Veronica Stark — Day One
Veronica Stark stepped into Ashborn Tower wearing a perfectly tailored suit.
Calm.
Confident.
Professional.
Her expression said CEO.
But her heart was racing.
Felicia noticed first.
"Well, well," she murmured. "Looks like we have royalty."
Skye grinned. "She fits."
Veronica smiled politely. "Good morning."
She took the executive elevator.
Straight to the top.
Reactions
Word spread fast.
Gwen blinked when she heard.
"…CEO?"
She glanced toward Alex's office.
"…Huh."
Jennifer paused mid-briefing.
"…That explains a lot."
Her lips curved slightly.
Not annoyed.
Just… aware.
Helen smiled softly.
"So that's who she is."
She adjusted her glasses. "She's impressive."
Felicia leaned against the desk, arms crossed.
"Oh. She likes him."
Skye nodded. "Yeah. That's obvious."
There was no hostility.
No tension.
Just acceptance.
Another person in orbit.
Alex Sets Boundaries
Alex watched quietly.
Then acted.
Veronica's schedule was adjusted.
Meetings spaced out.
Breaks enforced.
No back-to-back marathons.
When Veronica noticed—
She stormed into his office.
"You're limiting my workload."
"Yes."
"I can handle it."
"I know," Alex replied calmly. "That doesn't mean you should."
She stared.
Then sighed.
"…You're impossible."
Alex smiled faintly. "So I've been told."
She left.
Blushing.
Tony, Unleashed
Tony arrived that afternoon.
He took one look at Veronica in the CEO chair.
Then burst out laughing.
"Wow. You really went for it."
"Tony—"
"No, no," he continued. "This is great. My sister. CEO. Crushing on the mysterious cosmic overlord."
Veronica turned red.
"I do not—!"
Tony leaned in.
"You followed him into his own empire."
She buried her face in her hands.
"…Stop."
Tony grinned. "Never."
Alex passed by.
Tony pointed. "See? Right there. That's the problem."
Alex ignored him.
Veronica peeked up.
Alex paused.
"…Do you need anything?"
She shook her head quickly.
"No— I mean— I'm fine."
Tony laughed again.
"I'm never letting this go."
Quiet Moments
Later—
Veronica sat at her desk, reviewing reports.
Alex stopped by.
"Take a break," he said.
She looked up. "…Already?"
"Yes."
She smiled.
"…Thank you."
As he walked away—
Gwen, Jennifer, Helen, Felicia, and Skye watched quietly.
Different expressions.
Same realization.
This wasn't competition.
This was… something else.