The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

"Jasper, you're back," Justin greeted with a faint smile. Even so, his grip on Alyssa only tightened, showing no sign of letting her go. His eyes gleamed with an

intense possessiveness.

Alyssa's heart skipped a beat. As she looked into Jasper's deep, distant eyes, tears welled up quietly. At that moment, she felt her entanglement with Justin was nothing short of disgraceful.

Nevertheless, having come this far with her act, she knew all her efforts would be in vain if she gave up now. So, she had no choice but to keep playing her part.

Instead of pulling away from Justin, she even curved her lips slightly in a faint smile.

"Hi, Mr. Jasper."

Mr. Jasper?

Jasper's expression darkened. His fists clenched, his eyes unreadable.

"W-What are you two up to?" he asked hoarsely.

Justin's eyes twinkled slightly as he maintained his calm, elegant smile. "I hosted a guest at Seaview Manor tonight. We happened to discuss a business partnership, so I invited Lyse over for dinner as well.

"We just finished, and I was about to send her home. If I'd known you were coming tonight, I would've asked you to join us."

"Join us?" Jasper forced a cold smirk. "If I were around, you probably wouldn't have the appetite to eat. Besides, wouldn't I have ruined the mood for you and Ms. Alyssa?"

His icy, mocking words pierced Alyssa's heart. Her gaze faltered.

"Jasper, you're much more adorable now than before. At the very least, you've developed a sense of humor."

Justin brushed past Jasper casually, still holding Alyssa by the hand. "It's getting late. I'd better send Lyse home so she can rest. We'll chat another time."

As Alyssa passed Jasper, her silky dark hair brushed lightly against his shoulder, carrying a familiar scent that lingered in the air.

His heart thudded violently, and he parted his lips slightly. He couldn't help turning around, only to see the frail Justin, who was always afraid of the cold, removing his wool coat and draping it gently over Alyssa's shoulders by the door.

For some reason, Jasper's heartbeat quickened uncontrollably. He stared fixedly at Alyssa's back, waiting. Waiting for her-the woman who had always hated Justin-to refuse his kind gesture.

But instead, she lifted her alluring face toward Justin and smiled sweetly. "Thank you," she said.

"No worries. The night breeze is chilly. I wouldn't want you to catch a cold."

Jasper watched helplessly as the two left together, Justin's arm casually resting around the small of Alyssa's back.

To Jasper, Justin's gentlemanly gestures were nothing but a blatant claim of ownership. He clenched his jaw so hard he could taste the tang of blood at the back of his throat as his chest rose and fell heavily.

Seaview Manor was cloaked in silence in the dead of night.

After everything that had happened, the place no longer felt like a home. It was more like an extravagant yet desolate palace—a stage for power struggles.

Xavier hurried through the dim, empty corridor, its creepy atmosphere resembling that of a horror movie set. No timid soul would dare linger here for long.

Fortunately, Xavier wasn't afraid of ghosts. He'd met people far more terrifying than any ghost.

"Mr. Beckett, are you in there? It's me!"

He knocked urgently. After a moment, a muffled voice came from within. "Come in..."

Xavier pushed the door open and froze in shock. Empty bottles of red

wine, whiskey, and other spirits

littered the coffee table or

One even

rolled to a stop at his feet.

The room was dimly lit by a single floor lamp. Jasper sat slumped on the floor,

leaning against the couch, chugging red wine straight from the bottle.

"Mr. Beckett, what are you doing? You shouldn't be drinking like this-not in your current condition!"

Frightened and frustrated, Xavier

ет

rushed over, snatching the empty bottle from Jasper's hand. With all his strength, he helped him sit upright on the couch.

"Dr. Lovelace warned you repeatedly. The medication he developed can keep your condition stable, but you must not overdrink or let your emotions spiral!

"If your central nervous system is thrown off again and the medicine loses its

effect, not even God can save you! Is this really what you want?"

"I'm fine. I just wanted a drink. My chest feels tight."

Jasper closed his eyes wearily, his breath heavy with alcohol.

"A drink? It looks like you've finished every drop in your wine cabinet! At this rate, you'll be reaching for the white wine next!"

Xavier hurried to pour a glass of warm water, then found two tablets and helped Jasper swallow them.

Julien's medication supply was

already running low. Xavier knew he had to contact him soon to replenish it before Jasper's conditiono

spiraled out of control.

Concerned, Xavier asked, "What happened, Mr. Beckett? Why are you drinking like this?"

"Xavier, my chest... feels tight."

Still tipsy, Jasper thumped his fist weakly against his chest.

Worried he might hurt himself, Xavier caught his hand. "What happened? Did that bastard Justin give you trouble again? Tell me!"

"Alyssa... do you really have to take your act this far?"

Jasper's bleary eyes half-closed as he muttered, "Are you really just pretending? Or... have you already fallen for him?"

Xavier was stunned. "Him" could only mean Justin.

"Mr. Beckett, to be honest, deep down, you've never moved on from Madam Alyssa... You still care about her, don't you? You still love her, right?"

As Xavier spoke, he discreetly took out his phone and turned on the recorder, hoping to capture Jasper's confession.

But in the end, all he recorded was Jasper's soft snores-he had already passed out drunk on the couch.

Chapter 700

Patricia watched Marian's silhouette fade away at the restaurant's entrance, her smile slowly vanishing with it. Once Marian was out of sight, Patricia's expression turned serious and anxious again.

She reached for her phone on the table, unlocked it, and was about to open an app when she hesitated, as if it were something dangerous. She tossed the phone back onto the table, taking deep breaths to calm herself. But after only a couple of seconds, her trembling hand reached for the phone again.

With a few more deep breaths, she nervously opened the search engine and typed in the phone number for YUCN University. Seeing the numbers pop up on the screen, she steadied herself and dialed.

"Hello, could you please tell me if there's still a teacher named Wendy Cooper at your university?"

Next door at another restaurant

Sophia and Brandon had just arrived in their reserved private room when they ran into President Poe.

President Poe seemed surprised to see Brandon there. He paused for a moment, then broke into a wide grin. "Brandon? What brings you here today?"

As he spoke, he walked over and gave Brandon a friendly pat on the shoulder before turning to Sophia with a smile. "You two have already met, I assume? No introductions needed?"

Sophia shook her head with a smile. "No need, we've met."

"Good to hear," President Poe said with a chuckle. "I was going to introduce you two earlier, but I know how busy Brandon is with work. I didn't want to impose."

Brandon chuckled, "You should have introduced us sooner, President."

President Poe looked at him in surprise, teasing, "Did I hear that right? Brandon, the guy who lives and breathes work, actually wanted to meet a girl? Just the other day, the former principal and your class advisor were chatting about you. They said you're one of the most outstanding students but also the one they worry about the most. Apparently, a few of you have been openly dating, including you and the top student, someone named Sophia, I think."

Brandon cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed.

Sophia looked at President Poe, puzzled. "What?"

Her surprised expression amused President Poe, who gestured for them to sit and continued, "You're surprised too, huh? You seemed like such a model student, but

it turns out you dared to have a high school romance."

"Are we even dating?" Sophia couldn't help but ask, glancing at Brandon, surprised by the revelation.

Brandon looked at her, then turned back to President Poe with a grin. "President, you're spreading rumors now."

President Poe laughed heartily. "Not dating? Really? Your advisor said he used to see you waiting at the school gate every day, walking home together, attending night classes together. He was so worried you two would get too involved and neglect your studies. But he didn't want to talk to you directly and risk upsetting you, so he lost sleep over it for days. In the end, he had no choice but to separate you two in class-one east, one west, one in front, one in back. That's how he nipped your little romance in the bud."

Sophia was speechless.

Brandon gave President Poe an amused look. "Make sure to thank him for me, will you?"

President Poe, missing the sarcasm, nodded cheerfully. "I'll be sure to pass that on."

Brandon smiled, then suddenly pulled Sophia closer, turning to President Poe. "Let me formally introduce you: my girlfriend, and wife, Sophia."

President Poe was taken aback. "She's Sophia?"

Sophia shyly smiled and greeted him, "Hello, President Poe."

"Really, Sophia?" President Poe was still in shock.

He wasn't one to

to keep up with

celebrity news, so he might not have recognized her from there. But

was familiar with Sophia and Brandon's achievements as students. Still, he hadn't personally taught them and was a bit face-blind; a change of hairstyle could completely throw him off. He just never connected the dots between the Sophia in front of him and the Sophia from the school's stories.

Brandon looked at him with a smile. "President, shouldn't you have kept a photo of such an outstanding student?"

"Even with a photo, I wouldn't remember faces," President Poe admitted, still a bit bewildered. He turned to Sophia, "Weren't you called Arlene Bright before?"

He worried he was mistaken and flipped open the folder he brought, revealing the science center design proposal. But the designer's name was now clearly "Sophia."

President Poe frowned in confusion.

"I was Arlene before," Sophia explained apologetically. "But I'm also Sophia."

"Then..." President Poe was still confused, turning to Brandon. "If she's your wife, why did you ask me for her WhatsApp?"

"That's a long story," Brandon said. "I'll explain it all to you another time. In any case, thank you."

He was genuinely grateful if it hadn't been for the science center's design competition at the university, he might never have known Sophia was still alive.

He and Sophia might have remained unaware of each other's existence, drifting further apart in their separate worlds.

"I can't take credit for that," President Poe responded with a laugh, turning to Sophia. "It's all thanks to Sophia's talent that her work stood out and caught your

eye."

"It was your appreciation that made it possible," Sophia politely replied.

Brandon chuckled as he joined in, "Sophia's talents are undeniable, but it also takes someone with a good eye to recognize them, President Poe. Here's to you." He raised his glass in a toast, while his other hand gently placed a freshly poured cup of warm tea into Sophia's hand. Smiling, he explained to President Poe, "Sophia's not feeling her best, so she'll be sticking to tea instead of wine."

President Poe grinned, "Absolutely, I don't think young ladies should feel pressured to drink at events like these."

With that, he raised his own glass, clinking it against Brandon's and Sophia's before taking a hearty sip.

As they settled back into their seats, the conversation naturally drifted back to the design plans for the science center.

While President Poe was absorbedChapter 701

"Hey, Auntie."

As soon as Sophia stepped out of the private room, she answered the phone.

"Sophia, are you busy?"

Amanda's familiar voice came through the line.

"Yes, I'm discussing work with a client," Sophia replied softly.

On the other end, Amanda frowned, "You haven't fully recovered yet, so why are you working? What's up with that man? He brings you back without a word, and then you're off to work immediately?"

"It's not like that. It's not his fault," Sophia quickly defended Brandon. "He's been really good to me. It's my choice to work. It's not even that exhausting, just a bit of paperwork that I can finish in half an hour. You don't need to worry."

"You always defend him," Amanda said with a hint of displeasure. "A man who drags you away against your will, who knows what he's really like? Don't just believe everything he says. Keep your guard up."

This wasn't the first time Amanda had expressed her doubts about Brandon.

Sophia found it difficult to communicate with Amanda on this matter. She appeared easygoing, but she was strong-willed. Once she decided Brandon was a problem, no amount of explanation from Sophia would change her mind. Amanda just assumed Sophia was charmed by his looks and was defending him at every turn.

Unable to reach an understanding with Amanda, Sophia opted to change the subject. "So, Auntie, why did you call?"

Amanda's attention shifted as expected. "Oh, we were supposed to have lunch today, right? Harvey has something urgent, and I need to go over there, so I can't make it for lunch. Just calling to let you know."

"No worries, we can reschedule," Sophia replied, feeling a slight sense of relief. Hearing Amanda's concerned tone, she couldn't help but ask, "Is Mr. Ferber alright?"

"He's fine, no need to worry," Amanda said, not offering further details.

"Alright," Sophia didn't press further. "If you need anything, just let me know."

While talking, Sophia stood in the hallway outside the private room, leaning on the railing. Initially, she positioned herself where Brandon could see her but the restaurant was busy and as she unconsciously stepped aside to let people pass, she gradually moved out of Brandon's sight without noticing. s

Brandon, however, did notice. His eyes followed Sophia from the moment she

picked up the phone. When she stopped at the doorway, he felt a bit more at ease but his gaze never strayed from her.

President Poe, reviewing some

design plans, occasionally glanced up at Brandon, noting his

unwavering attention on Sophia. He couldn't resist teasing, "Keeping,

sucha

ose eye afraid she Dran

off"

sŵnovels

IMS

Brandon just shook his head with a chuckle, apologizing to President Poe, "I

should go check on her."

With that, he got up and left.

On the phone, Amanda continued to give Sophia some random advice

before her assistant urged her to

wrap up the call. After saying

goodbye, Sophia hung up and

signed in relief, turning to head back.

s

The hallway was narrow and bustling with people. As Sophia triChapter 702

Sophia instinctively reached up to her forehead, her brows knitting together in

pain.

"Quick, chase them! They went that way, go find them!"

In the frosty forest, the crunching footsteps and angry shouts echoed through the snow-covered landscape.

A little girl dressed in a pale white parka was pulling another girl clad in a bright red coat, both running for their lives through the snow.

The girl in the red coat was sobbing, saying she couldn't run anymore.

But the girl in the white parka kept dragging her along, desperate to keep moving.

Suddenly, the girl in the red coat tripped over something, pulling the girl in the white parka down with her.

The girl in the red coat burst into tears.

The girl in the white parka scrambled to her feet, quickly covering her friend's mouth with her hand, then crouched down to lift her onto her back, trying to carry her.

But with their similar sizes, she could barely move, and not knowing how to carry someone properly, she stumbled through the snow, only to have the red coat girl's foot catch on a dried-out tree branch, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

The girl in the white parka hugged the other tightly as they rolled down a small slope, finally coming to a halt when her knee slammed into a protruding rock. The pain made tears spring to her eyes instantly, but at least their fall had stopped.

The girl in the red coat scrambled to her feet, looking helplessly at her friend.

Despite the pain and the urge to cry, the girl in the white parka bit her lip to hold back her tears. She tried to stand, using the rock for support, but the pain was too much, and the tears flowed freely as she failed to rise.

the sound of angry footsteps and shouts continued

girl in the red coat was paralyzed with fear, ng closer

struggled to get up,

her eyes lit up when she saw a small cabin

off a bracelet from her wrist-a string of emerald beads-and handed it to the girl in the red coat. She told her to run to the cabin, where her mom, dad, and big brother would be. They would recognize the

in the snow, the girl in

coat hesitated, taking the bracelet and changing into the white parka

girl in the white parka urged her to go, warning that the bad guys would catch them

coat nodded, summoning the courage to sprint down towards the

in the white parka watched

one with the snow, until she was out

tightly. She was cold, scared, hungry, and exhausted, but she didn't dare close her eyes of move,

sky turned from bright to dark, and then dark

came.

Her friend didn't return.

parents, and big brother never came for her

at the emerald bracelet on Marian's wrist, tears streaming down her cheeks without her even realizing

through her mind like a movie

her forget

with growing alarm. She knew it was the bracelet that triggered this

for two

Sophia had seen the bracelet countless times, and while she often seemed momentarily lost when spotting it, she had never

staring at the bracelet, was

a nearby room, catching sight of SophiaChapter

was sharp and loud, immediately drawing everyone's

senses a bit, her expression showing a hint of bewilderment, but she

still choked, "I wanted you to take it to my parents, but

turned razor-sharp, fixing on

looking at Sophia, her eyes widening in alarm, staring at Sophia, who looked bewildered and unsure but could

each other for so long, and Sophia clearly didn't remember. She couldn't even recognize

hadn't Patricia just told her not long ago that Sophia had amnesia? How could she remember something that only the two of

had this bracelet for as long as I can remember. How could it be

confused, a certainty that slowly pulled Sophia's rationality back

at the bracelet on Marian's

her Sophia, so she knew her, and they

so close, and if those chaotic images in her mind were real,

the girl in the white puffer coat from her

teary eyes showing a hint of self-doubt, and unconsciously loosened her grip on Marian's hand. But in the next second, the arm she had released was

Brandon's voice came

had come to her side. One hand was gripping Marian's

face turned pale

of Brandon's previous threats to

at her coolly. "What really

brought that suffocating feeling of near-death rushing

don't know. I've had

bracelet had been with her since she could remember. After all, so many years had passed. If Sophia could forget, then

just looked at her coldly.

down as she shook her head desperately. "It's been with me since I can remember. I always

more and more

had been waiting

her return and grew worried. She came

she saw Brandon opposite her. Her hand, which was about to move people aside, froze, hesitating to get

and Brandon were bullying Marian. Worried about the impact of Brandon and

I remembered it wrong," she quickly tried to explain, reaching for the bracelet in Brandon's hand to return it to

"You didn't remember wrong,"

commissioned that bracelet. I have the receipts,

fingers at the two of them suddenly grew quiet, turning their attention to Marian, who was crying like she was the one being

that pitiful look, crying with tears like raindrops on flowers, shaking her head desperately. "I really don't know. It's been with me since I can remember. I truly thought it was mine." Brandon's lips curled with a cold indifference, long accustomed to her easily spun lies. He didn't even urge her, just watched her expressionlessly as

knew Kris's background like the

and was always a bit of a wild child, leveraging family connections to get into college. It wasn't until after graduation that he decided to buckle down and get involved in

acumen was average at best, but he used his connections with the underground scene to run the

had an extraordinary affection

he learned she was stuck dealing with legal issues and couldn't leave the country, he secretly made his way over,

unwillingness to abandon Marian to draw him

clearly, he bet

intense, hawk-like gaze, Brandon's

him. Compared to

of a predator who

finger on why she felt

was Kris's first time in the country, so in

But Brandon's eyes...

as if wanting to distance herself from

her before turning his

"Kris?"

with a question,

up Brandon, glanced at the woman behind him, Sophia, and began to piece together who Brandon might be, though he wasn't

picking on a young

as he stood protectively in

laugh escaping him. "Picking on a young

shifted

and

step forward and clear it up? Are we really bullying you, or is your conscience not so

avoiding

to back her up, she couldn't muster the courage

bracelet's origin kept her from

bullying anyone," Marian said softly, her head bowed. "Sophia and I are classmates and colleagues. There must be some

her a surprised glance, taken aback by the claim of

don't you remember? We were in grad school together, and

not losing weight, really, Godmother, you don't need to worry," Sophia said awkwardly, trying to adjust to the public

tightly, inspecting her from head to toe. "You look thinner to me. You're always putting

a

a wary intensity, like a mother

Brandon remained tense, his eyes still fixed on

inspection to ensure Sophia was indeed in good health,

on with curiosity. She was surprised by

Yet, he was puzzled, as he couldn't recall any

the edge of the crowd, Patricia frowned, having overheard Sophia call Amanda "Godmother." She remembered Daniel's investigative report mentioning Amanda Ferber, mother of Harvey Ferber from the

family would care so deeply for someone they considered an outsider. Unless, of course, Sophia wasn't who she

Sophia,

on edge, unsure

at Marian and Kris and asked, "Who are these people? It's hardly appropriate to make

that, Amanda turned back to Sophia. "Come on,

barring their path. "Sorry, Mrs. Ferber, my wife has commitments. She can't leave

"Godmother, I'm meeting a client right now. I'll

recovered. The doctor and I have told you

know, I know. It's just a meal with a client,

you. I went through a lot to get you back on your feet,

a loss, glancing at Brandon

We were planning to visit you to express our

don't know you well, and I don't want a meal. I

softened as she pleaded, "Sophia, I changed my whole schedule for you. I've been holding back from visiting, afraid of disturbing you, but I've been so worried. Please, just come

to s

and taken care of her during recovery.

adding, "Brandon, why don't

had intended to call him "Mr. Crawley" but found it awkward due to Amanda's clear hostility. So, she settled on "Brandon," though it felt unfamiliar

her, then gestured towards the restaurant next

verge of speaking when Sophia looped her arm through hers, gently steering her towards

choice but

they turned, Sophia noticed Marian and Kris had quietly slipped away during

scanned the crowd, landing on

to look back several times, only to be pushed forward by Marian, clearly intent on getting

he caught sight of Patricia, who had also just descended

anxious glances back towards them. Her

causing Brandon to furrow his brow again. However, the situation at

of the restaurant, warmly holding Sophia's hand and chatting away, inadvertently-or perhaps intentionally- creating

didn't let his annoyance show. He signaled the waiter to

Amanda and Sophia

Sophia to their

Sophia, he

stay here with

of the private dining room, Sophia finally let go of Brandon's

sorry," she said, sighing. "My godmother, Amanda, can be a bit overbearing sometimes. She doesn't always think about how her words might affect others. Please don't

hear them when Sophia apologized.

at

his lips together, his

"Sophia."

turning to face her with a serious

Sophia was taken aback.

take her side and try to explain things for her," Brandon continued slowly. "It

Sophia

apologize to me. I know you didn't

was just an instinctive

a line between

sorry," Sophia repeated softly, looking up at

gave her a small, forced smile and nodded, but didn't

he still clutched the bracelet he had pulled from Marian's

insisting the bracelet was

Sophia's polite demeanor

"Sophia..."

but just then, President Poe's voice echoed from behind

wondering if something was holding you up. You've been gone a while,

to see President Poe approaching with a broad

said, returning the smile with an apologetic tone. "We ran into a little issue outside, but we were

smiled apologetically, "Sorry for the wait, President

long as you're okay. I finished

talk back in the room," Brandon suggested, gesturing for President Poe to

Sophia followed them inside.

found little

headmaster who truly cared for his students,

did offer some minor suggestions for improvement on the cultural gallery —

engaged

clearly lacked patience, was

silent, she could see the calls coming

President Poe's thoughts, and considering it impolite, she resisted answering. Yet

Poe smiled and said, "Go ahead and

smiled apologetically, "Sorry

the phone, lowering her voice as she spoke

something. I'll come find you as soon as I'm done. Please,

apologetically at President Poe again, "Sorry

Poe asked understandingly. "We can continue another time if

"No, it's fine."

"No, it's fine."

turned to President Poe, "We're not in a rush; let's finish discussing

in agreement, "Yes,

a pen and began making notes on the design

was focused, but Amanda's relentless calls had left her somewhat

He simply gestured to his phone and whispered, "I'll step outside to take a call," before leaving

Brandon glanced towards

phone impatiently, ready to call Sophia again

took out

was answered

Ferber's voice came

here," Brandon

seemed taken aback, then chuckled softly, "My

she do?" he

don't care how you

savior, Mr.

calmly. "Harvey Ferber, I'm grateful to you and your family for

pause

you know I was never after that ten million," Harvey Ferber replied, his voice just as

that Harvey Ferber didn't need that money. Otherwise, he wouldn't have kept

because they saved Sophia and gave her a third

them

of the docks. "My mother truly cares for Sophia like her own daughter. There's no one in her life who treats her

the one person who

his lips together, glancing sidelong at Amanda in the

unable to contain herself, was once again dialing

really love her?" Brandon questioned softly,

the unexpected

to Harvey, "Harvey, you know better than I do whether your mother truly loves her or just wants to

a replacement for the daughter she'd lost, compensating for her guilt while still wanting

I don't want any loose ends around Sophia. If you ensure your mother stays

and Susan

his tracks, disbelief written all over his face

Brandon.

puzzled, turned to

had heard Brandon's words

Kent said. "Just keep an eye on Theresa

he let go of Theresa's

Crawley," he called, trying to warn

raised a hand to halt

on the line was also

Crawley, are you serious?" he finally asked, voice steady. "I'm

at your

never joke about business," Brandon replied. "Set a time,

lightly. "Mr. Crawley,

trying to speak but was silenced

prove Mr. Ferber's capabilities, kindly have your mother

within three minutes," Brandon concluded and

voice. "Mr. Crawley, are you out of

back, and you're giving away

looked at him. "It's

deal is as good as giving it away. You know how crucial that

company's expansion into maritime shipping," Kent

are more than enough to provide for

Kent was speechless.

expanding into maritime

but feel a

business empire dreams,

Wharf was a

give it up

dream of the CEO of Starlight Group, not Brandon's personal dream." "What's the difference?"

for his relentless

of Brandon, willing to slow

couldn't

Crawley's acumen, even if he sells

lose out."

practically prints money. Selling it off like this is a huge loss,"

looked at Kent

turned to Brandon.

even if there's no immediate loss,

might go back on his wo His mom's

control who she contacts."

I'm that foolish?" Brandon shot

and hand over the dock without

muttered under his breath, "I swear, ever

IQ has taken

sideways glance, too uninterested to

had his own ways of dealing with

Harvey Ferber had over his mother would determine the

the docks he could

Amanda truly cared for Sophia, he wouldn't mind adding another relative

mix.

Amanda clearly

about how Amanda had treated Sophia

He turned his gaze towards Amanda's

up a call, and whatever was said

gathered her things and left, talking on

went.

mention this to anyone." With that, he stepped forward and

You have fun with Uncle Kent and Aunt

however, reacted like they'd been stung by

out, "Who's Uncle?"Chapter 707

let's set up a

was important to sit down for a proper meal to express his gratitude and say farewell. Otherwise, knowing Sophia's

in

Poe, who was sitting nearby, chuckled and said, "Brandon, I just made some tweaks to the design for the cultural gallery at the Science Museum with Sophia. Why don't you take a look

spoke, President Poe handed the

Sophia had been involved, he felt confident about the changes, so he nodded. "Looks good to me. No

finalize

relieved to have settled a major task, and happily chatted away, reminiscing about their school days

to President Poe and listened to the stories as if hearing them for the

gently throughout, occasionally glancing at Sophia, who was wide-eyed with curiosity, but

still held the bracelet he had taken from Marian's wrist, waiting for the right moment to talk to

no signs of wrapping up

as accomplished alumni was a rare delight. Especially since they were once considered a potential couple during their school years, a topic of much

but be fascinated by their story,

didn't rush to end the meal. He stayed until President

yet had a chance to speak to Sophia when Theresa and Susan Kent suddenly appeared, seemingly having awaited

clearly as she

guilty for making Theresa wait due to work, Sophia

neck, she asked eagerly, "Are you done with work? Can we go

course," Brandon and Sophia