The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Chapter 319

Sophia and Brandon found a afternoon tea place near their office and snagged a private booth.

It was Sophia who had found the place and insisted on the private room.

"Is it something important you wanted to discuss?" Eyeing the super private eatery, Brandon asked as he pulled out a chair, smoothly helping Sophia with the one next to it.

Sophia nodded lightly. "Yeah."

She settled into her chair, reached for the teapot intending to pour some tea, but Brandon beat her to it, taking over and filling cups for them both before handing her the menu.

Sophia picked out something small and handed the menu back to Brandon. Brandon randomly selected a few items and closed the menu.

Neither of them were there for the food.

"So, what's up?" Dropping the menu, Brandon looked at her, his voice steady.

Sophia hesitated, catching his gaze.

Brandon's eyes were deep and calm, a look that sent an inexplicable shiver through Sophia.

She lowered her lashes, took a small sip of tea, and began softly, "When I first came back to Wye City, I was on the fence about taking on the Zenitha-style resort project. Just so happened, our mentor, Mr. Gardner-you know him—was in town for a conference and we grabbed a bite. He advised me not to ditch the Zenitha project."

Looking up at Brandon, she continued, "We were at a restaurant near the school when a guy bumped into me. I turned and recognized him as the short, chubby dude we ran into in the Starlight Hotel's underground parking lot-named Darcy. The one we tried to dodge that time."

Brandon seemed surprised by the topic, and after a moment, he nodded. "Hmm."

"While he was dining, the skinny tall guy from the parking lot was with him," Sophia whispered, her eyes on Brandon, "I heard him call the other guy Ms. Barlow. Over dinner, Ms. Barlow asked Darcy how things were going, and Darcy said it was all cool, that the guy was all set up in the company, totally solid, and to not worry."

Brandon glanced at her but didn't chime in.

Sophia continued, "Darcy mentioned how hard it is to get into Starlight Group, that the turnover is low and they hardly ever recruit externally. He said they were lucky Starlight Group was launching a subsidiary, Star Dempsey Architects, needing new blood; otherwise, who knows how long they'd have to wait. So, I'm suspecting there might be a mole among the folks who joined the company with me."

"You came back because of this?" Brandon's voice was measured as he looked at her.

Sophia pursed her lips, silent for a beat.

"Half and half," she murmured.

"Why wait till now to spill the beans?" Brandon's tone remained cool, almost like he was interrogating, seemingly unfazed by the idea of a mole in his company. "The guy's last name is Barlow, and it just so happens that Marian was staying at Starlight Hotel when we bumped into him and Darcy," Sophia hesitated, "I did some digging and found Marian's school records. She listed a Dennis Barlow as her father. I looked the guy up online and saw his picture, turns out he's that tall, skinny dude."

Without solid proof, I didn't want to come off like I was trying to smear her or spread rumors." "And since I started, I made it a point to get everyone's resumes, keep an eye on their every move.

her, not moving, "So you've got evidence

shook her

bring it up

lip, seeming to

the teacup, her slender fingers

on that pale crease, then

resort is tomorrow. Big event, press will be there. I was

a top-notch security team. No one's pulling anything on our watch, you didn't know that?"

haven't been here long, I didn't

guess I was overthinking it," she

slightly,

and the waiter brought in the food carefully and seriously laying them out on the table, briefly interrupting the chat

everything up, and then, along with the rest of the crew, headed out, closing the private room door behind

fork, and served it into her bowl, his calm voice flowing out as leisurely as his

you

heart skipped a beat, and

her, just gently and slowly placing the cut steak and softly suggesting, "Try

steak in her plate and murmured

nodded slightly, and then spoke up softly, "I was

paused in his movements

a little girl, you two seemed pretty close, so I didn't come over

as clear and clean as always, and her

that it almost made Brandon second-guess himself, stirring

caught him off

his daughter, every

was a gamble

the fact he had no direct proof right now, or if this was

aside from the coincidence of Sophia and Theresa appearing at the same time, and the strange sense of affection and pain he felt when facing Theresa, there was no evidence to

got nothing to do with you?" Brandon's eyes were cold and deep

eerily calm, with a hint of

look, suddenly pushed back his chair, stood up, walked over to her, bent down

her along calmly, only speaking up softly, "Brandon, I agree to the paternity test. But if the result proves nothing, we go our separate ways. After the Zenitha-style resort ground-breaking ceremony is over tomorrow, I want

in his tracks, turning to look at her coldly, "You still want to

bit red, but she still looked at him almost defiantly, "I can't always be dancing to your tune. I'll cooperate with the paternity test, but if

with fury as he looked at her, "You