The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Chapter 584

A couple of months later.

Saturday rolled around, and the weather was starting to warm up, bathing

everything outside in a pleasant sunshine.

Brandon squatted down, meticulously fixing Theresa's clothes until they were just right, then finally looked up at her and said, "All set."

Theresa, who had just stretched her arm out to place her little teddy bear at a distance, immediately pulled it back into a tight hug against her chest.

This had become her go-to comfort move over the past few months. Brandon had gotten used to this little ritual of hers and didn't try to correct it anymore, even if the teddy bear wasn't looking its freshest from being clung to and slept with all the time.

Silently, he brushed off some lint sticking to the teddy bear, his fingertips lingering a bit too long on the bear's soft fabric before he pulled away, his expression drifting into a reminiscent daze.

"Daddy?" Theresa called out, a hint of confusion in her voice.

Brandon snapped back to reality, offering her a reassuring smile as his gaze drifted past her shoulder to the long table behind her.

On that table was an album, holding a picture of Sophia from when she first joined the company.

He had seen that photo on the wall at Star Dempsey Architects two months ago, and had since gotten the negative from HR, developed and printed it out.

He didn't have a picture of Sophia on his phone. Neither did Sophia on hers.

She wasn't into taking photos, so her phone gallery was devoid of selfies, even though it was filled with lots of moments capturing Theresa.

In the photo, Sophia was sitting at her desk, smiling quietly and gently, obviously taken spontaneously when the HR came by for a shoot. She wasn't showy, but her youth and beauty shone through her calm and gentle gaze.

as ever. It was as if she was smiling right at him through the photo, and Brandon

doorbell rang. Grace, who was

out, her welcoming voice

saw Kent and

in an attempt to cheer her

incident with Sophia, the little girl had become much quieter. But as before, his

smile on her face, her expression showing a maturity and calmness beyond

this made Brandon's heart twinge, but he said nothing, simply stroking

with a smile, "Today, godmom and Kent are going to take you shopping for new clothes for the New Year.

Theresa nodded, "Yes."

and couldn't help but reach out to touch it, "Your teddy's got a bit dirty; how about godmom cleans

smile vanished, and she clutched the teddy tighter, shaking her head vigorously as if afraid

and hugged her, whispering soothingly, "We won't

gazing at her distressfully, Susan didn't dare to push

chimed in with a grin, "Let's go; we'll start with the New Year's shopping and getting new clothes.

speaking, he bent down to Theresa, "We're about

Theresa nodded blankly, "Yeah."

what New Year's meant. She didn't remember much from her first New Year, and now was her first real sense of the holiday

prepping for the holiday. Whether it was because Sophia was gone or Brandon subconsciously avoiding the festive season, they hadn't

didn't want Theresa to

out when she went out playing with other kids, seeing them buzzing with holiday prep yet she hadn't prepared a thing, so she took the opportunity to take her out shopping with Kent, hoping to give her that festive experience just like

in and complete the

arrived, even though Theresa was too young to understand, and despite

and holiday outfits

a taste of the

Sophia was gone, she worried