Bloodbound Betrayal

Chapter 9: Confession（1）

Next Monday marked the official start of the school term. At the regular Friday afternoon meeting, Ned assigned Sophie to chair the session and deliver the monthly report. Her voice was clear and melodious, her hosting style lively and engaging, and her report comprehensive and incisive, peppered with the occasional dry humor. Though a bit too casual for such a formal setting, it gave the attendees a refreshing change of pace, and everyone burst into laughter.

Seated at the head of the table, Ned watched Sophie—confident and captivating—and felt a sudden jolt in his chest. In just four short months, the wide-eyed rookie who had first walked through the doors was gone. She had grown. And that chatty, soft-spoken quirk of hers had become utterly endearing.

When the meeting ended, Archibald—who had been waiting at Sophie’s cubicle—sprang to his feet and enveloped her in a hug. “I’m falling harder for you every day. What am I supposed to do? I heard everything from outside—you were amazing!”

“Waa—” A chorus of shrieks rippled through the office.

“Quit it! Everyone’s watching. You want them to tease me to death?” Sophie patted his shoulder, her face flaming red.

Archibald released her and waved at the room. “Nothing to see here, back to work, folks.” At that moment Ned emerged from the conference room and caught the tail end of the scene.

“Ned, borrowing Sophie for a sec—be right back!” Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed her hand and whisked her out of the office area, heading straight for the rooftop.

…The office fell into stunned silence; a few people looked ready to sneak up and spy.

On the rooftop, an exhilarated Archibald pulled a small gift from his pocket and pressed it into Sophie’s palm. “Here, for you—an enrollment present. No refusing. This is the very first gift I’ve ever given you.”

Staring at the latest-model iPhone in her hand, Sophie shook her head repeatedly. “It’s too expensive—I can’t accept it. My salary’s more than enough; I can buy a new phone myself.”

“Take it, take it! If you give it back after I’ve gifted it, I’ll lose face,” Archibald said breezily.

“No, no—at least let me pay you. Consider it me buying it.” Sophie earnestly grabbed his hand, trying to return the phone.

“Pay? No way. This is your university enrollment gift—huge significance. You have to accept.” He pushed the phone back into her palm.

…

When Ned reached the rooftop, he caught the tail end of their tug-of-war. A sudden gloom settled over him. He realized he was paying closer attention to Sophie’s every move—her joys, her sorrows, and especially her playful closeness with Archibald. It all registered, and it all affected him.

Sharp-eyed Archibald spotted Ned and waved him over. “Ned, perfect timing! Look, this is the enrollment gift I got Sophie—she won’t take it. Help me convince her.”

Ned strode forward. “Take it,” he said simply.

“Oh.” Sophie obediently accepted Archibald’s gift.

Ahem. “What the heck? You listen to Ned just like that? Suddenly feels like he’s the one who gave it!” Archibald gaped at them, hopping mad.

Sophie smiled sweetly and thanked Archibald.

Then Ned handed her the large gift bag he’d been carrying. “Enrollment gift.”

“Can I open it?” Sophie asked cautiously, lifting the bag with care.

Ned nodded.

“WOW—wow-wow! Labubu! The whole Labubu set!” A delighted squeal echoed across the rooftop. Stars sparkled in Sophie’s eyes as she hugged a Labubu doll, unable to let go. In her excitement she grabbed Ned’s arm and bounced on her toes.

“What the—?! I give you a gift and you hem and haw, but his gift makes you lose your mind? What even is this ugly little monster?” Archibald snatched the Labubu from her hands. “Ugh, it really is a toothy, claw-waving gremlin. You’re this happy over something so hideous? I’m devastated!”

Hahaha… Laughter rang out across the rooftop, wave after wave…

The two brothers had a tacit understanding; each knew the other's feelings for Sophie, but they were secretly competing, waiting for the right moment to confess to her.

Meanwhile, LSE's courses had begun in full swing, and her life—balancing work and studies—was busy yet fulfilling.

On the university campus, she had made a few new good friends. None of them lived on campus, and their selected courses overlapped, so they often hung out together.

"Sophie, wait for me a second. I'm going to the faculty gate to pick up a friend; I'll be right back." This was Lara, the beloved daughter of LSE Professor Charles Cadogan. Charles Cadogan was a director of the Cadogan Property Group and owner of a Chelsea mansion. This meant Lara was a noble lady from a wealthy aristocratic family.

When they first heard this, the group of friends was a bit shocked. Although Lara was indeed dressed head-to-toe in designer brands and had a driver picking her up in a luxury car, she was always very down-to-earth. She never picky about what her classmates ate, and when exchanging gifts, she never looked down on cheap ones or viewed her clearly working-class friends—who relied on part-time jobs for living expenses—with colored glasses.

"Lara's friend—could it be another aristocrat? I've only had Lara as my one noble friend in my whole life," the classmates discussed the topic, nodding in agreement.

Sophie originally had a class in the afternoon, but the old professor had apologetically informed the students that morning: he had been temporarily reassigned by the school to attend an exchange meeting with the University of Manchester, lasting three days. So her afternoon class was canceled, and she planned to head to C&C early after lunch.

From afar, she saw a tall man in an orange hoodie walking with Lara—quite the eye-catching pair, drawing countless gazes along the way, as they looked so perfectly matched.

"Tsk tsk tsk, what a heartless one. As soon as she got to university, she vanished—nowhere to be found. It really breaks my heart!" Archibald teased from a distance upon spotting Sophie.