The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 281

Although Don kept saying that, he didn't have the guts to actually leave Martin hanging and eventually stepped in to rescue him from Brandon's clutches.

Martin had a ring of bruises around his mouth.

He didn't fight back, just gently touched the bruise with the back of his finger, then slowly stood up straight and looked at Brandon.

"Brandon, you've got someone you want to protect, and I've got mine. This whole name-dropping business was mutual from the start, no one was twisting anyone's arm. If she’s cool with it, great, we can all work together and have a blast. If not, no one's forcing her to jump on board. If Ms. Yearwood is making such a fuss about this, you probably know better than me why that is. Taking it out on me won't change a thing."

Brandon looked at him. "That's no excuse to disrespect Sophia."

Martin's lips curled up slightly, then he continued, "All I want is for Grandpa to live out his days without regrets. I'm not here to cater to everyone else's feelings."

"You think you're saving him from regrets, but did you ever ask if this is what he wanted?" Don couldn't help but interject, "What if he finds out you've lied to him."

Martin cut him off. "He won't find out."

He turned to Don. "All that matters to me is that he enjoys the rest of his life. As for what happens after his death, truth or not won't matter by then."

With that, Martin walked away without looking back.

Don watched his retreating figure, sighed heavily, and didn't follow.

Although he didn't agree with Martin's approach, he could understand it.

Martin and Brandon were both raised and personally mentored by their grandfather, fostering a deep bond between them.

Louis had been wallowing in guilt and regret over losing his granddaughter, and his health had suffered significantly from years of emotional strain. As he was facing his final days with remorse and regret, Martin didn't want him to die with that burden and found a convincing girl to impersonate the granddaughter he lost. Rationally speaking, Don understood.

If he were in Martin's shoes, he might have done the same.

But as an observer, his feelings were somewhat mixed.

His feelings for Yolanda weren't as deep as Brandon's, but she was still a sweet memory from his youth. He had thought Yolanda had really been found, only to realize it was all just an illusion.

Don felt a bit down and his gaze shifted to Brandon.

Brandon had turned away, grabbed a bottle of already opened alcohol from the table, poured himself a full glass, and downed a big gulp, looking like he was in a bad mood too.

Don sighed again, stepped forward, and patted his shoulder in a comforting way, tactfully avoiding the topic of Yolanda, and instead asked him.

"Sophia doing okay?"

Brandon nodded slightly. "Yeah."