The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 485

"This joke isn't funny at all," Daniel finally found his voice again, his face setting into a hard expression that reeked of irritation.

Compared to his sour mug, Brandon just nonchalantly burped from his drink and slowly turned to look at him, "Dad, you know I never joke around."

His voice carried a listless calm, devoid of life and vigor. Yet, this very demeanor of his made Daniel feel like he couldn't lose his cool, but it scared the daylights out of him.

After nearly thirty years of father-son relationship, he knew all too well that Brandon never messed around.

What he thought of, he'd do. The last thing Brandon lacked was follow-through.

He didn't even leave room for discussion anymore, nor did he press the issue like he used to.

"If you're just trying to push me into accepting Sophia, I'm telling you to nip that thought in the bud," with a stern face, Daniel was still trying to put up a fight.

Brandon just cracked a faint smile, "Why would I need to push you? She's already been driven away by you."

Brandon looked up, surveying the vast office, and let out a long sigh, "I've had and experienced everything I could in this life, no regrets."

Daniel felt a red flag go up at those words, "What are you planning to do?"

Brandon didn’t respond, his gaze slowly drifting towards the open window, lost in thought or perhaps just zoning out.

The wind was strong up high, rushing in through the wide-open window, rustling papers all around the room.

Daniel, heart in his throat, couldn't help but keep his eyes glued to Brandon, who seemed drawn to the window, pushing himself up from the desk and staggering towards it.

His forlorn and bleak silhouette against the window looked like he could jump at any moment.

Daniel couldn't care less about anything else and reached out to grab him, "What the heck are you doing?"

Brandon turned to look at him with a slow, lifeless smirk in his eyes and mouth. He didn't speak or resist, just glanced at him and then back out at the sky, his eyes filled with a kind of longing.

Daniel couldn't take it and hurried to close the window.

Brandon sneered at him, "What are you afraid of? Since when did you care whether I live or die?"

Daniel kept a straight face and stayed silent. He didn't care because he knew that even if the whole world bit the dust, Brandon wouldn't. He seemed devoid of emotions or desires; even life and death seemed irrelevant to him.

But now, he showed Daniel that he, too, might leave this world at any moment. And that was alarming.

But to compromise because of this? He couldn't.

Brandon didn't rush him, didn't even bring up Sophia, just turned and with a snap, pulled open the window again, startling Daniel enough to block it with his body.

Brandon glanced at him but didn't argue or push him away, just looked out the window, his handsome face as lifeless as ever.

Daniel's heart was in his mouth as he stared intently at Brandon.

"Dad." After a long while, Brandon finally spoke, calling him, "What's the point of living, really?"

He didn't look at Daniel, his expression still one of desolation, strangely blending with the bleakness of the winter day outside.

The question was too profound; Daniel had no answer. To him, when someone started questioning the meaning of life, it was because they'd lost their reason to keep living.

Brandon didn't wait for an answer. He just sighed heavily and suddenly pushed Daniel away.

Daniel almost reflexively shouted through the door, "Kent!"