"Oh no, absolutely not!" Cindy made an X with her arms in front of her chest. "It's not about looking pretty or not. It's a business banquet. You need a cocktail dress." Darcy frowned. A cocktail dress? She'd honestly never worn one. "Come on, after work, I'll go shopping with you. As a thank you, you can just buy me dinner." Darcy laughed helplessly. And so, Cindy successfully secured herself a free meal. The place for selecting a dress was a high-end boutique that looked incredibly posh. They were ushered into a private consultation room by the store manager. Cindy was a VIP here. The manager smiled sweetly and handed over a catalog. "Ms. Blackwood, what kind of dress are you looking for? Our latest collection is all here. Once you've chosen, I'll bring it to you.""Not for me. For my friend here," Cindy said, gesturing towards Darcy. The manager didn't recognize Darcy, but she was secretly thrilled—another big spender. Darcy flipped through a couple of pages and leaned in to whisper to Cindy, "The prices are way too high. Let's go somewhere else." Cindy gave her a "relax" look. "Pick whatever you like. We'll put it on my brother's tab." Darcy was speechless. Is that... okay? "You're accompanying him to the dinner. Isn't it only natural he pays?" Under Cindy's persuasive influence, Darcy selected a few modest, reasonably-priced dresses. As they waited for the manager to bring the dresses, voices filtered in from outside. "Mr. Vance, Dr. Moss, please have a seat. The garments are ready, we'll package them right away." Darcy paused, her expression remaining neutral. Cindy, however, rolled her eyes dramatically. "Ugh! Those two are everywhere. Can't escape them." Darcy smiled faintly and shook her head. "Don't let irrelevant people ruin your mood. Not worth it." But Cindy still pricked up her ears, listening intently. She heard a staff member ask, "Mr. Vance, would you like an invoice?" Zane answered with a low hum. "Yes, please." "No way! He's expensing clothes? Seriously? What a cheap jerk!" Cindy's eyes rolled so hard they might have gotten stuck. She'd never seen such a penny-pinching man in their circles! Shortly after, the manager returned with the dresses. Cindy casually inquired, "How much did those two just spend?" The manager smiled, "Over 800 thousand dollars. The gentleman's suit wasn't the expensive part. It was the lady's gown. It's our most exclusive piece, valued at 680 thousand dollars." Darcy's face paled slightly. During her five years at the company, she'd paid for all her work clothes out of her own pocket. She'd scrimped and saved on daily expenses and business trips, all to help cut costs for the company. Turns out, Zane wasn't short on money at all. He could spend 680 thousand dollars on a gown for his "true love" without batting an eye. Even though she'd long since stopped expecting anything from him, the comparison still stung. Cindy seemed to read her thoughts. She squeezed Darcy's hand. "Let's try these on. Don't hold back on my brother's account. He's got more money than he knows what to do with." Darcy managed a small smile. "Alright."After trying them on, she settled on a conservative, classic style. Leaving the boutique, Cindy complained, "You have such a great figure. That backless one looked the best on you." Darcy replied, "I'm going for work, not a beauty pageant." "Fine, fine. But your ex is seriously blind. I can't wait to see him come crawling back to you," Cindy said, linking arms with her. Darcy looked down, her tone flat. "He won't. And I don't want him to." The best relationship to have with Zane was to act as if he were dead. ... The following evening, Darcy arrived with Jethro at the gala entrance. Tonight's attendees were all influential business magnates from Aethelburg. As the CEO of the Blackwood Group and one of the city's most powerful figures, Jethro was immediately surrounded upon arrival.People surged forward to shake his hand. The scene was familiar. Just like at the forum sharing session. Darcy sighed inwardly, bracing to be elbowed aside again. But then, a long arm snaked around her waist. "Careful," a deep voice murmured near her ear. Only then did the crowd take proper notice of Darcy. Who's this? Everyone in these circles knew Jethro kept his distance from women. He'd never been seen at an event with a female assistant. But tonight, he'd brought a female companion. Could it be... Thoughts churned behind polite smiles, but no one voiced them aloud. The men standing around understood the unspoken implications.The suggestive looks in their eyes were too obvious. A wave of humiliation washed over Darcy. Why is a woman at an event always seen as a man's accessory? She gently pushed Jethro's hand away. "Thank you, Mr. Blackwood. I'm fine on my own." Jethro withdrew his hand and took a deliberate step back, putting clear distance between them. Simultaneously, he addressed the others. "Allow me to introduce Ms. Darcy Gale, the new CEO of Stratagem Tech, a subsidiary of the Blackwood Group. Please show your support in future business dealings."