Rose's medical treatment was still in the planning stages, which meant it wouldn't be implemented immediately.

The following day, after her morning hospital visit, Veronica returned to her regular work schedule. Griffin had flown in from out of province specifically for business discussions with her and Dario.

During lunchtime, Veronica and Dario took Griffin out to dine at an upscale restaurant downtown. Their business arrangement was nearly complete, and as they drove through the city, Dario casually inquired about Griffin's departure plans.

"I'm extending my stay by two days," Griffin replied with an easy smile. "I've got another business meeting scheduled for tomorrow."

Dario's interest was piqued. "Really? With whom, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Stellar," Griffin answered.

The moment that company name left his lips, both Veronica and Dario visibly tensed, their expressions cooling. Griffin, oblivious to the complicated history between DataPulse and Stellar, continued enthusiastically.

"Stellar just had a major technological breakthrough. Everyone in the industry is talking about their incredible future prospects," he explained, completely unaware of the discomfort he was causing. "Yesterday, Ms. Crystal from Stellar reached out about a potential collaboration. Their proposal was quite impressive, so I agreed to meet."

Both Dario and Veronica had been so consumed by their own projects that they hadn't kept up with industry news. This revelation hit them unexpectedly, leaving an uncomfortable silence hanging in the air.

After exchanging a quick glance with Veronica, Dario managed a neutral "Is that so..."

The conversation shifted to safer topics as they arrived at the restaurant. After finishing their meal and heading toward the exit, fate dealt them another unexpected card when they encountered Niall and her entourage at the elevator.

"Mr. Crystal," Griffin greeted warmly, spotting Claude and Niall among the group.

The Crystal appeared equally surprised by the chance meeting but quickly recovered. "Ah, Mr. Brennan!" Claude and Niall responded with practiced smiles.

After exchanging pleasantries, Griffin gestured toward Veronica and Dario. "Ms. Crystal, these two are—"

"No introduction necessary," Dario interrupted with a thin smile. "We're already acquainted."

Griffin chuckled sheepishly. "Of course, we did meet previously. My memory isn't what it used to be."

He couldn't help adding, "Mr. and Ms. Crystal, your company's recent success is truly remarkable. Quite enviable, actually."

Niall and Claude accepted the praise with false modesty, their faces glowing with barely contained triumph.

The news of Stellar's breakthrough in their autonomous vehicle technology had spread like wildfire throughout the industry. Experts were now predicting that if development continued at this pace, Stellar could easily become a ten-billion-dollar company.

Claude's technology company had also made significant strides, overcoming major hurdles with Cullen's assistance. Their future now looked remarkably bright after years of struggle.

The Crystal and Mack were riding high on Stellar's sudden success. Bonnie, standing beside them, could barely contain her smugness as she deliberately glanced at Veronica.

Everyone knew this success was Cullen's doing. He had likely anticipated this breakthrough before transferring company ownership to Niall, explaining why he showed no surprise when the news broke.

With both Stellar and Crystal Tech flourishing, plus Cullen and Veronica's impending divorce, it seemed as though all fortune had abandoned Veronica and flowed directly to the Crystal family.

Throughout the exchange, Veronica and Dario stood silently to the side, neither contributing nor acknowledging the thinly veiled gloating. Niall deliberately avoided looking at Veronica entirely.

When they reached the ground floor, the groups parted ways without further interaction.

Back in their car, Dario immediately searched for the news reports and finally understood why the Crystal and Mack had appeared so jubilant.

"Cullen is really..." he began but stopped abruptly, not wanting to finish the thought out of consideration for Veronica's feelings. Still, the unspoken words hung in the air—too generous!

Internally, Dario felt profoundly unsettled by this turn of events.

Upon returning to the office, while discussing their upcoming meeting, they received unexpected news: Stellar had transferred the final compensation payment of over 100 million dollars.

Dario paused mid-sentence. "They raised the funds that quickly?"

"Apparently so," Veronica replied softly.

A heavy silence fell between them before they forced themselves to refocus on work matters.

Later that afternoon, just as Veronica was leaving a meeting, her phone rang with a call from Whitney.

"Ver, have you heard about Stellar?" Whitney's voice crackled through the speaker.

"Yes, I have," Veronica replied, gripping her mouse tightly.

"That woman has unbelievable luck. If Stellar's autonomous vehicles really are as groundbreaking as they say—" Whitney continued without pause. "And I'm hearing that your terrible father's company is thriving too. They might even secure the government's smart traffic construction project. If they land that contract, Crystal Tech will become a household name."

Cullen had single-handedly elevated both Niall and the Crystal family to prominence in Porter.

Witnessing the Crystal family's rise to success, Whitney's voice filled with undisguised bitterness. "Why? Why do those terrible people get to have everything go their way?"