Kolton pressed forward with his inquiry. "What about approaching Dario directly? You two share so history, don't you?"
Edric's response ca asured and deliberate. "I could try that route, but Dario won't budge on this."
The mory of that evening's dance exchange lingered in Edric's mind. Veronica's expression when she had agreed to switch partners told him everything he needed to know about her relationship with Dario. They weren't lovers, but sothing deeper connected them.
Dario protected Veronica with an intensity that went beyond professional courtesy. Even if Edric managed to broker peace between Maverick and Dario, he doubted it would change anything regarding their collaboration.
Kolton's frustration mounted. "So we're back to focusing on Ms. Murray? We barely know anything about her background. How do we even begin? Should I have soone dig into her past?"
Maverick cut through the speculation with a dismissive wave. "Don't bother. I'm done wasting energy on her. I'll handle this through the old man."
Recognition dawned in Edric's eyes. "You're talking about going through Mr. Blair?"
"Exactly that."
The connection was simple enough. Dario had been Malcolm's protégé for years. If Malcolm intervened on Maverick's behalf, Dario would have no choice but to reconsider. Maverick felt confident in this approach.
He reached for his phone, preparing to dial Doran's number. But before his fingers could complete the action, the device buzzed with an incoming call. Doran's na flashed across the screen.
Maverick answered imdiately. Doran's voice cut straight through pleasantries. "What's the status on the DataPulse negotiations?"
The directness caught Maverick off guard, but he decided honesty served him best here. "They fell through completely. I was actually about to ask for your assistance."
"Explain what happened."
Maverick began carefully, "I had a disagreent with one of their engineers, and because of her, Dario decided to..."
Doran's interruption was sharp. "What's this engineer's na?"
The question seed oddly specific, but Maverick answered without hesitation. "Veronica Murray."
A long pause stretched between them. Then Doran's laughter filled the silence, though it carried no warmth. "So before any real business could begin, you managed to alienate one of their key technical staff. That's quite an achievent."
Maverick opened his mouth to protest. Veronica wasn't exactly crucial to their operations, just soone who seed to have Dario wrapped around her finger. But Doran's next words stopped him cold.
"I'll handle this situation for you."
Relief flooded through Maverick. "Thanks, old man. I owe you one."
"You're shaless, you know that?"
Maverick grinned despite himself. "When's your next break? We should celebrate once this gets sorted."
He genuinely believed he could have secured the DataPulse contract through his own rits. The only obstacle was this personal conflict with Veronica, sothing he considered beneath his concern. Taking the path of least resistance made perfect sense.
Doran's voice turned dry. "I was planning so ti off next week. But seeing you would probably take years off my life."
The line went dead.
Doran set his phone down, considering the conversation. He had deliberately avoided ntioning Veronica's significance. Sotis when life flowed too easily for soone, they forgot to appreciate what they had.
After a mont's reflection, he picked up the phone again and scrolled to Veronica's contact information.
Veronica glanced up from her computer screen when her phone rang. Doran's na appearing on the display made her pause, a flicker of recognition crossing her features. She accepted the call.
"Mr. Harris."
His warm chuckle reached her through the speaker. "I imagine you can guess why I'm reaching out."
She made a soft sound of acknowledgnt.
Despite her obvious understanding, Doran continued with his request. "Would you consider working with Maverick on this project? I'd consider it a personal favor, and I don't forget those who help ."
The proposition hung in the air between them. Veronica understood the weight of what he was offering. In the business world, personal debts from soone of Doran's stature held imnse value.
She also recognized the truth in his unspoken ssage. Professional relationships often required setting aside personal grievances. When both parties approached negotiations with genuine intent, even forr adversaries could find common ground.
The silence stretched as Veronica weighed her options. Doran had positioned this as a business transaction rather than an emotional appeal. He was offering her sothing valuable in exchange for her cooperation, treating her as an equal rather than soone to be manipulated.
"I need so ti to think about this," she finally said.
"Of course. But don't take too long. Opportunities like this don't wait indefinitely."
After ending the call, Veronica stared at her computer screen without really seeing it. The evening had taken an unexpected turn, and she found herself at a crossroads she hadn't anticipated.
Doran's offer represented more than just resolving a conflict with Maverick. It was a chance to demonstrate her ability to separate personal feelings from professional obligations. But it also ant potentially working closely with soone who had already shown disrespect for her boundaries.
The decision would reveal much about her priorities and her vision for her future at DataPulse.
CHAPTER__201
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