When Cullen returned downstairs, Nate and the rest of the group had already begun their meal. The sight of him walking back alone caught everyone off guard.
Just like Sabrina, they had all expected Veronica to follow him down without question. After all, when Cullen Dennis personally extended an invitation, few people had the audacity to decline.
Marco raised an eyebrow. "She decided not to join us?"
Cullen's response was curt. "She's staying upstairs."
Without missing a beat, he turned toward the retreat staff hovering nearby. "I need you to prepare a selection for my wife. Include the barbecue, the grilled chicken, and some of that stew. Have it delivered to her room immediately."
The casual way he said "my wife" made Niall's jaw tighten involuntarily.
She told herself it meant nothing. Veronica's refusal to come downstairs and Cullen's gesture of sending food up could be interpreted in countless ways.
But hearing him claim Veronica so openly, so naturally, sent an uncomfortable chill through her chest. The way he said it sounded like ownership, like he genuinely considered Veronica his partner.
Niall forced herself to think rationally. The staff here probably had no idea what Veronica's name even was. If Cullen wanted them to know which room to deliver the food to, calling her "my wife" was simply the most efficient way to communicate.
Meanwhile, upstairs in her room, Veronica felt her stomach beginning to protest with quiet growls of hunger.
When the doorbell chimed and she peered through the peephole to see staff members waiting with a loaded cart, she opened the door and stepped aside to let them enter.
The team moved with practiced efficiency, transferring covered dishes from the cart to her table. One by one, they lifted each lid with a flourish, describing the contents in detail.
But the moment the first cover came off, Veronica's brow furrowed in confusion. "I think there's been some kind of mistake. None of this is what I requested."
The rich, savory scent of the stew hit her immediately, and her eyes took in the spread before her. Fresh seafood glistened under the room's lighting, tender cuts of beef and lamb were artfully arranged, and everything looked absolutely mouthwatering. She had to admit, whoever had chosen these dishes had excellent taste.
But that wasn't the point. She hadn't ordered any of it.
"No mistake at all, ma'am," the staff member replied with professional courtesy. "Mr. Dennis specifically requested we bring these items to you. Your original order is still being prepared in the kitchen and should arrive within the next few minutes."
Veronica stared at him in disbelief.
The amount of food now covering her table could easily feed a small family. And apparently, her own meal was still on its way.
True to their word, her original order arrived shortly after, adding even more dishes to the already overwhelming spread.
She found herself eating for what felt like hours, working her way through far more food than any reasonable person should consume in one sitting.
By the time her scheduled video conference with Dario was supposed to begin, she was still picking at the various dishes, uncomfortably full but reluctant to waste such high-quality food.
Dario started the call ahead of schedule, needing her to locate some specific documents. When Veronica's video feed connected, he immediately noticed she was still eating.
"What's all that? Looks incredible," he commented, leaning closer to his screen.
Veronica angled her camera slightly so he could get a better view of the feast spread across her table.
As other team members joined the conference, they caught sight of the elaborate meal and fell silent for a moment.
"That's enough food for a small army," someone finally said. "How long have you been eating?"
"I'm nearly finished," Veronica replied, though that wasn't entirely true.
"You ordered all of that for yourself?"
She paused, suddenly feeling awkward about the situation. "Actually, no. I didn't order most of this."
Dario immediately understood the implication. "Cullen sent it up?"
"He arranged for it to be delivered," she confirmed.
A knowing smirk crossed Dario's face. "Well, at least the man has some sense of responsibility."
Veronica chose not to respond to that comment. She saw no point in explaining that Cullen's gesture was purely performative, designed to maintain appearances in front of his grandmother rather than stemming from any genuine concern for her wellbeing.
Recognizing that their meeting time was approaching and feeling uncomfortably stuffed, she finally pushed the remaining food away.
She called for the staff to clear the table, repositioned her laptop to a more comfortable distance, and shifted her attention fully to work matters.
Once they began discussing the project details, time seemed to slip away unnoticed. The meeting stretched well past ten in the evening, but the momentum of their brainstorming session kept everyone engaged and reluctant to wrap up.
Veronica was in the middle of explaining a complex aspect of their next phase implementation, gesturing enthusiastically as she spoke to the team, when she heard the unmistakable sound of the suite's main door opening.
Cullen stepped inside.
Her laptop's camera was positioned at an angle that captured the entrance perfectly. The moment Veronica realized what was happening, her hands flew to the screen, quickly adjusting the camera angle to exclude the doorway from the frame.