The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Chapter 603

Sophia was catching up on some much-needed Z's, but she was tossing and turning, not getting any solid shut-eye. She was hot and cold all over, feeling like she was roasting on a spit one second and soaking in a tub the next. It was back and forth, wanting to sleep and not being able to, half-awake but not really snapping out of it, like she was sunk into some kind of nightmare.

The moment Amanda busted through the door, she spotted Sophia on the bed with her brows all knotted up, clearly not resting easy. Her hair was plastered to her forehead with sweat.

"Sophia." Amanda called out, worried, as she moved closer to touch her forehead. The heat coming off Sophia's skin nearly gave her a heart attack, so she quickly started shaking Sophia's shoulder, calling out her name, "Sophia, wake up."

But Sophia didn't come to, and just frowned in distress. Amanda was about to keep at it when Sophia's phone went off on the nightstand, a WhatsApp video call coming in.

Amanda barely glanced at it before she snatched it up and hung up, continuing to shake Sophia's shoulder, "Sophia, wake up."

Finally, with all the shaking, Sophia's eyes fluttered open from nightmares, but she was still groggy, not quite sure where she was, her eyes empty and vacant.

Amanda's heart was racing with worry, about to call out to her again, but then the WhatsApp call she just hung up on rang again.

Anxious, Amanda grabbed the phone and hit the answer button, politely saying into the phone, "Hi there, now's not a good time. We'll catch up later."

And with that, she killed the call.

Brandon was staring blankly at the phone screen that'd gone back to the WhatsApp chat. He didn't make a move.

It was not her. Even though the shaky camera didn't give him a look at her face, just a glimpse of the bedding, the floor in a rushed sweep, the voice and tone were all wrong - not Sophia.

clue except that blueprint had pointed to Arlene not being Sophia, but there was still this heavy feeling of letdown when the reality hit. He thought he'd come to terms with her being gone,

his gaze to the murky sky outside the window,

From his position, he could only see the deep lines of Brandon's profile, but against the light, the bob of his Adam's apple and the faint redness of

face, the thick disappointment of dashed hopes was

thing Kent

watched Brandon ride the rollercoaster from hope to despair, over and over, clinging to something that was

voice unintentionally more hoarse than usual

me a moment; I need some peace," he said, his voice rough, without looking at

"Let me know if you need anything," and after closing the door softly behind him, he

in the hotel room, Amanda's callback brought Sophia out

instinctively looked over

Amanda handling her

the caller it was

good

later Sophia's instinct kicked in, and

for her phone,

Amanda's already hung up and tossed the phone

attention back on Sophia.

are you doing up? You're burning up here. Lie