The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Kent stepped up and handed the work phone over to Brandon.

Brandon flicked through the phone with his long fingers, then turned the screen towards Harvey Ferber.

Harvey's pupils shrank, his fingers clutching the contract tightened suddenly, creasing the thin paper with a deep, sharp fold. Clark, standing right behind him, instantly sensed the change in Harvey's aura and shot him a surprised glance before turning to the phone Brandon had flipped around. His expression shifted slightly.

The phone displayed the latest work photo of Arlene Bright.

She was clad in a long oatmeal-colored wool coat paired with a houndstooth-patterned wool scarf, her hair cascading over her shoulders. With one hand, she was holding a document folder, and with the other, a pen, writing something down with a soft and peaceful look in her eyes.

Clark couldn't help but look back at Harvey Ferber.

He knew that when Harvey had been hellbent on tracking down Arlene through Brandon at the mall, it was only a matter of tbefore trouble brewed. By doing this, Harvey was basically delivering Brandon sserious leverage.

But back then, Harvey was so focused on finding Arlene that he couldn't care less about anything else.

Little did he expect that not only would he fail to find Arlene, but he also ended up handing over the bargaining chips to Brandon. Today's stunt was just Harvey betting on Brandon's desperation to find Sophia, gambling that Brandon would lose his cool in his haste, just like Harvey had done back at the West district's Sky Street mall.

But this was about sealing a deal with no turning back, not like Harvey's shopping mall frenzy.

When Harvey learned a few days ago that Sophia had secretly taken on the project for the science museum at West district's secondary school, he made a special trip to Starlight Group. He aimed to mess with Brandon's head by pretending he heard that Brandon had donated a science museum and that Arlene was the designer, trying to keep Brandon in the dark about Sophia's involvement before sitting down at the negotiation table like today.

He wasn't keen on using Sophia as bait to make Brandon transfer the docks as a way of repaying a favor, but he didn't mind exploiting the opportunity and the timing to tempt an irrational Brandon into signing the contract. Just a moment ago, he was so close, just a hair's breadth away...

The image of Brandon almost signing the contract without hesitation, if not for Kent's sudden interruption, played in Harvey's mind, leaving him with a faint sense of regret.

But outwardly, he maintained aposed facade, looking at Brandon, "While I am indeed looking for her, she's not so important that I'd give up a dock for her." Harvey said with a slight smile, his eyes still locked on Brandon, "Are you sure you can afford this gamble, Mr. Crawley?" Brandon returned the gaze, stoically silent.

He couldn't be sure how much this woman named Arlene meant to Harvey.

But everyone knew he had spent a fortune looking for Sophia.

In front of Harvey, it was like he was playing an open hand, while Harvey was sitting on his cards.

But in the gof cards, when the odds aren't even, you don't have to just follow the rules.

He could also... flip the table! "Mr. Ferber," Brandon said, tossing the contract onto the table, "My woman is never a chip on my negotiation table, she's a person, not merchandise." As he spoke, he stood up, towering over Harvey, "There's an old saying, 'Courtesy before force.' Since Mr. Ferber isn't willing to doa solid, don't blme for not being nice anymore." With that, Brandon gestured grandly toward the deck, and a group of fashionable young men suddenly swarmed up the gangplank. Clark noticed them too, his expression shifting as he instinctively looked at Harvey Ferber.

Harvey gave a casual glance toward the gangplank, as calm as ever, then turned back to Brandon, "Are you trying to force your way aboard, Mr. Crawley? I can call the cops, you know." "Mr. Ferber didn't specify that security couldn't buy a ticket to board," Brandon said, turning back and bracing his hands on the table, leaning in slightly toward Harvey, "Don't worry, Mr. Ferber, they're here to give you money. Buying tickets to board is both legal and legitimate." Harvey glanced at the ticket checkpoint where the strapping young men were checking in one by one.

"Since Mr. Ferber is tight-lipped, I have no choice but to have my guys search bit by bit," Brandon said, his gaze still on Harvey. "After all, this ship isn't going anywhere anytsoon." A faint smile played on Harvey's lips, light and not at all angry, tinged with an unexpected hint of resignation he hadn't anticipated.

He thought that after picking up on he slightest hint of Sophia's existence, Brandon would be driven nad with urgency to find her, and ndeed there was a brief moment vhen he was. Unfortunately for Harvey, Brandon's rationality andposure returned too swiftly, arrowing the window of >pportunity. ¡w Harvey glanced at Kent, who had arrived just in tto stop the signing, and he began to understand why Brandon kept this seemingly not-so-shrewd man close.

Brandon's own shrewdness was nore than enough; he didn't need ar >verly cunning subordinate. Having in assistant who seemed a bit too ussy by his side not only ensured horough work but could also mess hings up when needed. S "Mr. Crawley," Harvey Ferber finally took the edge off his tone, no longer harping on the dock issue, "Where is she?" His "she" referred to Arlene.

Kent couldn't help but shoot Brandon a worried glance.

Finding that photo was already pushing it. It was almost as if Arlene knew Harvey Ferber was on her trail - she handed in her resignation the very day she ran into him at his mall, and she had since vanished without a trace.

Brandon kept this ace up his sleeve.

He met Brandon's gaze with the squestion, "Where is she?" But Harvey Ferber was a savvy guy himself. He deduced from the timing of Brandon's revelation about Arlene's whereabouts that there was only a fifty-fifty shot Brandon actually knew where Arlene was.

So he held back his own trump card about Sophia, "You first." He hadn't explicitly told Brandon that Sophia was still alive and in his clutches.

Even if Brandon had people storming the ship, it was Harvey's vessel, and whether they could find anything wasn't up to Brandon. Arlene was also the only possible lead Brandon had to finding Sophia, so he too held back, pressing, "You first!" And so, they hit another stalemate.

Brandon didn't waste any more ton negotiations.

Two sharp cookies at the negotiation table meant a time-consuming and exhausting tug-of-war, and Brandon was not in the mood or had the tfor that.

He turned on his heel and walked away.

"Mr. Crawley, in today's world, how can a person not be able to get in touch with their family? Am I right?" Harvey Ferber's words floated after him as he reached the door.

Brandon's step faltered ever so slightly.

Kent also couldn't help but throw a concerned look toward Brandon.

Harvey's meaning was ambiguous; either Sophia couldn't possibly be alive, or Sophia didn't want to get in touch with Brandon. Either scenawas a tough pill for Brandon to swallow.

Just moments ago, in the cutthroat back-and-forth, Harvey had seemed so certain that Sophia was in his grasp.

But now, this remark from Harvey made Kent uncertain.

It didn't rule out the possibility that Harvey was bluffing to trick Brandon into signing over the docks contract, at which point Brandon was beyond reason.

Brandon didn't turn back, nor did he ldn't respond. Instead, he just looked out to the vast ocean from the deck and ordered Kent in a deep voice, "Put Sophia's photo up on the big screen on the deck and ask the crew for leads. A hefty reward for whoever finds her!" "Got it," Kent replied quietly and hurried off to take care of it.