The anticipation of watching Niall compete in her racing event tonight filled Sabrina with excitement. She smoothed down her new outfit and reached for her phone, eager to check for messages.

Her smile quickly faded.

Usually, Niall was lightning-fast with her responses, but this time there was nothing but silence, even though Sabrina had been waiting the entire time she got dressed.

A knot formed in her stomach. Had she upset Niall somehow?

Panic rising, Sabrina frantically typed another message: "Niall, are you upset with me? I wanted you to take me to school, not Mom! Please don't be mad, okay?"

Minutes ticked by with no response.

Veronica appeared in the doorway. "Sa, are you ready? Everyone's waiting for breakfast downstairs."

"I know!" Sabrina snapped, her frustration boiling over. "Do you always have to hover? You're so annoying!"

She snatched her bag and stormed past her mother, stomping down the stairs.

Veronica followed quietly behind, her observant eyes noting Sabrina's unfamiliar outfit. For years, Veronica had carefully selected Sabrina's wardrobe, always making sure her daughter approved of the choices. But since the Bella trip with Cullen, Sabrina's tastes had transformed dramatically.

The culprit behind this change was obvious: Niall. The brilliant, adventurous woman who had introduced Sabrina to rock climbing and skateboarding had become her daughter's idol. Sabrina was mirroring everything about her—from hobbies to fashion sense.

Though it pained her to see Sabrina's growing attachment to another woman, Veronica never voiced her concerns. She'd even adapted her shopping habits, buying clothes that matched Sabrina's new preferences.

Yet those carefully chosen outfits remained unworn. Sabrina only cared about clothes Niall picked out.

Looking at the camouflage ensemble Sabrina wore now, Veronica knew exactly where it had come from. Still, she maintained her composure as they descended the stairs.

Cook was already at the breakfast table while Aila and the others were still asleep.

"Ver, Sa, early birds today I see," Cook greeted them warmly.

"Good morning, Grandma," Veronica replied with a gentle smile.

"Morning, Cook," Sabrina mumbled without enthusiasm.

Cook's eyes narrowed slightly. "What's wrong, Sa? You seem upset."

When Sabrina didn't answer, Carlos chimed in from across the table. "Probably just cranky from the early wake-up call," he said with a light chuckle.

Cook smiled at Carlos's comment but turned her attention to Veronica. "Where's Cullen? Still sleeping?"

"He had business to attend to last night," Veronica answered evenly.

A shadow crossed Cook's face. She had a good idea what kind of "business" Cullen might be handling, but with Sabrina present, she kept her thoughts to herself.

After breakfast, as they prepared to leave, Sabrina suddenly remembered something and dashed upstairs. Veronica waited patiently by the front door.

A moment later, Sabrina's phone buzzed on the table. The screen lit up with a notification from "Niall ♥."

Veronica froze.

She'd always respected Sabrina's privacy, never once snooping through her daughter's phone. But something compelled her to pick it up now.

Quickly scanning through the messages, Veronica pieced together why Sabrina had been so irritable. Every morning, Sabrina sent Niall a good morning text, followed by lengthy conversations.

Hearing the elevator doors open, Veronica hastily returned the phone to its original position.

When Sabrina returned and saw Niall had finally responded, her entire demeanor transformed. Niall's message reassured her that she could never be mad at Sabrina and had only been sleeping in late.

Sabrina's face lit up with pure joy.

Veronica caught a glimpse of her daughter's radiant expression but said nothing, though she knew exactly what had caused the sudden mood shift.

In the car, Sabrina sat in the back seat, happily messaging Niall. Occasionally, she glanced up to check if her mother was watching her.

But Veronica kept her eyes on the road, seemingly focused on driving. Satisfied, Sabrina returned to her conversation.

After about thirty minutes of texting, Sabrina put her phone down, her spirits completely lifted. Now cheerful, she initiated conversation with Veronica.

"Mom, do you have anything planned for this afternoon?" she asked casually.

"Why?" Veronica responded, keeping her eyes on the road.

"Just tell me," Sabrina whined playfully.

"There's a lot happening at work. I'm quite busy. What did you need?"

Sabrina grinned. "Oh, nothing important."

Inside, she was celebrating. If Mom is too busy to pick me up after school, I can go straight to Niall's place without anyone knowing!

At school, Veronica accompanied Sabrina to meet her homeroom teacher, Catherine Hudson. As they followed Catherine toward Sabrina's classroom, a high-pitched voice called out.

"Ms. Murray!"

Veronica turned to see a small figure racing toward her. She quickly crouched down to catch the child before they could tumble over.

Looking up into the child's face, recognition dawned. "Audrey?"

It was indeed Audrey, the little girl she had rescued from an aggressive dog several days ago.

"Mm-hmm!" Audrey beamed, her twin braids bouncing as she nodded.

Veronica's voice softened naturally. "Audrey, I didn't know you attended this school—"

Before she could finish, Sabrina suddenly shoved Audrey aside.

"Sa!" Veronica exclaimed, catching Audrey before she fell. "Audrey, are you alright?"

The little girl looked up, confusion filling her eyes as she shook her head. "Why... why did you push me?"

Sabrina had initially been startled by Audrey's sudden appearance, but watching how tenderly her mother interacted with the girl had sparked something ugly inside her.

As Audrey's eyes welled with tears, Sabrina's face twisted with contempt.

"Stop being so weak," she spat. "You look ugly and disgusting in pink!"