"Did you run into him again this morning?" Dario asked, his voice laced with concern.
"Yeah," Veronica replied with a weary sigh. The emotional toll of going through a divorce while still encountering her ex regularly was draining. But with their companies now officially in partnership, these awkward encounters were unavoidable.
Wednesday arrived after two hectic days at the office. Vincent tagged both Veronica and Dario in the group chat, alerting them to a situation that needed attention. Since Dario was mid-flight to another province, Veronica took charge after receiving a briefing. She gathered her equipment and a small team of engineers, then headed to Stellar.
This marked her first visit to Stellar since Cullen had transferred ownership to Niall. As her team exited their vehicle in the parking lot, Veronica noticed Maverick stepping out of his car nearby. Despite the change in Stellar's leadership, Maverick had maintained his working relationship with the company—the only difference being that his primary contact had shifted from Cullen to Niall.
Their eyes met briefly before both quickly averted their gaze, pretending not to notice each other.
Upon entering the building, they immediately spotted Niall in the lobby. She appeared trapped by an admirer who had brought an absurdly large bouquet of crimson roses. Standing with her back to the entrance, Niall turned when Veronica and Maverick walked in, her eyes landing directly on Veronica.
It was their first encounter since Niall had discovered Marco's feelings for Veronica. Her expression instantly darkened, a shadow crossing her features.
Maverick, noticing Niall's discomfort, approached her. "What's going on?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.
Veronica didn't spare them another glance. Whatever drama was unfolding wasn't her business—she simply continued toward the elevator with her engineering team in tow.
After a couple of minutes waiting for the elevator, Veronica overheard Niall's voice carrying across the lobby. "Thanks for stepping in."
"No problem," Maverick replied.
"Doesn't this building have security?" he continued, his tone worried. "Why didn't anyone stop him?"
Niall exhaled audibly. "He paid them off."
"So, he's just free to show up whenever he wants?" Maverick's voice was tight with disapproval.
"He won't," Niall responded coolly. "I'll talk to Cullen about it later. He'll handle it."
Maverick lowered his gaze. After a moment's hesitation, he murmured, "Alright."
By the time their conversation concluded, they had caught up with Veronica's group just as the elevator doors slid open. Everyone stepped inside together, creating an immediate tension in the confined space.
The DataPulse engineers accompanying Veronica were aware of Stellar's change in leadership and recognized Niall. Once inside the elevator, one of them offered Niall a polite greeting, acknowledging her new position of authority.
Niall responded with a slight nod. "I appreciate all your hard work."
"Of course," one engineer replied promptly. "Happy to help."
Throughout the exchange, Niall maintained her characteristic grace and courtesy.
Then there was Veronica, whose frosty demeanor was impossible to miss. Maverick noticed how deliberately she ignored Niall's presence, treating her as if she were invisible.
The engineers had never witnessed direct interaction between the two women despite their numerous visits to Stellar. Now, observing how Veronica treated both Niall and Maverick as if they didn't exist—and how neither made any attempt to acknowledge her—the team quickly realized the relationship between the three was strained at best.
A heavy, uncomfortable silence descended upon the elevator as it climbed toward their destination, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. The engineers exchanged subtle glances, suddenly very interested in watching the floor numbers change on the digital display, eager to reach their floor and escape the suffocating atmosphere.