That friendship, just like her love life, had ended in betrayal. The thought made Darcy's eyes drop. Soon, their food arrived. They ate and chatted. Cindy was an open book. Even though they'd only known each other for a little over two weeks, she held nothing back. She poured out her entire history—the good, the bad, the highlights, the embarrassing moments. Darcy nodded along, sometimes covering her mouth to laugh with her. As dinner was winding down, Cindy propped her chin on her hand. "What about you, Darcy?" "Me?" Darcy set her fork down and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "My life's pretty boring. Nothing much to tell." She spoke about herself with a hint of shyness."My parents divorced when I was little. My dad cheated. He chose to be with a wealthy family's daughter over staying with my mom and me. My mom raised me on her own. I went to school, got a job... it's all been pretty ordinary." "What?! That's awful!" Cindy burst out, her voice loud with shock. Darcy just smiled. Anyone hearing that a father abandoned his family to marry into money would have a strong reaction. She'd seen it before and didn't seem too bothered. Cindy then asked more carefully, "What about your love life?" Darcy's hand, holding her fork, stilled for a second. "I have an ex. We broke up." The engagement was off. In Darcy's mind, that was the same as a breakup. "Oh," Cindy said, calming down. "Your ex must be an idiot. Not holding onto a girl like you." Darcy smiled but said nothing. It was clear she didn't want to talk about it any further.Looks like her last relationship left some deep wounds. Cindy thought with a sigh. She genuinely admired Darcy. She wanted to be her friend—and wanted her to be her brother's wife too. She truly felt Darcy and her brother were a perfect match. Both were calm, rational, highly intelligent, and they complemented each other perfectly in looks. The only hitch was the family background gap. But that didn't matter. The Blackwood family didn't care about social status. They were the top family in Aethelburg. They didn't need alliances to secure their position. Cindy had a feeling. Only a woman like Darcy could help her brother move past the shadows of his last relationship. Just give it time. Time heals everything. After dinner, they headed downstairs. On the first floor, Cindy realized she'd left something behind and went back up, leaving Darcy to wait. Darcy looked around the club's grand lobby, a little bored. The decor was truly opulent. No wonder the wealthy love these places. "Darcy? What are you doing here?" Darcy turned. Her calm, lake-like eyes met Kaia's. "Having dinner with a friend." "A friend?" Kaia scoffed. "What other friend do you have besides me?" Darcy had always been quiet. In college, she was too busy with part-time jobs for tuition to make friends. Later, after making some money writing code and filing a few patents, she started dating Zane. Her whole world revolved around him. She never had time for friends. Kaia knew this. For all these years, Darcy had only had her as a friend. Hearing Darcy say she was here with a friend now? Kaia didn't buy it at all. Instead of answering, Darcy asked, "Why are you here?" "Work, of course," Kaia said, waving a file folder proudly. "I'm here to deliver something to... Mr. Vance." The words "Dr. Moss" almost slipped out. "He's entertaining clients." Zane's here too? Darcy was caught off guard. "Is that so? You should go ahead then," she said, wanting to avoid seeing Zane. She especially didn't want him to see her with Cindy. After all, Stratagem Tech, under the Blackwood Group, was a competitor to SummitCore Tech. She was afraid that if Zane found out she worked there, he wouldn't let her resign easily. Darcy started walking toward the exit. "Hey, aren't you going to wait for your friend?" Kaia called after her, sarcasm dripping from the word. "I'll wait outside."Watching Darcy's almost fleeing back, Kaia smirked with disdain. Still lying about being here with a friend. She came alone. Who knows what she's really doing here! The elevator doors opened, and Kaia almost bumped into Cindy. Kaia was about to snap, but then she noticed the other woman's Hermès bag, Cartier necklace, and head-to-toe Chanel from the latest collection. Anyone who could afford to be here was either rich or powerful. Kaia knew better than to pick a fight. She stepped aside to let Cindy pass. Cindy didn't see Darcy in the lobby. She found her standing by the car outside. "Why'd you come out?" Cindy asked. Darcy scrambled for an excuse. "The night air is nice." No sooner had the words left her mouth than a Rolls-Royce pulled up.That car... As if confirming her guess, the window slowly rolled down. A strikingly handsome face was revealed.