned the place, gave a booth number to a handsome server, and he led them to a private room, placing menus in front of them. "My treat, Darcy," Cindy said, gesturing grandly. "Order whatever you like." Darcy blinked. Darcy? That was a pretty familiar way to address her. Cindy raised an eyebrow. "I asked my brother. We're the same age. Your birthday's only two months before mine. Outside the office, I'm calling you Darcy. That okay?"Darcy gave a helpless smile. "Sure." After they ordered, Darcy picked up her water glass. Watching Cindy's lively, pretty face across the table, she smiled. Cindy's personality is really good. She'll make a solid bestie. Bestie... Darcy's fingers tightened around her glass. When she was a kid, she treated Kaia like a little sister. When they grew up, Kaia was her ride-or-die. And what did she get back? Betrayal.