Everything Taken I Left to Become CEO (Darcy and Zane) novel Chapter 83

**Title: Pain Refines the Soul — Jason Brooks**
**Chapter 83: The Uninvited Houseguest**

“Mhm, alright.”

For Darcy, the crux of the matter was her mother.

As long as Kaia continued to treat their mom with the same affection she always had, Darcy felt no need to peel back the layers of her own mask.

After all, at her mother’s age, particularly after falling ill, she simply didn’t have the emotional bandwidth to endure any more turmoil.

Finished.

The two sisters worked side by side, their hands deftly kneading and shaping the pasta dough until the entire tray overflowed with their efforts.

Kaia only switched off the television when the steaming plates were set down on the dining table, the rich aroma wafting through the air.

Ione, with a warm smile, handed a fork to Kaia, who accepted it with a sugary grin. “Thanks, Mom! Your pasta is my absolute favorite.”

“Such a charmer,” Ione replied, affectionately pinching Kaia’s cheek.

As she turned her gaze, she caught sight of Darcy’s flat expression, a momentary pause in her smile. Then, with a renewed brightness, she added, “Your sister blended the sauce for it, you know. You should thank her too.”

Kaia wanted desperately to pretend she hadn’t heard that last part, but Zora’s orders rang loudly in her mind. Reluctantly, she forced the words out, her voice stiff and dry. “Thanks… Darcy.”

“Oh, you!” Ione exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with nostalgia. “When you were little, you would follow after Darcy, giggling and clinging to her side! It’s been ages since you two were this close.”

Kaia’s mouth twisted into a pout, her heart heavy. As the less-favored daughter of the Lark family, any show of sweetness or closeness to Darcy would only serve to distance her further from the Larks’ affections.

At the table, Darcy mostly remained quiet, her ears tuning in as her mother and Kaia animatedly chatted away.

Then, without warning, Kaia shot her a challenging look.

“Darcy, what are you doing at the Blackwood Group? Still stuck in sales?” Kaia asked, a hint of a sneer dancing on her lips.

Darcy quickly corrected her, “Not the Blackwood Group. A subsidiary.”

“Oh. Still sales, though?”

“Yeah, you could say that.”

Internally, Kaia rolled her eyes. So what if it was a subsidiary of Blackwood? So what if she had rubbed shoulders with the group’s heiress and the CEO? At the end of the day, she was still just another ordinary salesperson. What did she have to be so proud about?

But Zora’s mission loomed over her like a dark cloud.

During her hospital stay, Zora had drilled it into her—find a way, any way, to persuade Darcy to return to Summit Core Tech.

Kaia despised the very notion, but Zora checked in every single day, relentless.

With no escape in sight, Kaia had reluctantly agreed to come home and recuperate alongside Ione.

Finished.

Now, her primary objective was to uncover what Darcy was doing at Stratagem Tech and then convince her to return to SummitCore.

And now she knew. Darcy was merely a small-time sales representative at Stratagem. Nothing extraordinary.

Naturally, Kaia pressed on, “So, have you thought about coming back to SummitCore? Dr. Moss mentioned that if you return, she’ll let bygones be bygones. She’ll even increase your salary. It would definitely be more than what you’re making as a regular sales rep at Stratagem.”

Hah! A part-time master’s degree?

What a laugh!

Kaia dismissed the thought with contempt but quietly tucked the information away. I’ll be sure to tell Dr. Moss later.

The following morning, Darcy rose before dawn, had a quick breakfast, and pedaled her bike to the Quest University library, her determination evident in her stride.

By the time Kaia finally dragged herself out of bed, stretching and limping her way to the living room for breakfast, Darcy was long gone.

“Taking it pretty seriously,” Kaia muttered to herself, a mix of irritation and disbelief coloring her tone.

After finishing her breakfast, Kaia turned on the television, immersing herself in the latest reality shows. But once the last episode concluded, boredom began to creep in.

Getting up to use the bathroom, she passed by Darcy’s room and instinctively tried the door.

It was locked.

Darcy’s door had never been locked before.

What’s with this sudden change? She’s clearly guarding against me.

Annoyed, and with Ione preoccupied in the kitchen, Kaia slipped into Ione’s room, found the spare key, and quietly unlocked Darcy’s door.

She closed it softly behind her, the quiet click echoing in the stillness.

Then, with a sense of mischief, she flopped onto Darcy’s bed, sprawling out in a starfish pose, as if claiming the space for herself.