Whitney's face flushed with rage, her hands trembling as she gripped her water glass. She looked ready to storm across the room and confront Niall directly.
"That woman is absolutely shaless!" Whitney's voice cracked with indignation. "She's nothing but the bastard child of a howrecker, and now she's beco one herself! What gives her the right to act so superior? Miss Popular? What a joke! She's garbage, plain and simple!"
Veronica quietly refilled Whitney's glass, her movents calm and controlled. "Miss Popular?"
"It's exactly what that pompous friend of Maverick's, Kolton, was bragging about earlier." Whitney's words tumbled out in a rush of anger. "Every single one of those empty-headed rich boys has fallen under her spell sohow. They all worship the ground she walks on and call her Miss Popular, like she's so kind of untouchable queen!"
Whitney's voice grew more strained as she continued. "Look, I could understand if it was just those brainless idiots fawning over her. But Cullen? And Maverick too?"
The mont the words left her mouth, Whitney's expression changed. She caught herself, realizing how her words might cut Veronica. Her face crumpled with regret. "Oh God, Ver, I'm so sorry. I didn't an to—"
Veronica's expression remained unchanged. "Don't worry about it."
The truth was, she had lived with this reality her entire life. Isaac had always chosen Niall over her. Huxley had done the sa. Even Sophia, her own paternal grandmother, had made it clear where her loyalties lay. Two years ago, Cullen had taken one look at Niall and fallen completely under her spell. Even little Sabrina had been so captivated that she wanted Niall as her new mother.
She had never allowed herself to break down over any of it. She had never shed tears or voiced her pain to anyone. If she had been the type to crumble, any one of those betrayals would have been enough to destroy her completely. But she had endured it all, year after year, without falling apart.
Compared to those deep wounds, what did Maverick and his shallow friends matter? When she had overheard their conversation earlier, she had felt absolutely nothing. Not even a flicker of hurt.
Whitney studied her friend's composed face, then reached out and pulled her into a fierce embrace. "Ver..."
Veronica managed a small smile. "It's getting late. We should head ho."
"You're right." Whitney squeezed her tighter before letting go. "And don't worry about your grandmother's birthday gift. We'll go shopping again soon. I promise we'll find sothing absolutely perfect for her."
Veronica nodded. "I'd like that."
The two won linked arms and made their way out of the building together. As they walked through the lobby toward the parking garage, they encountered Cullen and Niall, who were also leaving.
Cullen's eyes t Veronica's briefly, but she looked right through him as if he were invisible. She slipped into the driver's seat without acknowledging either of them.
Whitney shot them both a withering glare before climbing into the passenger seat with an audible huff.
The car pulled away smoothly, leaving Cullen and Niall standing in the lobby. Niall turned to Cullen with a questioning look.
"Let's go," Cullen said simply, his voice flat.
Niall's lips curved into a satisfied smile. "Of course."
As she spoke, she gazed in the direction Veronica's car had disappeared, and her smile grew even more triumphant.
After dropping Whitney off at her apartnt, Veronica was about to drive ho when her phone buzzed. Sabrina's na appeared on the screen.
"Mom, when are you coming ho tonight?"
Veronica started the engine, keeping her voice neutral. "I won't be back tonight. Get so sleep, sweetheart. I'll co see you when I can."
There was a pause, then a disappointed sigh. "Oh... okay."
Veronica could hear the loneliness in Sabrina's voice and understood imdiately. The little girl had been spending all her ti with Niall lately, completely enchanted by her future stepmother. But tonight, with Niall and Cullen at the auction, Sabrina found herself alone and bored. Only now, in her solitude, did she rember to call Veronica.
"Goodnight, Sabrina."
"Goodnight, Mom."
The next few days passed in a blur of intense work. Veronica had intended to shop for her grandmother's birthday gift, but every spare mont was consud by pressing deadlines and client etings.
After three days of non-stop work, Dario decided to treat the entire team to an elaborate lunch at an upscale restaurant as a reward for their dedication.
Following the al, Veronica excused herself to the restroom. On her way back to their private dining room, she froze mid-step.
A group of eight or nine people was erging from another private room down the hallway. They moved quickly toward the elevators, completely unaware of her presence.
"Isn't that...?" Dario had appeared beside her and followed her gaze to the departing group.
Veronica recognized them all imdiately. Niall walked arm-in-arm with Isaac and Huxley. Beside them was a stunning woman who stayed close to Isaac, obviously his current wife. And there was an elderly woman whose arm Niall held with apparent devotion.
"The Crystal family," Veronica said simply.
Understanding flashed across Dario's face. He studied the elderly woman with curiosity, then looked back at Veronica with concern. "That older woman... is she—"
That was Sophia, Veronica's paternal grandmother.
"She ans nothing to now." Veronica's voice was steady and emotionless.
Dario placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Should we go back?"
"Yes."
She had legally changed her surna years ago and severed all connections with the Crystal family. They truly were strangers to her now, and she felt nothing for any of them.
But there was sothing else that concerned her. Recently, she had learned that Niall's uncle's family, the Mack, had been purchasing property near her grandmother's villa in Porter. They were clearly planning to relocate permanently.
She had suspected the Crystal family would follow their lead, but she hadn't been monitoring their activities. Seeing nearly the entire family gathered in the city suggested they were already in the process of moving.
That afternoon, Veronica managed to leave work early. She t Whitney for dinner, and afterward, they spent over an hour browsing through various shops. Despite their efforts, they still hadn't found the perfect gift.
While Whitney was trying on clothes in a boutique, Veronica's phone rang again. Sabrina's na appeared on the screen.
"Mom, when are you coming ho?"
"What's wrong?" Veronica asked, though she kept her tone neutral.
"Dad's away on business, and I'm so lonely!"
Normally, Cullen's absence wouldn't prevent Sabrina from spending ti with Niall. But tomorrow was Saturday, and instead of making plans with her beloved future stepmother, she was calling Veronica instead.
Most likely, Niall was too occupied to entertain a child. With Sophia and the rest of the Crystal family now in town, and Cullen away on business, Niall probably had no ti or patience for Sabrina's needs.
"Find sothing to do for now. I'll co back tomorrow."
"Really?" Sabrina's voice imdiately brightened. "Promise you'll be there in the morning?"
"I promise."
That evening, despite hours of searching, Veronica still hadn't found a gift that felt right for her grandmother. The birthday was approaching rapidly, and she considered settling for sothing adequate. But when it ca to her grandmother, she couldn't bring herself to compromise on sothing so important.
The next morning, Veronica returned to Cullen's villa as promised. While Sabrina ate her breakfast, Veronica rembered sothing she needed to retrieve from upstairs.
She climbed the stairs to the master bedroom, expecting to find everything exactly as she had left it. But the mont she stepped through the doorway, she noticed sothing that made her blood run cold.
Two elaborate brocade jewelry boxes sat prominently on her vanity table, their intricate craftsmanship and expensive appearance imdiately catching her attention.
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