The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 751

Susan happened to look up just then. She spotted Kent and Sophia standing by the car, hesitated for a split second, then, as if she hadn’t even seen Kent, turned her gaze to Sophia and greeted her with a bright smile. “I thought you two were home. I rang the doorbell for ages and nobody answered.”

“We just got back from the office,” Sophia replied, then glanced Susan up and down. “Didn’t you say you were going back to catch up on sleep? How come you’re up already?”

Susan gave a little cough, feigning nonchalance. “Well, I had to get up for lunch, didn’t I?”

Her eyes stayed firmly on Sophia and Theresa, not drifting toward Kent even once.

Sophia couldn’t help but shoot Kent a questioning look.

Kent, for his part, acted as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. He was busy admiring the landscaping of the neighborhood, but when he caught Sophia’s glance, he turned to her and said calmly, “Ms. Yearwood, I’ll drop you off here, then head back to the office.”

“Why don’t you stay and eat with us?” Sophia offered.

“No, thanks. I can’t skip work during office hours,” Kent replied, giving Theresa a quick wave before turning to head back to the driver’s seat.

Sophia couldn’t tell if there was some tension between Kent and Susan, or if her own presence just made things awkward. Sensing it was best not to linger, she gave a polite, “Alright, thanks for the ride, Kent,” and scooped up Theresa, heading toward the building.

As she passed Susan, she nudged her gently in the ribs, signaling her to say something to Kent.

Susan acted as if she hadn’t noticed at all. “I need to take out the trash,” she said, and made her way toward the bins.

Kent slid into his car and started the engine—the trash bins and the parking lot were in opposite directions.

Not a single word or glance passed between the two of them.

Just as Susan tossed the trash into the bin, Kent’s car sped out of the lot.

Sophia glanced back at Susan’s straight, unmoving figure, her posture rigid and unreadable.

“Are you alright?” Sophia called out, worry coloring her voice.

Susan turned, flashed Sophia a quick, breezy smile. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

She changed the subject. “I was about to go grab some lunch. Want to come?”

Sophia glanced at her watch and shook her head. “Brandon should be home soon. I have a few things to take care of first—rain check?”

“No problem.” Susan smiled and waved. “I’ll head out on my own, then. See you later.”

She walked off, deliberately taking the path opposite from where Kent had gone.

Sophia frowned, feeling helpless. Both Susan and Kent were impossible to pry open when it came to personal matters; there was no way she’d get anything out of them. Left with a head full of questions, she headed upstairs.

It was the first time she’d ever entered the study of her own accord.

The room was as quiet and understated as it had been the night before, filled with the faint scent of ink and paper.

Sophia let her eyes drift from the fold-out couch in the corner, to the neatly arranged bookshelves, and finally to the desk by the window.

Everything on the desk was perfectly organized, not a speck of dust in sight.

Sophia pressed her lips together, eyes fixed on the drawer, but didn’t move to open it.

Suddenly, the sound of the front door opening broke the silence, followed by hurried footsteps.

But the master bedroom was empty.

So was the guest room.

“Sophia!” he called, his voice rising with growing anxiety, his movements growing more frantic as he flung open each door in turn.