If Veronica dared to make a fuss, Cullen would certainly grow more irritated with her than he already was.
Knowing the precarious state of Veronica and Cullen's marriage, she wouldn't risk pushing him further. Any drama would only fuel his growing resentment toward her.
This reasoning calmed Huxley's nerves somewhat, though she remained concerned that Cullen might shower Niall with too much attention, creating an unbearable situation for Veronica to witness.
But Veronica remained oblivious to their scheming thoughts. She barely registered their subtle maneuvers, her attention drawn instead to the man seated at her side—Gareth Mikael.
Gareth had anticipated Veronica's attendance at the expo and made certain to approach her during the earlier reception.
Their previous encounter at a corporate banquet had sparked an intellectually stimulating exchange that left him eager for another conversation. Both had been consumed by demanding schedules since then, but fate had granted them this second chance, and he refused to waste it.
Shortly after everyone settled into their seats, he initiated a quiet discussion with her.
The dining table stretched wide enough to accommodate their hushed conversation without disrupting the other guests.
Observing Gareth's animated discussion with Veronica, both Niall and Huxley dismissed it as a routine consultation about technical matters, paying little heed to their exchange.
A colleague seated beside Gareth couldn't resist teasing him. "Gareth, you're relentless. Even during dinner, you can't switch off from work mode. Your voice hasn't stopped since this morning's presentations."
Another guest joined the playful ribbing with a hearty laugh. "Absolutely right. During the expo earlier, Gareth spent ages deep in conversation with Ms. Crystal as well."
When the spotlight turned to him, Gareth responded with an easy smile, ready with his own comeback. "Every time I attempt to engage you all in technical discussions, you immediately redirect me to your engineering teams. Now that I'm conversing with someone else, suddenly you feel neglected?"
One guest glanced meaningfully between Niall and Veronica before commenting, "It's remarkable how the younger generation has embraced AI and programming with such enthusiasm. The times are definitely shifting."
"Absolutely," another voice agreed. "After his conversation with Ms. Crystal at the expo, Gareth was telling me how impressed he was with the next generation's capabilities. He even declared that our nation's future looks incredibly bright!"
"Well, Ms. Crystal graduated at the top of her class from one of the world's most prestigious universities. She perfectly embodies that promising talent he was describing."
Niall responded with gracious humility. "You're all far too generous with your compliments."
Given Cullen's commanding presence in their industry and Niall's position as his chosen partner, the group naturally lavished additional praise upon her.
As for Veronica, while they couldn't deny her striking beauty, they understood her only as an employee within Dario' organization. Despite whispered speculation about a possible romantic connection between her and Dario, she lacked the influential background that commanded their attention. Consequently, the group largely overlooked her presence.
When the carefully prepared dishes arrived, Niall gracefully selected choice portions for Cullen's plate, a gesture he accepted with apparent satisfaction.
The group's conversation gained momentum at this point, turning toward analyzing the future potential of various innovations showcased at the expo.
One particularly enthusiastic guest couldn't contain his excitement. "This brings up an interesting point, Mr. Dennis. The synergy between your autonomous vehicle initiative and Mr. Reid's intelligent traffic programming framework is genuinely remarkable. The possibilities are quite enticing, I must admit. Have you completely ruled out the possibility of a collaborative partnership?"
The question hung in the air as several heads turned toward Cullen, awaiting his response. The potential merger of cutting-edge automotive technology with sophisticated traffic management systems represented exactly the kind of forward-thinking innovation that could reshape entire industries.
Niall leaned slightly closer to Cullen, her eyes bright with professional interest. She had been instrumental in developing several components of the traffic programming language being discussed, and any potential collaboration would directly impact her work.
Meanwhile, Gareth continued his quiet exchange with Veronica, their conversation flowing naturally despite the growing animation at the rest of the table. His genuine interest in her perspectives on emerging technologies created an island of focused discussion amid the broader corporate networking.
The atmosphere buzzed with the energy of ambitious professionals recognizing transformative opportunities, each person calculating how the proposed collaboration might influence their own projects and career trajectories.