The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Chapter 689

Cindy could feel someone behind her. She turned around instinctively and, seeing it was Marian, she quickly turned her face away, her expression icy, as she closed the WhatsApp chat window.

Her feelings towards Marian were complicated.

Before all the chaos, she'd thought Marian was just another privileged person who used her supposed royal background to act superior and difficult. Marian never cooperated with others, and while Cindy didn't like her, she never dared to confront her. But things changed after Sophia's accident, when rumors started swirling that Marian had been behind the whole thing.

When Sophia had her accident, Ivan Evert suddenly stopped coming to work. Augus was taken away by the police on suspicion of attempted murder, which caused quite a stir in the office. Not long after, Marian was also taken in for questioning, only to be released soon after.

Upon her return, she submitted her resignation to Don Dempsey, but Don passed it to Brandon, the group's head honcho. Not only did Brandon reject her resignation, he also slapped a lawsuit regarding corporate espionage on her desk.

It was quite the scene. The company's legal team delivered the news right there in the office, reading out loud the lawsuit accusing Marian of hiding her true identity as the daughter of Dennis Barlow, the CEO of rival company Barlow Hotel. She had joined under the false pretense of being Yolanda Frost, a member of the Crawley family, and had been leaking company secrets to her father. The allegations stated that Dennis had orchestrated a sabotage plan involving a high- profile project, causing irreparable damage to Starlight Group's reputation.

The whole office was buzzing with the news.

The lawsuit revealed that Marian's royal background was a sham, and that Sophia's accident wasn't just a tragic mishap—it was part of a sinister plot orchestrated by Marian's father, Dennis. Whether Marian had a hand in it or Sophia's accident was an intentional act was anyone's guess, but with Marian being questioned by the police and her obvious envy of Brandon, opinions varied. Cindy decided to keep her distance from Marian, showing her no warmth.

After the scandal, Marian attempted to leave and join her father's company in the West District. Yet, on her first day there, Brandon bought the company outright, firing all the top management, including Marian.

Marian ended up back at Star-Dempsey Architects, not as an employee, but to aid in the investigation against her. She was there so often, it was like she was still working, minus the paycheck and the camaraderie of colleagues.

completely isolated at

the months, Marian visibly deteriorated, stressed out over the legal battle. She couldn't leave the country, trapped in an endless cycle of legal procedures that had already dragged

mention of "Sophia" in the chat made her heart ache for her friend, her

the reaction. But she couldn't shake off the question she overheard: "Has Director Yearwood

heard about Sophia possibly being alive. The first

who looked like Sophia in a hotel elevator while visiting Harvey Ferber. Kris had never met Sophia

enough to set Marian on

against her was hanging by a thread, Sophia was believed to have died saving a

murder hete

Dennis, Gordon, and Augus painted

with Sophia's death an

s

Sophia's actions, which inadvertently foiled their plans, and

trace or suspicious connections, and for now, he was safe. Marian, hidden in

police weren't ready to give up the

never comes back, Marian believed she'd be safe. Just deal with the companies tied to Starlight Group, and she could leave

lawsuit was nearing its conclusion, and

did return, as the