Initially, Darcy had found time to come over and clean, do his laundry, and stock up on groceries.
Later, as work got busier, she hired a part-time cleaner who came three times a week, but only handled cleaning and laundry.
The regular grocery shopping was still done by Darcy herself.
She didn’t trust anyone else to buy the right things; only her own choices were acceptable.
Zane braced his hands on the kitchen counter, his handsome eyes darkening.
It feels like Darcy hasn’t been here in a long time.
He rubbed his temples and had no choice but to get water from the tap, drinking it with a hint of distaste.
After finishing the water, he sat on the sofa with his laptop to work. But his gaze was drawn to two small teddy bear plushies on the couch.
He pulled them into his arms.
Darcy had bought them.
Most of the decorations in this apartment were bought by her.
When he first bought the place, he’d treated it merely as a place to sleep, with little thought to decor.
It was Darcy who, after seeing it, thought it felt cold and impersonal. She had bought various items to make the space feel lived-in.
Darcy…
It feels like I haven’t seen her in a while.
Her mother’s illness must be quite serious, for her to neglect even him.
She used to pursue him so relentlessly.
Zane pulled out his phone, his fingers automatically finding Darcy’s name in his contacts.
He paused, looking down as he massaged his temples.
He let out a low sigh and ultimately didn’t place the call.
…
Darcy’s three-person team completed the targeted product iteration in an incredibly short time.
When the news spread, everyone was stunned.
Members from both the R&D and Delivery departments gathered during breaks to discuss it.
“Wow, Ms. Gale is the real deal! I thought she was all flash, no substance!”
“I heard from Frank that her code is incredibly clean and efficient. It totally demoralized him!”
“If that’s true, then she’s a real powerhouse. She can bring in business, write code, and understand product development. She could just start her own company! Why work for someone else?”
Jax, coming to the break room for coffee, overheard the chatter and immediately frowned, his face darkening.
“Don’t you all have work to do? Tasks finished? Code reviewed?!”
The others instantly fell silent, hanging their heads and scurrying away.
Just then, Darcy and Cade emerged from a meeting room and ran into Jax as he finished getting his coffee.
Darcy nodded politely to him and extended an invitation.
“Mr. Steel, we’re doing the pre-sales demo for Easemark Ventures tomorrow. Would you like to join us?”
Typically, pre-sales demos required both a business pre-sales rep and a technical pre-sales rep. Cade and Darcy would handle the business side. If Jax was willing, he could handle the technical aspects.
But Jax just gave a cold laugh.
“That’s very kind of you, Ms. Gale. But you’re such a versatile leader, capable in both business and technology. I wouldn’t want to embarrass myself in front of you.”
With that, he walked past them toward his desk.
Sitting down, he saw a new message on WhatsApp. A smirk touched his lips as he read it.
His former colleague now worked at Easemark Ventures. Jax had asked him about the tender details and learned that Easemark was taking this bid very seriously. Many companies in the industry were competing, including the sector unicorn, SummitCore Tech.
Most importantly, the new VP at SummitCore Tech was actually a classmate of the IT Manager at Easemark Ventures. They were close.
With that connection…
Hmph. Let’s see how Darcy’s rushed product makes a fool of itself tomorrow.
…
That afternoon, Darcy was called upstairs for a meeting with Jethro.
She updated him on her project’s progress and mentioned the pre-sales demo at Easemark the next day.
Jethro smiled. “Do you need me there? I’ve met the CEO of Easemark a few times.”
Darcy, however, declined. “That won’t be necessary. We’re very well prepared.”
Jethro admired her confidence. “Alright. Contact me if any issues come up.”
After the meeting, as Darcy was about to leave, someone pushed the door open.
“Jethro, I’m parched! Do you have any sugar-free iced cola?”
The newcomer was a young woman dressed in a chic white Chanel-style suit. She had large, round eyes that gave her a cute, bubbly appearance.
Darcy quickly deduced this must be Jethro’s sister, Cindy.
Cindy recognized her too. She blinked. “You’re… Darcy?”
“Cindy, this is Ms. Gale.” Jethro stood up, introducing them. “This is the sister I told you about – the one who loves my passenger seat, is notoriously unreliable, and has a serious play streak.”
“Jethro!” Cindy stomped her foot. Did he have to embarrass her in front of a stranger?
Darcy smiled faintly and extended her hand. “Hello, Cindy. I’m Darcy Gale. It’s nice to meet you.”
Cindy, however, latched onto a key detail from her brother’s description.
“So, you’ve ridden in his car?” she asked.
Darcy paused. “Yes, I have.”
Cindy’s eyes widened playfully. “You’re the first woman who isn’t family to ride in his precious car.”
Um, so what was the implication?
Darcy wasn’t sure what to make of that comment.
Jethro sighed, running a hand over his face. His unpredictable sister was at it again.
He shot her a look. “It’s work hours. No personal talk. Have Rowan get your cola, then go back downstairs and find time to report to Ms. Gale.”
Cindy raised a brow, crossing her arms. “I have business to discuss with you.”
Darcy took the hint. “I’ll get going then. I won’t disturb you two.”
Once the office door closed, Cindy flopped onto the visitor’s sofa like a boneless snake.
Jethro frowned with mild disgust. “What kind of posture is that!”
Cindy stared directly at her brother. “Do you love Darcy?”
Jethro glared at her. “Don’t talk nonsense. I purely admire Darcy’s professional abilities. She’s highly capable. You should learn from her.”
“Purely professional admiration?” Cindy tried to detect any hint of a lie on his face but found nothing.
“What else would it be?” he retorted, annoyed.
Cindy thought for a moment. Okay, maybe she had misread the situation.
Still, part of her hoped her brother would get involved with Darcy.
Frankly, she hoped he’d get involved with any woman who could capture his interest.
As long as he was willing to date again, it would mean he’d moved on from the past.
After finishing her cola, Cindy got up to leave. Jethro tapped his long fingers on the desk. “Be respectful to your superior. The future of Stratagem Tech rests on her.”
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.