After they walked several blocks away from the restaurant, Whitney glanced sideways at Veronica, worry etched across her features. "Ver..."
Veronica cut her off with a subtle shake of her head, her voice steady but hollow. "I'm okay."
The truth was simpler than it appeared. Isaac had ceased being her father the day he signed the divorce papers and walked away from her mother. That chapter had closed long ago.
What twisted like a blade in her chest was knowing how much trouble she had brought to her uncle's doorstep simply by existing.
Then there was Cullen's blatant favoritism.
The memory of how he protected Niall above all else, how he had shown no mercy to Dario and Phillip when they stood in Niall's way, how he had never once paused to consider what any of it might do to her, sent sharp pangs through her ribcage.
The ache settled deep, refusing to fade.
"Ver..." Whitney wrapped her arms around her friend, her own heart fracturing as she watched Veronica suffer in silence.
Veronica managed a thin smile but offered no words of reassurance.
Everything would be fine. She had made her choice to move forward. She simply needed time to let the wounds heal. She could handle this.
"How about we get a drink somewhere?" Whitney suggested, thinking alcohol might help Veronica unwind.
Veronica declined with another shake of her head. "Not tonight."
Instead of drowning her thoughts in liquor, she preferred returning to her apartment and losing herself in research data. Numbers and analysis brought her peace in ways nothing else could. That work reminded her who she was beyond all the family drama.
Seeing her friend's determination, Whitney chose not to push the issue.
They made their way toward the parking garage together. Just as Veronica reached for her car door handle, her phone buzzed against her palm. Sabrina's name appeared on the screen.
The fragile smile vanished from Veronica's lips instantly. She stared at the caller ID for several long seconds before swiping to answer. "Hello."
Sabrina's voice came through sweet and pleading. "Mom, when are you coming home tonight?"
Rather than give a direct response, Veronica asked, "Is something the matter?"
"I'm really lonely here by myself. Mom, could you come back and spend some time with me?"
Cullen had left for another business meeting, and Niall was occupied with her own agenda. The massive house felt eerily quiet without any voices or movement.
Sabrina found herself missing the evenings when Veronica would sit beside her, listening with genuine interest as she described her favorite animated shows and new toys with childlike enthusiasm.
The longing prompted her to reach out, hoping her mother would return to fill the empty spaces.
Veronica's response came measured and distant. "I have work to finish tonight. Perhaps tomorrow."
She recognized her duty as a mother to meet her daughter's emotional needs whenever possible. But she also had her own life to maintain and protect.
Tonight, her mood was too fragile, and she needed solitude to process everything that had happened.
Disappointment colored Sabrina's tone. "Oh... okay then."
"I need to go now. Call me if there's an emergency."
"Alright." Sabrina ended the call with obvious reluctance, feeling the loneliness settle back around her like a heavy blanket.
A few minutes later, Cullen's footsteps echoed through the front entrance. He noticed Sabrina curled up on the couch looking dejected and approached her. "What's bothering you?"
"I called Mom and asked if she could come home to keep me company, but she said she was too busy with work."
Sabrina pressed her face into the decorative cushions with a frustrated sigh. "She's always working these days."
Cullen acknowledged her complaint with a noncommittal sound, then settled onto the opposite end of the sofa with his phone, scrolling through business emails and messages.
He didn't retreat to his private office as he typically would. Instead, he remained in the living room, his presence a quiet form of companionship.
This small gesture lifted Sabrina's spirits somewhat. She retrieved her tablet and became absorbed in her collection of puzzle games, the earlier melancholy beginning to dissipate.
Back at the restaurant, Isaac rejoined the others at their reserved table. Huxley looked up from her wine glass with mild curiosity. "What kept you away so long?"
Isaac shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "We encountered Veronica outside."
Huxley Crystal commanded attention wherever she went. Her marriage had been strategically brilliant, and she had built her own empire of influence that extended through both her husband's connections and her family's legacy.
When the conversation turned to her niece Veronica, whom she rarely saw anymore, she showed little genuine concern. Her interests lay elsewhere entirely. "Did you manage to discuss the DataPulse position with her? For Niall?"
Isaac's expression grew troubled. "I brought it up, but she refused to consider it."
Huxley set down her wine glass with deliberate precision, her brow furrowing with irritation. "Veronica is being incredibly stubborn about this. Look, I understand she feels hurt that Cullen chose Niall over her, but anyone who has spent time around him can see the writing on the wall. He's not the type of man who would stay satisfied with a wife whose only asset is a pretty face.
"If it hadn't been Niall who caught his attention, someone else would have eventually. The divorce was inevitable."