Chapter 228

Brandon watched with regret, his voice softening involuntarily, "I'm sorry. It's my bad. How about I make it up to you with a new one?"

The little girl, pouting, hesitated as she looked at Brandon, wanting to nod but too cautious to do so. She glanced back toward where she came from, as if looking for someone.

Instinctively, Brandon followed her gaze.

A tall and plump woman was hurrying toward them, the same one he had seen before in Wye City with the girl.

Brandon gave her a once-over.

The woman clearly recognized him too, offered an awkward smile at him, and moved forward to pick up Theresa.

Theresa, feeling wronged, pointed to the broken balloon on the ground, "Balloon's busted."

Brandon looked at the tall, plump woman, "Sorry about that, I wasn't paying attention and accidentally stepped on the little one's balloon."

The woman smiled, "It's no big deal, just a balloon."

"I just promised her a new balloon," Brandon said, glancing outside, "I remember there's a mall right by the entrance, would it be alright if I take her to pick one out?"

The woman quickly waved her hands, "No need, children forget fast, she'll forget about it soon enough. It's just a balloon, after all."

"To us adults, it's just a balloon, but to a kid, it might be more," Brandon said. "I already made a promise to her."

Brandon then looked at Theresa, the little girl gazing at him with big, hopeful eyes.

"Just a few minutes," Brandon said to the woman, "It won't take long."

"Or if you're worried, feel free to wait here for me, and I'll go get it," Brandon added.

The woman looked at him with a touch of surprise, perhaps unsure why someone as well-dressed as he would go out of their way to buy a balloon for a kid, but after a moment's hesitation, she nodded, "We'll wait here then."

"Alright."

Brandon responded lightly, looking at Theresa, "Theresa, can you wait here for a sec? I will go and get you a balloon, okay?"

He remembered that her name was "Theresa" from asking last time.

Just as Brandon was about to get up, the little girl suddenly grabbed his pant leg in quickly.

Brandon turned back to look at her.

"I... wanna... go... too."

The little girl's voice came out in short bursts, milky and eager, her big watery eyes filled with longing.

Brandon paused, looking at her.

knowing Brandon, hurried to pick up Theresa when she saw the child wanted to

home; we can get one from there. Let him go about

girl shook her head

her a comforting look,

away. Once securely in Brandon's arms, she clung tightly to his neck, nestling

but hug her a little closer, then looked up at the tall, plump woman, but his attention was captured as he saw Sophia

looked up and

moved to Theresa, who was snugged against his neck, and then back to

expression had already

glanced at her, then at Ivan beside her, and without another

off, the plump woman gave an anxious look back toward

gestured for her to

hurried to catch

were

there, staring at the backs

shoulder,

looked at Sophia with a complex of

"You alright?"

present, shook her head slightly, and then took out her phone to

Ivan, somewhat apologetically, "Ivan, sorry, but I won't able to keep

just smiled,

her today, to apologize for last night's incident

and had come upon Sophia and Grace playing with Theresa downstairs. Not wanting the little ones to hear their conversation, Sophia had asked

of the complex's

had firmly

An expected response.

"I'll be off then."

without

to persist unwelcomingly,

nodded, "Alright, get home

went their separate ways. Brandon took Theresa to

notion of "strangers" or "acquaintances," clinging to Brandon the whole way. Yet she was a

gazed up with her big eyes, and asked Brandon with confusion, "Unkie,

her a warm

slightly before she leaned in and embraced Brandon's shoulder tightly, whispering

his heartstrings from her fervent embrace and couldn't help but

"I'm fine."

filling the little girl with delight, though she did not know exactly how to show her happiness. She simply clung to Brandon, gently rubbing

relief washed over him, though not significantly. His thoughts were overwhelmed by images of waiting in vain outside Sophia's door and the sight of

detect the icy expression on Brandon's face, worried that Theresa's disregard of boundaries might have annoyed him,

Brandon stopped her,

to him even tighter until they walked past the claw machine area on the first floor where her grip on his shirt

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