Chapter 28
My conversation with Jason felt like I was implying that he liked me. Holding the phone, I thought about my online boyfriend from my past life. Or, more accurately, my “unrequited love. I’d never confessed, and he’d never expressed any feelings for me. Yet, his presence had been a small, flickering flame in my otherwise bleak and miserable existence, a constant source of warmth. It was similar to how Jason made me feel now. But I remained unsure if Jason was the same person from my past life.
Jason’s slender fingers tapped the phone.“Seeing injustice and righting it; do I need a reason? I help old ladies cross the street,
too.”
I chuckled, though a faint sense of disappointment lingered.“I’ll officially leave the Ashford family after the WAT, maybe away from First Quarter Pack.” I said, trying to sound casual.
“Welcome to live next door!”
After hanging up, I felt surprisingly cheerful, showering and even completing another practice exam before bed. The final mock exam was approaching, and I wanted to see how much I’d improved and whether I had a chance to get into Harvard University. If I could crack the top ten in the school, I had a fighting chance.
The next day, I saw Sophie approaching, carrying a bowl of congee. She placed it beside Nathan.“Nathan, I heard from Jarvis that you have an upset stomach. I made you some congee; it’ll help.”
She deliberately displayed a burn on her hand.
Nathan softened.“You got hurt. Don’t do this again; just ask the maids.”
“Nathan, you’ve sacrificed so much for this family. It’s the least I can do.”
Sophie flashed a sweet, innocent smile. Nathan felt a surge of warmth and subconsciously glanced at me. Surely I knew he had a stomach ache now.
My eyes
flickered with sarcasm as I saw the congee. As expected, it had arrived, albeit late.
I had no appetite and simply left, without a word. Nathan looked downcast. Didn’t I even want to ask him about his condition? Did I no longer care about him?
Sophie quickly said, “Nathan, Lina is worried about you; she’s just sulking.”
“I hope so.” He also hoped it was just a sulk; he didn’t believe she’d truly cut ties with the family over these things. Losing Lina’s concern felt… wrong.
Seeing her chance, Sophie also left for school.
Jarvis murmured, “Mr.Nathan, Miss Lina didn’t even ask you a single question. That’s truly excessive.”
Nathan’s expression brightened slightly when he saw the congee. Thank goodness Sophie was so considerate. He took a sip, but the pain intensified instead of easing. He frowned, remembering the medicinal meals I’d prepared, which always eased his
pain.
“Ask the kitchen to make one of Lina’s medicinal meals,” he said.
Jarvis hesitated.“The meals were all prepared by Miss Lina herself.”
“It’s just a meal! Is it that hard?” Nathan’s pain made his tone sharp.
A maid replied, “Mr.Nathan, I heard that Miss Lina prepares the rice a day in advance. She wakes up early to prepare the ingredients, all fresh. The cooking order and timing are precise; even a slight mistake would ruin it. It’s a prescription she got from an old Chinese medicine doctor. None of us have learned it, so all these years, Miss Lina has personally prepared them!”
Nathan felt a fresh wave of discomfort. He covered his face. She’d done all this for him. He never realized; he’d thought it was
simple.
< Chapter 28
Regret washed over him. He’d neglected me terribly, unaware of the hidden sacrifices I’d made. He’d failed as an older brothe I wasn’t sulking; I’d been deeply hurt.
He looked at Jarvis.“Get me the gifts I gave Lina to apologize to Sophie.”
Jarvis was surprised.“Those were gifts from Miss Lina to apologize to Miss Sophie. If you take them back, wouldn’t that be unfair to Miss Sophie? She’s already insecure in this house. If you do that, how can she stay?” Jarvis argued, “You shouldn’t be swayed by a bowl of congee. Miss Sophie even made you porridge and
got hurt.”
Nathan considered this, remembering Sophie’s injured hand, his heart softening.“Forget it. Just get the gifts I gave her back fo now.” He needed to change.
That night, I returned, ate dinner, and locked myself in my room. Soon, a knock came, and Nathan’s voice followed.“Lina, it’s
me.”
I opened the door, my expression impassive.“What?”
*This “This is for you.”
I saw a box containing an emerald necklace – a familiar piece. Wasn’t this the apology gift I’d given to Sophie? What was he doing?
Nathan’s voice was laced with guilt. “Lina, I know I’ve hurt you before. I’ve taken back the necklace. I’ll buy Sophie a new one, but this one is different to us, it shouldn’t have been given away.” He regretted his actions at the banquet. He’d been thoughtless.
I was stunned. He was actually “returning” the necklace! Remarkable. I hadn’t gotten them back before my death in the last life.
My eyes fell. My voice was flat.“No need. When a werewolf decides to give something, they never ask for it back.”
“Lina, please take it. It’ll ease my conscience. Consider it compensation.”
What kind of compensation was this? A slap followed by a sweet treat?
I saw Sophie hiding in the corner and deliberately raised my voice.“Nathan, I must criticize you. I willingly gave those gifts to Sophie. How can you take them back without reason? You’ll hurt Sophie, won’t you, Sophie?”
Nathan glanced at Sophie, feeling guilty, as he hadn’t asked her.
Sophie stepped forward, forcing a smile.“Lina, the gifts were just temporarily with me. I’m happy they’re returned. I’m not worthy of such expensive gifts; I always know my place. I don’t share the same bloodline as you, I am just an omega outsider.”
Her tone was incredibly sincere. But immediately after, she wiped away a tear, pretending to be upset.
Nathan panicked.“Sophie?”
I leaned against the door.“Nathan, you’d better go and comfort her.”
Nathan’s lips tightened.“Lina, I sincerely apologized, but why did you say those things to hurt Sophie? I am biased, making you feel wronged, but Sophie did nothing wrong! Her father saved your life. Don’t forget that!”
A cold smile touched my lips. Nothing had changed, after all. I’d almost been swayed.
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