"I can't believe ROCK's racing today! She's back in the country for her first race, and she's the top female racer on the continent—my absolute idol! There's no way I'm missing this!" Leo's eyes shone with unbridled excitement. "I promise I'll head straight home after the race. Don't worry about me—you can go on home."

"But I really think we should—" Veronica's words were drowned out by the sudden eruption of cheers from the crowd ahead of them, a thunderous chorus of "ROCK!" echoing through the stands.

"Oh my god, she's coming out!" Leo completely forgot Veronica was standing beside him. He pushed forward, joining the wave of frenzied fans, binoculars already pressed against his face as he focused intently on the starting line.

Veronica watched, somewhat bewildered by Leo's fanatical reaction. "Since when are you so into racing?" she asked, raising her voice above the crowd's roar. Though they weren't particularly close, she was certain he'd never mentioned any interest in motorsports before.

"I wasn't before, but that was before I discovered ROCK!" Leo barely glanced at her, too afraid to take his eyes off the track for long. "You have no idea how incredible she is—gorgeous, fearless, absolutely cool! Just wait until you see her, Veronica. Trust me, you'll fall for her too! She's literally perfect. Everyone adores her!"

Right on cue, ROCK made her grand entrance onto the track.

Leo erupted into screams alongside the rest of the fans, Veronica's presence momentarily erased from his consciousness.

Stomach grumbling, Veronica realized she hadn't eaten dinner yet. Considering how utterly captivated Leo was with ROCK and how impossible conversation had become in the deafening atmosphere, she decided the most practical approach would be to watch the race with him and then ensure he got home safely afterward.

Several minutes later, Leo thrust the binoculars into her hands. "Veronica! Look, there she is! Number 38 in the red racing suit! Isn't she just unbelievably sexy and wild?"

Though racing held no particular appeal for Veronica, Leo's enthusiasm was contagious. With mild reluctance, she accepted the binoculars and raised them to her eyes—only to freeze in place at what she saw.

ROCK was Niall.

Veronica knew Niall enjoyed various extreme sports, but she'd had no idea Niall was a professional racer with this level of fame and such a devoted following of fans.

Through the lenses, she could see Niall standing confidently in her form-fitting red racing suit, cutting an impressive figure—athletic yet curvy in all the right places. There was something magnetic about her stance, an aura of absolute self-assurance. The combination of wild elegance and untamed allure made it nearly impossible to look away.

Adjusting the focus slightly, Veronica panned across to the spectator stands on the opposite side. Her breath caught when she spotted Cullen there, his gaze fixed on Niall with unmistakable intensity and admiration.

Veronica's fingers tightened around the binoculars.

As the race preparations reached their final moments, Leo impatiently reclaimed his binoculars. "Come on, it's about to start!" Meanwhile, Veronica continued stealing glances toward Cullen's section.

He wasn't alone. Sabrina was there too, along with Cullen's usual circle of close friends. They had clearly all gathered to support Niall, their animated conversations and expectant expressions telling Veronica everything she needed to know.

The race began with a thunderous roar of engines, cars shooting forward in colorful blurs while the crowd erupted in a frenzy of screams and cheers.

"Here!" Leo shoved the binoculars back into Veronica's hands. "Look, Veronica! My idol is absolutely killing it! She's so bold but precise at the same time—super cool! You have to watch her!"

Reluctantly taking the binoculars again, Veronica located Niall's car. Within moments, she witnessed Niall execute a maneuver so daring yet so perfectly calculated that it left the entire audience gasping—overtaking a competitor on a treacherous turn that seemed impossible to navigate at such speed.

Veronica, who had never cared for racing in her life, found herself utterly spellbound. The binoculars remained pressed against her eyes, her body perfectly still.

In that moment, something shifted inside her. Suddenly, she understood with perfect clarity why Cullen was so captivated by Niall. The realization settled into her consciousness with undeniable weight: it made complete sense. How could anyone not be drawn to someone so extraordinary?

As Niall's red car streaked across the track, commanding attention and defying expectations with every turn, Veronica felt something uncomfortably close to admiration stirring within her. Despite herself, she continued watching, unable to look away from the woman who seemed to embody everything she was not—fearless, captivating, and completely in control of her destiny.