Edric extended his hand with a polite smile. "Edric Patterson."

Lester took it, his grip firm and purposeful. Their eyes met in a silent exchange that spoke volumes – a wordless acknowledgment that they were both interested in the same woman, and each would stand his ground.

After releasing Lester's hand, Edric turned his attention back to Veronica. "My presence here has made you uncomfortable, hasn't it?"

It had indeed, but Veronica opted for diplomacy. "A little," she admitted.

"I suspected as much," Edric replied, his voice carrying a hint of regret. "I knew showing up like this might make you uneasy, but I came anyway. I felt that if I didn't at least try, I'd always wonder if your feelings might have changed. Now I have my answer." He paused. "But I want you to know I'll be more considerate of your boundaries going forward."

The implication hung in the air – he wasn't giving up his pursuit entirely.

Before Veronica could formulate a response, Edric addressed Dario. "I think we'll need to postpone that DataPulse tour to another time. I won't impose on you all any longer."

Dario had taken a liking to Edric. In his estimation, if Veronica were ever to move on after her divorce, Edric would make a worthy partner. However, seeing Veronica's evident lack of interest, he wasn't about to play matchmaker.

"Our doors are always open if you'd like to visit again," Dario offered politely.

Edric acknowledged this with a nod. Before departing, he cast one final glance at Veronica, who stood there pensively. He seemed to be on the verge of saying something more meaningful, but ultimately settled for, "Until next time."

"Take care," she responded softly.

As Edric walked away, Lester's spirits lifted considerably. He had initially assumed Edric and Veronica were already involved, but now he understood – Edric's interest was unrequited. Veronica had rejected him, clearly and definitively.

The office grapevine began buzzing almost immediately after Edric's departure. Word spread quickly about the handsome visitor who had come specifically to see Veronica.

"Was that gorgeous man her husband?" one curious colleague asked.

Lester, seated at his workstation, froze mid-click. Her husband? Had he heard correctly?

Before he could intervene, another coworker clarified, "Mira at reception thought so too at first. But from what I gathered from their conversation, he's just someone pursuing her. Definitely not her husband!"

"Wow, so some model-looking guy tracked her down at work? I wonder if her husband knows about this admirer. If—"

Unable to contain himself any longer, Lester interrupted, "Wait. Are you saying Veronica is married?"

"Yeah," his colleague replied with surprise. "You didn't know that?"

"No, I didn't."

Initially, Lester had suspected Veronica and Dario might be romantically involved. However, after spending time at DataPulse, he'd observed nothing to suggest they were a couple. They never arrived or departed together, and there was a conspicuous absence of any romantic interaction between them.

He'd even asked Veronica directly, and she confirmed they weren't dating.

His colleague pondered this for a moment. "Oh, right. You only started working here this year. The veterans in the department all know about her situation, but we don't really discuss her personal life much anymore, so it makes sense you wouldn't know."

Lester remained silent, processing this revelation. Veronica being married had blindsided him completely.

After gathering his thoughts, he asked, "What's her husband like? Has anyone here met him? Do they have a good relationship?"

"We've only caught a glimpse of him once during a video call last year – just his silhouette, never his face. No one knows who he really is."

Another colleague chimed in, "As for their relationship... it's complicated. Veronica has been with DataPulse for quite some time now, but apart from that unexpected video appearance, her husband has never shown up again. And she never talks about him either."