The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Chapter 581

Brandon headed back to West district from Zion City as dawn was just breaking.

Don, not quite at ease, tagged along all the way to Brandon's place and crashed at the Crawley family pad for a bit.

The room still looked like Sophia was there, her presence lingering in every corner. Taking in the room, the memories of Sophia flooded back, hitting Don right in the feels, just like when he was at the office. Every time he passed her empty office, or noticed her vacant seat during meetings, he felt an emptiness inside.

Now, standing in Brandon and Sophia's home, facing this stark reminder that things would never be the same, Don found it tough to wrap his head around it.

His relationship with Sophia had been nothing more than boss and employee, with a sprinkle of friendship, yet even that weighed heavy on him. He couldn't even begin to fathom how Brandon and Theresa coped with this day in, day out.

"Brandon."

Seeing Brandon also lost in a daze, staring at a corner of the room, Don gently suggested, "Maybe you should consider moving back with Theresa."

Brandon didn't turn around, and just murmured hoarsely, "What if she comes back and can't find us?"

Don fell silent. He wasn't under any illusion that Brandon was talking about Sophia coming back to life.

It was the fear that, if by some chance her spirit did return, it wouldn't be able to find him and Theresa.

Feeling a lump in his throat, Don found himself at a loss for words, simply patting Brandon's shoulder silently.

"You head back; I'm alright," Brandon said in a raspy voice.

Don threw a concerned glance at Brandon but left him be.

Brandon's gaze had now shifted to Theresa, who was sound asleep in the bedroom, clutching the teddy bear Sophia had given her, curled up tightly, her face and body pressed against the teddy bear.

Though she was sleeping, her little brow was furrowed with unease.

usually sound sleeper slowly opened her eyes, still groggy from

if he hadn't seen, smiled gently at her and patting her shoulder, softly told

"Okay."

gripping Brandon's hand, and drifted

hold on, not pulling away, just

that no matter how much pain Brandon was in, he wouldn't lose his grip on reality again. He slipped out quietly, closing

half a day at

off to the police

scheme he'd cooked up with Dennis and his underling Gordon, along with trading records and chat logs as proof that Dennis was

dead to rights, all evidence accounted for.

to slip away in the crowds at the hotel, aiming for the airport to flee the country, but Brandon's people had them under tight surveillance, and the cops cornered them before they could

too. Not that she wanted to be, but Brandon's folks had half- dragged,

was supposed to be in

thrown her into the river, it wasn't just a major mental trauma, she'd

first dunk, and then got chucked straight into the river the second time around. She was

her head

leave her for dead. If she croaked, Brandon couldn't escape blame, so he sucked it up and got her to a hospital despite feeling nauseous

mental scars ran deeper. After that night, she looked worn out and shrunken, eyes wide with

refusing to admit she had anything to do with offing Sophia. No matter how scared she

to enact her plan on top of Dennis's, and even the cops couldn't

hospital when Brandon's people hauled her off to Moonlight Resort & Spa

soon as she hit the hotel entrance, she witnessed Dennis and Gordon getting carted

cops, spotting her, took her

Marian, he didn't have a shred of evidence to prove her

Marian's role, so when grilled separately, both of them denied her involvement, which indirectly

the scene and what the eyewitnesses said,