Bloodbound Betrayal

Chapter 38: A Different Ned (2)

In the booth, there had originally been six men and ten women. Most of the women were perched on the men’s laps, arms draped around their necks. From time to time, a man would rest his head against a woman’s chest or playfully squeeze her soft hips, drawing coquettish little murmurs and shy giggles in response.

And every one of these women was scorching hot, with flawless faces and perfect bodies. Some looked pure and innocent, some sultry and seductive, some icy and aloof, some with sharp, distinctive personalities… Sophie studied them carefully and realized they all seemed oddly familiar. After a few more glances, her eyes widened in shock: most of the women in the room were actually top-tier celebrities currently dominating the charts.

For example, the beauty sitting on the lap of the man in the sapphire-blue shirt was none other than the mega-star Mary. Sophie had just binged her latest drama a few weeks ago; it was still trending everywhere.

Seeing this scene, Sophie’s face drained of color. She suddenly understood all too clearly: this was the real everyday life of these aristocratic tycoons. But she had never, ever imagined that Ned would bring her to a place like this…

Right now she was completely at a loss, unsure whether she should sit down or just bolt out the door. She could feel every woman in the room glancing at her, some openly, some subtly. Their eyes carried mockery, disdain, hostility, and rivalry; most of all, they were watching her like she was the evening’s entertainment.

“I’m sorry, I need to use the restroom. Excuse me.” Sophie just wanted to escape this suffocating den of decadence, this playground of debauchery built on piles of money.

“Mary, why don’t you take her? Show our new little sister the way while you’re at it. Thanks, babe,” the man in the sapphire-blue shirt said with a smirk, his tone dripping with innuendo.

Mary stayed perched on his lap for a long moment, squirming lazily, before finally standing up with obvious reluctance. “Come on, little girl,” she said without even glancing at Sophie, her voice cold and clipped as she pushed open the booth door.

Sophie stole one last look at Ned, who was laughing and drinking with the woman in red. Her pleading, helpless gaze went completely unnoticed by him. She could only lower her eyes and follow Mary out of the room.

“How on earth did you end up coming here with Ned?” Mary asked the moment they stepped into the restroom. She leaned both hands on the marble counter, watching Sophie turn on the faucet and splash cold water on her face. Her tone was icy and confrontational.

Sophie lifted her head, her face expressionless, refusing to answer. She gently patted her cheeks with both hands, trying to stay clear-headed. She still remembered how much she had adored this celebrity while bingeing her drama, but now, sharing the same restroom with her, all Sophie felt was disgust and hypocrisy.

“Tsk, still acting all high and mighty?” Mary turned sideways and glared at her. “I asked you a question. Why aren’t you answering?”

Sophie remained silent. She pulled out a tissue and lightly dabbed the water droplets from her face, then stared into the mirror, her expression still blank.

“We’re all the same. Every one of us wants to climb the ladder and marry into money. Don’t think you’re better than me just because you’re putting on airs.” Mary took out her lipstick and started touching up her makeup.

“Little sister, that woman in the red dress? She’s Ned’s favorite—Helen.” After finishing her lips, Mary tossed the lipstick back into her clutch, turned, and headed for the door of the lavish restroom. “Let me give you a friendly warning: every woman in that room has her eyes on Ned. You… don’t stand a chance.” She flashed Sophie a sarcastic “no” hand gesture.

Sophie tilted her head back, staring up at the extravagant crystal chandelier overhead. “Do all of you come here every day?”

“So she does speak!” Mary paused mid-step, letting out a cold laugh, her eyes slanting sideways. “You came here with Ned—if you’re so curious, why don’t you ask him yourself?”

“I only asked because it’s obvious you’re all regulars,” Sophie said, finally turning to look Mary straight in the eye. “Aren’t you the famous star everyone loves? Why would you come to a place like this?”

“A place like this? What kind of place is this? Isn’t it fabulous?” Mary sneered. “Aristocratic heirs and billionaires for the picking—I could change flavors every night if I felt like it.”

“Don’t look at me with those self-righteous eyes. You’re no better than I am.” She folded her arms across her chest, voice dripping with mockery. “We all want the same thing, so spare me the innocent act. If you’re really that confident, let’s see who wins Ned in the end.”

Mary’s words stabbed into Sophie’s mind like needles. She understood all too clearly that this hedonistic, money-drenched “lifestyle” was the everyday reality for these aristocratic elites. Archibald was like this—so was Ned, no exception.

Sophie lowered her head and said nothing more. Mary had already walked out of the restroom.

Sophie didn’t know how long she had been hiding in the restroom. Eventually she came back to her senses and stared for a long time at the pale, numb-faced girl in the mirror…

Silently, she told herself: This is his world, a world you never knew existed.

She lowered her head again, turned the faucet back on, and kept splashing cold water on her face, desperate to wake herself up. She was searching for a reasonable excuse, something comforting enough to convince herself that she could accept this version of Ned, that she could face the depravity right in front of her with understanding and indifference.

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t persuade her own heart. The path she wanted to take was a dead end. She was terrified that once she stepped onto it, there would be no turning back. That road was lined with thorns and shrouded in fog; even if she tried to turn around halfway, she would be covered in wounds, torn and bleeding, only to sink deeper and deeper…