The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

"Maybe it's just," Kent pondered, "being tough on oneself, you know?"

Brandon seemed to zone out for a second before turning to look at him.

Thinking he might have said something off, Kent added awkwardly, "Just spitballing here."

"You're right."

Brandon said, pushing himself up from the wall with his elbow, "She's always been her own toughest critic."

So tough that it seemed like his refusal to let go was just another level of cruelty to her.

A pang hit Brandon in the chest with this realization.

He averted his gaze.

He didn't stick around in the gym any longer, heading back to his hotel room to wash off the sweat and with it, the heavy feeling

that had been pressing on his chest all afternoon.

After freshening up, Brandon redirected his focus back to work.

And he was knee-deep in it until late at night.

By the the packed up his laptop, the city outside had completely succumbed to sleep.

He was staying at the Starlight Hotel, part of the Starlight Group, in a presidential suite similar to the one he'd stayed in back in

Wye City, with nearly identical decor.

The familiar setting easily brought back bittersweet memories.

Back then, he and Sophia were already distant, despite appearances. It was only his ultimatum that forced her back by his side.

Two years had passed and nothing had changed. The one who couldn't let go and move on was him, and him alone.

Grabbing his phone from the table, Brandon flicked open WhatsApp.

Don had just posted a new update on Facebook - a brainstorming session with the design department, complete with photos of the

meeting room and the designers in it.

In that sneaky snapshot from the brainstorm, Brandon easily spotted Sophia sitting to the right of Don.

Next to her was Ivan, deep in conversation with her, her face and eyes radiating her usual gentle warmth, her lips perpetually

curved in a soft smile.

Her gaze had always been tender, lacking any edge. Those beautiful eyes used to be for him, but at spoint, he'd becjust

another face in the crowd to her.

Augus sitting across from her was looking at Sophia with a face full of surprise and admiration.

The look in his eyes still held a youthful zest and vigor.

Brandon had a vague recollection of Augus from their brief encounters. He seemed to be the kind of guy Sophia would picture as

her other half - passionate, lively, proactive, and amusing.

Brandon wondered if Sophia might be charmed by such a man through daily interactions, or perhaps by the still unremarkable

Ivan.

Back on the singles market, Sophia was never short of men noticing her beauty; it was just a matter of whether she would choose

to respond.

For the past two years, Brandon had never allowed himself to picture her with another man.

Her life at university had been too focused, all about the books, never giving any guy a chance to get close.

But now that she was working, office interactions were inevitable, as was spending ttogether. Brandon was well aware that the

Sophia back in the workforce wasn't going to be like her campus self.

He tried to picture a future where Sophia was with someone else and that suffocating feeling hit him again.

With a flick, he snuffed out the phone, tossed it aside, and went to bed.

After a good sleep, Brandon was in much better shape, pouring all his tand energy into work.

Being busy allowed him to temporarily forget all emotions.

Gavin was still on the fence about the terms for acquiring the Starlight Hotel.

Brandon wasn't showing any eagerness either, just playing it cool and waiting for an outcome.

Tia had taken a liking to Brandon.

She hadn't managed to add him on WhatsApp, but that didn't stop her from making moves.

She asked Kent to set up a few dates with Brandon.

At first, Kent wasn't sure what Brandon was thinking and didn't dare to decline on his behalf. After consulting with Brandon and

getting a "don't bother" response, Kent straightforwardly turned down all subsequent invitations for Brandon.

But Tia wasn't discouraged.

Without a breakthrough with Brandon, she went to her dad Gavin, trying to persuade him to agree to Brandon's acquisition

proposal.

Gavin saw right through Tia's intentions. "Got a crush on Mr. Crawley, huh?"

Tia didn't hesitate to admit. "Yeah, don't you think he'd make a great son-in-law, a real catch?"

Gavin chuckled, poking her nose, "Oh, my little girl, you're so smitten."

"What's wrong with chasing the one you like?" Tia stood her ground, "Gotta snag a catch like him before someone else does."

"So what do you wantto do?" Gavin asked.

"Agree to the acquisition, of course. His offer is pretty sweet," Tia said. "You playing hard to get might scare him off, you know?"

Gavin reassured her, "Don't worry, he won't run away. We're not exactly a hot cake here; if he's eyeing our mall, he must have his

reasons and won't be spooked that easily."

Tia retorted, "I don't care. You better make up your mind soon, or he'll go buy out the Starry Group next door and we'll be out of

the game. Then the company will really be out of options."

Gavin asked, "Are you worried about the company or Mr. Crawley getting away?"

Tia admitted, "Both."

She then tried to sweet-talk Gavin, appealing to his emotions and logic.

Gavin, having only Tia as his darling daughter, couldn't resist her coaxing. Considering Brandon had been quiet these past days,

Gavin was also getting anxious, fearing he might lose the deal. After weighing his options, he arranged to meet Brandon to sign the

contract.

This time, Gavin didn't opt for the company but a high-end restaurant, booking a private room.

Kent accompanied Brandon to the signing.

At the dinner table, Gavin chatted with Brandon and Kent as usual before steering the conversation towards the deal.

The company was ready to accept Brandon's acquisition proposal but had laid out a few conditions.

As soon as Gavin finished talking, he handed the supplementary clause proposal to Brandon.

Taking a quick glance at it, Brandon found the requests pretty standard and fair, like keeping the original vendor contracts and not

booting out the long-tsellers willy-nilly.

The terms were right up Brandon's alley.

His goal in snapping up the mall wasn't to bring in new blood, but to keep the old guard and play up the nostalgic vibe.

"I'm on board."

He said, passing the document back to Gavin.

Brandon's no-fuss agreement was music to Gavin's ears.

"So let's ink this deal."

He hesitated for a sec before taking the contract from Kent, and with a few swift strokes, signed his nand stamped it, then

handed the whole shebang back to Kent.

Kent passed the contract to Brandon.

After giving it another once-over to make sure everything was kosher, Brandon took the pen from Kent.

As Brandon was about to sign, Gavin couldn't help but get sentimental. "To be honest, Horizon Mall is my life's work. If it wasn't for

Tia pushingto let go, I'd be too attached to sell."

Brandon's pen paused mid-air.

Kent also shot Gavin a smile, playing along. "Your precious daughter has got a keen eye. Under the Starlight Group, Horizon Mall is

sure to get a new lease on life."

Gavin chuckled. "Keen eye? She's just at that age where girls can't sit still. You know, simple-hearted, always wanting to do

something for the one they fancy. She's my only girl. | can't stand to see her upset."

Gavin said this with a suggestive glance at Brandon.

Suddenly, Brandon slammed down the pen with a "snap" and turned to Gavin. "Sorry, Mr. Temple, the Starlight Group is out of this

deal."

Gavin and Kent were shocked.

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