Aurora's face lit up with a practiced smile the moment she spotted them. "Well, if it isn't Ver! It's been ages. You've grown even more radiant."
"Mom..." Bonnie's voice carried a sharp edge of irritation at hearing her mother praise Veronica.
Bonnie had always been aware of Veronica's beauty, but seeing her after several years apart was like a punch to the gut. Veronica's flawless complexion seemed to glow under the jewelry store's lights, and her refined elegance made everyone else pale in comparison. A bitter wave of envy crashed through Bonnie's chest.
But she quickly reminded herself that beauty meant nothing when the man didn't want you. Cullen only had eyes for her sister Niall. That thought provided some comfort to her bruised ego.
Isaac's attention shifted to the newcomers. "Aurora, what brings you by?"
"We haven't seen you in such a long time, Uncle Isaac. We thought we'd drop in to see how you're doing," Bonnie jumped in before her mother could respond.
Her gaze landed on the velvet-lined jewelry box the store owner had left open on the counter. She deliberately pitched her voice louder. "Uncle Isaac, is this the anniversary present you had made for Aunt Dora? It's absolutely gorgeous!"
Isaac's expression softened. "It is."
"You do this every single year, don't you? Always ordering something extravagant well in advance just to surprise Aunt Dora. Uncle Isaac, she's so incredibly lucky to have someone who spoils her !"
Isaac's chuckle was warm but brief.
By this point, Whitney had pieced together exactly who these people were and what they represented.
"What a lovely family of home-wreckers," she whispered under her breath, her voice dripping with disgust. She quickly handled the payment, seized Veronica's wrist, and headed for the exit.
"Ver, wait." Isaac's voice cut through the tension, stopping Veronica in her tracks. He approached them slowly. "Dora genuinely loves you. She thinks about you constantly. You and Niall share the same blood; you're sisters. About what went down at DataPulse, I'm hoping we can avoid any similar incidents in the future."
Veronica's laugh was sharp and humorless. "Are you deliberately trying to provoke me?"
"Uncle Isaac, don't waste your breath on her. It doesn't matter anyway since my sister wouldn't want anything to do with her either. What exactly is her status? Does she honestly think she's worthy of being Niall's sister?"
Bonnie's sneer was venomous as she fixed her stare on Veronica. "You must be feeling pretty pleased with yourself for blocking my sister from DataPulse, aren't you? But here's something you might not know: the harder you fight against her, the deeper Cullen falls for her.
"You see, the second he learned that you and your precious DataPulse boss had mistreated her, he immediately went after your company for revenge.
"Sure, things didn't unfold exactly as he'd planned, and he couldn't actually destroy DataPulse in the end, but to compensate for all the pain Niall endured, Cullen handed us this incredible multi-billion dollar contract.
"And you want to know the best part? That same contract was something your uncle had been desperately trying to secure for months. It's absolutely hilarious!"
Veronica's jaw tightened, her hands balling into fists at her sides.
Whitney's anger reached a boiling point, and she let out a derisive laugh. "Has Cullen actually married Niall yet? You're calling him by his first name when they're not even officially together. How utterly shameless can you get?"
"That's enough, Bonnie." Isaac grabbed Bonnie's arm, pulling her back from the confrontation.
He exhaled heavily before turning back to Veronica. "Ver, Niall possesses exceptional talent in artificial intelligence. She has crucial contributions to make at DataPulse. You need to put aside these childish grudges and stop sabotaging her career."
"Are you finished?" Veronica's stare could have frozen fire. "If so, then disappear."
Aurora, who had been quietly observing the entire exchange, decided to twist the knife deeper. "Ver, is that any way to speak to your father?"
Bonnie seized the opportunity to pile on. "Exactly! Where are your manners?"
Veronica's voice turned arctic. "You're absolutely right. I don't have the refined manners that come so naturally to mistresses and their offspring."
"Enough." Isaac's disappointment in Veronica's stubborn defiance was written across his features. "We're leaving."
Isaac collected his custom jewelry piece and strode toward the exit, with Aurora and Bonnie trailing behind him in a huff of indignation.