Darcy tried to cover Cindy's mouth, but Cindy deftly pinned her hands. "Let someone regret it. Our Darcy has great days ahead of her!" With that, Cindy hung up without a second thought, not caring one bit about her brother's fate. Zephyr shook his head helplessly at the black screen of his phone. He looked at Jethro. "Don't take Cindy's words too seriously. But..." Zephyr chose his words carefully, "The recognition banquet is this Saturday. Are you really going to let things roll on like this?" He pulled out the invitation and placed it on the table. The invitation was sent from the Blackwood Manor. For this event, Arthur had invited the families closest to the Blackwoods.The Knight family, thanks to their friendship with Jethro's late father and their current business ties, had also received an invitation. The invitation caught Jethro's eye. He stared at it for a few seconds before looking away. "You know as well as I do, when my grandpa decides something, I can't stop it." Zephyr said, "But you can refuse to attend." Jethro gave a light laugh. "I'm afraid he would break my legs." "Jethro." Zephyr stopped beating around the bush. "I know the truth isn't what it seems. You have your reasons, don't you?" Jethro looked up, meeting his gaze deeply, and smiled, "Zephyr, I didn't befriend you in vain." Zephyr's eyes lit up. "So, you really do have reasons?" Jethro replied, "You'll know when you come to the Manor on Saturday." While some plotted calmly and others vacationed leisurely, one person was as busy as a firefighter putting out blazes. Jasper dragged his exhausted body back from a client meeting. The moment he entered the office, the entire company fell into a hushed silence. Since Darcy's suspension, Jasper's mood had been volatile, and several meetings had ended with everyone being thoroughly chewed out. Everyone knew the reason for his foul mood. The golden goose had flown away. The promising AI project and other software deals in negotiation had all been put on hold with no signs of resuming. More terrifyingly, whispers had begun to spread, affecting Blackwood Group's stock price, which had plummeted as soon as the market opened that morning. All the gains from the Q2 earnings report had evaporated. Word was that the board and major shareholders demanded that Arthur resolve the issue promptly.If he couldn't fix the mess, then fix the person. On his way back, Jasper had received a call from his grandfather, tactfully conveying the board and shareholders' dissatisfaction. Arthur said earnestly, "Jasper, when your own strength isn't enough, don't force a confrontation. There's no shame in yielding a little, in admitting a mistake. A real man knows when to bend and when to stand tall." Yield to Darcy? Apologize? Jasper sneered coldly. She's not worth it. He wouldn't easily forgive anyone who bullied Annie. But what to do about these clients now? Jasper rubbed his temples. Suddenly, an idea struck him. He sat up straight and called for Jenna. "Contact Cindy." Jenna said okay, pulling out her phone and dialing. The call connected, but no one answered.She hung up and redialed. This time, someone finally spoke. Jenna said, "Mr. Blackwood, it's through." Jasper leaned forward, about to speak, but all he heard was an automated voice. "Sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off." His face instantly turned ashen. Jenna was also stunned. "She's dodging us on purpose." Jasper took a deep breath, pulled out his personal phone, and sent Cindy a long text message. After 15 minutes, Cindy's call finally came through. "Jasper, I'm on vacation, missed your call by accident. What's up?" Jasper knew it was an excuse but didn't call her out. He got straight to the point. "I heard you're on vacation. When are you coming back?" "Tomorrow. Why?""Nothing major. It's just that Ms. Gale is suspended, and the work she was responsible for has no one following up. You're most familiar with this area. I'll hand it over to you." Silence on the other end of the line. Jasper's lips curved upward slightly. Darcy and Cindy were the closest. If he dumped Darcy's work on Cindy, Darcy couldn't possibly just stand by and watch idly. She'd have to consider her best friend's predicament, wouldn't she? Jasper loosened his tie and repeated, "It's decided then. When you return to the company tomorrow, start on it directly. If anything's unclear, you can always contact Ms. Gale remotely." He gave Cindy no chance to refuse, hanging up with a decisive click. A pleased light danced in his eyes. He returned to his executive chair, arms resting on the armrests. As soon as he opened his computer, a workflow notification popped up on the company system.His eyes widened in disbelief. Resignation Application. His cousin actually submitted her resignation? The next second, a text message arrived right on cue. "Jasper, don't think I don't know what you're scheming. You want me to clean up your mess for you? In your dreams! I'm done putting up with this! I've had enough! I'll process my resignation as soon as I'm back at the office tomorrow!"