Chapter 33
Sophia was taken aback by Brandonâs response.
He never gave an answer if he wasnât sure.
âThereâs always a chance, right?â Sophia puzzled, âPeople donât just randomly link one person to another without
reason.â
Brandon glanced at her. âGut feeling.â
âBut, weâve known each other for more than a day, right?â she said, still not getting his sudden hunch.
Brandon pursed his lips slightly, seeming reluctant to answer that question.
The confusion in Sophiaâs eyes deepened. The Brandon she knew was always decisive, even when it came to divorce, he only pondered for a few seconds before nodding firmly. Even when bringing up Yolanda, he remained silent for a while before telling her the whole story. She couldnât think of anything that would make him hesitate.
Brandon didnât miss the confusion in her eyes, but he didnât want her to probe into this, didnât want her to know that from the very first moment he saw her years ago, he had already associated her with Yolanda.
âMaybe itâs just a stroke of serendipity, he stood up, âYou havenât given me your answer yet.â
As he stood, his towering height loomed over her in an instant.
Sophia had to look up at him. âI think youâre changing the subject.â
âYouâre the one beating around the bush.â
Sophia was left speechless, squinting at him suspiciously, âYouâre playing the blame game here. Getting a late-night visit asking if Iâm someone else, I have to clear it up, Sophia added, âWhat if you actually had some evidence or leads?â
Brandon frowned. Evidence and leads?â
He looked at her thoughtfully, âWhy do you care about this? Normal people would just deny being someone else straight away unless theyâre unsure about their own background and looking for answers themselves.â
As he spoke, his eyes settled on Sophiaâs face. âYouâre not your parentsâ biological child?â
His gaze was too probing and sharp, as if he could see right through someone.
Sophia had never felt inferior in front of Brandon, but for some reason, when he delved into this issue, she suddenly felt a twinge of embarrassment. This stemmed from the insatiable greed with which Laura and her brother had treated her like a cash cow, constantly demanding from Brandon and his family. She wasnât Lauraâs biological child, but to the Crawley family and even to Brandonâs eyes, she was indulging her unrelated family in limitless demands, a realization that made her feel awkward.
She chuckled lightly. âHow could that be? If I wasnât their own daughter, could my mom ask you for things so brazenly?â
Brandon frowned and didnât respond, although logically it made sense.
Sophia looked at him, softening her voice. âBrandon, I canât be Yolanda. Donât see me as her, or as anyone else. Iâm just me. You said before, Yolanda is a few years younger than me, so she couldnât possibly be in the same grade as me, but we were classmates.â
She added softly, thinking back to when he mentioned his intuition, her puzzled question âWeâve known each other for more than a day, right?â and his reluctance to answer. She suddenly recalled senior year of high school when every time she accidentally looked back and locked eyes with him, his thoughtful gaze, and the subtle care and protection he had for her that year. Sophia suddenly felt like she understood something, she looked up at him. âBack in school, you didnât happen to see me as Yolanda, did you?â
Brandon wasnât surprised she could guess; he had seen Sophiaâs intelligence when he first met her. She was always calme and low-key, not showy, but sharp-witted and observant
i did have that suspicion at the beginning, he admitted, not avoiding the issue.
Sophia smiled, the expected answer, yet still the Brandon she knew.
She always liked Brandonâs honesty She just suddenly felt a bit upset. The Brandon she met at seventeen was a ray of light in her not so glorious life. The care and favor he showed her that year made her fall, step by step, and even through the divorce, she never denied the beauty of that year.
She thought the Brandon of that year was different towards her, that at least, like her, he had the stirrings of youth and unforgettable memories, hence the accidental night of passion at the class reunion years later.
It turned out that wasnât the case.
Sophia feit & twinge in her nose and a stinging in her eyes, as if liquid was welling up.
She forced it down, and when she looked up at him again with a smile on her face. âThanks for letting me know all this. Anyway, thanks for taking such good care of me back then.â She smiled gently, still quietly looking up at him, âIâm not Yolanda, so please donât come over anymore. Weâre done, letâs not disturb each other anymore.â
Brandon watched her, silent.