The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Sophia pursed her lips slightly. Instead of speaking, she simply wrapped her arms around him in a gentle embrace.

Apart from the affair concerning Theresa, where she had once deliberately misled him to keep the secret, she and Brandon never

really had any misunderstandings.

They were always straightforward with each other. Their divorce had been handled openly, and when Brandon had misconstrued

her planned studies abroad as preparation for their separation, she had clarified with honesty that it wasn't so, revealing that

overhearing a conversation between him and his father was what had made her resolve. And It was also because she had learned

about his motives for marrying her in the first place.

Brandon didn't hug her back at first.

He knew her clarifications weren't a sign she wanted to draw nearer to him; but rather, it was just her way of doing things.

As long as it wasn't about the child's existence, she was consistently honest and forthright about everything.

He was grateful for her honesty, but beneath the thankful exhale was a faint sense of loss and helplessness.

She still seemed ready to withdraw at any moment.

He just wasn't that big a deal to her, always on her rational game.

Without further words, Brandon eventually lifted his hand to tenderly wrap her in a light embrace.

They were close yet worlds apart.

Amidst the lingering silence, Brandon's phone broke the quiet.

He checked it - Patricia was calling.

Seeing "Patricia" made his heart skip a beat, worried it might be trouble with Daniel—Patricia wouldn't dare call unless it was about

Daniel.

He left the hospital with Daniel yet to regain consciousness, and now Patricia was ringing.

Stifling the worry that surfaced, Brandon let go of Sophia.

“I need to take this call,” he said.

Sophia nodded and opened the door.

Brandon walked to the living room to answer. Patricia’s voice, tinged with tears, cthrough: “Brandon, your father’s condition

seems unstable again. Hurry over, please.”

Brandon's expression tensed.

“Got it,” he replied in a measured tone, ending the call, then looked back at Sophia, “I need to go to the hospital to see my father.

You can get srest at home.”

“Your dad, is he all right?” Sophia asked, concerned.

Brandon mustered a reassuring smile. “He's fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Sophia managed a smile back: “Okay, but you should get srest too.”

Then she urged him, “Have the driver take you. You haven't slept all night, and hardly rested today. Don't drive yourself.”

Brandon nodded: “I will.”

After offering her a few more words of reassurance, he left.

Watching the door close behind him, Sophia's smile gradually faded into a look of pure worry.

She didn’t miss the sudden seriousness on Brandon's face upon receiving the call; Daniel's situation must have worsened.

She fretted, but it wasn’t her place to visit Brandon.

He wouldn't welcher.

Any visit would likely end as poorly as Aaron's had, or worse.

Exhaling softly, Sophia wished earnestly for Daniel's recovery. After all, it was her brother's actions that had led to this.

If Daniel were fine, it would ease Brandon's mind too—that was his dad, after all.

Grace had just finished cleaning and saw Sophia zoning out at the door. Thinking she was worried about Theresa, she offered, “If

you're worried about Mr. Crawley, go with him. I'm here to look after Theresa.”

Sophia redirected her gaze, giving Grace a grateful smile, “That won't be necessary, Grace, you go rest, I'll watch Theresa.”

“Alright then,” Grace nodded, “I'll take a quick nap upstairs before heading out to get sgroceries. Any preferences for dinner

tonight for you and Mr. Crawley?”

“Anything's fine, don’t trouble yourself.”

Sophia answered, settling herself at the desk.

Grace didn’t linger, setting down her cloth and moving to change shoes. As she swung the door open to leave, she noticed dirt

smudges on the door and elevator. Her clean freak nature kicked in, and she hurried back for a mop.

Just as the elevator door opened, Marian along with Louis and Renata emerged.

Marian in the lead and Louis assisting Renata, followed by a young man laden with gifts.

Unfamiliar with the place, Marian looked for the apartment numbers. Upon seeing Grace mopping by the door, she glanced at the

doorplate, confirming it wasn't Cindy's given number, and looked ahead for the next.

Meanwhile, as Louis and Renata passed the open door, they couldn’t help but peer inside.

Sophia was at her desk when Renata spotted her and joyfully called out, “Yoli.”

Surprised, Sophia turned to see Renata standing in the doorway, her expression as delighted as a child's. Standing up abruptly,

Sophia asked.

“Grandma? What brings you here?”

Marian, who had walked on, stopped short and swiftly turned back. She looked at Sophia emerging from the room, with slight

uncertainty. “Sophia? Oh, | thought you lived next door.”

She glanced at the number again, visibly puzzled.

Louis recognized Sophia and smiled, “Ms. Yearwood.”

Sophia, now noticing Louis and Marian, greeted them with a stiff, courteous smile betraying a trace of discomfort.

“Ms. Yearwood,” Louis turned to Sophia with a serious look, “Yoli was naive and mistakenly used your work, and hurt you. We're

sincerely sorry for that, and we're here today specifically to apologize to you.”

Sophia was rendered speechless.

Louis signaled the young man behind him, who promptly understood and brought forward the gifts he was holding.

Seeing that he was about to set them down, Sophia quickly stopped him, "Please don’t put them down."

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