Veronica and Dario were deep in conversation with other guests, completely oblivious to the silent exchange happening between Marco and Lester across the room.
Having skipped dinner earlier, Veronica eventually excused herself from her group and made her way to the buffet area, her empty stomach demanding attention. She carefully navigated through the crowd of elegantly dressed attendees, her gaze scanning the impressive spread of food laid out before her.
It didn't take long before Lester appeared beside her, smoothly initiating a conversation with a charming smile that lit up his features. His timing seemed almost calculated, yet natural enough not to raise suspicion.
Meanwhile, Nate was standing near the buffet area when he spotted the pair. He visibly tensed, muttering a soft "Shit" under his breath before quickly turning away and heading back toward Cullen and Niall, who were engaged in their own conversation.
Leaning close to Cullen, Nate whispered urgently, "That Lester... I swear he's into Veronica. The way he looks at her is... damn!"
Cullen's attention shifted to where Nate indicated, his eyes narrowing slightly as he observed Lester conversing with Veronica. What he saw was unmistakable—Lester stood slightly inclined toward her, his gaze warm and intense, reflecting the unmistakable look of a man captivated by the woman before him.
Every gesture Lester made toward Veronica seemed purposeful yet gentle. When she finished her drink, he immediately took the empty glass from her hand, setting it aside. Then, noticing her eyeing a dessert on the top shelf, he reached for it effortlessly and placed the delicate piece of cake in her hands with remarkable care.
Cullen raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the display of attentiveness Lester was showing toward Veronica. There was something almost practiced about his tenderness.
Niall had also caught sight of the interaction the moment Nate mentioned it. She watched silently as Lester continued his charming performance. His actions toward Veronica were indeed considerate and gentle—perhaps too perfectly so.
If she hadn't been privy to the truth behind Lester's intentions, Niall might have believed the sincerity of his apparent affection for Veronica. But the words of Lester's friend echoed in her mind: "Lester will pretend to like Veronica first. Once she falls for him, he'll ruthlessly dump her—"
Turning her attention back to Veronica, Niall noticed how animated and happy she seemed in Lester's company. Had she already been ensnared by his charm? Did she genuinely believe Lester's feelings were authentic?
A subtle, knowing smile played at the corners of Niall's lips as she lowered her gaze. She glanced sideways at Cullen, noticing his complete indifference despite witnessing another man openly pursue his ex-wife. Her smile deepened, containing secrets only she understood.
Nate suddenly perked up as if remembering something important. "Oh, right," he said to Cullen. "Isn't Dennis Group's tech division looking to partner with DataPulse? Shouldn't you be talking to Dario about that?"
Cullen took an unhurried sip of his wine before responding, "Too many people surrounding him right now. I'll catch him later."
If such a partnership between Dennis Group and DataPulse materialized, it would inevitably mean more frequent encounters between Veronica and Cullen in the future. Most women in Niall's position would feel threatened by such a prospect—their partner maintaining regular contact with an ex-wife—and would likely try to prevent such a collaboration from happening.
But Niall merely smiled indifferently, betraying no concern whatsoever.
Across the banquet hall, Marco had been engaged in conversation with a business associate. When he finally managed to look up, his eyes immediately found Veronica and Lester still deep in conversation. Judging by Veronica's animated expressions and genuine laughter, they were clearly enjoying each other's company.
He'd known Veronica for quite some time now, and although their relationship had improved recently, there had been considerable tension between them in the past. Because of that history, she never showed him such a naturally happy smile when they spoke. She certainly never talked this much or this enthusiastically with him.
Marco knew very little about Lester, but he couldn't deny that the man was exceptionally handsome. Something darkened in Marco's eyes as he contemplated the scene before him.
Turning to his conversation partner, he said firmly, "Apologies, but I need to attend to something. Let's continue this later."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked with purposeful strides directly toward Veronica and Lester, his expression set with determination.