Everything Taken I Left to Become CEO (Darcy and Zane) novel Chapter 8

**TITLE: Pain Refines the Soul — Jason Brooks**

**Chapter 8: A First Glimpse of Her Skill**

M

+5 Pearls

With a furrowed brow, Jax turned his attention to Jethro, his voice tinged with urgency. “Mr. Blackwood, we cannot continue down this path. If we do, we risk tarnishing Stratagem Tech’s reputation beyond repair. No client will ever place their trust in our products again.” The weight of his words hung in the air, thick with concern.

Jethro, however, merely crossed his arms, a nonchalant shrug escaping him as he diverted his gaze toward Darcy, a slight smile playing on his lips.

“Ms. Gale,” he inquired, his tone almost playful, “what are your thoughts on this matter?”

Jax’s expression darkened, confusion and irritation swirling within him. Why was Jethro seeking her opinion?

In his mind, he scoffed at the idea. She was merely a salesperson, all show and no real understanding. What insight could she possibly offer?

She would likely attempt to smooth over the situation with some empty platitudes.

As he waited, Jax subtly curled his lip, ready to witness her impending embarrassment. If she dared to align herself with Sales and Pre-sales, he was determined to expose her ignorance.

Darcy took a moment to gather her thoughts.

She recognized the truth in Jax’s concerns; every tech company grappled with this dilemma. Sales, R&D, and Delivery formed the intricate web of the business chain, often at odds with one another, each vying for their interests.

Jax rolled his eyes inwardly, dismissing her as nothing more than a performer. She clearly had no grasp of the complexities at play!

Yet, to his surprise, Darcy spoke up. “I can see where Mr. Steel is coming from. However, I have reviewed Cade’s pre-sales proposal, and the product description is accurate. Only a product that possesses those capabilities can fulfill the client’s requirements.”

“But our current product falls short of what the client needs. Ms. Gale, do you even comprehend our product? You probably haven’t even seen a demo yet.” A sense of triumph surged through Jax as he sensed he had cornered her.

Darcy maintained her composure, a faint smile gracing her lips. “I reviewed it days ago. Just because we can’t achieve it at this moment doesn’t mean we can’t soon.”

Jax’s expression darkened further. “What do you mean by that? The bid is due in less than two months. You can’t seriously expect my R&D team to develop and launch a new product iteration in such a short timeframe, can you? With all due respect, even if you pushed us to our limits, it would be nearly impossible.”

Darcy raised an eyebrow, unfazed. “There’s no need for that. I’m willing to help coordinate and ensure we get it done.”

“You?” Jax’s tone dripped with disdain. “You lack an understanding of the product and the technology. How could you possibly assist us?”

Jethro cleared his throat lightly, pressing his fist against his lips. “Mr. Steel, mind your tone.”

But Darcy remained unperturbed.

She was the newcomer, after all. It was natural for people to be skeptical of her abilities until they got to know her better.

“Who says I don’t understand the product or the technology?” she replied, her voice steady. “I plan to move my desk to the R&D department tomorrow. We’ll work side by side.”

The other R&D colleagues exchanged surprised glances, taken aback by her boldness.

“Fine! We look forward to it, Ms. Gale!” Jax retorted, a cold smirk on his face, already envisioning her failure the next day.

The following morning, Darcy intended to head to the office after her mother’s surgery was completed. She had arranged for a caregiver, so everything should have gone smoothly.

However, fate had other plans; the chief surgeon’s previous operation ran longer than anticipated, pushing Ione’s surgery back by an hour.

Darcy calculated it would conclude around noon. After weighing her options, she requested a half-day leave from Jethro and messaged Jax, “Sorry, Mr. Steel, I have a family matter. I’ll report to the R&D department this afternoon.”

When Jax received the message, he let out a derisive snort.

The sound reverberated through the quiet R&D office, drawing the attention of his colleagues.

“What’s up, boss?” one of them asked, curiosity piqued.

Jax took a sip of his coffee, a smirk creeping onto his face. “Oh, nothing much. Just someone pretending to be something they’re not. An empty suit trying to pass as a Swiss Army knife.”

He chuckled mockingly.

As the clock ticked towards 10 AM, there was still no sign of Darcy moving her belongings.

Everyone took this as confirmation that her claims about collaborating with the R&D team were nothing but hot air — a feeble attempt to impress Jethro.

They had encountered many like her before.

Snide comments began to circulate, each one more cutting than the last. Some even resorted to crude jokes about her.

“How do you think she landed the CEO position here out of nowhere?”

“How else? It must be because Mr. Blackwood has a soft spot for her.”

“Tch. I wonder what he sees in her. She’s not even that attractive. Nowhere near as stunning as my goddess, Dr. Moss. Dr. Moss is a true beauty in our field.”

“Don’t even dare compare her to Dr. Moss! She’s not worthy of licking Dr. Moss’ boots. But then again, you don’t need much talent to please a man, if you catch my drift!”

At 1 PM, Darcy burst into the office, her presence commanding attention.

After a brief sip of water and a hurried gathering of her belongings, she wheeled her chair and backpack into the R&D department.

The R&D staff was taken aback.

To bring it to fruition, all they needed was to write code in accordance with her document.

In fact, Darcy was also skilled in coding. Her undergraduate degree in Financial Engineering necessitated both programming expertise and financial acumen.

During her five years at SummitCore, she had frequently been involved in product development and delivery; several successful products had been launched under her leadership.

However, she was new here and didn’t want to come off as overly assertive.

Moreover, this was the R&D team’s responsibility. If she took the reins, what would be left for them to accomplish?

As dusk settled, Darcy stood and stretched, feeling the tension in her muscles ease. She then packaged her files and sent them to Jax.

“Mr. Steel, I’ve sent you the files. Please review them when you have a moment. Let me know if anything is unclear, and I can provide further detail.”

Jax, engrossed in a discussion about code with a teammate, frowned instinctively upon hearing her words.

Such a loudmouth!

I’m a veteran of this company! What could I possibly not comprehend?!

He quickly signaled to his teammate, and they both moved to his computer, opening the folder Darcy had sent.

As they examined the contents, their expressions shifted dramatically.

They were astonished to discover that the solutions to the problems that had been plaguing them could be addressed so elegantly!

Jax pushed his glasses up his nose, hardly believing his own eyes.

His teammate mirrored his shock.

They both stared at the screen in stunned silence, the air thick with disbelief.

Meanwhile, Darcy received a message from the caregiver, informing her that they were short on some daily necessities at the hospital. Without hesitation, she replied, “I’m leaving work now. I’ll buy them and bring them over right away.”

Her concern for her mother overshadowed her awareness of Jax’s reaction. As the workday drew to a close, she packed her things, bid farewell to her colleagues, and left the office.

Once she was gone, Jax slumped back into his chair, a whirlwind of confusion and disbelief swirling within him.

How could this be? She had only a few years of experience and had never worked in R&D. How did she possess such knowledge?!

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