The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate (Brandon and Sophia) novel Chapter 770

Sophia nodded thoughtfully, hesitating a little as she glanced around the room, but she didn’t say anything more.

“Did something come to mind?” Brandon asked gently.

She only shook her head, the movement slow and uncertain.

Finally, Theresa couldn’t hold back any longer and blurted out, “When did Mom come to Dad’s house? She never brought me along.”

The phrase “Dad’s house” made Brandon wince. Each time he heard it, it felt like Theresa and Sophia were outsiders, as if they didn’t belong with him.

“It’s your home too,” Brandon softly corrected her.

“Oh. My home too,” Theresa replied, a little confused, then repeated her question, “So when did Mom come to… my home… Dad’s house? Why didn’t she ever take me with her?”

She paused after “my home,” frowning as if the words felt awkward, and eventually switched back to “Dad’s house.”

Sophia had already turned to her, a hint of guilt in her eyes. “I… don’t remember, sweetheart.”

“That’s okay, Mom.” Theresa remembered that her mom didn’t recall things about her, so she quickly tried to comfort her. “I can just ask Dad.”

As soon as she finished, she looked expectantly at Brandon, clearly fixated on the question of why Mom came to Dad’s new place but never brought her along.

Brandon thought back to the times Sophia came over. The first was when her father, Haley, had a car accident. She’d rushed back home to see him. Brandon had been upset because just as she’d left him her number in Wye City, she’d changed her number the next day and moved out overnight. Still, he’d worried about her staying at a hotel alone, so he'd practically dragged her here to stay.

The other times, whether it was for a blind date, or when she got hurt protecting Susan from her brother, or when she realized Brandon might have figured out Theresa was his daughter and wanted to leave—every time, it was Brandon who insisted she come here.

Not once did Sophia come to his place of her own accord. She was always careful to keep Theresa’s existence a secret from him, so of course she’d never bring Theresa over.

So, faced with Theresa’s confusion about why Mom only came alone, Brandon took a moment to consider.

He knelt down to look her in the eye and gently explained, “Back then, when Mom came here, you hadn’t come home yet, so she couldn’t bring you along.”

He chose to tell her about the first visit.

Theresa seemed satisfied with the answer, nodding thoughtfully. “Oh, right. I hadn’t come back yet.”

Then, as if recalling something, she added, “I hadn’t even met Dad back then.”

She sounded matter-of-fact, not sad, but Brandon felt a pang in his chest for both those years—years when neither Sophia nor Theresa had been with him.

Sophia felt a wave of guilt too. She didn’t remember all the details, but the thought that Theresa didn’t know her dad because of her still filled her with regret.

Brandon looked up and tried to comfort Sophia with a reassuring smile, then turned to Theresa and explained, “It was Dad who lost you and Mom before. That’s why you two couldn’t find me. But I promise, that will never happen again.”

Theresa’s eyes lit up and she nodded hard. “Okay!”

But then she looked puzzled and asked, “How did Dad lose Mom and me?”

Brandon smiled faintly. “Dad used to make too many assumptions.”

Theresa didn’t really understand, scratching her head in confusion, but she didn’t press. Instead, she just gave Brandon a generous smile and said, “It’s alright, Dad. You found both me and Mom again.”

He smiled, ruffling her hair. “That’s right.”

Theresa’s curiosity got the better of her as she peeked toward Brandon’s bedroom, but she didn’t dare go in. Instead, she turned back, her big eyes blinking as she asked tentatively, “Can I go see your room, Dad?”

“Of course.” Brandon patted her head again. “This house is your house, Theresa. You can look around, do whatever you like—just make yourself at home.”

“Okay!” she chirped.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify