The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 696

"That was ages ago," Susan said without a second thought. "The day Sophia left for her studies abroad, she ran into Ivan at the airport. She was already feeling queasy before boarding, and it was Ivan who stayed by her side."

Brandon was silent. Another twist of fate, it seemed.

He knew Sophia and Ivan had gone abroad together. Patricia had been at the airport too and snapped a photo of them, sending it his way. Brandon remembered the look in Ivan's eyes in that photo, a look of admiration, the kind a man has for a woman.

At the time, he hadn't known the nature of Sophia and Ivan's relationship, but to avoid Patricia making a fuss, he told her that Ivan was someone he had arranged to accompany Sophia. And that was the end of that conversation.

Brandon had wanted to believe they were just friends, coincidentally on the same flight. But even that thought didn't ease his mind.

He had rushed to the airport, and seeing them queue up for boarding, he felt a surge of anger that he barely managed to suppress. He turned away, expressionless, forcing himself to cool down.

During the short walk from the second-floor terminal to the airport parking lot, images of Sophia and Ivan together played over and over in his mind. He imagined all kinds of scenarios about their relationship, his mind almost cracking under the pressure of these thoughts, yet he forcibly calmed himself down at the brink of losing reason.

He hadn't realized how much space Sophia occupied in his heart. He knew her well enough to trust she wouldn't cheat, but seeing her leave with another man was a blow. He kept telling himself that she had made her choice, and he had to respect it. They were divorced, after all. Who she chose to be with was no longer his concern.

In an act of stubborn self-persuasion, he deleted all her contacts and tried to remove her from his life completely. He thought that day was the end, that from then on, they would live separate lives.

But he didn't realize that he was the only one clinging to the past. He couldn't bear the thought of her with another man and, using a business trip as an excuse, flew to Wye City to find her.

It was later, through a report from Kent, that he learned Ivan and Sophia were college classmates, hadn't been in touch for years, but coincidentally ended up in the same graduate program and on the same flight to Wye City. Fate seemed determined to keep their paths intertwined.

Susan noticed the grim look on Brandon's face and asked, "Does this bother you?" She was worried she might have said something wrong that would cause trouble for Sophia. She chuckled awkwardly. "It's no big deal, right? They just happened to meet at the airport. Sophia was having a rough time with morning sickness and Ivan happened to be there to help."

"It's not about that," Brandon replied calmly. It wasn't Ivan's help that bothered him; he was grateful for that. What unsettled him was the persistent thread of fate tying Ivan and Sophia together.

If Sophia remembered everything from before, he wouldn't worry. But now, she's forgotten the past. Her trust and reliance on him were built on that forgetfulness. Brandon feared what would happen if she remembered. What if Ivan was truly meant to be in her life, and he was just a passing chapter?

"Good to hear," Susan sighed with relief. "You scared me there. I thought I put my foot in it. But don't worry. Sophia went through tough times alone in Wye City before and didn't lean on Ivan, so she won't now."

Brandon didn't respond, just gave her a look.

He knew she wouldn't now, but what about when her memories returned?

"What was Ivan's relationship with Sophia like in Wye City? Did they spend a lot of time together?" Brandon asked.

"Like I said, Ivan was supportive, but Sophia didn't give him a chance. Remember when she was hospitalized, thinking about ending the pregnancy? She decided against it but didn't tell anyone except me and Grace. So, theoretically, no one else knew about the pregnancy. You and Ivan are on equal footing with that," Susan reassured him.

Brandon glanced at her. "I meant how often they interacted."

"Oh, hardly at all," Susan replied quickly, trying to ease his worries. "Sophia was worried you'd find out about the pregnancy, so she kept her distance from everyone. She'd arrive just in time for classes and leave right after. Ivan barely had any chance to interact with her, maybe just during breaks or practicals. There's no way they could develop feelings in such short interactions, trust me."

Brandon gave her a silent look, skepticism clear in his eyes. Trust? Easier said than done.

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