Sabrina hurried down the staircase and approached Cullen with an update. "Dad, Mom decided to eat lunch upstairs. She won't be joining us down here."
Nate arched an eyebrow at this information. So Veronica understood her position in this house after all. Marco kept his eyes downcast, saying nothing.
Niall's lips curved into a knowing smile. She had anticipated this outcome. Veronica wouldn't dare show her face at the family lunch table. Nobody really welcomed her presence anyway.
If Veronica had the audacity to come downstairs and sit with them, she would only face ridicule and cold shoulders. Rather than enduring such humiliation, it made perfect sense for her to retreat to her room like the coward she truly was.
Cullen absorbed Sabrina's report and gave a brief nod. "Fine. Understood."
He felt no particular urgency about Veronica's participation in family meals. "We shouldn't delay any longer. Everyone can start eating."
Niall's satisfaction grew deeper as she heard his dismissive tone. She positioned herself elegantly in the chair beside Cullen.
Upstairs, Veronica had already finished her meal and returned to her work. Dario had arrived at his home office, and she had developed several fresh concepts during their separation.
After Veronica concluded her discussion with Dario about the new developments, she transmitted the ideas to him digitally. His reaction upon reviewing them was explosive. He slammed his palm against his desk and erupted, "Holy shit! You're absolutely brilliant!
"Look at how quickly you absorb complex concepts. You're a natural talent in this industry, Veronica. I always believed in your capabilities!"
Before she could respond, Dario grabbed his head in his hands and voiced his frustration. "Seven damn years down the drain. If you hadn't disappeared into that marriage, DataPulse Co. would be dominating the global market right now!"
Dario' volume forced Veronica to pull her phone away from her ear to protect her hearing.
Realizing he had dampened their celebratory mood by mentioning painful history, Dario cleared his throat and redirected their conversation.
This breakthrough required expanded resources and additional personnel. Dario immediately reached out to Jordan Robbie, a key employee at DataPulse Co. He also extended invitations to other team members.
Jordan and his colleagues hadn't joined DataPulse Co. simply for financial security. They genuinely sought to advance their technical expertise.
When Dario outlined the situation, they recognized the vast disparity between their abilities and the advanced skills that Dario and Veronica possessed in artificial intelligence development.
Despite their initial confusion about the technical details, Jordan's team became enthusiastic about Veronica's proposals after Dario provided explanations. They eagerly agreed to extended work hours and committed to the project.
Ideally, face-to-face collaboration would enhance their productivity. Unfortunately, Veronica's location meant a four-hour round trip to reach DataPulse Co.
Creative momentum was fragile and fleeting. Interrupting the flow could result in losing valuable insights permanently.
The team unanimously agreed that a video conference would serve their immediate needs.
When Dario confirmed Veronica's current situation, he seized the opportunity to probe deeper. "Are you isolated in your room right now? What's Cullen's family doing?"
"I have no idea. Probably still eating lunch," Veronica replied with detachment.
"Just Cullen and Sabrina downstairs?"
"Niall, Nate, and Marco are visiting."
"And they abandoned you alone upstairs?"
"Sabrina invited me to join them, but I declined."
"That's something, at least. Cullen apparently retains some basic decency."
Veronica held a different perspective. She agreed with Nate' assessment that Cullen's invitation stemmed from his desire to avoid Cook's potential criticism.
Furthermore, everyone downstairs supported Niall completely. Even if Veronica had accepted the invitation, they wouldn't worry about her challenging Niall's position. Her presence posed no threat to their united front.
Veronica and Dario maintained their intensive collaboration for four additional hours. As dinner time approached, they agreed to pause their efforts for two hours before continuing.
Veronica organized all their progress from the day before closing her laptop. She planned to step outside for a short walk to clear her mind and breathe some fresh air. The brief respite would help her decompress. She also intended to purchase several boxes of apples to share with Dario and the rest of the company team.
The contrast between her professional fulfillment and domestic isolation couldn't be starker. While the Hendrix family gathered downstairs in their exclusive circle, Veronica had spent her day contributing to groundbreaking technological innovation. Their rejection of her presence had inadvertently freed her to pursue meaningful work.
As she prepared to leave her room, Veronica felt no resentment about missing the family meal. Their loss of her company was insignificant compared to the excitement of her professional breakthrough. The artificial intelligence project represented her future, while the dysfunction downstairs belonged to a past she was gradually leaving behind.
The irony wasn't lost on her that their attempts to marginalize her had actually created the perfect environment for her most productive work in years. While they played their petty games of inclusion and exclusion, she was building something that could change the world.