The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 146

Brandon's gaze brought Sophia to a screeching halt, leaving her feeling awkward as all get out.

She had bolted over to the hall the second she hopped out of the cab.

The second she stepped into the hall, she was greeted with a massive, fire-engine red banner screaming "A Warm Celebration of Star·Dempsey Architects' Grand Opening!" and the buzz of a party in full swing in the reception area.

In that moment, a wave of cold feet washed over her as she got closer to home turf.

The timing of her card drop was kinda iffy.

While she was on the fence about whether to crash the party or not, Brandon caught sight of her, and those piercing peepers of his threw her for a loop.

Brandon's deep, cold gaze was like a riddle wrapped in an enigma—she couldn't make heads or tails of it.

The courage she had mustered up was slowly but surely deflating under his intense stare.

Suddenly, she was second-guessing whether she had shown up at an inopportune time.

Don also spotted her and flashed a grin that had a hint of surprise when he did.

Sophia couldn't help but return the smile before her eyes drifted back to Brandon.

Brandon was still in the same pose, the same intense, cold stare, just standing there, motionless across the crowd, giving her the eye.

People at the venue started to pick up on Brandon's unusual stare, craning their necks to sneak a peek at Sophia.

The domino effect of head turns sparked even more curiosity.

More and more heads turned to look towards the entrance.

Sophia wasn't exactly comfy with all eyes on her.

She awkwardly grinned at the onlookers before spinning on her heel to leave, figuring she'd better wait outside in the lobby and not stir up any trouble during the opening ceremony.

Brandon's face turned to ice, he chucked the mic onto the table, and leaped off the stage, striding through the crowd towards the departing Sophia at the door.

The room went bananas.

Everyone was flabbergasted by the sudden turn of events, their heads swiveling towards Brandon on reflex.

Brandon's pace was fast and frantic, and as he nearly reached Sophia, he suddenly reached out, grabbed her arm, and spun her around with a yank.

Sophia looked at Brandon, her face a blank slate of confusion.

"Where to now?" Brandon demanded, his voice as cold and deep as his unwavering stare.

Sophia was still trying to get her bearings, her hand instinctively pointing towards the public area's couch. "I was just gonna wait over there 'til you guys wrapped up."

Brandon glanced at the couch in the public area, his piercing gaze not softening one bit as he kept his eyes locked on her.