The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 346

"Look, we've only got three beds over there, and if we haul them all over here, it's gonna be a pain to head back when we need to." Brandon said, "Theresa's still a little tyke, so splurging on new furniture isn't really an option. We'll just have to make do for now."

"If you're worried about not having enough space for guests, isn't there like two more rooms in your studio across the way?" Brandon added, "The neighbor across didn't have to vacate their upstairs unit yet, so with three apartments and nine rooms in total, we've got plenty."

"You're twisting my words," Sophia couldn't help but interject, though she knew she didn't stand a chance against Brandon.

In the past, if he put up even a bit of resistance, she'd have no choice but to give in, and now he'd got a little sidekick to boot.

Theresa had got this thing about sleeping with her mom and dad.

Sure enough, as soon as Theresa heard there were only these two beds, she was over the moon, pointing at the master bed, staking her claim, "I'm sleeping here tonight."

Then, pointing at the adjacent bed, she said "And this is where I'll nap during the day."

Susan came down with them to check out the place and, true to form, didn't mince words. Pinching Theresa's nose, she teased, "Well, that might be wishful thinking. During the day, your bed's still your bed, but at night, you might not be the one calling the shots in the master bedroom."

Theresa didn't catch the underlying meaning, but it wasn't lost on Sophia, who even felt a flash of imagery.

She coughed lightly, changing the subject, "Let's go grab some food."

"You guys go ahead." Susan tactfully gave them some space, "I've got plans to grab dinner with Kent. I owe him one after he helped me out last time, and we've tried to make it happen a few times with no luck. Can't keep putting it off."

Sophia eyed her skeptically, "Since when did you two get so familiar?"

She remembered Susan used to refuse to eat with him, and now she'd suddenly been so close.

Susan coughed lightly, "Well, the guy did me a solid, so it's only right I invite him to dinner."

Brandon gave her a look. Maybe it was because Brandon and Kent were tight, but Susan seemed a tad uncomfortable under his gaze.

"Why's that?" Sophia interrupted softly, "What's got you suddenly wanting to quit?"

"Last time, I didn't take good care of Theresa, and she almost..." Grace's voice choked up a bit, still feeling guilty about the incident.

Even though Sophia and Susan hadn't brought it up again after reminding her to be more careful, Grace still felt somewhat guilty; now she found the person of this event, Brandon, was Theresa’s biological father, her feeling of guilt even more intense. She figured now that Brandon, a big-time CEO, had acknowledged the kid, he probably wouldn't need her services anymore, so she thought it best to resign proactively, to spare Sophia any awkwardness.

"Grace, what's done is done. I share some of the blame for last time too. I didn't recognize Theresa's needs in time and didn't ensure we had enough safety locks at home." Sophia tried to reassure her, "We'll be more careful from now on."

The incident where Theresa went missing was a serious lapse on Grace's part, and Sophia did have her doubts about keeping her on.

On one hand, she worried about a repeat incident, and on the other, she feared a new nanny might not measure up to Grace.

Sophia had always been grateful for Grace's help.