The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 199

"Thanks for that, Mr. Gardner."

Sophia's voice was warm and gentle as she expressed her gratitude.

As her soft voice hit Brandon's ears, his thumb paused on the phone screen mid-scroll through his emails, then he casually continued as if nothing had happened.

Sophia didn't notice him. She followed Zachary into the house, handing over the health supplements she was carrying.

"Here, I brought some nourishing goodies for you and Mrs. Gardner."

"You showing up is plenty, why bother bringing gifts? Seriously."

Zachary playfully chastised her as he took the supplements from Sophia and ushered her inside. It was only when Sophia stepped into the living room that she noticed Brandon sitting on the couch, causing her to hesitate for a moment.

Thinking she was surprised to see a stranger in the house, Zachary explained with a smile, "We've got a guest today. I was just about to introduce you."

Zachary moved to stand between Brandon and Sophia.

"This here is the current CEO of the Starlight Group, Mr. Brandon Crawley." He said, gesturing towards Brandon before turning to introduce Sophia, "And this is Sophia Yearwood, one of my former students, fresh out of Apex Engineering University."

Brandon glanced at Sophia, his lips moving slightly, "Hello."

Sophia, a bit hesitant, returned the greeting, "Hi."

"No need for formalities between you youngsters." Zachary chuckled, "You guys chat for a bit; I'll go see if Jolin is done in the kitchen."

He turned to leave, and Sophia instinctively followed, "Maybe I can help out?"

Zachary stopped her, "You're a guest; no such thing to help out. Just sit tight and keep our guest company for a bit."

Zachary glanced at Brandon with a smile, "Have a chat, will ya?"

With that, he disappeared into the kitchen, leaving the two young people alone in the living room.

Other than Zachary's little granddaughter rocking by herself on the other side, the spacious living room only contained Sophia and Brandon.

Brandon had settled back into the couch, casually flipping through a newspaper from the rack next to him, calm and focused, not looking at Sophia.

Sophia also sat down on the other end of the couch, her gaze falling on the little girl playing by herself.

On the long couch, the two sat at opposite ends, without any conversation.

The little one, puzzled, glanced over at the two adults, and then, seeing Sophia looking quietly at her, grew curious. Her rocking horse came to a halt, and she slid off and ran towards Sophia, stopping just short, shyly looking up at her.

Sophia smiled and opened her arms, "Come here for a hug, Serena."

The little girl tentatively inched closer and slowly nestled into Sophia's arms. Sophia lifted her onto her lap and picked up a picture book from nearby, flipping through it with her.

After a brief moment of shyness, the little girl warmed up and began eagerly discussing the stories on the pages with Sophia, occasionally glancing up with hopeful little eyes.

Sophia gently stroked her hair and listened patiently, offering praise that made the little girl even more excited.

The two were seated next to each other. During dinner, Zachary chatted about Sophia's student days and gradually steered the conversation towards personal matters.

"Sophia, got yourself a boyfriend yet?" He asked out of the blue.

Sophia, a tad embarrassed, shook her head with a smile, "No."

"What about someone you fancy?" He continued.

Brandon, in the midst of eating, paused and turned to look at Sophia. Sophia's embarrassment grew as she shook her head at Zachary, "No one."

"Perfect timing then!" Zachary beamed, "Both of you are single, no crushes, and around the same age. Why not give it a shot and get to know each other?"

"No need."

"No need."

Their rejections came out in unison, clear and simultaneous.

Zachary was taken aback, not expecting a synchronized denial and looked at them quizzically. Neither of them looked at the other, remaining calm in their own space.

Seeing Zachary glance her way, Sophia gave an awkward chuckle, "I'm not in the market for a boyfriend right now."

Zachary shot Brandon a questioning look; the latter coolly met his gaze, "Ms. Yearwood and I, we're not a good match."