At the restaurant, Marco led Veronica into a private dining room. Once they were seated, he poured water for her and inquired, "Did you find the conference beneficial?"
"Yes, somewhat," Veronica replied thoughtfully.
She had attended specifically hoping to find fresh perspectives on the materials Malcolm had provided to her and Dario. After sitting through several sessions, she'd managed to identify a promising new approach to their work.
After a moment of comfortable silence, she asked, "How has Cecelia been doing lately?"
Marco's expression softened at the mention of his daughter. "Cecelia's health has improved dramatically since last fall. She's back in school this year and has made several new friends. She's quite content both at home and in class." He paused, his eyes meeting Veronica's. "She mentions you frequently, though. Perhaps the three of us could have dinner together sometime soon?"
"I'd like that," Veronica nodded with genuine warmth.
Their conversation shifted naturally to work matters. Toward the end of their meal, Marco even discussed aspects of his collaboration with Phillip. The dialogue flowed effortlessly between them, creating a surprisingly pleasant atmosphere.
Veronica reflected on how different this was from their previous encounters. When Marco had used Cecelia as a pretext to see her before, she'd barely engaged with him—focusing entirely on the little girl and responding to him with minimal interest. Now, without Cecelia present, they were having a real conversation. Marco could sense that Veronica was letting go of past resentments, gradually accepting him. While this acceptance wasn't romantic in nature—they couldn't even truly call themselves friends yet—it represented significant progress from where they had been.
After dinner, they departed separately, each heading their own way.
Since moving into her own place, Veronica had been so consumed with work that shopping for clothes had fallen to the bottom of her priority list. With the seasons changing, she realized her wardrobe lacked appropriate options.
On Saturday, she ventured out to remedy this situation. After spending over an hour trying on different outfits and selecting several items for various members of the Murray family, she settled onto a couch to rest while waiting to pay.
"Veronica?" a familiar voice called from the store entrance.
Turning, Veronica spotted Vivian Ridgewood standing there, looking surprised and pleased.
Vivian was Huxley's daughter, born just a few months after Veronica. As children, they had been inseparable, spending countless hours playing together and sharing secrets.
Their relationship had cooled, however, following Rose's divorce from Isaac. Their last encounter had been three or four years ago, before Cullen had met Niall.
During that meeting, Vivian had somehow learned about Isaac's business troubles—that he was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. She had made a special trip to Youtopia specifically to see Veronica, discreetly offering her hundreds of thousands of dollars from her personal savings to help weather the financial storm.
"It's been a while," Veronica smiled warmly.
"Yes, too long," Vivian replied, emotion flickering across her face. Then, concern suddenly shadowed her features as she asked, "Veronica, are you doing alright?"
Vivian was fully aware of the complicated situation involving Veronica, Niall, and Cullen.
She knew that Veronica had harbored deep feelings for Cullen for years, yet he had never reciprocated. The moment Cullen encountered Niall, he had been completely enchanted by her.
Vivian understood Niall's magnetic appeal all too well.
Over the years, she had witnessed countless men fall under Niall's spell, becoming utterly besotted. Even Vivian's own high school crush had only dated her as a means of getting closer to Niall.
The difficult truth was that Niall genuinely deserved the attention—her charm was authentic and earned.
To have the man you love snatched away by someone so undeniably exceptional, to feel powerless to reclaim him, particularly with the added complications between Dora and Rose—Vivian could only imagine the profound pain Veronica must have endured.