The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 23

The hotel was clad in steel-gray glass, a skyscraper with over fifty floors that exuded grandeur and high-class sophistication, matching its brand positioning to a tee.

Outside the hotel, cars came and went. Through the revolving glass doors, stylishly dressed folks were constantly coming in and out, with the clientele primarily consisting of young men and women.

Sophia and Brandon had been married for quite some time now, but they had never stayed at the Starlight Hotel.

She hadn't even set foot inside.

All she knew was that the Starlight Hotel brand was Brandon's efforts back in his university days.

While everyone else was still patting themselves on the back for making it through the exams and kicking back, while they were busy gaming, dating, or joining clubs, Brandon was already diving headfirst into the family biz on top of his studies. He built the "Starlight Hotel" brand from the ground up, and in just a few years, he turned it into a world-class luxury hotel chain. It was his golden ticket to taking the helm as the big boss of Starlight Group.

Back home, Sophia hadn't seen much of "Starlight Hotel"—not because there were few of them, but because she hadn't been out much in the past couple of years. And now, in this foreign land, stumbling upon a Starlight Hotel felt like a warm hug.

Seeing familiar words on a street sign amidst a sea of foreign languages can give her that fuzzy feeling, all the more so when the brand had a special place in her life.

Sophia couldn't help but crack a smile, her wandering heart finding a touch of solace in this familiarity, and she found herself drawn towards the hotel.

The valets and the front desk staff at the entrance were Zenithans. As Sophia approached, the security guard greeted her,"Welcome."

"Thank you," Sophia responded with a smile, finding comfort here.

She didn't go in, just peeked inside, and the sight of familiar Zenithan faces deepened the sense of nostalgia, as if she were back home, settling her restless heart even more.

The parking valet, noticing she didn't seem to be heading in, asked with a grin, "Miss, looking for someone?"

Sophia shook her head and smiled, "Nope, just passing by and thought I'd take a gander."

The valet smiled back, "Feel free to come in and look around. Our hotel offers a free rest area and afternoon tea."

"Thanks, but I'll pass," Sophia smiled, declined politely, and bid farewell to the valet. As she turned to leave, a black Cayenne slowly drove past her. As it brushed by, Sophia instinctively glanced inside the car, and her gaze froze.

Brandon, who was in the driver's seat, happened to turn his head at the same time. Their eyes locked in mid-air.

There was no ripple in Brandon's deep gaze. After looking at her, he slowly shifted his gaze back to the road ahead, his chiseled profile cool and detached.

Sophia calmly withdrew her gaze as well and continued walking.

Brandon glanced at her in the rearview mirror. In the condensed reflection, Sophia had reached the corner and was hailing a taxi.

Brandon turned his face away, his hand on the steering wheel drawing back before nimbly turning it, and the car headed towards Sophia.

Sophia watched as taxi after taxi passed by without any intentions of stopping.

Her place wasn't far from here; if it were the old days, she'd just walk back.

But she was in the early stages of pregnancy and didn't dare to walk too much. After failing to flag down a couple of taxis, she hesitated and couldn't help but check her watch, then looked towards home, contemplating whether to just hoof it. The unexpected sighting of Brandon had left her a bit shaken, despite her calm exterior, and she didn't want to linger, though Brandon might have already entered the hotel.

Still undecided, Sophia turned to leave when the familiar black Cayenne suddenly screeched to a halt beside her, its window rolling down to reveal Brandon's cool and indifferent handsome face.

"Where to?" he asked, his voice as deep and mellow as Sophia remembered, steady as ever.

Sophia was caught off guard, gesturing vaguely towards home, "Oh, I'm heading home."

"I'll give you a lift," Brandon said, with a click the car door unlocked, "Get in."

Sophia instinctively declined, "No need, it's just around the corner."

But Brandon repeated firmly, "Get in."

His tone was still even and calm, but the commanding presence in his voice softened Sophia's resolve.

"Really, it's not necessary," Sophia's voice softened involuntarily, "I'm just around the corner."

Instead of replying, Brandon leaned over, opened the passenger door, and then looked at her, "Get in."

Sophia hesitated, looking at him.

Brandon didn't rush her, just patiently waited, giving off the vibe that he wouldn't leave until she got in the car.

Sophia, being soft-hearted and mild-tempered, had never had a row with Brandon, not even when they divorced—it was all very amicable. She couldn't muster the energy to throw a tantrum, and under Brandon's calm and deep gaze, she eventually caved in, opened the door, and got into the car.

Brandon turned to her, "Where are you staying?"

Sophia pointed ahead and gave him the address.

It was close by, and in no time at all, Brandon pulled up in front of her apartment building.