That morning, Veronica had barely settled into her work rhythm when she received the official notification she'd been anxiously awaiting—her paper had been accepted by a prestigious AI journal. Her lips curved into a satisfied smile as she scanned the acceptance email.
Not long after, Dario stopped by her workspace to discuss some project details. When she mentioned her paper's acceptance, he merely nodded with a knowing look.
"With Malcolm's endorsement behind it, I'd have been more surprised if they hadn't accepted it," he commented. Malcolm's reputation in the field carried significant weight—his approval virtually guaranteed publication.
After they wrapped up their work discussion, Veronica glanced at her watch and realized it was approaching noon. "Hungry? Want to grab lunch together?" she asked casually.
Dario massaged his temples, a subtle weariness visible in his expression. "Can't today. Got plans."
Veronica looked up with curiosity. "Oh? Something important?"
A wry smile twisted Dario's lips. "A blind date. My grandfather's arrangement."
Veronica couldn't suppress her amusement. "You've made it to 28 without a single blind date? That's quite an achievement."
Dario gave her a look that said everything.
In truth, his family had generally respected his personal life, never pushing the marriage agenda too aggressively. But this particular setup was special—the woman was the granddaughter of his grandfather's lifelong friend. The obligation was too strong to decline without causing offense.
"Well, enjoy your romantic lunch then," Veronica said with a light chuckle. "I'll just hit the cafeteria."
"Thanks. See you later."
Thirty minutes later, Dario found himself seated in a restaurant that screamed romance—soft lighting, intimate table arrangements, and couples everywhere. He felt immediately out of place in the atmosphere designed for lovers.
His blind date arrived shortly after, smiling nervously as she approached his table.
By coincidence, Nate entered the same restaurant at that moment, accompanied by a fashionably dressed woman. His sharp eyes immediately spotted Dario sitting at a nearby table, though Dario, with his back turned, remained unaware of Nate's presence.
An amused smirk played across Nate's face as he deliberately selected a table directly behind Dario, positioning himself to overhear the conversation.
While Dario wasn't speaking loudly, his voice carried just enough for Nate to catch snippets confirming his suspicion—this was definitely a blind date.
When his companion started to speak, Nate quickly pressed a finger to his lips, silently requesting her discretion. His eyes sparkled with mischief as he discreetly pulled out his phone and captured a photo of Dario and his date.
Without hesitation, he sent the image to the group chat he shared with Cullen, Marco, and Niall, adding the teasing message: "Guess what's happening? Hint: this is a couple's restaurant."
Marco had just finished his work shift and was contemplating lunch when the notification appeared on his screen. He opened the message and immediately understood Nate's implication—Dario on a blind date. Yet instead of responding, he deliberately left the message unread, as though he'd never seen it.
Niall and Cullen likewise maintained radio silence.
Growing impatient at the lack of response, Nate sent another message: "Where is everyone? It's lunchtime—are you all busy?"
Still nothing from Marco. Finally, Niall broke the silence with a simple: "Saw it."
Encouraged, Nate pressed further. "Smart as you are, you must already know what's going on, right?"
Like Marco, Niall had instantly deduced the situation from the photo. She replied with amused certainty, "A blind date?"
"Bingo!" Nate confirmed triumphantly.
Niall smiled at her screen but didn't continue the conversation. She recalled a conversation from a few days prior about Cook's birthday banquet. Though she hadn't attended, she'd heard that Dario's mother had expressed surprising approval of Veronica, even suggesting she'd be ready to plan their wedding whenever they were.
The statement had struck Niall as ridiculous. She was certain Dario's mother only spoke so favorably because she didn't really know Veronica's background. If she discovered Veronica's previous marriage to Cullen, her enthusiasm would surely evaporate.
With Cullen and Marco still silent, Nate impatiently tagged them both in another message.
When they continued ignoring him, he directed a question to Niall: "Cullen isn't with you?"
Niall responded promptly, "No, he had something to do. Left on a business trip this morning."
"Alright then," Nate replied, slightly disappointed.
Just as he set his phone down, Cullen finally appeared in the chat with a characteristically terse response: "Noted."