The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 598

With the year winding down, it's crunch time for all the branch offices and departments to wrap up their annual summaries, so the emails are just pouring in like crazy.

Brandon stares at the endless barrage of unread emails on his computer screen, his hand resting on the mouse, but he doesn't have the slightest urge to click on any of them. His eyes are glued to the screen, but his mind is a total blank, and his heart feels just as empty. Ever since the accident with Sophia, his once cherished job has become unbearable almost overnight.

Suddenly, he's just lost interest in the world; nothing sparks joy anymore. Everything seems so bland, and time just drags on, each second feeling like an eternity. Brandon's gaze drifts from the screen to a photo of Sophia on his desk. He stares at her peaceful, smiling face, motionless.

Right on cue, a series of knocks at the door breaks the silence, and the slightly ajar study door swings open.

"Mr. Crawley, your coffee is ready," Grace says as she enters with a freshly brewed cup, speaking softly.

As usual, Brandon doesn't respond, still fixated on the photo of Sophia. For Grace, this has become the norm. Over the past few months, Brandon has been like this nearly every day, often only retreating to his study after Theresa has gone to sleep. He spends most of the night there, just zoning out to Sophia's picture—a far cry from when he moved in and was always busy with work.

Brandon hasn't been able to move on from Sophia's departure.

With a silent sigh, Grace sets the coffee on the desk and gently advises, "Mr. Crawley, don't forget to drink your coffee while it's hot."

"Mhm," he responds flatly, without looking at her, still lost in the picture of Sophia. He then instructs her in a low voice, "Keep an eye on Theresa for me."

"Of course," Grace replies quietly. Not daring to linger, she sets down the coffee and quickly leaves. As soon as she reaches the living room, the doorbell rings.

Grace hurries to answer it, surprised to find Kent at the door.

At that moment, there's a knock on the door of the study. Without acknowledging it, Brandon leans forward, his hand trembling slightly as he grips the mouse, scrolling down, his eyes locked on the screen, his Adam's apple bobbing intensely.

Kent, unheard, gently pushes open the door and immediately sees the intense emotions playing across Brandon's taut face. He glances towards Brandon's computer and roughly guesses that Brandon has seen the design blueprints.

"Mr. Crawley," Kent says softly, approaching him with documents in hand.

Brandon seems not to hear, his eyes still fixated on the screen, his hand dragging the mouse as he searches for the designer's name. He looks up at Kent, "Who's the designer for the West district high school science museum?"

Kent hesitates for a moment, then hands him the documents.