When Veronica spotted Claude, her expression remained perfectly neutral. Not even a flicker of surprise crossed her face.

Of course, he'd come. The smart traffic project was a cornerstone for the Crystal family's technology division, and she'd snatched it right from under their noses at the final hour. No family of their standing would simply accept such a loss without attempting some form of retaliation or prevention.

And this wouldn't be her last move against them. When opportunity presented itself again, she'd strike just as decisively.

The bidding was closed, the contracts signed. DataPulse had secured the project legally and completely. The Crystal had no recourse to reclaim it through official channels.

If her assessment was correct—and it usually was—Claude had come to prevent future losses. His strategy would likely involve emotional manipulation, appealing to family ties and sentimentality. After all, guilt trips cost nothing to deploy but could yield significant returns.

Veronica had no patience for such transparent tactics. Before he could even begin his prepared speech, she turned to face him directly, cutting him off with clinical precision.

"I recall quite vividly what happened the last time we were in public together. Madam Crystal made it abundantly clear to everyone present that I am not her granddaughter. You've been living in Porter for over six months now, and we've crossed paths multiple times during that period."

Her voice remained measured, controlled. "Yet not once—not a single instance—have you publicly acknowledged me as your daughter."

She paused, her gaze unflinching as she met his eyes directly. "So tell me, Mr. Crystal, what exactly do you believe you can say to me now that would make any difference?"

With those words, Veronica stripped away all pretense. The father-daughter relationship between them existed only in legal documents, not in reality.

Claude stood frozen, caught off guard by her directness. Before he could formulate a response, a low chuckle broke the tension from behind him.

"Well said," came Dario's voice, confident and slightly mocking. "Things have deteriorated to this point—Mr. Crystal, what meaningful conversation do you honestly think you could have with Ver now?"

Claude's brow furrowed with annoyance. "Mr. Reid, this is a private matter between me and Ver—"

"'Ver'?" Dario repeated with evident amusement. "You use such an affectionate nickname in private, yet I don't recall a single public instance when you've addressed her with such familiarity."

Everything that needed addressing had been laid bare. The underlying truths exposed.

Veronica saw no value in prolonging this interaction. She turned to Dario and said simply, "Let's go."

Claude saw it then—the complete detachment in her eyes. The realization hit him that she genuinely no longer viewed him as her father. The connection was severed.

Without a backward glance, Veronica headed toward the stairs, leaving him standing there.

Claude had barely managed to voice a single thought throughout the entire exchange.

With Dario present, it wasn't the appropriate moment to press his case anyway. All he could do was watch helplessly as she walked away from him, both physically and emotionally.

Once safely inside the elevator, Dario remarked with undisguised contempt, "After everything they've put you through, he still has the audacity to show up and invoke father-daughter sentiments. Truly shameless."

Veronica responded with a small smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I'm accustomed to it by now."

When Claude returned to the Crystal residence, both the Crystal and Mack immediately gathered around him, eager to learn the outcome of his meeting with Veronica.

How could he not understand the meaning behind Veronica's words? Her message had been painfully clear.

He shook his head in defeat. "She refused to listen."

Sophia's face darkened with a pronounced frown.

Veronica had accurately assessed the situation. Claude had approached her specifically to prevent further targeting of their business interests, hoping to avoid losing another critical project.

Bonnie scoffed dismissively, "This was merely a one-time fluke. So she managed to steal a single project from us. That hardly means she possesses the capability to repeat such success consistently. Aren't we giving her far too much importance?"

Her assessment wasn't entirely wrong. But businesses weren't damaged by anticipated threats—they fell to the unexpected ones that blindsided them.

With Veronica now aligned with Dario, if similar incidents occurred again, the Crystal family would bear the consequences. Prevention remained their best strategy.

Despite Bonnie's typical impulsiveness, her point resonated with everyone present, including Penny and Niall.

While Veronica might appear competent and dangerous now, they doubted Dario would support every vindictive move she might want to make against them.

And even if he did back her unconditionally, they refused to believe she possessed the ability or resources to undermine them at every turn.

Niall added pragmatically, "We shouldn't overreact to this situation. We simply need to exercise additional caution and maintain closer surveillance on her activities when we're developing new projects."

Claude nodded in resigned agreement. "That's all we can do for now."