"Me too," Jaegar replied, his voice thick with emotion. "Thank you for your support. I will meet you again after a while, under better circumstances, of course."
Veronica's eyes twinkled with something that might have been mischief. "I will wait, then," she said. "Now go. They're in the lobby waiting for you."
Jaegar extended his hand, and Veronica clasped it firmly. The handshake was more than a simple goodbye; it was an acknowledgment of the strange bond that had formed between them, forged in the crucible of investigation and trial.
As their hands parted, Jaegar felt a small spark of magic pass between them. He raised an eyebrow questioningly, but Veronica merely smiled enigmatically and made a shooing motion with her hand.
"Go on," she urged. "Don't keep them waiting any longer."
With a final nod of gratitude, Jaegar turned and made his way towards the grand staircase.
