The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Chapter 538

Marian's heart did a freaking somersault, nearly blurted out to grill him on why he had to spill the beans about her. She was just shooting the breeze, after all. But she swallowed her words, mustering a strained smile at Daniel, "No biggie, I'm not holding a grudge against Mr. Crawley. My bad that day; shouldn't have been such a chatterbox. I didn't see it coming."

She sniffled, her voice trailing off as she hung her head in guilt.

"It's all fate." Daniel sighed heavily, eyeing the nasty bruise on her neck with alarm, "You better not have hurt your neck; let me take you to the doc, okay?" Marian touched her neck and whispered back, "I'm fine, thanks Mr. Crawley. I want to check on Mr. Crawley. With him being like this, I'm really worried."

Daniel was kinda taken aback by her concern for Brandon, remembering how she'd been at loggerheads with him since her return. Even when their families tried to play matchmaker, she'd kept it cool.

Marian avoided Daniel's gaze, her eyelids drooping, "I'm just genuinely worried about Mr. Crawley."

Daniel was touched. He figured Marian's lukewarm response back then was due to her being considerate, knowing someone was already in Brandon's life. That reading made him extra grateful to her, plus the memory of how Yolanda had stood by Brandon when he lost his mom as a kid. So he just nodded, "Just be careful, okay?"

Marian nodded, "I will."

After saying their goodbyes, she bolted out.

Brandon beelined straight for the hotel parking lot and zoomed off in his car. By the time Kent hit the parking lot, Brandon's ride was long gone. Concerned, Kent hopped into his car and tailed him.

Brandon drove back to where Sophia had fallen into the river.

a clearer view. Though just a tributary, due to relief degree of terrain which formed the river, the stream's rapid flow, especially after last night's

possibility remained: she didn't fall into the foundations but hit her head on them, knocking her out cold,

a concrete pillar. Normally, she would've fallen right into it, but since she wasn't found there, Brandon figured Sophia's survival instincts made

clenched uncontrollably, sending a chill through his

hydrologists to estimate the current's speed and calculate how far she could've been carried. Professional rescue teams were also mobilized to search downstream, hoping against hope that Sophia had been washed ashore. But as time ticked by, despite

dared not contemplate the worst-case

merging into the main

had no chance of saving

river toward the sea outlet, his car's air

fall to the sea outlet, and even into the ocean itself. No one had

He parked near the mouth, heart

over the steering wheel,

while before looking up at him, then sighed deeply, opened the door, and stepped

rescue teams were still active on

to the open sea," Kent said softly, his voice heavy and

fixed on the flat sandy beach carved by the river and the tumultuous waters rushing into the sea. His throat constricted

himself to look away from the sea, back to the river that had swallowed

stop him, "Mr. Crawley, you can't go back in the water

Brandon ignored him, shedding his suit jacket as he walked and handed it to Kent, heading for