The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 450

Brandon didn't catch a wink of sleep all night.

Peeling apart Sophia and Yolanda was a painful and drawn-out process.

In truth, ever since the paternity test result with Martin came out over two years ago, he had stopped obsessing over whether Sophia was Yolanda.

Even if Sophia was Yolanda, without the childhood memories, she was simply Sophia, nothing more. So the test result didn't matter anymore.

He had come to realization that Yolanda was gone from this world and he had gradually come to terms with that reality.

Over the past couple of years, Sophia was just Sophia to him. He didn't dwell on Yolanda anymore, didn't look for Yolanda's shadow in her. It was only when Martin wanted Sophia to design works for the Frost family estate in Yolanda's name, and when Marian demanded a public apology under Yolanda's identity, that he unconsciously saw Sophia and Yolanda as one and the same, instinctively wanting to protect their reputation.

But after those two incidents, a nagging feeling would surface that Sophia was Yolanda, and that one day she might recall her childhood memories.

The issues between him and Sophia seemed on the surface to be problems between their parents, but Brandon knew full well that at the root of it all was Yolanda.

She had convinced herself that she was just a stand-in for Yolanda, a hurdle she couldn't get over. So, all resistance became a waste of time and effort in her eyes.

Thus, faced with the relentless pressure from his parents and the senseless interference from her family, she stopped trying to fight or make an effort, choosing instead to distance herself.

In her view, they, perhaps even he, weren't worth her time. She was always ready to bail, and could do so at any moment.

Therefore, it was only if she was Yolanda, the one with all the childhood and youthful memories, that she might drop all grudges and firmly choose to be with him.

However, the reevaluation of the paternity test report from Martin and Marian completely shattered that possibility.

For more than two years, he had avoided the topic, avoided mentioning Yolanda, subconsciously steering clear of that possibility.

But he hadn't expected.

Brandon spent the night in a haze of confusion and clarity. As painful as the separation was, it had to be done.

It was like reliving the night his mother died, painfully and lucidly realizing she would never return. Yolanda wouldn't, and neither would Sophia.

Back then, he had Yolanda to help him through those times, but now he was on his own.

Sophia might be physically present, but her heart was never with him. And now, even the slim chance of her coming back was gone.

The next day, after waking up, neither Sophia nor Brandon mentioned the matter.

They went about their usual routine: cooking, having breakfast, and then heading to work together.

In the afternoon, Sophia took some time off, bought some health supplements, and went to the hospital.

When she arrived at Daniel's ward, both Patricia and Yvonne were there, and they were both taken aback to see her.

Patricia knew about the text Daniel had sent to Sophia and that Sophia hadn't replied. She had thought Sophia wouldn't bother to come, so she was stunned for a bit before reacting.

Yvonne was the same, staring at Sophia for a long moment before coming to her senses.

Daniel, on the other hand, was much calmer.

"You're here," he said, his tone the same as always, that patriarchal vibe.

Yvonne snapped back to reality and hurriedly greeted Sophia, "Sophia, you came to see dad. Come, take a seat."

Yvonne packed up her things and left. But she couldn't shake the feeling of unease, and after hesitating, she decided to call Brandon.

Brandon was in a meeting, listening to board members report on the last quarter's work. When he saw his phone light up and spotted "Yvonne" on the screen, he paused for a moment, picked up the phone, and answered.

"Brandon, dad asked me to invite Sophia over a couple of days ago. He wants to talk to her about something. She's at the hospital now."

Yvonne's voice came through the phone, anxious and uneasy.

Brandon stood up abruptly. The rest of the meeting attendees looked at Brandon in surprise.

Yvonne heard the sound of the chair being pushed back and felt worried, but she continued explaining, "I wanted to stay and see if I could help smooth things over, but dad sent me away. Do you think you should go to the hospital and check on them?"

"I got it."

Brandon coolly responded, hung up the phone, and then glanced over at everyone, "Let's call it a day for this meeting."

With that, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving everyone else exchanging puzzled looks.

In the ward, Sophia looked calmly at Daniel, who didn't look so good.

His complexion might have been off, but he seemed to be holding up alright, all things considered.

"How are you feeling now?" Sophia asked, her voice as gentle and serene as ever.

"Mind your own beeswax," Daniel snapped back, still with a bit of an attitude.