The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 159

Patricia's voice wasn't exactly hush-hush; her mellow, chuckling tone immediately had the whole office turning heads towards Sophia.

The office was filled with newbies; no one knew Patricia, but her comment about "the compensation my son gave you" reeked a bit of the ol' casting couch, and the crowd's expressions quickly turned into a mixed bag.

Right there in the office, Don happened to look up and catch the scene at the door. He quickly put on a smile and stepped in to smooth things over.

"Hey, Mrs. Crawley, what brings you here?" He approached with a grin, subtly wedging himself between Sophia and Patricia. "Sophia here's our head honcho in design, handpicked for the job."

Patricia scoffed, ready to retort, but Don beat her to the punch. "You're here about the project, right? Let's talk shop in my office."

While leading her away, he shot a worried glance back at Sophia.

Sophia's face was the picture of serenity.

Seeing Don's concerned look, Sophia returned a courteous smile and turned to face the HR specialist.

The HR person knew Patricia and had been specifically instructed by the big cheeses to handle the elevator card. Their gaze at Sophia was now laced with extra curiosity and probing.

Sophia didn't accept the card.

"I won't be needing that, thanks," she said softly, her voice as gentle and calm as ever. "If you're worried about explaining this to the higher-ups, just tell them I refused. If there's an issue, they can come to me directly."

The HR person hesitated but finally nodded, "Alright."

And then they were gone.

When Sophia got back to Cindy's desk, Cindy couldn't help but ask, "What was that all about?"

The HR person had tried to hand Sophia the elevator card, but she had turned it down, and no one in the office was in the loop about the exchange.

"It's nothing."

Sophia didn't want to delve into it. She leaned over, pointed at the computer screen to guide Cindy on some changes, and then headed back to her office, leaving behind a trail of curious stares and whispers.

The office door closed behind her, shutting out the buzz from outside.

In Don's office, once the door was shut, Patricia turned to him and asked, "This design director position wasn't something Brandon asked you to save for her, was it?"

After more than two decades as a wealthy socialite, Patricia was no stranger to talking down to people, especially the younger ones.