The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Brandon glanced at Sophia.

Steadying herself, Sophia looked at her phone and softly told her, "I'm coming over now."

Theresa's heart settled instantly, "Okay, I'm here, waiting for Mommy."

Her voice noticeably more relaxed.

"Alright."

Sophia whispered, hanging up the call.

Brandon released his grip from her hand, helped her sit up, then opened the car door, and they both headed towards Kent's car.

Kent had already opened his door too, and with Susan, they helped Theresa out of the car.

There, snuggled in Susan's arms, Theresa saw Sophia and Brandon approach together. Anxiously, she called out "Mommy" to

Sophia, then her eyes uncertainly shifted towards Brandon, hesitantly calling him "sir."

Brandon flashed her a smile and reached out with open arms, "Theresa, chere, I've got you."

Perhaps because of the recent memory of her mom crying after Brandon had taken her away, Theresa hesitated. She glanced at

Sophia, seeking approval.

Sophia managed a reassuring smile and gently said, "He's a good guy. If you want him to hold you, it's okay."

Theresa nodded, half-understanding, and slowly reached out her arms towards Brandon.

Brandon scooped her up.

Susan's worried eyes met Sophia's.

Sophia's eyes were still a bit red and puffy, either from crying at the airport or from another bout in the car.

Sophia just gave her an apologetic look and silently shook her head.

She felt guilty towards Susan.

After all, Susan had cspecifically to take care of her and Theresa, staying by her side through the toughest times.

She had promised Susan that wherever she went, she and Theresa would go with her.

It wasn't just that she didn't want to stay in the West district. Susan, too, didn't want to stay in the city after the beating she got

when her brother caught her last time.

But now, neither she nor Theresa could leave.

The weight of her guilt was crushing.

Susan saw the guilt in her eyes and gave her a comforting smile, urging her not to blherself.

Brandon caught every nuance of their expressions.

He understood Sophia's guilt and Susan's disappointment, but in this world, it's often hard to have the best of both worlds.

He sighed deeply and turned to Susan, "Susan, you've been through a lot these past two years, and I'm really grateful to you."

Brandon's sudden formality took the usually blunt Susan aback, especially being called "Susan" made her feel like it was

shortening her lifespan.

"It's what | should do," Susan laughed off awkwardly, "I was just keeping company with Sophia and goddaughter." It had nothing to

do with anyone else.

She didn't dare to voice that thought.

"I'm sorry, but | can't let Theresa and Sophia go with you," Brandon said. "lI want to take care of them myself, so | might be living

with them."

Sophia looked at Brandon sharply.

Susan's smile wavered a bit.

"I don't mean to send you packing," Brandon clarified. "But living together might be inconvenient. So, my plan is to buy you an

identical house next to where we'll be staying. You can cto see Theresa and Sophia anytime, and they can visit you whenever

they'd like."

"That won't do, no way," Susan quickly objected, "Living next door is fine. | can just rent a place."

Living separately wasn't a big deal to her. Being next door meant she could be involved in Theresa's upbringing and still have her

own space, separated only by a door.

But accepting a house from Brandon was too much for her.

"It's the least | can do," Brandon insisted. "As for work, you're welcto join the Starlight Group anytyou wish, or you can

look for something else if you prefer. As for the trouble back home, I'll have Kent sort it out. You have no need to worry about

staying in the West district."

"Thank you, Mr. Crawley."

Susan gave an awkward smile, her heart as mixed as Sophia's.

It wasn't that she couldn't stay in the city—it was her hometown, filled with memories and attachment. If it wasn't for a compelling

reason, who would want to leave the place that raised them?

Maybe it was just that she had been planning a life abroad, looking forward to it, and now that it wasn't happening, she felt a bit let

down.

She glanced at Sophia.

Sophia's eyes were brimming with remorse and guilt.

Susan gave her a reassuring smile, telling her it was okay, then turned to Brandon, "Brandon, | think you should consider Sophia's

feelings more. Mine are secondary."

"I know," Brandon replied, looking at her with genuine gratitude, "Thank you."

Susan just smiled and didn't respond. Instead, she turned to Sophia, "I'll go with Grace to get our luggage."

"I'll cwith you," Sophia said softly, ready to go with Susan.

Brandon held her back, "I'll ctoo."

Susan chuckled, "It's just two suitcases, we don't need that many people.”

Kent, quick on the uptake, chimed in, "I'll go with Ms. Cooper to get them. You guys go ahead, and we'll cto you later."

"Works for me," Susan nodded cheerfully, "Grace can calong too. Sophia, you and Mr. Crawley go ahead with Theresa."

Sophia nodded gently, "We'll wait here for you."

Susan flashed the "OK" sign, and though they hadn't managed to leave, her face didn't show much sadness—just a slight

disappointment. After all, it was a trip arranged on the fly, not something planned well in advance, so it was all good in the end.

Sophia's feeling all sorts of emotions right now. It was like a cocktail of feelings swirling inside her. She silently watched Susan and

the others walk away, not saying a word for the longest time.

Brandon, too, watched her in silence. He couldn't miss the hint of loneliness in her eyes, a loneliness that gave him a bitter taste in

his own heart.

Her desire to get away trumped everything else.

That realization weighed on him like a ton of bricks, heavy and suffocating.

But Brandon was crystal clear on one thing. playing hardball was the only way to keep Sophia around.

All that emotional card playing, that strategic retreat? None of it worked on Sophia.

Susan and Kent quickly cback with their luggage.

She and Grace rode back with Kent.

Sophia and Theresa hopped into Brandon's car.

On the way back, both of them were kind of quiet.

They hadn't had the chance to fully process the emotional fireworks from earlier, and the journey back gave them smuch-

needed tto simmer down.

Theresa didn't really get the whole adult thing; this was her first thanging out with Brandon and her mom together. She

was a mix of excited and a little thrown off by the quiet vibes. Kids have this sharp sense about emotions, and it made her choose

to keep quiet too, just curiously eyeballing Sophia now and then, and then giving Brandon the once-over.

Brandon caught her little inspection in the rearview mirror and softly asked, "What's up, Theresa?"

She shook her head, not quite sure herself. She liked this feeling of being with mom and him, but it also made her a tad uneasy.

Sophia picked up on her uneasiness, pulled her in a bit closer, and gently asked, "Theresa, missing daddy?"

Theresa looked kind of lost, shook her head, then nodded, and in a small voice, she asked, "Daddy, what does this mean?"

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