Everything Taken I Left to Become CEO (Darcy and Zane) novel Chapter 77

**TITLE: Pain Refines the Soul — Jason Brooks**
**Chapter 77: The Ghostwriter Revealed**

Kaia’s voice burst through the phone, rapid and filled with concern. “Dr. Moss! Are you alright? I just saw the video online. How could Mr. Stone’s girlfriend lie like that? Claiming you seduced her boyfriend? It’s utterly absurd!”

Zora felt a slight furrow form on her brow. Another misguided soul, she thought.

However, she maintained a calm smile, “It’s all under control now. The police have taken her away. I have faith that the truth will emerge. They will clear my name.”

“Absolutely! I stand by you. If you need anything, I’ll gladly testify on your behalf,” Kaia insisted, her voice unwavering.

Zora gently covered the phone’s mouthpiece, lowering her voice to a whisper, “There’s no need for that. Focus on resting in the hospital. And please, let’s keep our private meetings with Bex under wraps. He’s been let go due to commercial bribery.”

Kaia gasped audibly, “Did they discover the gift we gave him?”

“No, I checked. It wasn’t that gift that caused the trouble. Let’s just drop this topic. Don’t mention it again,” Zora replied, her tone firm but weary.

“Of course. Don’t worry. I won’t breathe a word to anyone,” Kaia reassured her, though Zora sensed the eagerness in her voice.

Zora felt the weight of the conversation pressing down on her. She didn’t wish to engage with Kaia any longer; the entire situation was becoming a headache.

As she turned to enter her office, Michael Yates, the head of the R&D department, stepped in her path.

“Dr. Moss, could you spare a moment? We need your input on something urgent.” He held out a document, his expression serious. “For these product iterations, we need to know which direction we should pursue. Your market feedback is crucial.”

Zora’s heart sank at his words. Here we go again, she thought.

Despite her best efforts, she struggled to decipher code or navigate the intricacies of product requirement documents. Yet, these persistent individuals continued to seek her guidance.

Previously, she could brush them off with frequent client meetings as an excuse.

However, with the Easemark project slipping through her fingers, she found herself devoid of a valid reason to escape their demands.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Zora plastered on a smile, “Alright. Let me review it. I’ll provide you with my feedback soon.”

Once inside her office, she gently closed the door behind her, sealing herself off from the outside world.

She sank into her chair, allowing herself a moment of respite before initiating a video call.

Within moments, the screen flickered to life, revealing a familiar face.

“Darling, it’s been ages! Miss me?” The man’s voice was smooth and captivating, like a melody that echoed in her ears.

Yet, Zora had grown accustomed to this charm. She felt a twinge of annoyance.

“Don’t call me that,” she replied, her brow knitting together in displeasure.

“Oh? What should I call you then? It seems ‘darling’ is the only name I’ve ever known you by,” Lucian Yorke quipped, raising an eyebrow with a smirk. He had just stepped out of the shower, his bathrobe draped casually around him, exuding an effortless allure.

Zora raised the document she had prepared, “I need your assistance with something. Just like before. The fee will be transferred to your account.”

That evening, Darcy was studying at home when her phone buzzed with an incoming call.

It was Cindy.

“Wow, Zora really pulled it off. Not only did she shut down that woman from this morning’s video, but she also made her apologize—everywhere, on every platform! Now the feeds are pushing the ‘prettiest PhD’ angle again. Can you believe it?”

Cindy sent Darcy a screenshot of the news article.

Darcy pulled the phone away from her ear to examine the image.

Upon reading the apology letter directed to Zora and SummitCore Tech, she immediately recognized Zane’s influence behind it.

He firmly believed that Zora had been wronged, and he had mobilized the company’s legal team to scrub the incident clean from his first love’s reputation.

He truly couldn’t stand the thought of Zora being hurt, even in the slightest.

Over the years, Darcy had weathered her share of rumors at SummitCore.

As a saleswoman and the top performer, she naturally attracted gossip and speculation.

At her lowest point, under immense pressure, Darcy had approached Zane, wanting to make their relationship public.

Zane had gently but firmly refused her. He had said with a lightness that belied the seriousness of his words, “People will talk. That’s their problem. I don’t believe it.”