It turned out that Dario was away on business.

Niall stood in the lobby of DataPulse Enterprises, her thoughts drifting when Lester's casual voice brought her back to reality. "Was there anything else you needed?"

She shook her head, attempting to maintain some semblance of normal conversation. "How are you settling in at DataPulse Enterprises? It's been a while since you started here."

"Everything's fine," he replied flatly. "If that's all, I should be heading back upstairs."

Without waiting for her response, Lester turned and walked away. Niall watched his retreating figure with a small frown creasing her forehead. His stride was confident, purposeful—not a hint of hesitation or desire to continue their conversation.

She knew why. Lester was still upset that she had revealed his whereabouts to the Martin. He had been ignoring her calls for days now. When she spotted him today, she'd hoped their chance encounter might thaw the ice between them. Instead, his demeanor remained frigid, his words clipped and distant.

A small, hopeful smile played at her lips. Perhaps he just needed more time to process everything. Their friendship had weathered storms before.

Her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. The number wasn't saved in her contacts. When she answered, a formal voice introduced himself as an attorney representing DataPulse Enterprises, calling on Dario' direct instructions to discuss the details of their collaboration termination.

Niall's expression darkened immediately. The situation was worse than she'd imagined. Dario wouldn't even speak to her personally—sending a lawyer instead made his intentions crystal clear. There would be no reconciliation, no salvaging of their business relationship.

With a heavy heart, she turned and walked out of the building, her shoulders slightly slumped under the weight of this professional rejection.

Barely fifteen minutes after Niall's departure, Marco strode through the same lobby doors, arriving for his scheduled business meeting. Upon hearing of his arrival, Veronica promptly left her office and made her way to the guest room to greet him.

Just as she departed, Lester came looking for her. Finding her office empty, he inquired about her whereabouts and learned she was in a meeting with a collaborative partner. Initially dismissing it as routine business, his demeanor changed instantly upon hearing Marco's name. After a moment's hesitation, he pivoted and headed straight for the guest room.

Inside, Veronica and Marco were deep in discussion when a knock interrupted them. Veronica assumed it was her assistant Ramona, but surprise registered on her face when Lester pushed the door open instead.

"Lester? What are you—"

"I need to discuss something with you," Lester interjected, though his eyes remained fixed on Marco rather than Veronica.

She gestured to the room full of people. "I'm in the middle of something. Can it wait until later?"

Lester took in the scene—noting the professional distance between Veronica and Marco, and the presence of several other executives. Seemingly satisfied, he nodded. "Of course."

He turned to address the room with practiced politeness. "I apologize for the interruption, everyone."

Marco observed Lester silently, understanding perfectly why he had made this unscheduled appearance. The protective gesture wasn't lost on anyone in the room.

After Lester's departure, the meeting resumed. While Veronica engaged Stephen in a technical discussion, Marco's attention remained fixed on her, studying her expressions and mannerisms with undisguised interest.

He couldn't fault Veronica and Dario for defending their company's interests after yesterday's incident at Stellar. However, the situation seemed disproportionate to the offense. Yes, the Crystal and Mack had clearly overstepped boundaries first, but terminating an entire business collaboration seemed excessive.

Yet that appeared to be exactly what Veronica and Dario were aiming for—and with considerable satisfaction, judging by their approach. They seemed intent on extracting the maximum penalty from Niall for the termination.

The question nagged at Marco: Why such animosity?

Was Cullen at the center of this vendetta? Could Veronica still be harboring resentment toward Niall for taking Cullen from her all those years ago?

And if so, did that mean Veronica's feelings for Cullen had never truly faded?

Marco's staring became so intense and prolonged that eventually Veronica noticed, turning to meet his gaze with a questioning look. "Mr. Valerie? Is something wrong?"