The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

"No way." Grace replied instinctively, "Don't be fooled by her young age, she's super cautious. She won't let strangers hug her, let

alone cling to them."

Brandon glanced at her.

Grace suddenly felt a bit awkward and laughed, "I guess she just likes you a lot. This girl has always been a sucker for good looks.

Must be because you are easy on the eyes."

Brandon's lips curved slightly but he remained silent.

Grace walked him out, thanking him again with all the pleasantries, and then said goodbye.

Brandon also bid her farewell and stepped into the elevator.

As the elevator doors closed, Brandon's eyes lingered on the buttons for a moment before he pressed for the 15th floor.

The elevator promptly stopped at the 15th floor.

The doors opened and Brandon walked out expressionless, but as he looked up, his steady pace slowed to a halt.

Sophia was standing at her door, key in hand, seemingly about to unlock the door yet hesitating, her quiet and beautiful face

looking a tad forlorn.

She too heard the elevator and slowly turned to look at him.

"Just got back?"

Brandon asked, standing still.

Sophia nodded gently, "Yeah."

"Aren't you curious why I'm here?" Brandon asked as he walked towards her.

Sophia lowered her eyelids, going with the flow, and quietly asked, "Why are you here?"

"lI was passing by the children's park after work when | cacross this little girl, just over a year old. We sort of hit it off, and she

clung tofor sreason, so | ended up walking her home."

Brandon spoke as he approached her and stopped by the door, giving her a look.

Sophia's eyelids were still down, she didn’t look up at him, just softly said, "That's nice."

"Yeah," Brandon replied casually, taking the keys from her hand to unlock the door.

Darkness enveloped them as the door opened.

He reached for the light switch and glanced over at the desk in the living room, then back at her.

"She lives in this building too, on the eighteenth floor," he mentioned.

Sophia managed a small smile, "What a coincidence."

"Indeed. Quite the coincidence," Brandon said as he walked into the living room, his gaze fixed on her, "The first t| saw her was

in Wye City, right by that restaurant near your company."

As he turned to face her, he continued, "It was the very srestaurant we bumped into each other that day."

Sophia hesitated and looked at him, her lips pressed together silently.

"Then, running into her again, and to find she's from the sneighborhood, sbuilding," Brandon said, his eyes intently on

her, "What are the odds?"

Sophia turned her head slightly away, not speaking, her heart a mix of confusion and uncertainty.

The shock from earlier at the Frost family hadn't faded, leaving her head throbbing and her heart heavy. Now, faced with Brandon's

insinuating questions, she felt out of her depth.

But Brandon wasn’t done. He watched her and slowly began, "If our child was still here, they'd be about the sage."

Sophia remained silent, her hands unwittingly twisting together in front of her.

Brandon glanced at her hands, then back at her face.

Earlier, he had seen a similar pair of hands, just a miniature version.

Sophia had turned her head towards the balcony, her beautiful profile tense and restrained, reminding him of the day when people

from the Frost family and his parents went for Marian in Wye City.

That day, she disappeared after sending back the hotel keycard in Wye City.

The next the had news of her, she was in the hospital, preparing for an abortion.

"l accidentally bumped into your parents tonight," she whispered, her words unrelated to his.

Brandon looked at her.

"They said | somehow schemed my way into your family by getting pregnant. And that now I'm deliberately cozying up to the Frost

family with shidden agenda," her voice was soft, "Am | keeping the baby to worm my way back into your family?"

Brandon was taken aback, his gaze complex as he looked at her.

Sophia turned her face away.

Just then, her phone rang.

It was a call from Patricia.

Sophia stared at the number for a long time, not moving.

Since her divorce from Brandon, Patricia had never called her.

After the divorce, she had deleted all contact with the Crawley family, including Patricia and Brandon.

But after being family for two years, Patricia had often called her. Sophia had a good memory; though she had deleted Patricia's

number, she recognized its significance when it reappeared.

Brandon also looked at the still ringing phone.

The caller ID showed just a number, not a saved name, but he recognized it as Patricia's.

He moved towards it, bending down to pick it up when Sophia’s hand reached for the phone, answering the call and putting it on

speaker.

Patricia's voice, laced with casual elegance, cthrough the speaker slowly.

"Sophia, you're free tomorrow afternoon, right? Two o'clock, Milo’s Restaurant. Let's have lunch together, we need to talk."

"Is there something you need?" Sophia asked, her voice as calm and serene as ever, yet cold.

"Let's talk in person," Patricia's tone was still that of her usual condescension, "I'll hang up now."

"Just say it now," Sophia calmly cut her off, "While your son is here, let's have an open and honest discussion."

There was a sudden silence on the other end of the line.

Brandon bent down and took Sophia’s phone.

"Is there something you can't say in front of me?"

"Brandon, is that you?" Patricia's voice was clearly flustered and embarrassed, "Why are you with Sophia?"

"That's none of your concern," Brandon replied calmly and composedly, "What do you want with Sophia?"

Patricia was clearly flustered, suddenly tongue-tied, and you could faintly hear her pleading for help from someone nearby.

Daniel's voice cthrough the phone, following her cry for help. "Why are you mixing it up with that woman again? What tis

it even?"

"Mind your language."

Realizing his reaction, Daniel couldn't help but snap back, "I'm your father. Is that any way to talk to your dad?"

"l don't have a father."

"You really wanna go..." Daniel regained his breath and started to curse up a storm.

With a poker face, Brandon turned off the speakerphone, cutting off the rest of Daniel's sentence "go againstfor that woman?"

into silence.

Sophia glanced at him.

Brandon had already picked up the phone and, pressing it to his ear, said to the person on the other end, "Before you start, think

about who's really calling the shots in this house."

Daniel was left choking on his words, but couldn't help but continue with his well-meaning nagging.

"Don't let that woman's facade fool you. She's even tricked Mrs. Frost into thinking she's Yolanda. You know that old lady's

condition—she can't recognize people anymore, believes whatever she's told. This woman, to get into our family, would even

exploit a senile old person. What else is she incapable of."

"Shut up!" Brandon cut him off sharply.

Sophia had already stood up from the sofa, reaching out to Brandon. "Givethe phone."

Brandon looked at her. "I've got this."

"No need, thank you."

Sophia spoke softly, bending down to pick up the wireless Bluetooth earbuds case from the coffee table, opened it, took out the

earbuds, and just as the soothing "Bluetooth connected" sound played by Brandon's ear, the call was already transferred to the

Bluetooth earpiece Sophia was wearing.

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