The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 87

Sylvia had a chance to peep Sophia's resume, so even though they were classmates, she was now playing second fiddle to Sophia at the company. But she was not the least bit green with envy – actually, she was all admiration.

Back when they were in the same class, Sylvia didn't pay much attention to Sophia.

To her, Sophia was just this gentle and quiet Zenithan babe – all clean vibes, not much of a chatterbox, always front row in class, super focused, not the type to mingle much with classmates. Sylvia's jaw dropped when Sophia's design homework was paraded by the teacher as a prime example. Later on, after joining Dempsey Architects, Sylvia caught a glimpse of Sophia's portfolio through Don, and that's when she started to really look up to her, hanging around Sophia more and more during classes and work.

Sophia was fond of this overly enthusiastic foreign classmate, but she's a bit of a cool cucumber, not big on social butterflies, so she couldn't match Sylvia's warmth with the same fire.

She swung by today for a company meeting.

Dempsey Architects recently landed a big fish from back home – a commercial project. That was why they called Sophia in specially.

Don was clearly putting a lot of stock in this project.

At the meeting, Don made a big deal about it – a huge traditional-style resort with an ancient vibe, hoping to mash up entertainment, leisure, hotels, food, tourism, and classic culture all into one, aiming for an immersive experience.

Sophia's design style leaned towards the traditional aesthetic, so as soon as Don wrapped up the intro, his gaze slid over to Sophia. "Sophia, think you can give it a whirl?"

Sophia was definitely tempted by the project – she's got a soft spot for that traditional style but never had the chance to dive into this genre. The catch was that the work location was in Zion City, known for its ancient city brand, not too far from the West district, and she wasn't keen on heading back that way.

Sophia furrowed her brows, looking at Don, "Can I just handle the online coordination? I can whip up the design plans and maybe pop over to the site occasionally to check on construction, but I'm not down for a permanent stay in Zion City. Is that cool?"

Sophia explained gently, thinking Don might be in a pickle, but to her surprise, Don nodded without missing a beat. "Of course. We're mainly after the design. I'll have someone else on the team keep an eye on the construction."

This had become the norm in the year of collaboration between him and Sophia.

Don totally got where Sophia was coming from – she still had her studies and classes, unlike a full-time working Joe like him.

Sophia's graduation ceremony was just a couple of days away, and she'd officially be done with school, free to follow up on the project. But Don didn't want to press her – scared stiff of sending her packing.

For him, holding onto talent was priority number one, and besides, this resort project was a favor from an old buddy, easier to negotiate.

Don agreed so breezily, and Sophia was just as quick to take the plunge. "Alright, I'll give it a shot."

The Starlight Group

Kent followed Brandon out of the meeting room, post-huddle.

Brandon had a frosty expression, and the chill vibes around him had the rest of the office feeling the frostbite even before he got close – everyone buried in their computers, pretending to be deep in work.

Some of the staff who were chummier with Kent threw him a "What's the scoop?" look. Kent coughed into his fist, signaling to zip it. Brandon suddenly turned his head, his eyes sweeping over Kent and the nosy colleague, both stiffening up, the latter quickly snapping his gaze back to his desk, pretending to study the plans. Kent straightened up, keeping his face a cool, collected kind of serious.

Brandon didn't bother with the small talk, slamming the documents on his desk as he spun around to face him. "Who greenlit Patricia's traditional resort project?"

Kent, puzzled, looked at Brandon and noticed his eyes lingering on the calendar, seemingly zoning out.

This had become the new norm for Brandon over the past couple of years.

He was grinding at work harder than before, practically living at the office around the clock, but he had also become more reclusive and silent. Work had pretty much consumed his life, but in the rare moments of downtime, Kent noticed that Brandon was zoning out more often and for longer periods, just like now, his gaze inadvertently freezing on something before getting lost in a vacant daze.

Kent had a hunch about what the issue might be, but he didn't dare bring it up or ask.

Now, seeing Brandon staring blankly at the date circled in red on the calendar, June 30th, Kent was momentarily baffled and couldn't help but glance over at Brandon. "Mr. Crawley, what's up?"

Brandon's gaze snapped back. "It's nothing."

"Go ahead. I'll sit this one out," Brandon said, settling down at his desk.

Kent nodded, and as he closed the door behind him, he couldn't help but cast another worried glance at Brandon.

Brandon's eyes were once again fixed on the June 30th circled on the calendar, motionless.

June 30th was the day Sophia graduated.