Everything Taken I Left to Become CEO (Darcy and Zane) novel Chapter 73

**TITLE: Pain Refines the Soul — Jason Brooks**
**Chapter 73: A Car Accident**

Darcy settled into her chair, the soft, sweet aroma of cantaloupe filling the air around her as she took a delicate bite. The juicy flesh melted in her mouth, a brief respite from the tension that had been brewing.

Across the table, Kaia sat with her arms crossed in a sulky manner, her expression a mix of defiance and annoyance. She refused to budge, her stubbornness palpable.

Finally, Ione broke the silence, her voice laced with curiosity. “Darcy, Kaia mentioned she saw you at a client site today. She said you’ve joined a company that’s part of the Blackwood Group.”

“Yes, that’s correct,” Darcy replied, her tone casual, though she could feel a slight tightening in her chest. “I mentioned it during our last conversation. I’m working for a subsidiary of Blackwood now.”

Ione’s brow furrowed as she pressed on, “Is this company a competitor to SummitCore?”

Darcy hesitated for a brief moment, weighing her words carefully. “Not exactly. Their product focus is quite different from ours.”

A wave of relief washed over Ione at this revelation. Thank goodness. If her daughter had left SummitCore only to jump ship to a rival, it would surely tarnish her reputation in Zane’s eyes. The possibility of reconciliation would be lost forever.

Ione smiled warmly, her maternal instincts kicking in as she offered Darcy another slice of cantaloupe. “That’s good to hear.”

Kaia, however, was not finished. Her voice dripped with skepticism as she challenged, “Who’s to say they won’t become competitors in the future? Darcy, don’t forget, everything you have now was given to you by SummitCore. And you repay them by joining a rival? Are you even feeling any remorse?”

Darcy shot her a frosty glare, her patience wearing thin. “The value I contributed to SummitCore far outweighed the salary they paid me. And who are you to interrogate me? Just because you spent a couple of days with Zora doesn’t give you the authority to dictate my choices.”

When Kaia realized that her emotional appeal was falling flat, she clenched her jaw and pressed on, “Then how did you manage to get into the Blackwood Group? Everyone knows their CEO has impossibly high standards.”

“Why does it concern you?” Darcy replied, her voice steady but her eyes flashing with irritation.

Kaia smirked, a hint of triumph in her tone. “Ah, guilty conscience, I see! So you must have pulled some underhanded stunts!”

Darcy remained unfazed, her expression calm as she responded, “Be careful with your words. Spreading false accusations can lead to serious legal consequences.”

“Hmph! I’m not spreading rumors! Mr. Vance and Dr. Moss were witnesses too! You hugged Jethro! Do you have no shame? Hugging your boss in front of everyone like that!”

The accusation hung in the air, and Ione gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief.

She turned to Darcy, her voice trembling slightly. “Darcy, is that true? You… you hugged another man?”

And in front of Zane, no less?

Darcy sighed, trying to maintain her composure. “Mom, it was simply a friendly hug to celebrate winning the bid. I wasn’t alone in this; my two colleagues also hugged him. What’s so shameful about that?”

Her gaze shifted back to Kaia, a steely resolve in her eyes. “Those with dirty minds see filth everywhere.”

Kaia was momentarily taken aback, her face reddening with anger.

“You!” she sputtered, her voice barely above a whisper, the fury bubbling just beneath the surface.

Darcy had surprised her; she had always thought of her as soft and easily manipulated. How wrong she had been!

No wonder Zane found her unbearable.

In stark contrast, Zora was gentle and soothing, always speaking in soft tones that put others at ease.

“Alright, I understand. Focus on your studies,” Ione replied, closing the door gently behind her, a quiet sigh escaping her lips.

The following day, shortly after Darcy arrived at work, her phone rang. It was her mother, her voice laced with urgency. Kaia had been in a car accident, and she needed to get to the hospital immediately.

Darcy’s heart seized in her chest, panic coursing through her veins. She quickly delegated her tasks and raced to the hospital, her mind a whirlwind of worry.

As she pushed open the door to the hospital room, she spotted Ione sitting beside Kaia’s bed, gently coaxing her to drink some water.

The moment Kaia turned her head and saw Darcy enter, a smirk crept onto her face.

No matter how tumultuous their last encounter had been, Darcy still treated her like family.

See? Even after hearing about her injuries, Darcy had rushed over, prioritizing her well-being above all else.

“Is it serious?” Darcy asked, her bag dropped carelessly at her feet as she hurried to her mother’s side.

“It’s alright, not too serious,” Ione reassured her. “She was hit by a delivery guy on an electric bike.”

Kaia, still fuming, muttered angrily, “People at the bottom, seriously. Just to make a few bucks, they don’t even care about lives.”

Ione frowned at her daughter’s words. We’re all just ordinary people—what is this talk of ‘bottom’ and ‘top’?

She disliked Kaia’s condescending attitude and the way she spoke about others.