My Coldhearted Husband’s Regret

Dario remained completely oblivious to the intensity of Marco's stare fixed on Veronica from across the room.

Lost in his own theatrical moment, he swept into an exaggerated bow with flourish, extending his hand with all the ceremony of a courtly gentleman. "Would you grant me the extraordinary privilege of dancing with the most captivating woman in this entire ballroom, Ms. Murray?"

Veronica possessed natural dancing ability that matched her grace in other areas of life.

She found herself genuinely amused by Dario's over-the-top display of chivalry and responded warmly, "The privilege would be entirely mine, I assure you." Without hesitation, she placed her delicate hand in his outstretched palm.

With her fingers securely nestled in his grasp, Dario guided her confidently toward the polished dance floor.

Observing this exchange, Marco turned his attention to his own companion and extended his hand with practiced politeness to the woman standing beside him.

As Veronica and Dario made their entrance onto the dance floor, their attention was immediately drawn to Cullen and Niall positioning themselves nearby.

The other couple appeared ready to begin their own dance, and their timing created a moment where all four found themselves exchanging glances simultaneously.

Just as Veronica prepared to redirect her focus elsewhere, she noticed what appeared to be Cullen directing a smile specifically toward her.

A slight frown creased her brow as confusion flickered through her mind. Almost immediately, she recognized her mistake with crystal clarity.

Cullen's warm expression was meant entirely for Niall, his chosen partner. His attention had never wandered to Veronica even for an instant.

Veronica deliberately turned her focus back to Dario, allowing herself to become completely absorbed in the rhythm and movement of their dance.

Edric, Maverick, and Nate represented the cream of eligible bachelors within these exclusive social circles.

Consequently, numerous women harbored hopes of securing a dance with any one of these highly sought-after men.

Following his cordial exchange with Dario, Maverick's complete attention remained laser-focused on Niall alone.

Much like Edric's approach to the evening, Maverick had arrived with absolutely no intention of participating in the dancing.

Nevertheless, several young women from prominent families maintained long-standing friendships with their respective families.

Due to persistent encouragement from their elders and gentle pressure from the matchmaking attempts, they eventually surrendered to social expectations, each selecting a well-connected young lady and making their way onto the crowded dance floor.

Nate, in stark contrast to his friends, took the initiative in extending invitations himself, behavior that aligned perfectly with his well-established reputation as someone who genuinely enjoyed female company.

Veronica radiated an aura of natural tranquility and sophisticated elegance that seemed effortless. Her carefully chosen cocktail dress complemented her movements as she glided across the dance floor with classical, almost poetic grace. Her genuine smile illuminated her features, transforming her into the undisputed centerpiece of the entire evening's festivities.

This magnetic presence naturally attracted numerous men who harbored desires to trade places with Dario as her dance partner, and Kolton found himself prominently among their ranks.

He maneuvered through the crowd with his current partner trailing behind him and addressed the pair directly. "Mr. Reid, would you consider allowing us to exchange partners for the next song?"

Kolton's unwavering gaze remained fixed on Veronica with obvious interest. Dario's expression immediately shifted to something considerably darker and more possessive. "I think I'll pass on that suggestion." Kolton found himself completely without words to respond.

At that precise moment, Veronica detected someone addressing her by name. "You are Ms. Murray, correct? Would you be interested in switching partners for the upcoming dance?"

Veronica hesitated briefly and turned to identify the speaker, discovering that Edric's current partner was the one making the request.

The woman possessed an undeniably attractive face, and her interest in Dario was transparently obvious and barely concealed.

Veronica responded with diplomatic grace. She glanced toward Dario, who appeared genuinely surprised by this unexpected development, and replied diplomatically, "I have no objections personally, though I cannot speak for Mr. Patterson regarding his preferences."

Edric answered with characteristic nonchalance, "Either arrangement works perfectly fine for me." Dario stood there in stunned silence.

Apparently, his personal preferences and opinions carried no weight in this particular decision-making process.

However, upon reflection, Edric undeniably possessed numerous admirable qualities, and nothing about him suggested he would prove an unsuitable companion for Veronica.

With this reasoning in mind, Dario reconsidered his initial resistance.

Following this unspoken agreement reached between all parties, they executed a seamless exchange of dance partners.

Veronica experienced distinct discomfort at the prospect of placing her hand in a complete stranger's grasp and positioning her other hand on his shoulder in such an intimate dancing position.

True to his reputation, Edric maintained the lightest possible contact while demonstrating complete respect for her boundaries.

Recognizing Veronica's instinctive tension and obvious discomfort with the situation, Edric formed the impression that she possessed limited experience with romantic relationships, perhaps never having been seriously involved with anyone.

Given that their previous encounters had been minimal and they lacked any real familiarity with each other, Edric took the initiative to establish proper introductions. "My name is Edric Patterson."

Veronica simply had not developed any comfort level with maintaining such close physical proximity to an unfamiliar man. After allowing herself a brief moment to regain her composure and settle her nerves, she lifted her eyes to meet his and responded, "I am Veronica Murray."