Veronica maintained her indifference toward Cullen's opinions of her. She simply wasn't interested in what he thought.

After finishing their lunch, Veronica's group alongside Dario made their way back to Dennis Tech for their scheduled afternoon meeting. This time, Penny and Bonnie didn't accompany them, but Niall did tag along.

When Dario noticed Niall joining them again, he couldn't help but roll his eyes discreetly. Clearing his throat, he began, "Mr. Dennis, regarding Ms. Crystal's presence—"

Cullen cut him off before he could finish his thought. "If confidentiality is your concern, there's no need to worry. Should any issues arise, I'll assume complete responsibility."

Dario wasn't surprised by the response. After all, Cullen had made the exact same declaration when they initially began their collaboration with Stellar. Nevertheless, Dario still needed explicit confirmation.

With Cullen's reassurance, Dario offered a polite yet somewhat forced smile. "Your guarantee puts my mind at ease."

During the morning session, Cullen had occupied the central seat at the table by himself. Now with Niall present, he instructed someone to place an additional chair beside him, where she settled comfortably.

Veronica took note of this arrangement but quickly diverted her attention elsewhere. The meeting officially commenced.

With Dario handling the bulk of the discussion, Veronica found herself with little reason to speak. Both she and Lester primarily observed and listened attentively.

Partway through the proceedings, Veronica felt a dry sensation in her throat and reached for a nearby water bottle. However, Lester beat her to it.

"Feeling thirsty? Allow me," he offered, already twisting off the cap before she could respond.

Veronica glanced at him, accepting the opened bottle with a simple, "Thank you."

Lester responded with a warm smile and leaned closer to discuss some technical aspects that Cullen and Dario had just covered.

Veronica lowered her voice to respond, and the two engaged in a surprisingly extensive conversation about the subject.

Niall had already picked up on their dynamic earlier during lunch at the restaurant. She'd noticed how Lester positioned himself next to Veronica, seemingly making a point to stay close to her.

But was it really what it appeared to be?

Niall understood precisely how deeply Lester cared for her. He'd changed his entire academic focus to AI because of her and even returned to Ophelia with her in mind.

How could his affections have shifted so rapidly to someone else?

With this thought, she cast a sidelong glance at Cullen seated beside her. She observed that he too had noticed Lester's attentiveness toward Veronica.

Yet after a brief look, he seemed entirely uninterested and promptly returned his attention to the meeting.

Seeing this reaction, Niall considered the implications. Cullen clearly understood Lester's feelings for her. Yet watching Lester approach Veronica now, he should logically suspect that Lester's intentions weren't genuine. But he hadn't warned Veronica about it.

This suggested that even if other men flirted with Veronica, even if she got hurt or manipulated in the process, Cullen wouldn't concern himself with it in the slightest.

This realization brought a subtle smile to Niall's face.

Meanwhile, Maverick wasn't particularly focused on Lester. His attention was directed toward the dynamic between Niall and Cullen.

There had been a period when Cullen and Veronica seemed unusually close. Maverick had worried that Cullen might betray Niall's trust. But lately, the two appeared to have minimal interaction.

Perhaps Cullen had momentarily been captivated by Veronica's beauty, but ultimately, she hadn't succeeded in winning his heart. It seemed clear that Niall remained the object of his affection.

Today—both during lunch and now in the meeting—Cullen hadn't shown any special interest in Veronica.

This observation provided Maverick with a considerable sense of relief.