After securing deals with Maverick and Marco, DataPulse still had gaps in their business partnerships. Determined to accelerate growth and increase company visibility, they organized an investment conference scheduled for Monday morning.
Veronica dropped Sabrina off at school before heading to the hotel where the conference was taking place. When she arrived, Dario and the team were already there, making final preparations. As the company's lead engineer, Veronica would soon take the stage to deliver a presentation and field questions from the media. She and Dario were reviewing the agenda backstage when Marco arrived, followed shortly by Maverick.
Twenty minutes later, Dario and Veronica took to the stage to deliver their speeches. Maverick seemed attentive during Dario's portion, but his expression shifted to a frown when Veronica stepped forward. He appeared genuinely surprised that Dario would entrust her with such a crucial segment—introducing the company's technology and products to potential investors.
Veronica didn't acknowledge Maverick's presence in the audience. Her voice remained steady and confident as she presented the company's innovations and fielded technical questions from the media. There wasn't a hint of nervousness in her demeanor; every response was articulated perfectly.
Maverick quickly lost interest in Veronica's presentation, assuming DataPulse had simply prepared her responses in advance. His mind wandered until he noticed Marco beside him. Unlike his own disinterest, Marco was fully engaged, his eyes fixed on Veronica as she spoke, absorbing every word with undivided attention. Maverick dismissed this as Marco's typical professional courtesy.
Following the conference, Veronica and Dario's schedules became increasingly packed with meetings. Maverick had a prior commitment at Stellar later that day, so he kept his attendance brief. He exchanged quick pleasantries with Dario before departing.
Maverick arrived at Stellar before Cullen. Taking advantage of the extra time, he made his way to Niall's workspace, where he immediately noticed an energetic buzz among the team.
Malachi greeted him as soon as he spotted him. "Nice seeing you here, Mr. Harris."
Maverick acknowledged him with a nod. Niall glanced up from her workstation and added, "Cullen should be here in about ten minutes. Please wait for a moment."
The familiar way Niall spoke about Cullen's schedule didn't escape Maverick's notice. Their professional relationship clearly involved regular communication.
"I know; his secretary has informed me about it," Maverick replied, then changed the subject. "It's quite lively here today. Is there something worth celebrating?"
Malachi eagerly explained, "We'd been struggling with a major technical hurdle for over a week, but Ms. Crystal just solved it completely. Now, we can finally move forward, so everyone's in high spirits."
Another team member added enthusiastically, "We really owe it to Ms. Crystal this time. A PhD holder from a top-tier university makes all the difference—they have such vast technical expertise compared to us."
"Exactly," several others echoed in agreement.
Maverick had always respected Niall's intellectual capabilities, but witnessing the team's genuine admiration for her work filled him with pride. "Congratulations," he offered sincerely.
Niall responded with a modest smile. "Thank you."
She quickly added, "I can't take all the credit, though. Cullen has taught me a lot recently, and that's what helped me improve so quickly."
The sincerity in her voice made it clear she wasn't just being polite—she genuinely valued Cullen's guidance and contribution to her professional development.