The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Daniel only thought of Marian halfway through his walk, so he turned back apologetically and flashed her a grin, "I'm gonna pop

over there for a sec; you dig in, okay?"

Marian managed a weak smile, "Sure."

Daniel, with his plate in hand, sat down across from Sophia as if he was worried she hadn't noticed his arrival. He even cleared his

throat on purpose and started somewhat irritably, "Why are you eating alone?"

Sophia looked up in surprise, finding Daniel's behavior today totally off the wall.

She didn't respond, and just kept eating her meal in silence.

Daniel felt instantly miffed, "I'm talking to you, didn’t you hear?"

Sophia had no choice but to look up, "What's up?"

Daniel was stumped.

He had no clue what he wanted, nor why he was even looking for Sophia.

It was his curiosity about all the odd stuff going on with Brandon that had led him on this impromptu mission to follow her.

Seeing that he didn’t have a comeback, Sophia didn’t waste her twith more chit-chat and went back to her meal.

Daniel had to say something, "So, what's the deal with you and Brandon now?"

Sophia couldn't tell if he was beating around the bush about why she hadn't taken off yet. She was totally in the dark.

She stopped eating and looked at him, "Spill it, no need to beat around the bush."

Daniel was speechless.

He was just making conversation for the sake of it, really.

Sophia gave him a puzzled look, "You don't have to tiptoe around, just lay it out."

Daniel coughed, feeling he should say something to save face, but his mind was a blank, and he was clueless about what to chat

about with Sophia.

He couldn't bring himself to ask her to leave again.

He wanted her to go, but was scared that if she really did, Brandon might actually do something drastic.

But he couldn't bring himself to ask her to stay either.

That would be like slapping his own face.

Caught in this conundrum, he sat there awkwardly, unable to utter a word.

Sophia, having dealt with him for so long, had never seen him so twisted up.

He wasn’t being pushy or acting all high and mighty, just plain old sulky.

After shooting him a glance that said "seriously?", Sophia decided to ignore him and continued with her meal.

Daniel racked his brain and finally landed on what he thought was a safe topic, "That girl, no matter what, she's got Crawley

blood."

Sophia's eating abruptly stopped, and she looked up at him.

Daniel could see the alarm and defensiveness rise in her eyes; she obviously mistook his intent as wanting to snatch the child's

custody.

"I mean," Daniel tried to clarify, "no matter what, she’s a Crawley, and should be recognized as such."

"There's no need for that."

Sophia cut him off sharply, and her appetite was gone.

She gathered her things, "I'm full. Gotta head back now; enjoy your meal."

Sophia turned to leave, but Daniel quickly stood up and called after her, "Wait, | was just throwing it out there; I'm not insisting the

kid comes back or anything. It's up to you, really; don't read too much into it."

Sophia gave him a look of bewilderment and without another word, she walked away.

Daniel slapped his forehead with frustration, feeling slightly worried that Sophia might take the kid and leave because of this. He

could pretend not to care about her leaving, but he couldn’t ignore what it would mean for Brandon and the company.

Marian watched the whole exchange and reaction from the sidelines.

It was clear to her that Daniel's attitude toward Sophia had changed. It wasn't love, but it was no longer the rejection like before;

instead, it had a hint of awkward flattery.

Marian couldn't figure out why Daniel had suddenly changed his tune, especially since she was the one who had saved him.

This left a sour taste in her mouth. It was like his exclusive affection for her was being stolen away.

With that sour feeling, she headed back to the office.

Work was a bit of a blur that afternoon, especially when she saw others fawn over Sophia.

Sophia had always been popular; as her classmate for over two years, Marian was well aware of that.

Back in school, even though Sophia wasn’t the showy type, her demure and gentle charm was exactly what the guys adored,

making her the type everyone wanted to protect. So despite not seeking the spotlight, many openly and secretly crushed on her.

The adoration only grew once she joined the company, even as a director.

If it were just about being classmates, Marian wouldn't mind too much; they each had their own beauty and strengths, and she

didn't think she was less than Sophia.

But the fact that Sophia was the real Yolanda made Marian feel uneasy in that position.

And now, as everyone with a tie to Yolanda began shifting their attention to Sophia, Marian felt even more insecure.

Underneath that insecurity hid a sense of indignation.

She couldn't understand why someone like her could still steal everyone's gaze and affection.

Amidst this inner conflict, she made it to the end of the workday.

As soon as the clock struck six, she was eager to pack up and bolt.

She didn't head hbut went to the hotel where her dad, Dennis, was staying.

He was still around the West district.

The hotel was a bit far from the company, so Marian drove there.

When she arrived at the hotel, she went straight in using her spare key card.

She had requested an extra card when checking Dennis in, so as to have easy access to his room.

The door swung open, but there was no sign of anyone in the living room.

Feeling puzzled, Marian glanced around and figured he must have stepped out. Without dwelling on it, she tossed her bag onto the

couch and headed for the bathroom. But before she could make it, Dennis' stern voice wafted out from behind a closed door:

"No matter what, we can't let Brandon's people find out about Nell's situation at this critical juncture, otherwise all of our efforts

will be in vain."

Marian froze mid-step.

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