The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Chapter 13

Kent got the chills and didn’t dare to say another word, quickly making his exit.

Having been by Brandon’s side for years, he had never seen him with such intense emotional swings.

Brandon watched the office door close, chucked his phone on the desk, pulled over a chair to sit down, grabbed the mouse to wake up the computer, gave it a quick glance, then looked away

Work was the last thing on his mind.

He shoved the mouse aside, leaned over to power down the computer completely, shut it off, left the building, and drove straight home

He returned to the home he shared with Sophia after they got married.

It was a property he had bought for himself, where he lived solo before tying the knot and eventually turned into their cozy nest for two

Located in a residential area in the city center, the house boasted a fantastic river view and was conveniently close to

his office.

Brandon owned several properties, but this one was his favorite.

He enjoyed his solitude. Before getting hitched, living alone never bothered him; in fact, he relished the peace it brought. It wasn’t until he and Sophia got hitched and she moved in, on his suggestion, that the place began to feel

lived in

Sophia, like him, wasn’t keen on outsiders intruding on their space, so aside from the cleaning crew that came by for regular maintenance, they didn’t have a live-in maid

Sophia had a knack for design, and when she still lived there, Brandon could see her clever touches all over the place. But when she left, she reset everything back to how it was when she first arrived.

Brandon wasn’t sure whether to praise Sophia for her ability to flip things around easily, restoring the renovated place back to its original state, or to commend her foresight for knowing that things between them wouldn’t last, so she only made changes that were easily reversible

Or maybe, she just never planned on sticking around for the long haul.

His dark eyes grew colder at that thought.

Brandon swung open the liquor cabinet, glanced at the array of fine spirits, and randomly grabbed a bottle. He picked up the bottle opener, pried off the cap, which went flying, but he didn’t care. He took a swig straight from the bottle, then slammed it down on the dining table

With an expressionless face, he turned his head away.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Brandon glanced at the door, silent for a moment, then stood up to answer it.

“What took you so long? I thought you weren’t home

The door barely opened when Yvonne Crawley’s grumbling came through, along with a toddler’s eeh- ahh” sounds.

Brandon gave her a look. “What brings you over?”

His words dripped with annoyance, but his hands reached out for the two-year-old she was carrying.

Yvonne was Brandon’s sister, two years his junior, but they didn’t share the same mother

She was Patricia’s biological daughter, while Brandon was not.

Perhaps because they had different mothers, even though they both inherited their father’s good looks and their mothers beauty, they didn’t quite share the same brainpower.

Yvonne was the classic beautiful airhead, not the sharpest tool in the shed, simple and easily fooled, with a head full of

romantic mush

She had gotten married a few years back and had a daughter, affectionately called Anna Crawley

Little Anna was just two, taking after Yvonne with those stunning good looks, but seemingly inheriting her mom’s alrheadedness, coming off as a bit slow and not the brightest.

Anna adored Brandon, and seeing him extend his hands, she happily reached out, leaning toward him. “Hug.”

Her speech was still developing, barely managing single-syllable words.

Yvonne pinched her little face. “Forget momma when you see your uncle, huh?”

She talked tough but was more than happy to hand over her baby girl.

As they made the handoff, Yvonne caught a whiff of alcohol and gave Brandon a suspicious look “Brandon, have you been drinking? This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

He glanced at her, uninterested, and took the little girl into his arms.

Yvonne spotted the bottle and its cap on the floor, her suspicious gaze slowly returning to his face, a mix of shock and caution “Did you and Sophia have a fight?”

Brandon’s cold gaze swept over her. “What do you want?”

Yvonne clammed up, her voice shrinking. Just missed you, that’s all.”

She grew up with Brandon, and although they weren’t super close, thanks to her obtuseness, they never felt very distant. But in the presence of her brother, who was always cold and aloof, she couldn’t help but feel a bit intimidated.

Brandon ignored her attempt at being cute and shifted his gaze to the little girl in his arms, the chill in his dark eyes melting a bit at her adorable face.

He pinched her tiny nose, silent, his gaze lingering on her, the tenderness in his eyes softening Yvonne’s heart. She couldn’t resist poking his arm. “Brandon, if you like kids so much, why don’t you and Sophia hurry up and have one?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she saw Brandon’s expression grow colder.

Confused, she took a stealthy look around the room, only then realizing not only was Sophia absent, but all traces of her ever living there were gone.

“Brandon?” she tugged at the hem of his shirt cautiously, “What happened between you and Sophia?”

His cold glance was all she got in reply. “Is there a reason you’re here?”

Yvonne quickly shook her head, she didn’t really have any business. She was just passing by, saw the lights on, and decided to drop in.

Brandon didn’t bother with her anymore, taking the two-year-old to sit on the couch.

The soft light in the living room highlighted his chiseled profile, warming the chill in his eyes.

Yvonne had known Brandon for over twenty years as her brother, and she never thought he liked kids that much. He had always been a loner, never keen on playing with them, except for the missing Phoebe.

Mention of Phoebe made Yvonne glance at Brandon again.

Phoebe was just a year younger than Yvonne. She was only five when she went missing, and Yvonne was six. She was too young to really remember much about Phoebe, just that she wasn’t like the rest of the rowdy rugrats they hung out with. Back then, Phoebe was the good, quiet kid who’d just sit there and watch them play, or she’d tag along with Brandon, quietly keeping him company.

Brandon was mature beyond his years. Plus, Patricia wasn’t exactly warm towards him, and he knew from an early age that his birth mom was out of the picture. So, he always came off as more grounded, or even a bit of a loner, compared to other kids his age.

The adults were too busy with work, lacking both time and patience to guide a kid who wasn’t exactly their top priority. The other kids, clueless about the ways of the world, would simply shrug and move on if he didn’t join in their games But little Phoebe, bless her heart, never got tired of sticking by his side, chatting with him, and sharing her little treasures-anything tasty, fun, or cool, she’d be sure to share with Brandon first. Over time. Brandon kind of took to having her around and even started teaching her how to read and write on his own initiative.

By then, Brandon was already in second grade, and he passed on everything he knew to Phoebe.

The grandparents from both families were happy to see the two kids getting along and would joke about setting up a marriage for them. Nobody ever imagined that Phoebe would go missing.

A five-year-old lost in the dense woods had almost no chance of survival.

When Brandon got wind of Phoebe’s disappearance, he lost it, kicking and punching the adults holding him back, screaming his lungs out to go find Phoebe

But what could an eight-year-old kid do on his own to find her?

In the end, Brandon couldn’t overpower the adults, but from that moment, he became even more silent and mature, throwing himself into his studies and training like a man possessed

When puberty hit and other guys were boasting about girlfriends, Brandon stood apart. Even though he was tall, good-looking and way more talented than his peers, with a line of girls that could stretch down the block, he didn’t show the slightest interest in anyone. Studying became his everything.

This wasn’t just academic learning. It included physical training and specialized courses arranged by his granddad to prep him for taking over the family biz. Brandon’s schedule was packed.

He endured hardships that others would buckle under, devoid of the youthfulness and vitality typical of his peers. It was only during his senior year of high school that Yvonne saw that spark of life in him, unique to boys his age, once again.

Yvonne didn’t know who or what had happened to Brandon that year, but he was alive again, just like the two years

before

She had a hunch it was all thanks to Sophia.

She wasn’t too familiar with Sophia, but the moment she laid eyes on her, she saw a glimpse of Phoebe in her.