Niall sat stiffly in the plush private dining room of the upscale restaurant, her fingers clutching her phone with unnecessary force. Around her, Penny, Sophia, Bonnie, and the others were engaged in light conversation as they waited for their meals to arrive, unaware of the bombshell that had just been dropped in her ear.

Penny noticed the color draining from Niall's face as she ended the call. "What's wrong? Did Dario say something upsetting?"

Niall's voice was tight with tension when she finally spoke. "Dario is pulling out of our partnership. He's demanding compensation from us for damaging DataPulse's reputation."

"What?" The word echoed around the table as everyone froze in shock.

Bonnie's face flushed with indignation. "That's ridiculous! We've already apologized properly for what happened. Didn't that woman assure us everything would be smoothed over once you contacted Dario and expressed our regret?" She slammed her hand on the table. "Now he's breaking the contract and asking for compensation? This is absurd!"

Penny's expression hardened as understanding dawned. "Veronica orchestrated this."

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked, confusion evident in her voice.

Niall sighed heavily. "Veronica wanted our partnership with DataPulse to collapse. She's trying to delay our autonomous vehicle launch."

The implications hung heavy in the air. The autonomous vehicle market was highly competitive, with countless companies both domestic and international racing to dominate. Any delay would severely impact their market position.

If they lost DataPulse as a partner, finding a replacement with comparable technological expertise would be nearly impossible. The process would drain their resources – both time and money – and the resulting product would likely be inferior to what they could have developed with DataPulse.

The financial implications were staggering. Between contract termination fees, the search for a new partner, and the reduced marketability of their eventual product, the total losses could be astronomical.

Bonnie looked stunned. None of them had anticipated such serious consequences when Niall made that call to Dario, naively believing that a simple apology or modest compensation would resolve the issue.

"He can't just walk away from our collaboration," Bonnie protested, her voice rising. "We have to stop him!"

Everyone knew she was right, but nobody seemed to have a solution.

Sophia's expression darkened as she leaned forward. "Try talking to Dario again. We can renegotiate terms or offer more substantial compensation. At the end of the day, we're all business people. He won't turn down a profitable proposition."

She tapped her manicured nails against her water glass thoughtfully. "Besides, he stands to lose money if our partnership dissolves. If we make him a generous enough offer, he'll have no logical reason to refuse."

Niall remained silent. It wasn't that she was unwilling to approach Dario again; she simply doubted he would listen. The fact that he was willing to absorb financial losses just to punish her company suggested that his loyalty to Veronica outweighed his business sense. Clearly, Veronica still wielded significant influence over him.

Penny, having arrived at the same conclusion, offered another perspective. "This situation could become a major problem, or it could remain relatively minor. Dario might try to terminate our agreement through legal channels, but victory isn't guaranteed for him."

Bonnie's eyes lit up with hope. "Exactly! If they can't defeat us in court, they'll have no choice but to honor our partnership."

Niall didn't share their optimism. "Legal disputes are messy and drag on forever. Even if they don't win, they'll have accomplished their goal of delaying our project."

She ran a hand through her hair, frustration evident in her gesture. "And what if they do win? What if we're prevented from seeking a new partner until the case concludes? We'll miss crucial market opportunities."

Bonnie fell silent, her earlier confidence evaporating.

Jade, who had been listening intently, spoke up. "Veronica always seemed so harmless, almost timid. I never imagined her capable of such calculated malice. We clearly underestimated her."

The irony wasn't lost on any of them. Cullen had allied himself with the Crystal and Mack families long ago, making far greater sacrifices than Veronica ever had. They'd assumed Veronica would be powerless against them, yet she had managed to strike a devastating blow when they least expected it.

The most advantageous course of action would be to avoid both the legal battle and the termination of their collaboration with DataPulse.

After a moment of tense silence, Penny looked directly at Niall, her expression grave. "You need to talk to Cullen about this."