The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

The girl didn't give a hoot about Brandon's chilly vibe. She just cocked her head slightly, sizing up Brandon with a gaze that was

bold and frank, yet tinged with a dash of bashfulness.

Gavin couldn't stand seeing his daughter eye a guy so blatantly and gave a soft cough.

Tia immediately turned to him and said, "Dad, | wanna hit up that meeting too."

Gavin replied, "It's not like it's ssecret pow-wow. What are you gonna do, stir up trouble?"

"I'm not there to mess things up. Hey, | did graduate with a law degree, remember? | can watch your back, make sure you don't

sign away the company without even realizing it."

While saying this, Tia looked at Brandon, her fondness for his vibe growing with each look.

Brandon wasn't keen on wasting ton trivial stuff.

He turned to Gavin, "Mr. Temple, where's the conference room at?"

Gavin got the hint quick and hustled everyone toward the meeting room.

Tia tagged along into the conference room too.

The meeting also included other members of the Horizon Property board of directors, forming the merger and acquisition

negotiation team.

Gavin had initially thought that with the sentimental value of the family mall and Brandon's youth, they could haggle for better

terms. But as soon as the meeting kicked off, Brandon took the reins firmly in his hands.

Gavin didn't manage to snag the benefits he'd hoped for and was instead forced to backpedal step by step.

Brandon clearly cprepared.

While Gavin's side waxed lyrical about the value of Horizon Mall, he didn't interrupt, just sat there calmly, arms crossed, silently

observing Gavin's pitch.

It wasn't until Gavin asked for Brandon's thoughts that he finally uncrossed his arms, deftly twirled a pen between his fingers, and

with a measured look from his eyes, said to Gavin,

"Mr. Temple, you seem to be out of touch with Horizon Property's current plight."

All eyes suddenly fixed on Brandon, their expressions heavy, except for Tia's.

Tia was looking at him with pure admiration.

From the moment she entered the conference room, her gaze had been locked on Brandon, watching his every move.

His effortless control of the situation totally hit the spot for her aesthetic taste.

Brandon, however, hadn't noticed her, just calmly told Gavin,

"Mr. Temple, the nostalgia of Horizon Mall is for a bygone generation. Today's main consumers are the younger crowd. To them, the

mall's outdated, shabby state has no connection to fashion and has been left behind."

"In terms of competition, it's way behind the mall next door, the Starry Group. Choosing between the Starry Group and the Horizon

Group is like picking between two options for all our competitors."

"Moreover, your company's current financial situation can't support the Horizon Group's operations anymore. The drastic drop in

foot traffic leading to shop closures will mean, in a couple of years, the Horizon Group's only option will be to shut down. By then,

it'll be even tougher to find a buyer."

"Besides, as far as | know, only the Starlight Group has shown interest in the Horizon Group. Personally, I'm interested out of

sentiment, but I'm not married to the idea. Mr. Temple, are you sure you can wait for another buyer?"

Gavin was caught in a tangle of indecision and silence.

Without further ado, Brandon signaled Kent with a glance.

Kent, all smiles, passed over the acquisition proposal. "Mr. Temple, here's our offer. Take a look."

Gavin glanced at it—the price and terms were reasonable, not a total lowball, fair market value. But it was below what Gavin had

mentally bumped up his expectations to, especially after seeing how young Brandon was.

The other board members were in the sboat, hesitant over the acquisition proposal.

Out of curiosity, Tia snatched the document to have a look and then said to Gavin, "Dad, this seems pretty decent to me."

Gavin shot her a look that could kill.

Following Brandon's argument, Tia chimed in.

"Mr. Crawley's right. Nowadays, young folks want to snap pics and check-in on Facebook every tthey grab a bite. Their check-in

backdrop sort of flaunts their spending power and taste. Who'd choose a rundown mall as their selfie background? It's just a ticking

tbomb."

Gavin couldn't help but give her another killer look before turning to Brandon with a forced smile.

"Mr. Crawley, the offer's a bit shy of what we were hoping for. | can't call the shots alone on this—board's gotta discuss it more."

Brandon nodded, "Understood."

He didn't rush them for an immediate decision.

Brandon was set on getting this project and confident in his position, so he wasn't in a hurry for the meeting to yield results.

"We'll get back to you later then."

Gavin got up, checking his phone for the time, "It's getting late, Mr. Crawley. How about we grab a bite together?"

Tia also piped up, "I'll book a table."

Brandon declined both offers, "No need, thanks though Mr. Temple. Got plans tonight."

Tia's smile instantly deflated.

After bidding goodbye to Gavin, Brandon and Kent headed out.

As soon as they left the conference room, Tia was hot on their heels.

"Mr. Crawley, can | add you on WhatsApp?"

Kent instantly turned the work phone's WhatQR code towards her, chuckling, "Ms. Temple, if you need Mr. Crawley, you can

tell me, and I'll pass it on."

Tia was speechless.

She hesitated, bit her lip, and with a bold look, said to Brandon, "lI wanted to add your personal WhatsApp."

Kent couldn't help but give her a few extra glances at her forwardness.

He had been sticking close to Brandon for ages. Not many had the guts to straight-up ask Brandon for his private WhatsApp—that

was snext-level boldness. Even Sophia couldn't pull that off.

But as the ever-diligent personal assistant, Kent still managed a smile as he played the bad guy for Brandon, saying, "Sorry, but Mr.

Crawley's private Whatis kinda off-limits."

He didn't get to finish his sentence before Brandon handed over his phone.

"Mr. Crawley?" Kent called out, puzzled.

Brandon paid him no mind, his eyelids half-closed, his face as unreadable as a poker face.

Tia was thrilled, whipping out her phone, ready to scan.

Brandon gave her a look and, just as her phone was about to capture the code, he smoothly pulled his phone back.

Tia stared at him, baffled.

Kent also shot him a surprised look.

Brandon's handsface was tight, his eyes carrying an inexplicable chill.

Without a word, he turned on his heel and left.

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