The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 342

Brandon glanced at Sophia.

Steadying herself, Sophia looked at her phone and softly told her, "I’m coming over now."

Theresa's heart settled instantly, "Okay, I'm here, waiting for Mommy."

Her voice noticeably more relaxed.

"Alright."

Sophia whispered, hanging up the call.

Brandon released his grip from her hand, helped her sit up, then opened the car door, and they both headed towards Kent's car.

Kent had already opened his door too, and with Susan, they helped Theresa out of the car.

There, snuggled in Susan's arms, Theresa saw Sophia and Brandon approach together. Anxiously, she called out "Mommy" to Sophia, then her eyes uncertainly shifted towards Brandon, hesitantly calling him "sir."

Brandon flashed her a smile and reached out with open arms, "Theresa, come here, I've got you."

Perhaps because of the recent memory of her mom crying after Brandon had taken her away, Theresa hesitated. She glanced at Sophia, seeking approval.

Sophia managed a reassuring smile and gently said, "He's a good guy. If you want him to hold you, it's okay."

Theresa nodded, half-understanding, and slowly reached out her arms towards Brandon.

Brandon scooped her up.

Susan's worried eyes met Sophia's.

Sophia's eyes were still a bit red and puffy, either from crying at the airport or from another bout in the car.

Sophia just gave her an apologetic look and silently shook her head.

She felt guilty towards Susan.

After all, Susan had come specifically to take care of her and Theresa, staying by her side through the toughest times.

She had promised Susan that wherever she went, she and Theresa would go with her.

It wasn't just that she didn't want to stay in the West district. Susan, too, didn't want to stay in the city after the beating she got when her brother caught her last time.

But now, neither she nor Theresa could leave.

The weight of her guilt was crushing.

Susan saw the guilt in her eyes and gave her a comforting smile, urging her not to blame herself.

Brandon caught every nuance of their expressions.

He understood Sophia's guilt and Susan's disappointment, but in this world, it's often hard to have the best of both worlds.

He sighed deeply and turned to Susan, "Susan, you've been through a lot these past two years, and I'm really grateful to you."

Brandon's sudden formality took the usually blunt Susan aback, especially being called "Susan" made her feel like it was shortening her lifespan.

"It's what I should do," Susan laughed off awkwardly, "I was just keeping company with Sophia and goddaughter." It had nothing to do with anyone else.

She didn't dare to voice that thought.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let Theresa and Sophia go with you," Brandon said. "I want to take care of them myself, so I might be living with them."

Sophia looked at Brandon sharply.

Susan's smile wavered a bit.

"I don't mean to send you packing," Brandon clarified. "But living together might be inconvenient. So, my plan is to buy you an identical house next to where we'll be staying. You can come to see Theresa and Sophia anytime, and they can visit you whenever they'd like."

"That won't do, no way," Susan quickly objected, "Living next door is fine. I can just rent a place."

Susan flashed the "OK" sign, and though they hadn't managed to leave, her face didn't show much sadness—just a slight disappointment. After all, it was a trip arranged on the fly, not something planned well in advance, so it was all good in the end.

Sophia's feeling all sorts of emotions right now. It was like a cocktail of feelings swirling inside her. She silently watched Susan and the others walk away, not saying a word for the longest time.

Brandon, too, watched her in silence. He couldn't miss the hint of loneliness in her eyes, a loneliness that gave him a bitter taste in his own heart.

Her desire to get away trumped everything else.

That realization weighed on him like a ton of bricks, heavy and suffocating.

But Brandon was crystal clear on one thing. playing hardball was the only way to keep Sophia around.

All that emotional card playing, that strategic retreat? None of it worked on Sophia.

Susan and Kent quickly came back with their luggage.

She and Grace rode back with Kent.

Sophia and Theresa hopped into Brandon's car.

On the way back, both of them were kind of quiet.

They hadn't had the chance to fully process the emotional fireworks from earlier, and the journey back gave them some much-needed time to simmer down.

Theresa didn't really get the whole adult drama thing; this was her first time hanging out with Brandon and her mom together. She was a mix of excited and a little thrown off by the quiet vibes. Kids have this sharp sense about emotions, and it made her choose to keep quiet too, just curiously eyeballing Sophia now and then, and then giving Brandon the once-over.

Brandon caught her little inspection in the rearview mirror and softly asked, "What's up, Theresa?"

She shook her head, not quite sure herself. She liked this feeling of being with mom and him, but it also made her a tad uneasy.

Sophia picked up on her uneasiness, pulled her in a bit closer, and gently asked, "Theresa, missing daddy?"

Theresa looked kind of lost, shook her head, then nodded, and in a small voice, she asked, "Daddy, what does this mean?"