The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Marian changed her clothes and carefully selected two strands of hair to take with her to the hospital, one they all trusted,

alongside Martin and Louis.

The hair being used for the new test should be freshly plucked but, under the guise of this procedure, Marian handed over the two

strands she'd brought back from Sophia.

After they submitted the samples, Marian went back to the Frost family's hwith Martin and Louis. Before the new paternity

results would cin, there was no need for Marian to move out immediately.

But she had to begin preparing her apology.

"Get your apology statement ready tonight," Martin told Marian with a poker face when they got home. "It should cover three

points: first, you are not Yolanda, just spartner Martin hired to play the part—your actions are purely your own and unrelated

to Yolanda; second, explain in the statement how you plagiarized Sophia's design work, making clear that the estate project was

Sophia's own design; third, offer a formal apology to Sophia."

Marian was freaking out: "The paternity test results haven't cout yet."

"The paternity result doesn't change your apology!" Martin shot back. " This is the latest public apology demand from Brandon.

Regardless of whether you are Yolanda or not, you must clarify that you have no relation to her."

Marian turned to Louis with a plea in her eyes: "Grandpa."

But Louis was visibly exhausted: "You listened to your brother before, now do the same."

With that, he brushed past her and retreated to his room.

Just as he reached his door, he paused.

"Oh, and Martin, Ms. Yearwood has eased up on the project. The woman has shown genuine affection for your grandmother—we

cannot let her down. If credit is due to someone as the lead designer, give it. If royalties must be paid, pay them. If promotion is

needed, promote. And as for Yoli. Ms. Barlow, it's tto apologize, even if she really is Yoli. We can't keep making excuses for

her."

Louis walked into his room without looking back.

Martin then turned to Marian: "Draft that apology tonight and send it totomorrow morning. The company will hold a press

conference responding to the incident tomorrow; prepare yourself."

"Bro." Marian couldn't help but blurt out in desperation.

"Calling'Dad' won't help you now. | warned you not to mess with Brandon, but you still went there and showed off at his place."

Without those final words, Martin left as well.

Marian collapsed onto the couch, exhausted and overwhelmed.

That night, tormented by the thought of having to publicly confess to plagiarism and weighed down by the suspense of the DNA

results, Marian did not sleep soundly, plagued by nightmares. In her dreams, Sophia stared at her with icy disdain, each word a

dagger: "Marian, you owean apology."

In the dream, Sophia's icy stare seemed to painfully claim her life. Her lips twisted into a strange smile, and her comely features

slowly contorted into the face of a five- or six-year-old little girl.

The scene shifted suddenly—Sophy, just over five years old, was dragging Marian, running for their lives through a snow-covered

forest with the chaotic footsteps and angry shouts of adults echoing behind them: "They went that way, go find them!"

Marian fell, unable to keep up anymore.

Sophy tried to carry her, to escape together, but the small frcould not carry her weight, nor could she navigate the branches

strewn across their path.

They hadn't run far when Marian's outstretched foot hit a tree trunk, tripping them both and sending them tumbling down a slope

into a hollow.

As they rolled, Sophy protected Marian, her knee slamming hard against a rock, almost passing out from the pain.

Marian, held in her embrace, was unscathed but frightfully lost.

Sophy tried to get up, to continue their flight, but could not stand up.

Marian looked around fearfully, and then Sophy told her that her parents and older brother were nearby. She encouraged Marian to

find them and tell them she was waiting here. Sophy took off her bracelet and handed it to her, assuring that they would believe

her if she showed them the bracelet.

Marian ran desperately in the direction Sophy pointed, clutching the bracelet. But before she could find the parents and brother

that Sophy said would treat her well, she encountered her current parents.

Shocked to see her alone and stumbling in the snow, they embraced her, asking where her own parents were.

She no longer had parents.

She looked blankly at the kind man and woman before her as she heard herself murmured.

Then, she saw sympathy in their eyes; the woman bent down and picked her up. The warmth in her embrace was so enchanting

and comforting that Marian allowed herself to faint into the woman's arms.

When she woke up again, she was in a hospital, with her current parents gently caring for her by her bedside, feeding her treats

and comforting her, telling her not to be afraid.

Desiring them to be her parents, when the police cto ask where her family was, she said nothing, only clinging to the woman

she wanted as her mother.

Her longing for her new parents made her forget to tell them about the little girl, who had saved her, was still waiting in the snow.

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