The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate (Brandon and Sophia) novel Chapter 771

Sophia couldn’t help but squeeze his hand and offer a gentle smile. “Good thing you thought ahead,” she said. “Otherwise, we’d have to rush all the way back tonight.”

Brandon smiled back without a word.

Sophia let go of his hand and stepped forward, picking out a couple of outfits from the wardrobe to hold up against herself. She glanced up at Brandon. “These look great—you really put some thought into this, didn’t you?”

“It wasn’t much,” Brandon said.

He stepped closer to inspect the clothes she’d chosen. Everything in the wardrobe had been tailored or bought to fit her exactly. They looked perfect on her.

He’d picked out comfortable, everyday clothes, knowing she’d want things that made it easy to stay over whenever she felt like it. He hadn’t gone for anything too fancy or over-the-top—she never liked that anyway.

The truth was, Sophia could make anything look good. Her effortless style and graceful presence suited every outfit.

Brandon had chosen a few understated brands she loved—nothing flashy, but always just right.

Theresa couldn’t help herself; she ran her small hands over the fabric, letting out an awed “Wow!” as she stared at the packed wardrobe. Her eyes sparkled with envy and curiosity as she craned her neck, hoping to spot something in her own size. But after a careful search, she realized there was nothing for kids, and her little brow furrowed in disappointment.

“What about mine?”

Her puzzled voice slipped out as she stubbornly rose onto tiptoe, peeking inside again.

Brandon steadied her gently by the shoulder. “Your clothes are in your own room, of course.”

Theresa’s eyes lit up. “I have my own room?”

She poked her head out, excitement written all over her face. “Which one is mine?”

Brandon gave her an amused look, then turned to switch on the light in the room next door.

Because he was concerned about chemical fumes from new furniture, he hadn’t gone for a major remodel—just swapped in some new, soft furnishings. But the room already had that princess vibe, and as soon as Theresa saw it, she gasped in delight. She spun around to confirm with Brandon, “Is this really my room?”

Brandon nodded, grinning.

She burst into a huge smile, instantly forgetting all about the clothes. She dove onto the plush bed and rolled around, completely enchanted with her new room.

Brandon opened the walk-in closet for her, revealing not only a wardrobe full of cute little clothes, but also a cabinet packed with toys—many of which she’d never seen before.

Any lingering disappointment vanished; Theresa’s eyes shone with pure joy as she gazed at her wardrobe and toy closet.

Watching her, Brandon felt an unexpected swell of satisfaction.

That night, the whole family decided to stay over.

Theresa was so happy with her princess room that after her bath, she bounced on her bed until she wore herself out and drifted off to sleep—forgetting all about her bedtime story.

Later, after tucking Theresa in, Sophia returned to their room and asked Brandon, “What made you decide we should move here all of a sudden?”

Brandon glanced down at her. “Well, when Kent dropped off that mountain of gifts, it reminded me we should get settled somewhere. Don’t like it?”

Sophia shook her head. “No, it’s not that. It’s just a little sudden, that’s all. I’m not used to it yet.”

“It’s not far,” Brandon replied, leaning down to kiss her softly. “Just think of it as a little vacation.”

Sophia tried to push him away, whispering, “Theresa…”

“The bed has safety rails, and if there’s any noise in her room, the monitor will alert us. Don’t worry.” Brandon’s voice dropped as he kissed her again, deeper this time.

Sophia meant to protest, but Brandon didn’t give her the chance. His hand slid into her hair and the kiss deepened, all-consuming.

She quickly surrendered to his warmth—but, mindful of Theresa in the next room, neither of them dared let things get out of hand.

For the next few days, the three of them stayed here, though they didn’t settle in for good. Taking advantage of the long winter break, they went on a family trip—their first New Year together.

Sophia switched off her old “Arlene” phone and got a new number, keeping only Brandon, Susan, Kent, and President Poe in her contacts. She left out Harvey Ferber and Amanda. She didn’t want Amanda’s calls to spoil their vacation mood.

Brandon also set his work phone aside.

If anything important came up, people would call Kent. He’d filter out the trivial matters from the ones that genuinely needed Brandon’s attention.

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Meanwhile, Aaron had been in a foul mood for days after Brandon told him off and warned him not to interfere again.

He came home that day with a stormy face, refusing to talk to anyone. It was the holidays, but he snapped at anyone who spoke to him. The whole house was filled with tension.

No one knew what had happened, and no one dared ask—every question was met with a sharp rebuke, so everyone tiptoed around him, afraid to set him off.

The family’s holiday cheer was completely ruined.

One day, Laura, unable to bear it any longer, tried to comfort him, only for Aaron to slam his silverware down and snap at her to stay out of it. After days of holding her tongue, Haley finally lost her patience too. She slammed her own utensils onto the table. “What is your problem? Ever since you got back, you’ve been sulking and picking fights. What, did someone in this house offend you?”

Laura, ever the doting mother, shot Haley a frosty glare. “Why are you going on and on? He can’t have a rough day once in a while?”

“It’s because you’ve spoiled him rotten,” Haley shot back, anger simmering in his voice. “Just look at what he’s become.”

Since Sophia had been gone, Haley had grown a spine when it came to Laura. Maybe it was guilt over Sophia’s fate, or maybe he just couldn’t keep quiet anymore.

But Laura wasn’t about to be cowed. Her voice rose to match his. “What’s that supposed to mean? Go ahead, say it again—what exactly has he become, huh?”

“Enough! Both of you, stop it!” Aaron slammed his plate down again, his nerves shot.

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