Edric did a double-take when he spotted Veronica walking across the military base.

"Ms. Murray?" he called out, surprise evident in his voice.

Veronica turned toward him, her expression composed. "Hello, Mr. Patterson."

A smile tugged at Edric's lips as he gave her a once-over. "Have they assigned you here now? Career change?"

"No," she replied with a small shake of her head. "My mentor requested my assistance on a project."

Edric paused, processing this information. The base had strict protocols about bringing in outside personnel. Only a select few had that kind of clearance and authority.

Then the connection hit him—her close friendship with Dario and their clearly platonic relationship. The puzzle pieces fell into place.

"Your mentor..." he ventured, "would that be Mr. Blair?"

"Yeah," Veronica confirmed with a slight nod.

The revelation washed over him. So she was one of Malcolm Blair's protégés, just like Dario. How had he missed that connection until now?

Suddenly, so many things made sense—Dario publicly crediting her for DataPulse's breakthrough at the banquet, his father's unusual interest in her not just at his grandfather's art exhibition but also at Maverick's forum.

His father must have known about her background all along. But being Malcolm's student alone wouldn't warrant such attention from someone like his father.

Unless—Edric's thoughts screeched to a halt as realization dawned—unless those groundbreaking projects from DataPulse that had dominated headlines were actually hers.

The possibility left him momentarily speechless as he stared at Veronica. She was so quiet and unassuming, never drawing attention to herself. How could someone so young have accomplished so much already?

They found an empty table in the cafeteria and settled in.

"How long will your assignment here last?" Edric asked, stirring his coffee.

"It's uncertain," Veronica replied. "It depends on what my mentor needs." She paused, taking a sip of her water. "It feels like forever since I've seen you outside of work. Is pilot training consuming all your time?"

Edric nodded, a hint of weariness crossing his face. "Yeah, they don't exactly give pilots generous vacation allowances."

His lunch break was nearly over. After a few more minutes of polite conversation, he excused himself to return to his duties, leaving Veronica to finish her meal alone.

Two days later, their paths crossed again during an AI-human combat exercise. The simulation pitted human pilots against AI-controlled jets in a sophisticated battle scenario.

As soon as the exercise concluded, Veronica and her fellow researchers sprang into action, collecting data, adjusting algorithms, and analyzing combat patterns with intense focus.

Edric entered the research department later that day and spotted her amidst the bustling activity. She was deeply engrossed in her work, eyes fixed on multiple screens displaying complex data patterns.

When she finally noticed his presence, she acknowledged him with a brief, professional nod before immediately returning to her analysis, fingers flying across the keyboard without missing a beat.

Veronica remained stationed at the base for nearly ten days before her assignment concluded. She left in the quiet hours of the night, arriving back at her apartment just as dawn broke over the city.

When she finally powered on her phone, the screen lit up with notifications—almost twenty missed calls from various contacts. Lester had called the most, followed by Marco, Sabrina, and even Cullen.

She could guess why Sabrina and Cullen had tried to reach her—likely work-related emergencies that couldn't wait. But Lester's repeated attempts concerned her most.

She decided to return his call first.

Lester answered almost immediately, relief evident in his voice. "You're finally back online."

"Yes," Veronica confirmed, stifling a yawn. "Was there a problem? Is everything okay now?"

"There was, but it's all sorted," he replied, tension melting from his voice.

Ten days earlier, Lester had shown up at the theater where they were supposed to meet, but Veronica never appeared. When his calls went straight to voicemail and she didn't show up for work on Monday, worry had consumed him.

He'd eventually sought out Dario, who explained she was handling a family matter. The explanation had been deliberately vague, but enough to assure him she wasn't in danger.

Now, hearing her voice, knowing she was safe, Lester could finally breathe easily again. The concern that had been his constant companion for the past ten days dissipated, replaced by profound relief that she was alright.