Everything Taken I Left to Become CEO (Darcy and Zane) novel Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: She’s Actually a Max-level Pro!**

Jax’s mind was in a frenzy, racing at breakneck speed.

This cannot be happening! Absolutely unacceptable!

The Delivery department had been itching to sink their claws into the R&D work for what felt like an eternity. Each time they tried, Jax had managed to thwart their attempts with calculated precision.

The head of that department was an insatiable go-getter, always hungry for a slice of the pie, and Jax knew that if they ever managed to establish a foothold in R&D, his position would be hanging by a thread.

Just the thought of it sent a chill down his spine, causing beads of cold sweat to form on his brow.

In stark contrast, Darcy exuded an air of tranquility, taking her time to savor a deliberate sip of her coffee, as if she were in the middle of a leisurely afternoon rather than a high-stakes corporate battle.

She was well aware of the simmering tension between the Delivery and R&D departments, thanks to Cade’s earlier revelations.

Her initial intention had merely been to bluff Jax, but much to her surprise, it was proving to be more effective than she had anticipated. With just one carefully crafted sentence, she had sent him spiraling into a state of disarray.

Now was the perfect moment to increase the pressure.

With an air of confidence, she stood up, making her way toward the conference room door, her expression cool and collected. “Well then, it’s settled. I’ll go have a word with the Delivery lead right now.”

“Wait!”

Just as she was about to cross the threshold, Jax’s voice cut through the air, halting her in her tracks.

Darcy turned back, feigning a look of confusion. “Yes, Mr. Steel? Is there something amiss?”

Jax clenched his jaw, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. “I… just recalibrated our resources. I think I can spare two engineers for you after all.”

“Oh, really? That’s fantastic news!” Darcy replied, her face lighting up with a feigned surprise, carefully avoiding any mention of his sudden change of heart.

Jax forced a strained half-smile as he provided her with the names of the two engineers.

The engineers he had “loaned” out were junior, fresh-faced, with merely two or three years of experience under their belts, and they had only joined the team a mere two months ago.

She had requested two assistants, but not necessarily the most seasoned ones. If she stumbled even with these two, that was on her—not him.

To his astonishment, Darcy accepted his offer without a hint of skepticism. She simply nodded, her demeanor unflappable. “Thank you, Mr. Steel. Please inform them. I’ll assign their tasks shortly.”

A smirk of schadenfreude spread across Jax’s face. “Of course, Ms. Gale.”

Once back at his desk, Jax called the two new hires over, briefly outlining the situation they were about to find themselves in.

The young men exchanged uneasy glances, their apprehension palpable. One of them, a candid and straightforward type, scratched the back of his head. “Boss, I really don’t want to go. I mean, she’s a newcomer… what could she possibly know?”

Like many others, they viewed Darcy as young, attractive, and seemingly parachuted into the CEO role at Stratagem without any clear qualifications. The unspoken consensus among the team was that her relationship with Jethro was… uniquely advantageous.

What expertise could someone like her possess?

They feared she would complicate their already challenging lives.

And they were not about to become sacrificial lambs.

Jax merely smiled, clapping both of them on the shoulder with an air of feigned encouragement. “You don’t really have a choice in the matter. Ms. Gale specifically requested you two. She wants to work closely with you. You can’t turn down her ‘generous’ offer.”

However, to boast about her accomplishments would feel disingenuous.

The best way to dispel any misconceptions was through her actions, not mere words.

During the Friday project check-in meeting, the three-member team gathered to report their current progress and discuss any issues they had encountered.

When they glanced at the shared screen to review Darcy’s progress, the other two were left utterly speechless.

In just two short days, she had made remarkable strides!

Frank, immediately intrigued, pulled up the shared code repository, where they could all view each other’s commits. He had been so engrossed in his own tasks that he hadn’t taken the time to assess the quality of Darcy’s submitted code.

He hadn’t expected much.

But what he discovered left him in awe.

Darcy’s code quality was nothing short of exceptional!

It wasn’t merely standardized; the logic behind it was nothing short of brilliant. It was clear that she had taken a quality-over-quantity approach. Each line of code was meticulously crafted, showcasing her deep understanding of the task at hand.

Some sections of her code made them pause, forcing them to contemplate before they could fully appreciate the elegance of her solutions.

The two junior engineers stared, utterly dumbfounded.

Holy crap. She’s actually a max-level pro!