The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 51

Kent just didn't get it. Why the heck did they need to dig into Sophia's childhood past? Couldn't they just straight-up ask her if something was up?

He recalled that although Brandon and Sophia had split, they weren't exactly at each other's throats.

Brandon wasn't in the mood to spill the beans. "Just do it," was all he said.

Kent asked, "Can I just hit up Ms. Yearwood directly?"

To him, it seemed like the no-brainer way to go. But Brandon gave him a glance that said, "Do I look like I'm all mouth and no trousers?"

Kent clammed up. Brandon sure had that 'button your lip' vibe going on.

Brandon could see right through him. "What's with the face?"

Kent straightened up, "Nothing."

Then, pounding his chest for emphasis, he promised, "I'll get to the bottom of it, for sure."

But his curiosity got the better of him again, "Mr. Crawley, can I ask why we're digging into this?"

He blurted it out but worried about setting Brandon off, quickly adding, "It'll help me zero in on what I need to find out."

"You don't need to zero in on anything," Brandon shot him down. "Just suss out her relationship with her family, check if she's the real deal Yearwood kid, any special stuff from when she was a nipper."

"Huh?" Kent was baffled again, his curiosity rearing its head, "But why?"

As soon as he looked up, he was met with Brandon's icy stare and promptly zipped his lips.

"I'll get on it right away," he managed to say after regaining some composure.

"I want an update by tomorrow."

After dropping that, Brandon ended the call, and the peace returned to his ears.

When Brandon glance at his phone and then at Sophia's tightly shut room door, his thoughts drifted to the surprised look on Sophia's face that morning when she saw Marian's bracelet. It was a look of pure bewilderment.

He didn't know why Sophia had that vacant, lost look, as if she recognized the thing, but when they later talked, she denied it. Yet, her denial was tinged with an unfamiliar confusion that perhaps she herself couldn't fathom.

The phone in his palm was idly spinning as his fingers pressed down rhythmically.

Brandon was well aware that Sophia might not be Yolanda Frost, and he was perhaps unintentionally merging Sophia with Yolanda in his mind.

Even a glance, a detail, any slight resemblance between them would send his heart racing, afraid he'd miss something.

He didn't know why he was so fixated on seeing them as one, even though Sophia had clearly stated she wasn't Yolanda. But Brandon knew deep down, he couldn't bear the thought of anyone but Sophia being Yolanda.

The young Yolanda had been with him through the darkest and loneliest times of his life. Her presence back then was too wonderful, a kind of beautiful solace he had only felt with Sophia.

How could Sophia not be Yolanda?

How could she not?

The phone in his hand stilled, and Brandon abruptly stood up to call Martin, Yolanda's brother. The call cut off after two rings.