Marco slid into the driver's seat of his sleek sedan, his fingers drumming against the steering wheel as uncertainty clouded his features. After a long mont, he pulled out his phone and dialed.
"Nate, I just landed. Got another flight out tonight, but I need to swing by the hospital first to see Niall. Can you check if Cullen's around? If not, et there yourself."
Nate couldn't hide his surprise. "Wait, you're already back in town? Since when?"
Marco brushed off the question with practiced indifference. "Just call Niall and see if she's up for visitors."
Nate almost pressed about why Marco wasn't reaching out to Cullen or Niall directly, but sothing in his friend's clipped tone made him reconsider. Marco was probably swamped with work and cutting corners where he could.
Besides, Nate had been aning to visit Niall himself, so he didn't push the issue and agreed to help. Unfortunately, Cullen was tied up elsewhere.
After ending the call, Marco made stops at a florist and fruit market before driving to the hospital where Nate was waiting.
In the sterile hospital room, Niall's face brightened when she spotted Marco walking through the door. "This is unexpected. What brought you back so soon?"
Marco's response ca out flat and businesslike. "Had so matters to handle."
Niall's gaze dropped to the beautiful arrangent he'd just placed on her bedside table, her fingers trailing over the delicate petals. "I understand."
The question burned in her mind though. Had he really flown back for work obligations, or had he carved out ti specifically for her? Sure, he hadn't rushed to her bedside the mont she'd gotten hurt, but showing up now when his schedule allowed still carried weight.
anwhile, Veronica had spent the night at the Murray family ho.
Dawn broke gently, and she found herself awake early. The thriving succulent garden on the windowsill caught her eye as she stretched luxuriously, a sense of contentnt washing over her.
Downstairs, Poppy was already bustling around the kitchen, preparing a hearty breakfast spread for Veronica, Adrian, and Thomas.
Poppy looked up with a warm smile when she appeared. "Morning, sweetheart. You seem particularly bright today."
Veronica moved to help with the bread dough, her own smile genuine. "I'm feeling pretty good, actually."
They worked together to produce a batch of perfectly stead buns. Just as Veronica settled into her chair to enjoy the al, her phone started buzzing.
Sabrina's na flashed on the screen. Veronica let it go to voicemail. When it imdiately rang again, she made a decisive choice.
She powered down the device completely and returned her attention to breakfast.
When Sabrina's subsequent calls went straight to an automated ssage, frustration bubbled up inside her. She stomped toward the master suite to find Cullen.
Cullen had just returned from his morning jog, still catching his breath and heading for the shower when he noticed her stormy expression. "Sothing bothering you?"
"I tried calling Mom yesterday because I wanted her to co ho and make dinner for , but she never answered. Just now I called twice more, and she's still not picking up. When I tried a third ti, it said the line was disconnected."
Cullen stated matter-of-factly, "She switched her phone off."
Sabrina's brow furrowed in confusion. "Like, the battery died?"
Cullen remained noncommittal. "Could be."
"Then what am I supposed to do? I was hoping to hit the slopes today. Mom ntioned before that she'd take skiing if she had the chance."
Initially, she'd been too worried about Niall's condition to think about recreational activities, preferring to stay close to the hospital. But everyone kept discouraging her visits, citing infection risks and the need for rest. Now that Niall was clearly on the nd, Sabrina's anxiety had eased considerably.
With ti on her hands and no companion in sight, naturally she'd thought of her mother. But getting through to her was proving impossible.
"Give it so ti and try again. She'll probably turn it back on eventually."
Sabrina's shoulders sagged with disappointnt. "I guess..."
Veronica had no intention of keeping her phone off indefinitely. After all, she needed to coordinate with Dario about their ongoing projects. Leon might also need to reach her later in the day.
Roughly thirty minutes later, she reactivated the device.
Almost imdiately, Sabrina's call ca through again.
Veronica opened her laptop, deliberately ignored the incoming call, and dove into her research manuscript.
When her mother continued to dodge her calls and Cullen prepared to head out for his own commitnts, Sabrina's desperation peaked. "Dad, she's still not answering when I call. Could you try reaching her instead?"
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