Veronica's Problem
Veronica Stark was broken.
At least, that was Tony's diagnosis.
She walked into the lab smiling.
She smiled while reviewing reports.
She smiled while signing documents.
She smiled when Tony complained.
Tony narrowed his eyes.
"Okay," he said slowly, circling her chair, "you're either dying, possessed, or in love."
Veronica blinked.
"Yes."
Tony froze.
"…Yes what?"
She looked up, confused.
"Yes."
Tony gasped dramatically and grabbed her shoulders.
"That's it. You admitted it. You're ill."
"What— Tony, stop!" she protested as he inspected her eyes, her posture, even her pulse.
"What are you doing?!" she snapped.
Tony pointed at her triumphantly.
"You told me you were ill."
Veronica crossed her arms.
"You weren't listening!"
Tony leaned back, smirking.
"…So. How was the date?"
Her face exploded into red.
Tony's eyes lit up.
"Oh. Oh. This is better than coffee."
She tried to deny it.
Failed.
Tried again.
Failed harder.
Finally, she sighed.
"He listened," she admitted softly.
"And he didn't treat me like a Stark first."
Tony's expression softened.
Then he pulled out a tablet.
"Okay. Start from the beginning. I'm taking notes."
"What?!"
"If this guy cracked the Veronica Stark code," Tony said seriously, "I need this data for future use."
Elsewhere — Hearts in Conflict
Gwen Stacy stared at Alex's office door long after he left.
She'd never felt threatened by another woman before.
Now she did.
She's beautiful. Confident. And he likes her.
The realization hurt more than she expected.
"I'm being ridiculous," Gwen muttered.
Her heart disagreed.
Skye listened to music too loud, trying to drown out her thoughts.
Alex never asked who she used to be.
He never pushed.
He just… trusted her.
"That's not fair," she whispered.
Trust made her want to stay.
Wanting scared her.
Felicia Hardy leaned back in her chair, boots on the desk, twirling a pen.
"So the boss went on a date," she said aloud.
Her smile was playful.
Her eyes weren't.
She wasn't used to wanting something she couldn't just take.
And for the first time—
Felicia Hardy wasn't sure she wanted to play games.
Quiet Certainty
That night, Alex cooked dinner in the Ashborn residence.
Ciel observed calmly.
"Your presence probability has increased Veronica Stark's emotional stability by 23%," she said.
Alex chuckled.
"…That good?"
Ciel paused.
"You are forming a romantic anchor."
Alex nodded slowly.
Elsewhere in New York, four women lay awake.
One smiling.
Three conflicted.
And none of them realized that this was only the calm before something much larger began to move.