Chapter 04

Sophie had trouble adjusting to her new office. It was far too big for the few belongings she had. Sitting behind that massive desk, she almost missed the days when her workspace was nothing more than a cramped cubicle in the middle of an open-plan office. Still, she refused to complain, knowing full well she had no right to. Getting such a comfortable office with a breathtaking view of one of the many parks on campus wasn't something just anyone could have. Instead of criticizing it, she had to prove herself worthy. And that's exactly what she had been striving to do for the past two weeks.

Between finalizing the exact syllabus for the molecular biology semester, preparing her first lectures, and finally selecting her assistant for the tutorials, she hadn't had a single moment to herself. Sleep had become a luxury she only allowed herself in that room, and her social interactions were limited to phone calls. She let out a long sigh, leaning back against her chair. It had been a long time since she had been this invested. Her lab work wasn't any less demanding, but it was more of a marathon. Whereas here, she felt like she had been thrown into a race against time, where every minute counted.

The good news was that, on this evening before the new semester started, she was finally beginning to see the finish line. Most of her objectives were nearly met.

"Well, is this what you call decoration?"

Sophie snapped out of her thoughts to find Madam An Wu standing there, visibly unimpressed by what she saw.

"I found it at a flea market," the young woman justified herself, standing up. "It represents—"

"A ballerina tying her shoes."

Her boss stepped closer to the painting hanging on the adjacent wall, absentmindedly fiddling with her damp tea bag.

"It's hideous," she declared once she was just a few inches away from the so-called artwork.

"I want it gone."

Sophie nodded reluctantly. She liked that painting. Sure, it had been painted by an unknown artist, but that didn't make it any less beautiful. It was the only decorative element she had found, and removing it meant having to replace it. Once she had finished spewing her distaste, Madam An Wu sat down in the chair across from Sophie's desk.

"So," she began, "tomorrow's the big day. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. I'll do my best not to disappoint you."

That was exactly what her boss wanted to hear. A perfect response from one of her best assets. But she wasn't one to settle for so little.

"I hear you've found your assistant?"

"Yes, her name is Mei Ling. She's only nineteen, but she's sharp and responsible."

"A she?" her boss repeated, briefly scratching her chin. "That won't help our case."

Sophie quickly grasped what she meant—the barely concealed misogyny that still tainted the university's upper circles. Madam An Wu had briefly mentioned it when announcing Sophie's promotion. At that moment, Sophie regretted not thinking of it sooner, even though it wouldn't have changed a thing. Mei Ling Zü was her best candidate; she had realized it within minutes of the interview.

"She's clearly the best fit for the position, madam. I couldn't turn her down."

"If you say so. In any case, she's your protégée, not mine. Her mistakes will be your failures."

She delivered that last line while looking straight into Sophie's eyes—a subtle yet effective pressure move. But Sophie refused to be intimidated. She was confident in her choice, and showing even a sliver of doubt would only sow more uncertainty in the older woman's mind.

"Well, let's not dwell on it. What's done is done. Tell me instead about your syllabus. What will your first lecture cover?"

"I was thinking of going over some fundamentals. The structure of DNA, its orientation…"

"Perfect. All of that is covered in first-year courses, but after the summer and first semester, those students tend to forget everything. Have you used my old slides?"

"Yes, some of them. I just added more illustrations and the beginning of the first chapter, in case I have time to start it."

"That chapter is on replication, I assume?"

"Of course."

"An essential topic, yet third-year students still struggle with it…"

Sophie gave her a polite smile, and just then, a young woman appeared in the doorway.

"Ah, looks like duty calls," Madam An Wu deduced, turning to her secretary.

Both women stood up at the same time, Sophie intending to escort her out but stopping when her boss gestured that it wasn't necessary.

"Well then, I wish you good luck, though I doubt you'll need it. Speak slowly and clearly. Always answer their questions, and make sure they can hear you—use the mic if needed."

Sophie mentally stored away her advice as her superior walked away. She could have sworn she heard her add:

"And whatever you do, don't forget your USB drive! Without it, you're screwed."

The young woman nodded and instinctively glanced at the mentioned object. There was no way she would forget it—it would be the first thing she packed in her bag.

The rest of the day flew by. To prepare for tomorrow, Sophie spent the entire afternoon practicing her delivery. Pacing back and forth in her office, she tried to perfect opening lines to capture her audience's attention. As her boss had rightly pointed out, she needed to ensure her students focused on what she was saying rather than their phones or laptops.

Suddenly, against her will, the memory of the disastrous voicemail she had left for the subway vampire resurfaced. A perfect example of how she crumbled under pressure. Not a single coherent sentence had come out of her mouth. It was as if her tongue had turned to stone, struggling to form even the simplest words.

Sophie abruptly stopped in the middle of the room, feeling utterly ridiculous. No wonder he hadn't called back. Who would, after such a performance?

And the way she had ended it—

"Bye…"

Pathetic.

As she continued wallowing in embarrassment, her phone rang. For a fleeting moment, she hoped for the impossible. She rushed to pick it up, only to feel immediate disappointment when she recognized Laura-Jin's voice.

"Hey, you…"

"What do you want?"

"You're still mad, huh?" the elf easily concluded.

"Not at all. Your betrayal no longer matters to me. You know what they say—after anger comes indifference."

"Or forgiveness. It's all a matter of goodwill."

Sophie walked over to her large windows, making sure her irritation was loud and clear.

"Oh, come on, stop sulking," Laura-Jin pleaded. "I swear, I'll never call your jailbird without your permission again."

"I'd appreciate that."

"How can I make it up to you?"

"Find me a time machine."

"Your message wasn't that bad. Honestly, I thought it was cute," she teased, trying to reassure her.

Sophie could hear a lot of noise through the microphone—Laura-Jin must have been outside.

"You know that's a lie. I made a fool of myself. And the fact that he hasn't called back proves—"

"Proves that he's an idiot, plain and simple. Trust me, he's the one missing out."

She was sweet. How could Sophie stay mad at her any longer?

"Alright, you need to clear your head. Pack up your stuff—I'm coming over."

"Excuse me?"

"We're going for a drink. Meet me in front of the university."

Of course. This was Laura-Jin's way of solving problems. Her universal cure: alcohol.

"You're dreaming."

"I'll be there in an hour—just enough time to find something to start the night off easy."

"Laura-Jin, I am not giving my first-ever lecture with a hangover."

"Relax, that won't happen. I'll watch your intake."

"Lies."

"When did you stop trusting me, Sophie?"

"The day I started."

She heard Laura-Jin laugh and knew she had already lost the battle.

*** 

Sophie was kidnapped around ten o'clock in the evening. It was quick and straight out of an action movie. Laura-Jin didn't even give her time to protest. The moment she saw her step out of the building, she dragged her off campus and shoved her into a taxi. During the ride, she ignored Sophie's complaints and pleas, simply handing her a bottle of vodka. Sophie didn't even dare refuse—the look in her friend's eyes made it clear she wouldn't hesitate to inject it into her veins if necessary.

And so, under Laura-Jin's constant threat, she took her first sip in the back of the vehicle. Her throat burned instantly, and in an attempt to cool down, she unbuttoned the top of her shirt—just enough to catch the driver's attention and awaken her friend's motherly instincts. Sophie watched Laura-Jin bark at him with a small smile. There was no one more loyal than her in this world. That was one of the reasons she appreciated her so much. That, and the fact that she had connections in three-quarters of the city's nightclubs.

Sophie was already in high spirits when the bouncer opened the door for them. And that excitement only grew stronger with the electrifying music pounding in every corner of the venue. Grabbing her hand, Laura-Jin didn't give her a chance to wander off and led her straight to the bar, where she had to down two more shots of tequila.

"We agreed on bars, not nightclubs."

"What's the difference?" the elf shouted near her ear. "Besides, you owed me a night out anyway."

She wasn't wrong.

"Sophie, after tomorrow, seeing each other will become more and more complicated. If not impossible. Let's enjoy this while we still can."

Hitting the emotional weak spot—another one of her specialties. Finally admitting defeat, Sophie held out her hand and then pulled Laura-Jin toward the dance floor this time. All the alcohol she had consumed was taking full effect. She let go completely, not caring about anything around her. Only the deafening music and the ethereal being swaying behind her mattered. Soon, others joined them, apparently friends of Laura-Jin, and the party kicked into high gear.

Until the inevitable happened—something that always occurred whenever Sophie went out. The sudden and overwhelming need to pee. Knowing how bad she was at holding it in, she gave Laura-Jin a quick warning and slipped through the crowd. She scanned the room and spotted a neon sign pointing toward the restrooms upstairs. Climbing the stairs was an unexpected challenge, as was navigating the corridors, which all looked exactly the same.

She had drunk too much—there was no denying it now. But beyond her sudden urge to vomit, her legs refused to cooperate, and her bladder was on the verge of bursting. A wave of dizziness hit her. She felt trapped in an endless maze, forcing her to lean against a wall to regain her balance.

Breathing heavily, she didn't notice the shadow emerging a few meters away until it was too late. That same shadow, after a few blinks to clear her vision, sharpened into the shape of a man. The one man she would have preferred to avoid at all costs.

Ah Sahm.

She couldn't believe her eyes. Blinking frantically, she refused to accept his presence, clinging to the only explanation that made sense.

"And now I'm hallucinating," she mumbled.

"Perfect…"

She saw him tilt his head slightly before closing his eyes for a long moment. He was exasperated. At least, that's what she'd assume—if he were actually there. But since he wasn't…

"You can't be… It's impossible. No, you don't exist, and… and… oh, I love this song!"

Without further thought, Sophie forgot all about her physical state and started dancing again. But having lost all sense of coordination, her performance that night was nothing short of pitiful.

Yo sé que tienes

Un nuevo amor

Sin embargo, te deseo lo mejor…

She stumbled, spun around, and made small hand gestures. Shame had completely abandoned her body, and she even allowed herself some subtle hip movements. Nothing remotely suggestive to any sensible person.

However, the very real man standing before her was not exactly sensible.

Yo sé perder; pero

Ah-ah, ay

Cómo me duele

Ah-ah, ay

Cómo me duele…

And just when it seemed like things couldn't get any more embarrassing, Sophie felt the sudden urge to showcase her singing talent.

"Si vieras cómo duele, perder tu amor. Con tu adiós te llevas mi corazón… No sé si pueda, volver a amar. Porque te di todo el amor que pude dar…"

That dimly lit hallway with its utterly hideous wallpaper had become the stage for an overwhelmingly mediocre concert. One that no one should have been forced to witness—especially not someone with hearing as sharp as his. And yet, surprisingly, he didn't move an inch. She could feel his gaze on her, his ivory pupils following her every move. And that only encouraged her to keep going, pouring all her energy into the performance, using every bit of space she had.

Without realizing it, she was inching dangerously close to the male. Wanting to involve what she still believed was a mere nighttime hallucination, she grabbed his large, undeniably rough hand and spun herself around. His arm was strong, but lighter than she expected. And so, she lost her balance once again and found herself crashing into Ah Sahm. The deep growl that rumbled through his chest made her freeze as her hands landed against his abdomen.

It was only at that moment that her instincts—long struggling to make themselves heard—finally screamed at her to step back.

Too late. She was trapped.

Sophie stiffened as she felt a massive bulge pressing against her stomach.