Darcy mentally reviewed Stratagem’s organizational chart and recalled the name.
“Oh, Cindy!”
“Yes. She grew up overseas and is very… free-spirited. Stubborn, with a mind of her own. No one in the family can control her.”
Speaking of his rebellious, unpredictable sister, Jethro looked utterly helpless.
Even Darcy was amused.
“Actually, Stratagem was originally set up as a startup playground for her,” Jethro explained. “But she’s flighty. She lost interest after just six months and dropped it.
“I thought the company had potential, so I took it over. I just let her keep the Account Manager title to handle some existing clients.
“But she’s spoiled. I don’t expect any great achievements from her. I’d be thankful if she just doesn’t offend the clients.”
Jethro looked genuinely troubled.
Darcy smiled faintly. That explains it.
That was the reason why Stratagem, backed by the powerful Blackwood Group, hadn’t taken off.
The neon lights outside flickered, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow into the car. Her brown hair shifted with the movement of her shoulders, her eyes smiling. She looked completely different from her composed, professional self at the office.
Watching her profile, Jethro felt a light, feathery tickle in his heart.
His fingers tightened imperceptibly on the steering wheel, and he looked away from her face.
The car stopped by the mall’s back entrance. Darcy thanked him and got out.
He watched her enter through the revolving doors before driving away.
…
“Kaia, what are you looking at?” Zora tugged her arm, following her gaze.
“Oh, n-nothing.” Kaia snapped out of it and smiled at Zora. “Let’s go in.”
As she turned, she couldn’t help but glance back once more, sighing in relief when she confirmed Darcy was gone.
It must have been a trick of the light.
I thought I saw Darcy getting out of another man’s car.
Impossible.
Everyone who knew Darcy knew that the only man she loved – had ever loved – was Zane.
She’d even given up her graduate school offer just to stay with him.
When Kaia first heard about it, she’d complained to Ione that Darcy was being foolish.
But it turned out Darcy’s judgment was sound. Zane’s startup succeeded, the Vance family semi-accepted him, and he’d been thriving these past few years.
It looked like Darcy’s status was about to rise accordingly.
By all rights, Kaia should be happy for her. After all, they were best friends, having grown up together. Even her own job at SummitCore was secured because Darcy asked Zane for a favor.
But…
Kaia bit her lip. At some point, she realized her feelings toward Darcy were dominated more by jealousy than anything else.
Since they were kids, Darcy had always been better than her – better grades, prettier, and even her boyfriend was top-tier.
Meanwhile, Kaia had a difficult childhood. Although she was luckily adopted by Ione, and later recognized by the up-and-coming Lark family, she still hadn’t achieved the life she wanted.
Now, she lived in constant fear that the Larks would use her as a pawn in a marriage alliance.
So, when Zora appeared, Kaia’s feelings underwent a subtle shift.
If Darcy were to lose Zane… then maybe I wouldn’t seem so lacking in comparison!
Thinking this, Kaia happily linked arms with Zora. “Dr. Moss, I know a clothing store that’s super chic. It would be perfect for you.”
Zora smiled. “Great, let’s go.”
“Dr. Moss, you’re so nice. I thought someone as amazing as you wouldn’t bother shopping with someone like me.”
“I’m not that amazing. I just studied a bit longer. In every other way, I’m just an ordinary girl.” Zora tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, smiling modestly at the praise.
Kaia shook her head. “No way! You have a PhD! And from a top-ranked university abroad! You’re the most impressive person I know!”
“Really? More impressive than your best friend?” Zora raised a brow playfully.
Kaia stopped walking, the smile tightening on her lips.
“I’m joking, don’t take it seriously,” Zora quickly said, her demeanor humble. “I truly admire Ms. Gale. She brings in so much business for the company single-handedly. She must be an incredible woman. I’m all theory, no practice – a typical ‘bookworm.’ I definitely can’t compare to Ms. Gale.”
But Kaia didn’t see it that way.
She shook her head vigorously. “Dr. Moss, don’t put yourself down like that! You’re far more impressive than Darcy!
“Education? She only has a bachelor’s degree, and you have a PhD from abroad. Family? You’re the only daughter of the prestigious Moss family in Aethelburg. Darcy grew up in a single-parent household and had to work part-time through college. Career? She might have closed some deals, but you’re just starting out. Your potential is much higher than hers.
“Besides, she’s just in sales. She doesn’t understand anything beyond marketing. But you’re different! You understand finance, you can code, and you know our product inside out. You’re easily worth three of her!”
Zora laughed, “Really? You’d better not be lying to me!”
“I swear! Cross my heart!” Kaia insisted.
They walked off, unaware that Darcy had just stepped out from the side of the mall entrance, having heard every word.
Watching Kaia’s retreating back, Darcy felt a pang of deep sadness.
Kaia had come to the Gale household when she was eight. Ione had treated her like her own daughter, and Darcy had always seen her as a real younger sister. Growing up, the best food and the nicest things always went to Kaia first. Darcy would always say gently, “It’s okay. I’m older than her. I should take care of her.”
In college, when money was tight and Kaia’s grades weren’t good enough for a regular university – ending up in a pricey community college with tuition costing tens of thousands of dollars a year – Darcy and her mother still didn’t give up on her.
They scrimped and saved to pay her tuition, which was why Darcy herself had to work part-time jobs through her own studies.
Later, the Lark family showed up, claiming Kaia was their long-lost biological daughter. Kaia left for the Lark family without a backward glance.
Darcy and her mother never blamed her. Who wouldn’t want a better life?
But the Larks didn’t treat her well. The daughter they had raised from childhood saw Kaia as a threat and made her life difficult.
So, Kaia turned back to the Gale family.
In the past, Darcy’s heart ached for her, feeling that fate had been unfair to her.
But now, Kaia was belittling her in front of her rival. She’d even brought up Darcy’s part-time student days as a point of mockery.
The younger sister she had protected and loved since childhood had, just like that, gone rotten.
Darcy’s heart clenched with pain.
This year was truly unlucky. First, love betrayed her. Now, family was stabbing her in the back.
Maybe I should find some time to go to church.
Darcy wiped her tears and headed down to the supermarket on the lower level.
After buying what she needed and grabbing a quick bite, she took the escalator back up to the first floor.
As she stepped off, she came face-to-face with Kaia, who was standing by the entrance of a luxury boutique.
Kaia’s face was a mask of panic.
Her eyes kept darting nervously toward the inside of the store.
Only when she confirmed that Zora was still engrossed in conversation with a sales assistant did her held breath finally release.
“Oh! Darcy! What a coincidence, you’re shopping too!” Kaia said with a forced laugh, grabbing Darcy’s hand and pulling her toward a corner away from the store.
She didn’t stop until she was sure they were out of sight from inside.
Darcy pulled her hand free, her expression cool.
Kaia didn’t think much of it; Darcy had always been reserved, steady, and not very expressive. The adults had always praised her for it.
But Kaia often wondered how someone as aloof as Zane could be interested in someone like Darcy.
Someone bright and outgoing like Zora was clearly a better match for him!
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.