My Coldhearted Husband’s Regret

Sabrina shifted uncomfortably on the car seat, avoiding direct eye contact with Veronica through the rearview mirror. The weight of her earlier deception pressed against her conscience. "Mom, maybe you could drive me to school tomorrow instead?"

Veronica's voice carried a gentle warmth. "Of course, sweetheart."

Since Veronica and Leo were both heading in the same direction, they decided to share the ride. Leo had already pulled out his textbooks before they'd even left the driveway, determined to catch up on the morning study session he'd missed.

Veronica watched him struggle with a particularly challenging equation and leaned forward slightly. Her voice was soft but confident as she guided him through the problem, pointing out two subtle errors in his approach.

Leo's face lit up with genuine admiration. "Wow, Veronica! Your mind is like a steel trap. Nothing gets past you."

When they pulled up to the familiar brick facade of the high school, Veronica felt a strange tug in her chest. This was the same school where she'd walked these halls years ago, where she'd first discovered her passion for mathematics and science. The memories came flooding back in vivid detail - late nights in the library, the thrill of solving complex problems, the dreams she'd harbored about her future.

Leo's voice broke through her reverie as he gathered his backpack and bounded toward the car door. "Thanks for the ride, Veronica! See you later!"

"Take care," she called after him, watching his eager figure disappear into the crowd of students.

The morning traffic had thickened considerably by the time they merged back onto the main road. Veronica found herself lost in thought again, still processing the emotions that seeing her old school had stirred up.

At DataPulse, Dario was waiting near her desk when she arrived. His sharp eyes immediately picked up on something different about her appearance. Without warning, he reached out and gently pinched her cheek, his brow furrowing with concern. "You look completely drained. Are you coming down with something?"

"I had a fever yesterday," Veronica admitted, unconsciously touching the spot where his fingers had been. "But I'm much better now."

Dario crossed his arms, clearly unconvinced. "And you thought it was a brilliant idea to come to work anyway?"

Veronica gave him a half-hearted shrug, already moving toward her computer. "I told you, I'm feeling fine now. Besides, we have too much work to let a little fever slow us down."

"Actually, I need to head over to Stellar later this morning," Dario said, his tone shifting to business mode. "Want to tag along? Could use your perspective on a few things."

Veronica was already scanning through the latest batch of test results on her screen. "Sure, why not? Just give me some time to review these numbers first."

"Perfect. I'll swing by when you're ready." Dario headed toward his own office, leaving Veronica to dive into her work.

As she combed through the data, Veronica's trained eye caught several inconsistencies that made her stomach tighten with concern. Two complete data sets showed irregularities that could potentially compromise their entire analysis. Without hesitation, she gathered the problematic files and made her way to Jordan's workstation to discuss the necessary corrections.

Time seemed to slip away as she focused on resolving the data issues. Before she knew it, Dario was standing beside her desk again, briefcase in hand and car keys jingling impatiently.

"Ready to head out?" he asked, noting the intense concentration still etched on her face.

Veronica saved her work and grabbed her jacket. "Let's go."

The drive to Stellar was brief, and once they arrived, both Dario and Veronica wasted no time on small talk. They dove straight into the technical discussions, their professional chemistry evident as they worked through complex problems with practiced efficiency.

About an hour into their session, Vincent appeared with a small tray bearing two steaming cups of coffee. The rich aroma filled the conference room, providing a welcome break from the intensity of their work.

Dario accepted his cup gratefully and took a tentative sip. His eyebrows rose in pleasant surprise. "This is exceptional coffee, Vincent. Much more robust than what we usually get. Looks like Stellar is really stepping up its employee perks."

Vincent's grin turned decidedly mischievous, and Dario immediately recognized that look. It was the same expression Vincent wore whenever he was about to share some particularly juicy piece of office gossip.

"We have Ms. Crystal to thank for that upgrade," Vincent said with obvious satisfaction.

Dario felt his jaw tighten involuntarily. Of course it had something to do with Niall. He set his coffee cup down on the table with more force than necessary and shot a quick glance at Veronica to gauge her reaction.

Veronica, seemingly oblivious to the undercurrent of tension, continued sipping her coffee appreciatively. "I'm really thirsty," she murmured, taking another long drink.

Dario found himself momentarily speechless at her apparent indifference to the mention of Niall's name.

Vincent, clearly in his element now, leaned forward conspiratorially. "Didn't Mr. Dennis put Ms. Crystal in charge of that major client project?"

Dario gave a curt nod, his expression carefully neutral.

"Well," Vincent continued, warming to his subject, "word around the office is that Ms. Crystal is feeling the pressure of handling such a big responsibility for the first time. Her entire team has been putting in serious overtime, even on weekends. I heard they were still here past ten o'clock last night, burning the midnight oil."

"How interesting," Dario replied, his tone glacially cold.

Vincent seemed determined to paint Niall in the most positive light possible. "You have to admire her dedication and work ethic, though. She's not treating this project like some kind of joke just because she's dating Mr. Dennis. She's really throwing herself into it."

Dario let out a derisive snort. "Or maybe she simply lacks the necessary skills and experience, which is why she needs an entire team working around the clock just to keep up."

Vincent, ever the diplomat, tried to find middle ground. "Everyone needs time to develop their abilities, right? She's still learning the ropes."

"Perhaps," Dario conceded with studied indifference.

He turned slightly toward Veronica, his voice carrying a subtle edge of pride. "When Veronica took on her first major project at our company, she handled every aspect with remarkable composure and skill from start to finish."

Having worked alongside Veronica on several occasions, Vincent had witnessed firsthand her exceptional capabilities. In fact, he'd begun to suspect that Veronica might even surpass Dario in terms of raw talent and intuitive problem-solving abilities. So Dario's praise didn't surprise him in the least.

Vincent nodded thoughtfully before adding, "At least Ms. Crystal seems to have the right attitude and genuine commitment to the work. Combined with Mr. Dennis's guidance and support, I'm sure she'll achieve significant success in the future."