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.

woman, not knowing Brandon, hurried to pick up Theresa

can get one from there. Let him go about his

her head stubbornly, tears

her a comforting look, then tentatively reached out his

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

at the tall, plump woman, but his attention was captured as he saw Sophia and Ivan turning the corner

and paused

slowly moved to Theresa, who was snugged against his

expression had already turned

Ivan beside her, and without another word,

off, the plump woman gave an anxious

hesitation, gestured for her to

hurried to catch

they were

the backs of Brandon and

shoulder, her small arms tightly

looked at Sophia with a complex

"You alright?"

her head slightly, and then took out her phone to send a message to Grace: [No

she turned to Ivan, somewhat apologetically, "Ivan, sorry, but I

smiled,

was to see her today, to apologize for last night's incident and to

Theresa downstairs. Not wanting the little ones to hear their conversation, Sophia had asked Grace to watch the kid while

of

firmly

An expected response.

"I'll be off then."

without further

to persist unwelcomingly, and Sophia

"Alright, get

walk him out. They said goodbye and went their separate ways. Brandon took Theresa to buy

thrilled, lacking much of a notion of "strangers" or "acquaintances," clinging to Brandon the whole way. Yet she was a child with a very sensitive mind;

didn't show much excitement when she got the balloon, just gazed up with her big eyes, and asked Brandon with

a warm smile, "No,

unconvinced, and her lips puckered slightly before she leaned in and embraced Brandon's shoulder tightly, whispering into his ear

felt a tug at his heartstrings from her fervent

"I'm fine."

did not know exactly how to show her happiness. She simply clung to Brandon, gently rubbing her little

as a slight 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 her arriving with Ivan, each recollection pressing down on his chest

worried that Theresa's disregard of boundaries

stopped her,

Theresa held on to him even tighter until they walked past the claw machine area on the first

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