The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Marian's gaze fixed on the increasingly deep chill in Brandon's eyes, her heart trembling with fear. She exerted great effort to maintain her initially confused and innocent expression.

She took advantage of her feigned confusion to scrutinize Brandon, but couldn't read any of his thoughts from his expression. He didn't even make a move; after a brief glance at Jared, his gaze settled back on her.

Marian had to bite the bullet and speak up: "Mr. Crawley?" Brandon didn't respond, just looked down at her with a sense of superiority.

His gaze reminded Marian of an alpha wolf, silent and stoic behind his pack on a full moon night, solitary and indifferent, yet vicious in attack. He wouldn't strike unless he could kill with one blow, not giving his prey a chance to breathe.

And she felt like prey he had targeted. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of being hunted.

"Marian," Brandon finally spoke, "Whatever you owe her, I'll make you pay it back. You better live well." With that, Brandon turned emotionlessly and strode out.

Marian's legs gave out, and she nearly collapsed.

Dennis was also weak-kneed, but he hastily reached out to support her, "What's wrong?" He didn't quite get Brandon's intention; it seemed like Brandon had cfor him, but also even more so for Marian. Brandon had not paid him any mind at all.

He understood that kind of disregard; with enough evidence in hand, one doesn't care about the opponent's moves, just relishing the fear of death in them. Brandon was like a hunter with a gun aimed at his prey, not in a rush to pull the trigger, instead giving the prey a chance to run, to flee in terror under his watchful eye. He enjoyed the hunt.

But he didn't understand why Brandon was targeting Marian.

To him, apart from being his daughter, Marian seemed the most innocent in the whole affair.

Marian just gave him a weak smile, still the picture of a sweet and innocent daughter.

"Dad, I'm fine, don't worry," she soothed him with a gentle voice.

This only made Dennis feel more guilty and protective. Convinced that it was his own actions that had put Marian in Brandon's crosshairs, despite his fear, he couldn't help but shout after Brandon's retreating figure: "Brandon, if there's an issue, cat me, not my family. Surely, you understand such a simple principle?" Brandon's tall frpaused slightly, then he turned back, his eyes calmly meeting Dennis': "Mr. Barlow, I suggest you check if you've got a sheep or a wolf by your side. Don't get betrayed so soon; our accounts haven't been settled yet!" With those words, Brandon walked away without looking back.

As he approached the parking lot, Kent was already waiting.

"Mr. Crawley." Kent called out softly. He had been outside, discreetly arranging everything and had seen everything.

Brandon glanced at him: "Has Theresa been sent back?" Before heading to Star Dempsey Architects on the seventeenth floor, he had entrusted Theresa to Kent, not daring to bring her to where Sophia had worked.

Theresa had been there before, and he feared that seeing Sophia's office might overwhelm her with memories.

Kent nodded: "Yes, Susan's picked her up." "Is she alright?" Brandon asked. He had talked with et Theresa before leaving the eventeenth floor and video-called er before leaving the company, elling her he had work to deal with. He checked that she was okay ven with arrangements made, he vas never quite at ease regarding Theresa. >wbefore getting down to Calc Bu Kent understood Brandon's worries and nodded: "Theresa is good. She was happy to see Susan and didn't fuss over looking for you." Brandon nodded, checked his watch, and then turned to Kent.

From the side, Kent dutifully reminded, "Mr. Crawley, you promised Mr. Ferber a lunch meeting. It's about time. Shall we head over?" "Yes," Brandon agreed.

Kent nodded, "I'll take you there." Having said that, he opened the rear door for Brandon, who got in, and then got into the driver's seat himself, starting the car.

As the car left the hotel, Kent couldn't help but glance at Brandon in the rearview mirror and asked, "Mr. Crawley, are we just letting Dennis and Marian go like this?" He thought Brandon had other plans for the day.

Brandon glanced up at him, "What's the rush? The game's just begun." His voice was cool to the point of chilling, "The law has its ways, and the business world has its own rules. Dennis won't get many years for this, and Marian has managed to clean her slate too well. The current evidence is enough to hurt them, but just a few years behind bars would be letting them off too easy." Then Brandon turned to Kent: "Check if Marian has any 'lickspittles' or the like." Kent frowned in confusion and glanced at Brandon, "Is there a new discovery?" "It was 90 percent Jared who pushed her, but he doesn't know Marian, which means she didn't contact Jared directly. Clearly, et someone's doing the dirty work for her," Brandon explained. "And е whoever is willing to go to such lengths for her won't be swayed by money. Investigate from Both angles." "Understand," Kent replied.

Brandon said no more, leaning back in his seat, exhausted, and closed his eyes.

But as soon as he closed my eyes, the image of Sophia being pushed into the river, her instant terror and helplessness, invaded his mind, along with her lone cold corpse sinking into the ocean depths.

Brandon woke up in a cold sweat, his chest aching with a familiar pang of pain.

Kent was driving intently when Brandon's sudden eye-opening startled him.

He couldn't help but glance over with concern, "Mr. Crawley?" Brandon didn't respond, just clutched his chest and looked out the window with an expression of bewildered pain.

The car was cruising along Seaview Boulevard, with vast, boundless ocean stretching as far as the eye could see through the window.

As Brandon stared at the expanse of sea, the bewildered pain in his eyes slowly transformed into a deep, unyielding coldness and hatred and an indescribable agony.

Kent, seeing the shift in Brandon's expression, understood the pain and hatred in his heart and felt similarly saddened. Without speaking further, he silently drove the car to the dock where Harvey Ferber's cruise ship was moored.

"Mr. Crawley, we're at Ferber's cruise," Kent said, turning to remind him.

Brandon turned to look at the cruise ship outside the window. It was a lavish international liner, decked out with restaurants, theaters, hospitals, gyms, shopping centers, and all the necessities for life.