Lester's brow furrowed as he absorbed the information. "Not a single lead about her past?"

"Nothing concrete," his friend replied, leaning in closer. "Word is she tied the knot pretty young, but the marriage was rocky at best. Strange thing is, neighbors of the Murray family claim they've never laid eyes on this husband of hers. Even more telling? Her family apparently refuses to acknowledge him—won't even say his name in conversation."

He paused, as if weighing whether to continue, then added, "And there's something else. They have a child together."

Lester's head snapped up, certain he'd misheard. "Come again?"

"You heard right. Blew my mind too when I found out," his friend confirmed with a slight nod. "Looking at her now, you'd never suspect it."

Indeed, the revelation hit Lester like a physical blow. All those months working alongside Veronica at DataPulse, and not once had she mentioned having a child. Nothing in her demeanor or conversations had ever hinted at motherhood.

Noting Lester's stunned expression, his friend asked pointedly, "Want me to continue digging, or...?"

The implication hung heavy between them. Veronica Murray: married before, mother to a child. Did Lester still want to pursue her knowing this? If not, why bother investigating further?

Lester stood frozen, his mind racing through his disappointing romantic history. Life had blessed him in nearly every area except love. The first woman who captured his heart ended up falling for someone else while he was still gathering courage to confess. And now, just as he found himself drawn to Veronica, he discovers she carries far more complicated baggage than he'd imagined.

Who could realistically embrace such a situation?

His friend sighed sympathetically, patting his shoulder, ready to abandon the conversation.

Just then, Veronica's melodic voice floated over from her ongoing conversation with Reyna. Lester turned instinctively toward the sound, his gaze lingering on her animated expressions, her confident posture.

After several heartbeats, his eyes hardened with resolve. "Tell me everything else you found."

His friend, already mentally disengaged and scanning the room for potential flirtations, blinked in confusion. "What's that?"

Realization dawned, and he stared at Lester with undisguised shock. "Seriously? You're still interested? After what I just told you?"

Lester met his gaze steadily, offering no verbal response.

Before his friend could press further, Lester spotted Niall approaching. She casually joined a conversation happening nearby.

Lester hesitated, momentarily distracted by her presence.

His friend recognized Niall as well. When she glanced in their direction, he offered an awkward half-wave and a polite smile. "Ms. Crystal, good evening."

Niall acknowledged him with a slight nod before looking toward Lester.

Lester returned only the barest nod before deliberately turning away, positioning himself to face the opposite direction.

Taking the cue, his friend quickly refocused. "So, shall I continue? Honestly, there's not much more. Want me to investigate deeper?"

"No need," Lester replied firmly.

While curiosity about Veronica's ex-husband lingered, he didn't feel compelled to uncover every detail. The marriage was already dissolved. Excavating the past too thoroughly served little purpose now.

He had only requested background information to get a general sense of who Veronica was—not to dissect her entire life history.

His friend shrugged. "Fair enough."

Meanwhile, Niall, having observed Lester's dismissive reaction, also looked away.

When they had first arrived at the event, Lester had immediately glanced in their direction. Bonnie, ever perceptive of such things, had nudged Niall playfully. "Looks like Mr. Martin has his eye on you tonight."

Niall had remained silent. After witnessing Veronica's impressive handling of business discussions, her thoughts had inevitably drifted to Lester's potential interest in such a capable woman.

Veronica possessed natural beauty, but when engaged in conversation with Reyna, she radiated a magnetic confidence that elevated her appeal even further.

Someone with that combination of qualities could easily captivate anyone. Yet when Niall glanced at Lester, she noticed he was only conversing with his friend, not watching Veronica at all.

This observation, paired with Bonnie's comment, brought a faint, reassured smile to Niall's lips.

The moment was interrupted by Marco and Nate arriving, offering apologies to their host. "Sorry for our tardiness—we encountered an unexpected situation en route."

"No need for formalities among friends," the host reassured them.

The instant Niall spotted Marco, her smile vanished.

After greeting their host, Marco immediately sought out Veronica, walking directly toward her with singular focus. In his gaze, there existed only Veronica—he seemed entirely unaware of Niall's presence.

It was Nate who noticed the two women, subtly signaling to Marco before acknowledging Niall with a brief nod.

Niall observed the entire interaction with perfect clarity.

Bonnie, oblivious to the undercurrents, brightened at Marco's arrival. "Look, it's Marco! Let's go say hello—"

Her enthusiasm died mid-sentence as she watched Marco make a beeline for Veronica and Dario. She huffed irritably, "Why is he gravitating toward them again? So frustrating."

Marco's appearance after his notable absence had an immediate effect on Lester, whose expression darkened considerably. When he observed Marco approaching Veronica, Lester promptly changed course, striding purposefully toward her as well.