Chapter 97

Brandon didn't realize until the next morning that Sophia's number was a dead end.

With a flight home scheduled for the afternoon, he wanted to grab a bite with Sophia before taking off, but when he dialed her up, he was greeted with the "the number you have dialed is switched off" message.

At first, Brandon held onto a sliver of hope, guessing she might be tied up in a meeting.

But when he rang her up again in the afternoon and got the same disconnected tune, he got the picture—Sophia had probably changed her digits.

He even made a detour to that cozy little pad Sophia had taken him to the night before, only to find the real estate agent busy snapping pics and showing the place around.

The place was clearly tidied up, the design drafts on the table nearly all gone, though the books and other stuff were still kicking around.

The master bedroom's main luggage was obviously packed up and out the door.

Brandon shot a glance at the busy agent. “What happened to the last tenant?”

“She checked out this morning,” the agent replied in passing, “The place is up for grabs now. You looking to rent?”

Then, worried that Brandon might snub the not-so-spick-and-span state of the digs, the agent quickly added, “Don't sweat it, we'll have the place spick and span before you move in. The previous tenant paid us to get it all shipshape. If you're in a rush, we can have it ready today.”

“No thanks,” replied Brandon, his voice flat, giving the room a final once-over before heading out.

The agent was left scratching his head at Brandon's cold exit.

Back in his car, Brandon fished out his cell and chuckled as he stared at the number Sophia had just added the night before.

Classic Sophia.

She always knew how to leave with the softest touch, yet make the cleanest break.

As the smile faded, Brandon's face turned stone-cold, and he deleted the number, tossed the phone aside, and pulled away, the car quickly rolling out.

He didn't linger in Wye City, heading straight for the airport.

While going through security, Don buzzed him up. Hearing airport announcements in the background, Don blurted out in surprise, “You're at the airport?”

“Yep,” Brandon replied, short and sweet, grabbing his coat from the scanner and walking towards the exit.

“Why the sudden takeoff?” Don asked, puzzled, “I was hoping to chat with you about setting up a joint venture today.”

“Just email me the proposal,” Brandon said, still sounding distant, “I'll have someone look into it.”

“Sure thing, I'll send it your way,” Don agreed, wrapping up the business talk before slipping back into personal territory, “Why the rush to leave?”

“Busy with company stuff,” Brandon wasn’t in the mood to chat, “Gotta go.”

He hung up before Don could respond.

Don, sensing something was off, frowned in confusion. He knew Brandon wasn't one to open up. He'd always been the type to deal with things on his own, keeping his emotions close to the chest. Without Brandon spilling, Don had no chance of prying.

He sent over the joint venture proposal he’d prepped earlier, along with a message on WhatsApp. [Bro, you alright?]

Brandon shot back a straightforward reply. [I’m fine.]

Don’s frown deepened. The voice over the phone didn't sound fine, but with Brandon tight-lipped as ever, he couldn't dig deeper.

[Proposal's sent. Check it out when you can, and we'll tweak it if needed,] Don messaged.

[I’ll look it over,] Brandon responded.

Minutes later, Brandon replied, [Let’s roll with this.]

Then he followed up with a voice message. “The Starlight Group has office space ready to go, no need to rent elsewhere.”

Don was caught off guard by Brandon's brisk agreement. By the time it sank in, he was up on his feet, arms flailing in excitement, throwing up a "ye"

sign. Just then, Sophia walked in with the proposal, and catching sight of Don's uncharacteristic jubilation, she froze, wondering if she'd walked into the wrong office and glanced back at the door.

Embarrassed, Don cleared his throat, trying to salvage some dignity, “Uh, what brings you here?”

After a moment, he couldn't help but shoot a resentful glance at the door, cursing whoever left it open and let his boss vibe just fly out the window.

Maybe because Sophia always seemed so calm and collected, Don always felt a tad uneasy around her.

Sophia pretended not to notice his discomfort and approached him with the fresh-off-the-press proposal. “I was supposed to run some ideas by you last night, but something came up at home and I couldn't make it. So, I wanted to discuss it with you now.”

She handed over the new creative concept.

Don gave it a quick once-over, pleased. “Looks good. Go ahead and design it with this concept and direction.”

“But this part here.” Don circled a section on the draft with a pen, “I suggest we try a new color scheme here, with ultramarine blue as a base.”

Sophia took a look and nodded, “Got it.”

As she was about to leave with the marked-up proposal, Don stopped her. “Hold up.”

Sophia turned around, puzzled.

Feeling a touch awkward about being caught in his little dance earlier, Don coughed lightly. “So, here's the thing. Our business in Ephemora is pretty stable now, and I'm thinking about expanding back to Zenitha. We've got a preliminary partnership shaping up with the Starlight Group.”

At the mention of "the Starlight Group," Sophia's hand paused on the documents.

Don didn’t notice and continued, “We're planning to create a joint venture with the Starlight Group, and this project will be the new company's debut in Zenitha, a way to make some noise. You've just graduated and you're mobile, so how about you consider coming back to Zenitha with us for the launch?”

Sophia replied with a hint of regret, “That might be a bit inconvenient for me.”

Don was totally stumped, "Why? This is such a killer opportunity. Sure, we're just a subsidiary, but we're under the Starlight Group umbrella. The industry gives big props to the Starlight Group's track record. If you've got Starlight Group on your resume, plus the title of Head Designer, whether you wanna keep climbing the ladder here, transfer to the mothership, or jump ship, it's gonna be a massive boost for your future. Personally, I think it's a pretty sweet deal. And when you go back, the perks are gonna be better than what you're getting now, what with the Starlight Group backing you up," Don added. "If you're worried about settling in, don't sweat it. The company's got your back with a relocation package or they'll sort you out with grub and a bed."

"Thanks a lot," Sophia pursed her lips slightly, "but this gig is way out of my league. I don't think I can cut it."

With that, she nodded apologetically and excused herself, "I gotta get back to the grind."

The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate Chapter 96 The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus)

Chapter 590 Forgive Us, My Dear Sister Chatper 494 And off she went, proposal in hand.

Don watched Sophia's retreating figure, totally at a loss. He thought offering her this opportunity would make her jump for joy.

Sophia's rejection caught him off guard.

But what really threw him for a loop was the next day when Sophia handed in her resignation.