NovelEnglishIvan didn't back down; instead, he returned Brandon a similarly icy stare, "And who are you, directingto let go?"
As soon as he finished, everyone's eyes darted to Brandon, all a bit lost as to what the heck was going on—especially Zachary.
It wasn't his first ttrying to set up a get-together for Sophia and Brandon, but every tthey seemed as if they barely knew
each other. Forget normal chit-chat, there wasn't even a sharing of glances, but now.
His puzzled gaze fell on Brandon's firm grip on Sophia's hand, then slowly rose to his cold, handsface.
Brandon didn't show any sign of anger, nor did he back down in the face of lvan's challenge; he simply met his gaze with
composure, "And what gives you the authority to stop me?"
Ivan was stumped, his eyes instinctively shifting to Sophia.
Sophia pursed her lips apologetically at Ivan:
"Ivan, thank you."
Her grateful whisper cwith a slight twist of her arm, the universal sign for “let go,” which couldn't be clearer.
Ivan's eyes were full of complex emotions as he looked at her, but he slowly loosened his grip.
"I'm sorry."
Sophia murmured an apology to Ivan, then gently twisted the arm that Brandon was holding. She didn't look at Brandon but said
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtsoftly, "Mr. Crawley, please letgo."
Brandon's lips suddenly tightened, his eyes glued to her, his Adam's apple visibly bobbing. He didn't comply with her request,
instead, his grip becfirmer.
"Let's talk."
His voice was ice cold.
Sophia gently shook her head, "We've already discussed everything that needs to be discussed; there's no point in rehashing it."
Her voice was soft, she didn't make eye contact with Brandon, and she tried to withdraw her wrist with a bit more force.
But it wouldn't move.
Brandon was uncharacteristically obstinate today, his eyes fixated on her and his grip inflexible.
Sophia even felt a twinge of pain.
Even the usually careless Zachary could tell something was off between them.
He glanced at Sophia with concern, then at Brandon's hand, which had been cut by glass.
Blood was still oozing, forming trails from his palm, a painful sight.
But Brandon seemed to be oblivious, his piercing gaze still locked on Sophia, maintaining the standoff.
Fearing an escalation, Zachary quickly stepped in, "You should get that cut looked at; we can talk later."
While speaking, he turned to Alex, "Alex, could you take Mr. Crawley to the clinic outside to get bandaged up?"
"Sure."
Alex agreed, stepping forward to persuade Brandon to join him for sfirst aid.
"Thank you, I'll take care of it."
Brandon politely thanked Alex, his gaze still fixed on Sophia, showing no intention of backing down.
Zachary couldn't help but turn to Sophia, trying to persuade her, "Sophia, maybe you should have a word with him. Brandon's
hand's bleeding."
Once again, he couldn't help but worry about Brandon's bleeding hand.
Sophia bit her lower lip and turned her head away, refusing to look at his injured hand.
"We're all adults here, capable of being responsible for our actions," she stated.
She tried harder to pull her hand back, but still couldn't.
Brandon's gaze was complex as he looked at her cold and calm profile.
He remembered though Sophia wasn't one to cling to him, a tiny scrape on his hand would have previously sent her into great
concern—unlike the indifference she displayed now.
He had never intended to gain her sympathy through injury; the shattered glass was just an accident, a momentary lapse of
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmemotion.
But Sophia's indifference still cut through him, yet he refused to believe she could be this indifferent. He forcefully twisted her wrist
outward, compelling her look at him.
"Look at me."
Ivan reactively stepped forward to intervene, "You have no right to treat her like this."
But Brandon snapped without even sparing him a look, "Get out!"
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
mmMwWLHIOfiflO&1
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
mmMyWL11I01F1081
mMMwWLIIOfiflO&1
Visit our social media platform to read fascinating stories every day and connect with the community!
