Cullen's presence meant Rose had to keep her composure. She couldn't afford any dramatic outbursts, not with him watching.
Niall approached their group, deliberately bypassing Veronica as if she were invisible. Instead, she turned her full attention to Dario, her smile radiant and practiced. "What an unexpected pleasure, Mr. Reid. Fancy running into you here."
Dario forced a polite smile, though his discomfort was barely concealed. "Indeed, quite the coincidence."
"I've been meaning to take you out for dinner, Mr. Reid, but my schedule has been absolutely chaotic lately. I haven't had a single free moment."
"Please don't concern yourself with it, Ms. Crystal. I completely understand how demanding your work must be."
Niall's demanding schedule was no secret. Had she been less occupied, she would have started her position at DataPulse Co. weeks ago, right after their initial meeting a month prior.
Isaac sensed an opportunity to forge his own connection with Dario. Observing that Cullen remained silent about Niall's deliberate snub of Veronica while she charmed Dario, Isaac decided it was safe to make his move.
Huxley caught on immediately and shadowed Isaac's approach. After Isaac exchanged pleasantries with Dario, he shifted his gaze to Veronica with casual familiarity. "Good to see you, Ver."
Veronica's response was stone-cold silence.
Isaac didn't push the matter. Rather than acknowledge the obvious slight, he redirected his entire focus back to Dario. Once the brief social ritual concluded, both men rejoined Cullen's circle, treating Veronica as though she had vanished into thin air.
The entire group followed Cullen into the restaurant, leaving Veronica and Dario standing alone on the sidewalk.
Dario watched the departing figures with growing irritation, a dull throb beginning behind his temples. "They acted like you were completely invisible."
Veronica's tone remained utterly indifferent. "That's accurate. Come on, we shouldn't keep our client waiting any longer."
Evening descended over the city, and Veronica found herself buried in overtime work. Around seven o'clock, Cook's call interrupted her concentration, inquiring about her expected arrival time at home.
Under normal circumstances, Veronica should have prioritized returning home earlier now that Cook was visiting. Yet she remained deep in the process of organizing her scattered thoughts and ideas, reluctant to abandon her momentum.
After a brief internal struggle, Veronica responded with genuine regret in her voice. "I'm terribly sorry, Grandma. I'm stuck with overtime tonight and won't be able to make it home at a reasonable hour."
Cook's sigh carried through the phone line. "Both you and Cullen are constantly consumed by work. At this pace, how do you expect your relationship to develop into something meaningful?"
The implication that Cullen would also be working late tonight wasn't lost on Veronica. "I apologize, Grandma."
"Don't worry about it, dear. Just promise me you'll eat something substantial, regardless of how swamped you are. Can you do that for me?"
"Absolutely. I promise." The moment Veronica ended the call, her food delivery arrived with perfect timing. She consumed her dinner efficiently before diving back into work, maintaining her focus until ten o'clock finally arrived and she could justify leaving the office.
Since Veronica hadn't driven to DataPulse Co. that morning, she had contacted her usual driver approximately thirty minutes earlier. He should have been waiting downstairs by now.
Descending to the building's entrance, Veronica confirmed that a driver was indeed present. However, instead of her regular driver, she discovered Cullen's chauffeur behind the wheel, with Cullen himself occupying the backseat.
When Cullen noticed Veronica's hesitation at the curb, he lowered the window and met her questioning gaze directly. "Grandma instructed me to ensure you got home safely."
Understanding the situation, Veronica circled around to the opposite side of the vehicle and slid into the same seat she had occupied that morning.
The luxury sedan merged smoothly into the evening traffic flow, maintaining a steady pace through the city streets. An familiar silence settled between the two passengers once again.
Cullen remained absorbed in his mobile device, paying no apparent attention to Veronica's presence. Suddenly, a question formed in her mind that demanded an answer. "Did they ultimately agree to the terms?"
The question obviously referred to her earlier request regarding Niall's uncle and his potential relocation plans. Given the uncomfortable expressions she had observed that morning, Veronica suspected Niall had already conceded to the demand.
The status of the others remained unclear, though.
Cullen continued scrolling through his phone while responding matter-of-factly. "Yes, they accepted it."
"Actually..." Veronica paused, gathering her courage before pressing forward with determination. "I want to purchase the villa outright. Would that arrangement be acceptable?"
This decision represented Veronica's strategy to resolve her ongoing housing dilemma permanently and decisively.
Cullen's scrolling ceased momentarily as he turned his head to study her profile in the dim lighting. "That would be acceptable."
Relief flooded through Veronica at his straightforward response. "Thank you for accommodating this request."
Cullen's reply was characteristically brief. "Of course."