The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Sophia was on the phone, her face a picture of serenity, still dressed in her work attire, obviously having cstraight from the

office.

Totally engrossed in her call, she didn't notice the private room on her side, calmly following the hostess through the dining area.

Don glanced behind her and didn't spot anyone else.

He couldn't help but frown in confusion, puzzled why Sophia, who'd mentioned fixing sappliances earlier, was here flying solo.

The hostess had already escorted Sophia to her table.

She turned to thank the hostess and took a seat, which happened to face the entrance to their private room.

Don couldn't help but look over at Brandon.

Brandon was also on a call, fully focused and composed, oblivious to the outside world.

Hannah noticed Don's hesitation as he glanced at Brandon, and gave him a curious look, not getting his vibe.

Don chuckled, not wanting to spill the beans, and casually asked her.

"So, Cornelia toldyou're not keen on tying the knot. Why's that? You're quite the catch, must have a bunch of folks lining up for

you."

Cornelia, a mutual friend and a networking whiz with a wide circle, had a good rapport with Don—just friends, the kind you make

sure to grab a meal with when you're back in town.

It was actually Cornelia who had set this up.

She and Hannah were childhood besties from the sblock, thick as thieves, and Cornelia knew Hannah and her family inside

out.

But even though she was tight with Hannah, Don was more of a stranger, only having met her once at a dinner organized by

Cornelia, leaving a decent impression.

This was their second encounter.

When faced with his question, Hannah just smiled. “Haven't met the right one. Better single than sorry.”

Don echoed with a smile. “True that.”

He couldn't resist another peek at Brandon.

Brandon had ended his call and was now looking over at Hannah.

"Sorry, didn't realize it was you."

"No worries."

Hannah returned his earlier three words with a smile.

"What brought you to this shindig today?" Brandon inquired, looking at her.

Hannah chuckled. "Just playing along with my folks."

As if to clear any potential misunderstanding, she quickly added with a smile.

"I never planned on blind dating, but my parents keep pressuring me. Every tthey chalk up my single status to not giving

people a chance, it turns into a domestic soap opera every other day. So, | had to show up to keep the peace, but don't sweat it."

"No worries," said Brandon. "I'm not here for the matchmaking either."

Hannah paused, looking at him.

Don was also taken aback.

"I'm really sorry about setting up this meet," Brandon said sincerely, "Since neither of us is into it, let's just have dinner as friends."

Hannah's smile stiffened but quickly eased. "Sure."

Then, with a playful tone, she added. "I've been trying to hang out with you, and now I've hit the jackpot."

Brandon offered a polite smile but didn't bite.

Don, recalling Hannah mentioning they were high school classmates, sensed an underlying message in her words, but he couldn't

read anything from her composed expression.

At that moment, the waiter entered with their order.

The sudden shadow cast as the person entered made Brandon instinctively glance towards the door, and then his gaze lingered.

Don caught the abrupt halt in Brandon's gaze and followed it, spotting Sophia.

Sophia was casually flipping through the menu, glancing at her watch from tto time, apparently waiting for someone.

Seeing her still undecided, the waiter approached with a smile. “Ma’am, would you like to order something now?"

Embarrassed, Sophia turned and gave the waiter an apologetic smile. "I'll wait a bit longer, my friend's not here yet, I'll order when

they arrive."

Her words trailed off as she caught sight of Brandon and Don in the private room.

Brandon was looking at her with a deep, serene gaze.

Noticing her looking, he gave her a brief glance and then looked at the empty seat across from her.

Sophia suddenly felt awkward, as if she'd been caught red-handed following them to the restaurant.

She hadn't anticipated Ivan would pick the srestaurant as Brandon.

And just her luck, Ivan hadn't shown up yet.

Right before leaving work, a proposal he submitted got stuck with the client, still hashing out revisions, so he was delayed.

The restaurant reservation was ticking, and she'd lose it if they didn't show up soon.

After discussing with Ivan, Sophia decided to head over first, not expecting to bump into this awkward situation.

Her table wasn't far from the private room, and seeing her glance over, Don greeted her with a smile.

"Sophia, out for dinner with a friend?"

Sophia gave an awkward chuckle, caught between nodding and shaking her head, especially since she'd just mentioned making an

appointment for appliance repairs in the elevator.

Hearing the n"Sophia," Hannah peeked out of the private room with curiosity, locked eyes with Sophia, and both were taken

aback.

Hannah was the first to recover, waving cheerfully. “Hello, Sophia.”

Sophia awkwardly waved back. "Hey."

She hadn't expected Brandon's blind date to be Hannah, the sgirl from high school who shone as brightly as Brandon and was

often seen as his other half.

She couldn't help but glance at Brandon.

His handsface was expressionless, still watching her, his eyes as dark and unfathomable as the ocean, calm and profound.

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