The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 91

Don was momentarily taken aback before nodding in agreement, "Yeah, right. Just inked the deal a few days ago. They're aiming to whip up a brand series similar to the old 'Starlight Hotel', focusing on traditional-style resort villages. But the bigwigs at HQ shot down the proposal, so they’re looking to get the ball rolling under the name of a separate subsidiary, and they've dumped the task on my plate."

Then, looking puzzled at Brandon, "Didn't they give you a heads-up? From what your dad said, it seemed like you were on board with this project."

"I was out of the loop on this one," Brandon replied, "The traditional-themed park is part of the company’s big plans for the year, but it's still being vetted. Patricia's been itching to climb the corporate ladder, desperate for a win that'll get her nods from the board and the shareholders. I guess my dad's trying to tee this up as a feather in her cap, so he went behind my back and shuffled the project off to a subsidiary."

Don was surprised, "I thought your mom was all about living the high-society life – tea time, beauty treatments, shopping sprees, and just soaking up the rich wife vibes. What's got her suddenly acting all career-driven?"

Then, looking back at Brandon, "What did you do to light a fire under her?"

With a glance, Brandon retorted, "What could I have possibly done to her?"

Don had no idea, nor could he guess. Although Brandon wasn't Patricia’s biological son, and their relationship hadn’t been the warmest over the years, they had appeared to maintain a harmonious mother-son facade. Don had assumed Patricia was solely focused on cementing her socialite status, never imagining she'd reach into the company affairs.

"So, what's your game plan now?" Don asked, "Gonna put a pin in the project? The lead designer for this one is a real gem – crazy talented with a distinct personal style. Could be just the ticket to skyrocket Patricia’s brand to fame."

Brandon fixed his gaze on him, "What's the designer's back story? Any successful projects?"

Don replied, "She’s pretty fresh out of grad school, just got her degree this year, but from a top-notch university – the School of Architecture next door."

Brandon's brow furrowed slightly – 'next door' meant Apex Engineering University.

"That's the one you're thinking of," Don said. "She’s a newbie, sure, but she racked up some solid project experience working with her professors during her student days."

Brandon inquired, "Like what?"

After Don listed a few examples, Brandon gave him a look, "None of these projects have anything to do with traditional themes, and the person’s been studying here, leaning more towards exotic design styles."

He paused, turning to Don, "Is your company running out of people or what? I'm not dismissing the idea of a wunderkind right out of college," Brandon said slowly, "but her project experience doesn't really align with what we're looking for. Plus, if she only had a brief stint on preliminary drafts under a professor, a decent one would give credit to the whole team, which doesn't really say much."

Don found himself at a loss for words.

Brandon's concerns weren't unfounded. If it were anyone else, he might not have been convinced, but having seen Sophia's work himself, Don didn't believe he was mistaken about her potential.

"I think you should wait and see her design proposal. I'm confident it won't disappoint," Don said with a sure tone.

Brandon gave him a look, "If the proposal doesn't cut it, I'll axe it right away. This project might have been handed to you by my dad and Patricia, but I'm not about to let them run amok," Brandon added. "We're talking about the Starlight Group’s brand reputation here."

"I get it, you're the one who calls the shots," Don caught on in a flash, "Chill, man. Our relationship of over twenty years ain’t just for show. Even if I'm out to make a buck, I wouldn't do it by stabbing you in the back, right?"

"Thanks," Brandon's gratitude was still calm and to the point.

Don chuckled, "Don't be so formal with me."

"But there's something I might need to bug you about," Don said, a bit sheepishly despite his earlier nonchalance.

It wasn't a big deal, really. He was planning on shifting the focus of his architectural firm back home. He'd spent years overseas, but his roots were still in his motherland, and he'd always had the idea of developing his business there. His firm was still in its early stages in recent years and not quite stable, so he wanted to solidify the market here first before slowly transitioning the core business back home.

However, starting from scratch with Dempsey Architects in Zenitha wasn't appealing to Don. He didn't want to spend too much energy on the initial phase, so he was considering riding the coattails of "the Starlight Group" by establishing a joint subsidiary with them through Dempsey Architects.