He had helped her twice now. Darcy felt that, regardless, she needed to formally thank him. She opened her phone, found Hugo's WhatsApp, thought for a moment, and typed a message, "Thank you for today. When you're free, dinner's on me." A few minutes later, Hugo replied, "No worries. Friday night works for me. I also have some work stuff I want to ask you about." "Cool. Let's pencil in Friday at 7. What do you like to eat? I'll book a place." "I'm easy. Your call. I'm not picky." "Great. I'll send you the address once I book it." Hanging up, Hugo sat back on the sofa, playing with the little teddy bear keychain. After looking at it for a while, he placed it in his bag. The phone screen on the table lit up again.He picked it up, but it was a message in their trio group chat. Ines sent, "Drinks tonight. Found a new place. The girls here are seriously hot!" Among the three, Ines was the classic playboy, an expert in food, drink, and fun, constantly linked with celebrities and influencers. If he said the girls were hot, they definitely were. Too bad no one responded. He tagged everyone individually and uploaded a few photos of girls in revealing outfits. Hugo replied, "No time. Enjoy yourself." A moment later, Zane also replied, "Working late." Ines sent a sinister-smile emoji. "Working late with Dr. Moss?" Zane sent, "Yeah." Ines pressed, "So, are you two officially together now?"He still remembered the scene at Zora's mother's birthday party, where Zane and Zora went around toasting everyone. Zane hadn't refused back then. He must have agreed. But after a long wait, there was no further response in the group. Hugo's eyes darkened slightly. He turned off his phone screen and tossed it aside. ... The Easemark tender officially opened. Jethro couldn't attend due to an unexpected commitment. Darcy felt a wave of relief. She had originally wanted to keep a low profile, planning to take only Cade. But Cindy insisted on coming too. Darcy subtly hinted, "We're basically just going through the motions. We might be back before noon.""That's fine. I want to see what it's like. I've been here a year and haven't attended a proper tender yet," Cindy said. The clients she managed all signed contracts because of her brother's influence. Everything was pre-arranged internally, bypassing the tender process entirely. "Alright. Let's go." At the lobby of the Easemark Ventures building, they registered. Someone escorted them upstairs. This time, the entry was much smoother than last time. At the designated tender location, Darcy signed in as the representative. The three of them found seats in a corner. That way, they wouldn't draw attention when they left, and it'd be less embarrassing if things went south. With low expectations, they chatted idly after sitting down. Darcy took the opportunity to brief the other two on the other companies bidding today."Wow, you've researched the background of every single company?" Cindy exclaimed. Darcy smiled, "Know your enemy if you want to win." While talking, they saw Zane, Zora, and Kaia enter. Darcy's smile faded. Zane was also taken aback, his brow furrowing slightly. Why is Darcy here? Then it clicked. Of course. Today's attendees are all top players in fintech. Coming here to scout for job opportunities is a precise move. But her hopes were likely in vain. After Darcy resigned, Zane had discreetly reached out to other CEOs in the industry, hinting that she was bound by a non-compete clause and shouldn't be hired. After meeting at the forum, Zane, still uneasy, had used the banquet to privately remind several people. He said Darcy was just throwing a tantrum and would return to SummitCore soon.No matter how capable she was, who would hire an unstable employee who might return to her former company at any moment? Still... how did she get in today? Zane couldn't help but admire her resourcefulness. She could manage to get anywhere. Kaia naturally saw Darcy too, but her focus landed on the woman beside Darcy. If she remembered correctly, that was the Blackwood Group heiress, Cindy! How was Darcy sitting with Cindy? She recalled the scene at Zora's mom's birthday party, where Cindy was surrounded and flattered by Aethelburg's socialites like a proud peacock. Why would someone of such high status lower herself to be here? Kaia was puzzled, but this was her first time attending such a formal event. Plus, with Zane and Zora ahead of her, she didn't dare make a scene. So she suppressed her confusion and followed them, sitting in the row behind Darcy. Zane ended up sitting right behind Darcy. When he looked up, he could see the smooth, pale skin of her neck and the gentle curve of the back of her head. His throat bobbed, restlessness clawing at his insides.