The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate (Brandon and Sophia) novel Chapter 690

That day, when Kris mentioned seeing someone who looked like Sophia at the Spring Hotel, Marian's curiosity got the best of her. She rushed over, hoping to catch a glimpse herself. But not being an insider at the hotel, she couldn't access the surveillance footage to confirm anything, nor did she have the chance to "accidentally" bump into the mysterious Sophia lookalike.

With no other options, she turned to a detective agency for help.

Before the agency could get back to her, she heard rumors from someone else wondering if Sophia had returned.

These kinds of questions don't just pop out of nowhere.

Someone must have heard or seen something significant.

But now that Cindy was avoiding her like the plague, Marian couldn't use her to dig up more information.

Cindy's frosty demeanor didn't deter Marian. She forced a smile and said, "I just happened to walk by, not trying to peek at your computer screen."

Brandon's subtle manipulations had long since worn down her once-bold demeanor.

Cindy responded with a curt "Oh" without even looking up, keeping the WhatsApp chat closed.

Feeling the panic rising, Marian tried to make small talk. "Why did your friend suddenly ask about Sophia? Did they run into her or something?"

Cindy shot her a look. "And why do you care?"

"I just care about Sophia and hope she's back soon," Marian replied, her voice softening and her expression pitiable.

"You'd probably prefer she stays gone for good," Cindy retorted bluntly.

Marian's mouth opened, looking both hurt and unwilling to escalate the situation.

A male colleague nearby couldn't stay silent, speaking up for Marian, "Cindy, ease up a bit."

"Why? She can act, but we can't speak?" Cindy snapped back. "She's the reason Sophia's gone, and now she pretends to care. Please, she's just worried Sophia might not be as gone as she thought."

Jack, the male colleague, frowned. "Cindy, be careful with your words. You know making false accusations can have legal consequences. If Marian did something wrong, she'd be in jail like Augus. She's here because she's innocent."

"Jack, you're blinded by her charm," Cindy said, her tone growing colder. "Just because she's not in jail doesn't mean she's innocent. Maybe the evidence just isn't there."

Jack's face darkened, but before he could reply, Marian interjected, trying to keep the peace. "Alright, alright, let's not argue over me. I understand Cindy's feelings because she was close to Sophia. I'm upset too."

With that, she nodded apologetically to both of them and walked away.

"She puts on quite the act," Cindy muttered, still annoyed. "Once so bold and arrogant, now playing the victim."

"Let it go," Jack sighed, unable to hold back his defense of Marian.

Cindy was ready to fire back, but a female colleague, sensing the tension, quickly changed the subject by asking Cindy about a design project, effectively breaking up the brewing argument.

With no choice but to refocus, Cindy turned back to her work.

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Once outside Star·Dempsey Architects, Marian's facade dropped. She pulled out her phone to make a call, but it rang first.

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In the executive suite at the top floor, Cindy's terse "Nope" in the group chat had cooled the gossip down a bit.

Kent, who usually stayed quiet in the chat, suddenly spoke up: "Chatting during work hours? Hope you guys want to keep your jobs."

His unexpected sternness silenced the group immediately. Everyone went back to their screens, leaving only spreadsheets and documents visible—no trace of the green WhatsApp chat.

But when it came to the two at the center of it all...

Kent couldn't resist glancing over at Brandon, who was standing by the office window, back turned as he spoke on the phone. His tall frame was relaxed, almost nonchalant.

Sophia had just returned, and Kent was puzzled as to why Brandon was back at work so soon. He'd expected him to be glued to Sophia's side.

Kent nodded, "Go ahead."

Lynn hurriedly gathered her materials and left, but as she passed the break area, she spotted Sophia playing with Theresa. Her eyes widened in surprise and delight. She quickly turned back and, with a conspiratorial grin, whispered to the coworker near the door, "A million bucks."

The others within earshot chuckled at the inside joke, instantly understanding that "a million bucks" was code for spotting the boss's wife. Heads turned, craning for a glimpse of the action in the break area.