The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Kent couldn't really speak for Brandon on this one. He chuckled awkwardly and, with sslick maneuvering, replied, "You know, |

think Chairman Crawley should probably ask Mr. Crawley that question yourself."

Daniel shot him a glare, but deep down he knew he wasn't going to get anything out of him.

"So." Daniel hesitated, awkwardly starting up again, "Is that woman still at the company?"

Kent pretended to be clueless, "Who?"

"You know, the one." Daniel struggled to say Sophia's nand glanced irritably toward Brandon's office, "That one."

"Huh?" Kent still played the dunce.

"Sophia."

Finally, Daniel couldn't hold it in and blurted out Sophia’s name, clearly annoyed.

"Ah." Kent feigned realization, "Yeah, she's still around. But I've heard she's been handing over her duties, getting ready to leave

once the new director steps in."

Daniel instinctively thought of the Zenitha-style resort project, "What about the Zenitha-style resort project if she leaves?"

Kent gave a meaningful glance toward Brandon's office, "Chairman Crawley, maybe you should be more worried about what Mr.

Crawley's going to do without her."

Daniel's expression soured, "What kind of man lets a woman have him wrapped around her finger like that?"

Kent replied with a chuckle, "Well, Chairman Crawley, you can't really look at it that way. You've seen how much Mr. Crawley can't

do without Ms. Yearwood. If Sophia really wanted to wrap him around her little finger, she wouldn't have chosen to comply with

your wishes and leave on her own. If she'd wanted to stay, | bet Mr. Crawley would have given her the moon and the stars, let

alone the company, without even blinking an eye. If you were in her shoes, wouldn't sticking around to inherit such a big empire

seem like the better option? But she didn't go that route, which shows she's not out to twist Mr. Crawley's arm or after his money.

She's just trying to avoid putting Mr. Crawley between a rock and a hard place with you. Let's face it, Chairman Crawley, having a

beautiful, capable woman who loves Mr. Crawley and is considerate of him by his side is a good thing, right?" Kent continued with a

smile, "With a wife like that, Mr. Crawley can focus on his career with peace of mind, don't you agree? And if he had a high-

maintenance, temperamental partner instead, he'd be torn between business and playing peacemaker at home, with no place to

unwind. That'd be exhausting, wouldn't it?" Kent kept the friendly tone going.

Daniel still looked miffed.

"There are plenty of other fish in the sea," he said, still unsatisfied.

"But Mr. Crawley only has eyes for her," Kent said, glancing toward Brandon's office with a hint of concern.

Daniel again thought of Brandon's lifeless demeanor and their discussion about the meaning of life, feeling uneasy. He

contemplated checking on him again but didn't want to seem overly reactive.

Torn between concern and not wanting to intrude, he turned to Kent, "Keep an eye on Mr. Crawley, will you? He doesn’t seem all

that stable. We don't want anything happening."

Kent nodded, "Sure thing."

"I'm heading out now." Daniel said, but he wasn't comfortable just leaving like that, so he knocked on Brandon's office door to say

goodbye, "I'm off now."

"Mm-hmm," Brandon's indifferent voice cfrom inside.

Daniel felt a bit more at ease. After bidding Kent farewell, he stepped into the elevator.

During the descent, the image of Brandon standing alone by the window and Kent's words kept swirling in his mind, agitating him.

As the elevator was about to pass the 17th floor, where Star-Dempsey Architects was located, Daniel couldn't resist and pressed

the button for the 17th floor.

The elevator quickly stopped, and the doors opened automatically.

Daniel glanced across at Star-Dempsey Architects, hesitated for a moment, and then stepped out.

The automatic glass doors slid open as he approached.

The soft sound of the doors caught the attention of the people immersed in their work inside, and heads turned to see Daniel

walking in.

Sophia was standing at Cindy's desk discussing a design plan. When she heard the door, she glanced over instinctively, her gaze

lingering briefly on the staggering Daniel before returning calmly to Cindy, who was sharing her thoughts.

Daniel saw Sophia too, and he turned his face away haughtily.

Marian also noticed him, her surprise evident as she stood up and exclaimed, "Mr. Crawley, what brings you here?" She then

approached him with enthusiasm.

Her deliberately affectionate tone caused seye-rolling in the office; not everyone was keen on her show of closeness with the

Crawley family.

Marian didn't care, especially since she had helped Daniel before, her inhibition around him had disappeared, and she

affectionately linked her arm with his as she approached.

"I heard from grandpa you were discharged yesterday. | wanted to pick you up, but | was swamped with work. How are you feeling

now? Better?"

"Yeah, much better."

Daniel responded with a smile, though his eyes involuntarily strayed back to Sophia, who was discussing work stuff with Cindy.

She seemed to have forgotten his presence, eyes fixated on Cindy, listening carefully to the latter's describing her project, focused

and serious but not sharp, still exuding a gentle and graceful demeanor.

It was clear she was genuinely hard at work, unlike Marian.

Daniel glanced at Marian, vaguely remembering that he had never actually seen Marian at work.

She was always in a state of playful enjoyment.

Marian caught his gaze and her smile slowly faded as she innocently asked, “Mr. Crawley, what's up?”

“All good.” The kindness still plastered on Daniel's face, “You do your thing; don’t mind me.”

“No worries.” Marian chuckled, “It’s almost lunchtime. Bet you haven't eaten, right? Letkeep you company.”

That reminder made Daniel realize it was indeed tfor a bite. He nodded, “Sounds good.”

Marian asked, “So, what are you in the mood for? I'll get it sorted.”

Daniel replied, “I'm easy.”

Marian suggested, “How about something light? There's this new spot in the mall next door, pretty decent grub. Plus, it should be

good for you, health-wise.”

Daniel smiled and nodded, “Sure.”

Over by Sophia, she'd wrapped up her work chat with Cindy. She glanced at her watch and told Cindy, “Let's break for lunch. We

can circle back this afternoon and brainstorm smore.”

Cindy nodded, “Cool.”

Sophia closed her files, and turned back to her office without giving Daniel a glance. She put down the files, grabbed her phone off

the desk, and headed out.

Cindy and the others got up too, following Sophia and couldn't help but keep the work chatter alive.

Daniel couldn't help but look towards Sophia who didn’t give him a glance, just kept on talking shop, head slightly tilted.

Daniel couldn't stand being ignored, he darkened his face and followed suit.

Marian hurried after him, saying, “Mr. Crawley, I'll make a quick call and book us a private room. That place is usually packed; we

gotta reserve.”

“No need.” Daniel cut her off, “Cafeteria will do.”

Daniel didn’t wait for her response and followed Sophia and company into the elevator. Sophia gave him a puzzled look but didn’t

strike up a conversation.

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