"A play? What kind of play? Where would you even find something like that around here?" Lester asked, his curiosity clearly piqued.

Veronica tried to downplay it. "It's quite traditional. Probably not your style."

Lester's eyes narrowed slightly, a determined glint appearing. "You'd be surprised. I may have grown up abroad, but I've always wanted to experience more of Porter's cultural scene. Never had the right opportunity until now."

Finding herself cornered, Veronica reluctantly shared the theater's location.

Without hesitation, Lester pulled out his phone and purchased a ticket online.

Later that day, his phone rang. "Hey, trust fund baby, we're hitting the town tonight," his friend announced.

"Not happening," Lester replied firmly. "Already committed to something else."

After finishing her call with Lester, Veronica worked straight through without a break until mid-afternoon.

While checking her calendar, she suddenly remembered Cecelia's upcoming birthday. After a moment's consideration, she decided to call Marco.

Marco had been looking for reasons to stay connected with Veronica.

Ever since discovering Lester's feelings for her, his desire to maintain their connection had only intensified.

Unfortunately, outside of their professional collaboration and Cecelia, there wasn't much justification for regular contact.

Since the DataPulse partnership no longer required his presence, he struggled to find legitimate reasons to reach out.

Adding to his hesitation was Cullen's ongoing collaboration with DataPulse, which complicated matters further.

Marco was halfway out of his car when his phone displayed Veronica's name.

He answered almost immediately.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important, Mr. Valerie," Veronica began.

"Not at all," Marco replied, his expression softening noticeably. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm planning to make something special for Cecelia's birthday, but I'm worried she might not appreciate it. I wanted your insight."

Marco felt a warm sensation spread through his chest, touched by Veronica's thoughtfulness toward Cecelia.

"Cecelia adores you," he said with genuine warmth. "Anything you put effort into will mean the world to her."

Considering Cecelia's personality, Veronica knew he was probably right.

"Any particular suggestions?" she inquired.

After a brief moment of reflection, Marco asked, "Do you know how to bake?"

"Yes," Veronica answered. "I think I know what I'll do now. Thank you."

"My pleasure. Don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything else."

"I appreciate that."

Ending the call, Marco finally exited his vehicle and entered the restaurant.

Cullen, Niall, and Nate were already seated and waiting.

"Took you long enough," Nate remarked.

Marco smiled. "Important call. Couldn't avoid it."

Niall observed Marco closely—his mood seemed significantly improved.

Since Vivian had joined his company, she'd invited him to meals several times. Each invitation had been politely declined with claims of being overbooked.

She might have believed him once or twice.

But this many rejections?

Was he still upset about her persistent attempts to match him with Bonnie? Did he now suspect every interaction was just another setup?

That evening, shortly after six, Veronica finished dinner at the Murray home. She was preparing to leave with Mary for the play when Malcolm called.

"Are you at the Murray residence?" he asked directly.

"Yes, I am."

"Something urgent has come up. Be ready in ten minutes; someone's coming to pick you up."

Malcolm's tone made it clear this was no trivial matter.

When Mary heard about Malcolm's urgent request, she dismissed Veronica's concerns with an understanding smile, assuring her that she'd attend the play with Poppy instead.

Ten minutes later, a car sent by Malcolm arrived.

Once inside, Veronica learned the reason for Malcolm's urgency—the government project she had previously signed off on faced an imminent deadline, and Malcolm, trapped in other commitments, couldn't break away.

She was the only other person with complete understanding of the project's core technology.

Her presence on-site was essential to keep everything moving forward.

The moment Veronica arrived at the facility, security confiscated her phone.

The next forty-eight hours passed in a blur of activity and minimal rest.

On the third day, as she finally made her way to the cafeteria for a quick meal, she spotted Edric walking directly toward her.