Sophia didn''t even nce at him, her voice steady butcking warmth. "Moving out is something I''ve wanted for a while now. No special reason."


    Conrad''s eyes were shadowed and hard to read. Of course, he knew why his cousin wanted to leave. Trying to slip from his grip? Not in this lifetime.


    "With the little paycheck you get from working at that local pharmacy, if you move out, you won''t even be able to cover your own expenses. Aren''t you just making my parents worry unnecessarily? Sophia, you''re an adult now. You should think things through more carefully," Conrad said slowly.


    "I can handle my own expenses without you worrying about it," Sophia replied, her tone even. Turning to Manny and Patricia, she added, "Uncle, Aunt, please don''t try to talk me out of it. My mind''s made up."


    With that, she stood up, gave a slight nod, and left the dining room, heading upstairs.


    Patricia snapped out of her daze, "This child..."


    Conrad ignored his mother''s words, narrowing his eyes as he stood up too. "I''ll go talk to her."


    He headed upstairs and knocked on Sophia''s door.


    Sophia was packing when she heard the knock. She paused, went to the door, and opened it, her expression unsurprised to see Conrad standing there.


    Conrad nced at her, then his eyes fell on the open suitcase behind her, a slight smirk on his lips. “So eager to leave the Keller family? Do you really think you can pull it off?"


    With no one else around, Sophia didn''t bother with pleasantries. Leaning against the doorframe, she said casually, "Sorry to burst your bubble, but I can."


    Conrad scoffed, always finding his cousin''s resolve amusingly false. "You really think that by moving out, you can dodge all responsibilities? Let me tell you, with just a word from me, your life in Riverdale could be very tough, got it?" "You make it sound awfully grand," Sophia retorted with a sarcastic nod, unfazed by Conrad''s threats. She sighed, "But I''m just not easy to scare."


    Conrad shook his head, not willing to waste more words. "I''ll chalk up today''s talk to you having a momentarypse in judgment. But if I hear you mention moving out again, don''t me me for not considering family ties."


    He paused, softening his tone to y on emotions. "If nothing else, think about my parents. They''ve always treated you like their own daughter. Can you really live with that on your conscience? Wouldn''t it break their hearts?"


    Sophia''s carefree demeanor slowly turned serious. She always hated when Conrad used these arguments.


    Rubbing her temples, Sophia stood straighter, her eyes cold as she looked at Conrad. "This is thest time, the absolutest time Ipromise for your parents."


    Conrad''s lips curved slightly. He had seen iting. His cousin loved making a scene to assert her independence, only to backtrack in the end.


    He didn''t look down on her for no reason. She really was quite the dramatist. While Conrad was inwardly dismissive, Sophia spoke again.


    "Of course, I''m notpromising by staying..." Sophia pulled a small bottle from her pocket, her fingers casually ying with it.


    Seeing what she was holding, Conrad had a pretty good idea of what it was. His eyes narrowed. "And so?"