Ines scratched his head, trying to reason with him. "Zane, you can't keep spiraling like this. If you continue, you'll end up worse than I am. Think about your mom. Pull yourself together. You're a man. So you failed once? Big deal. You'll bounce back eventually." Zane said nothing. He picked up the bottle of red wine from the table and took a long, direct swig. Ines continued, "If you need money, it's fine. I'll lend it to you. You can pay me back when you're back on your feet, okay?" Zane slowly turned his head, looking past Ines' shoulder at Hugo. "Alright. I'll partner with you." "Good." Hugo pulled out his phone. "I'll send the project details to the group." It was still the same group chat, but Zora was no longer in it. Ines remembered what his father had told him. After the Moss Group was gutted and the Moss Manor seized by the courts, Zora and her mother had briefly been left destitute before being mysteriously taken to Havenbrook. Later, they were sent abroad. Rumor had it they were now involved in illegal activities there. Life is like a game of chess. One wrong move, and you're lost. It was a sobering thought. After that, the vibe in the private room loosened up a lot. Midway through, Zane got up to hit the restroom. On his way, a woman called out to him. Zane turned, puzzled, his cold eyes sweeping over her. "Do I know you?" During his recent dissolute period, he often couldn't remember who he'd been with the night before. He automatically assumed she was someone he'd slept with.Annie smiled, "You don't know me, but I know you. You're Zane. Also—Darcy's former fiancé." Zane's eyes widened. His expression grew even frostier. "Who the hell are you?" Annie took two steps closer. Zane found her face vaguely familiar. He narrowed his eyes. "You're the birth mother of Jethro's illegitimate kid, aren't you?" "That's right. It's me." Zane glanced behind her. Annie had just emerged from a private room nearby. With her status, without the backing of the Blackwood name, she'd never have access to a place this exclusive. It seemed the Blackwoods really were planning to acknowledge the illegitimate son. The thought made a faint smile touch Zane's lips. Darcy had never been one to tolerate infidelity. She'd never play stepmother to someone else's child. They must have truly broken up.Zane raised an eyebrow. "Why did you stop me?" Annie pointed to an empty room across the hall. "Care to step inside for a moment?" Zane followed her into the empty room, frowning. "What is this about?" "I'd like to propose a partnership, Mr. Vance." "A partnership? What qualifies you to propose a partnership with me?" Annie's lips curved. "The fact that I want Jethro, and you want Darcy. Does that qualify me?" Zane's gaze sharpened, fixed on Annie. Suddenly, he let out a cold laugh. "They've already broken up. I don't need to partner with you. Besides, I have a chance at winning Darcy back. But you, Ms. Roby—it seems you can't even get a foot in the Blackwood door." Annie was stung. She gritted her teeth. "Who says I can't? My son has been personally invited by Arthur to be formally acknowledged. My entering the Blackwood family is just a matter of time. But you, Mr. Vance—are you so sure you can win Ms. Gale back?" She gave him a slow, appraising look. The silent mockery was brutal. Zane's brows lowered. "The truth about the Blackwood brothers' fatal car accident all those years ago—very few people know it. But I happen to be one of them." Annie's eyes widened. Arthur had used every means to suppress that information. She hadn't thought anyone else knew the truth. Annie took a deep breath. "Just one question, Mr. Vance. Do you want to fix things with Darcy fast, or not?" Zane frowned. He'd caught the keyword. "How fast are we talking?" "I know a drug," Annie said, her voice dropping. "Inject it, and paired with hypnosis, it erases a block of time—rolls the person's mind back to a specific point. "Mr. Vance, if we inject Darcy, she'll forget that short, secret fling with Jethro and reset to the time when she was about to get engaged to you. Are you in?" Zane's Adam's apple bobbed. He was, of course, tempted. Returning to his past with Darcy had become an obsession. Even during his reckless phase, he had never truly forgotten her. But could this woman be trusted? His probing gaze met hers. Annie understood his hesitation and said easily, "I have no reason to deceive you. After all, I'm the one who most wants Darcy out of the picture. That way, Jethro will belong to me alone." Zane still didn't relent. He asked coldly, "What's your plan?" Annie sensed an opening. She laid out her plan. "I'll find a way to lure Darcy out, knock her out, and deliver her to you. You prepare in advance, take her abroad. I'll arrange for the drug and the hypnotherapist. Once you arrive, someone will tell you exactly what to do.""Abroad?" Zane repeated.