"Sorry, Veronica. I have to fly out of town tomorrow morning for business, so I won't be able to help you shop for your grandmother's birthday gift."
"Don't worry about it. I already found something perfect."
The antique shop had been a complete surprise. She'd wandered in on impulse, expecting to leave empty-handed and continue the search with Whitney another day.
Instead, she'd discovered exactly what she'd been looking for.
Whitney's voice brightened with relief. "Really? That's wonderful!"
"Yes." Veronica kept her response brief.
"Oh, that reminds me," Whitney continued. "Remember when you mentioned seeing the Crystal family? I did some research over the weekend.
"Turns out they're definitely relocating to Porter permanently. Word is they've been touring properties all week."
The mention of the Crystal made Veronica's expression cool. "I see."
"From what I heard about Niall's mother's family, they've already made their selection. The move should happen within days. There's even talk of them hosting a housewarming celebration soon."
"Understood." Veronica ended the call and drove back into the city center.
Her grandmother's birthday was approaching fast. Sunday arrived, and Veronica brought Sabrina to the Murray family estate to coordinate the celebration details with Phillip and his wife.
Cullen remained absent that weekend, so Veronica decided to stay overnight at the villa.
He didn't return until Tuesday evening.
Knowing she wouldn't be back to the villa for several days, she gathered the two ornate jewelry boxes from her dressing table before departing.
Initially, she'd assumed the gifts left in her room were meant for her.
After examining the contents, however, she understood that Cullen expected her to present them to her grandmother during the birthday celebration.
Following Sabrina's school drop-off, Veronica made her way to DataPulse headquarters.
The company was simultaneously launching multiple major projects, creating an intense workload for both Veronica and Dario throughout the week.
Cullen had apparently returned according to his original schedule, since Sabrina hadn't reached out to her in the past few days.
Wednesday evening found Veronica and Dario meeting a potential client for dinner.
As they approached their reserved private dining room, she spotted Cullen seated with Niall, Isaac, Sophia, and several other family members.
Both Sophia and Niall's mother, Dora, had made the trip to Porter this time. Naturally, as their prospective grandson-in-law and future son-in-law, Cullen felt obligated to demonstrate proper hospitality.
The timing was telling—barely twenty-four hours after returning from his business trip, he'd already carved out time for an elaborate dinner with Niall's extended family.
His dedication to Niall's comfort was remarkably thorough.
During their previous encounter, Sophia and the others had failed to notice her presence. This time, however, every member of their party caught sight of her.
They appeared to consider approaching, possibly to speak with her, but Cullen's proximity seemed to discourage any interaction.
Niall and Cullen, positioned with their backs toward the entrance, remained unaware of her arrival.
Veronica's face revealed nothing as she looked away and continued toward her own dining room.
Sophia and the others watched her retreat but made no move to follow.
More than an hour passed before Veronica and Dario concluded their business dinner and headed toward the restaurant's exit.
In the parking structure, they encountered Niall's group once again.
The family was clearly preparing for departure, gathering near their vehicles.
Cullen was nowhere to be seen—apparently he'd already left for the evening.
Before either Veronica or Dario could process the situation, their client Callum Cooper noticed Niall and her relatives and strode over with obvious enthusiasm.
"Ms. Crystal! Mr. Crystal!"
Veronica felt her stomach tighten as Callum's booming voice echoed through the parking garage. The man's networking instincts were legendary in their industry, but his timing couldn't have been worse.
Niall turned at the sound of her name, her polished smile faltering slightly when she spotted Veronica standing several feet behind Callum.
"Mr. Cooper," Isaac Crystal responded with practiced courtesy, extending his hand. "What a pleasant surprise."
"I had no idea you were in town," Callum continued, pumping Isaac's hand with vigor. "Word travels fast in our circles about the Crystal family's expansion into Porter."
Dora stepped closer to her husband, her gaze flickering between Callum and Veronica with unmistakable tension.
"We're exploring new opportunities," Isaac replied diplomatically.
Callum's attention shifted to Niall. "And congratulations are in order, I hear. Your engagement has been the talk of several social circles."
Niall's cheeks flushed pink. "Thank you, Mr. Cooper."
"Where are my manners?" Callum gestured toward Veronica and Dario. "Allow me to introduce my dinner companions. This is Veronica Murray and Dario from DataPulse. We've just concluded some very promising business discussions."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Isaac's expression remained neutral, but Dora's face went pale. Sophia's fingers tightened around her purse strap.
"We're acquainted," Niall said quietly, her voice barely audible.
Callum's eyebrows shot up with delight. "Wonderful! Small world, isn't it? Though I suppose that's inevitable in Porter's social scene."
Dario cleared his throat. "We should get going, Veronica. Early morning tomorrow."
She nodded gratefully. "Of course."
"Don't let us keep you," Isaac said, his tone carefully measured. "It was good seeing you again, Mr. Cooper."
As Veronica turned to leave, she caught Sophia's eye for just a moment. The older woman's expression held something that might have been regret, or perhaps guilt.
But Veronica had no interest in deciphering the emotions of Cullen's future in-laws.
She walked toward her car without looking back, Dario keeping pace beside her.
"That was awkward," he murmured once they were out of earshot.
"Business dinners often are," Veronica replied evenly, though her hands trembled slightly as she unlocked her vehicle.
Behind them, she could hear Callum's voice continuing to boom across the parking structure, oblivious to the undercurrents he'd just stirred up.
Some encounters were simply unavoidable in a city like Porter.
But that didn't make them any less painful.