Chapter 50


    “No way, Brandon,” Sophia said softly but firmly, “Moving back here was already my bottom line,


    Brandon. Don’t push


    me.”


    Brandon’s eyes were fixed on her, but he said nothing.


    Sophia stood her ground too.


    Their gazes met in mid-air.


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    Eventually, Brandon was the first to throw in the towel. “Let’s head back.”


    Sophia gave a small nod, not wanting to argue over it anymore.


    She pushed open the car door and stepped out, turning to see Brandon doing the same.


    Brandon hit the electronic lock to secure the car and walked around the front toward her. “Let’s go.”


    Sophia nodded lightly. “Yeah.”


    With that, she headed toward the elevator bay.


    Brandon, originally at her side ready to walk with her, froze as a stocky figure caught his eye. He


    quickly draped his arm over Sophia’s shoulder, subtly sidestepping towards a pir.


    Sophia looked at him, puzzled.


    Brandon gave her a zip it look, ncing casually over his shoulder.


    Instinctively following his gaze, Sophia also looked back and saw two men who had just gotten out of


    their car and were heading towards their elevator bay.


    One was tall and thin, the other short and portly, both in their fifties and dressed like corporate


    hotshots.


    Sophia wasn’t familiar with Brandon’spany or his work, so she didn’t know their connection to


    Brandon, but judging by his expression, he didn’t want those two to spot him.


    Remembering how she first met Brandon at the hotel, where he was staying as a guest and the staff


    didn’t seem to know him, and how Susan had said nobody knew Brandon was in Wye City, she figured


    his business trip was meant to be under wraps. So, she yed along and kept quiet.


    The two men were heading straight for their elevator.


    The space behind the pir where Brandon and Sophia were hiding was tight – it would be hard not to


    bump into each other if they looked up.


    As the men got closer, and the portly one’s gaze swept in their direction, Brandon pulled Sophia


    towards him, pushing her against the wall. He raised his hand as if to kiss her, his suit jacket lifting to


    perfectly shield their bodies.


    Sophia nced at him, then at the approaching men. After a moment’s hesitation, her arms suddenly


    rose, wrapping tightly around Brandon’s neck. Her jacket sleeve covered his head, and she tiptoed,


    mimicking a passionate kiss, even tightening her hold on Brandon’s neck as the portly man’s gaze


    collided with the back of Brandon’s head.


    They were already close, and with her pull, their lips brushed together.


    Sophia froze, instinctively looking at Brandon.


    His eyes were deep, scarily passionate.


    Sophia’s first impulse was to pull away, but Brandon tightened his grip around her waist and deepened


    the kiss


    The portly man and his tallpanion nced at the passionately kissing couple, looked away out of


    politeness, and walked past with a shake of their heads and a chuckle.


    Theirughter faded behind them, the elevator doors opened and closed, and all went quiet.


    Brandoris kiss slowed and eventually stopped.


    Their eyes met again, and after a brief pause, they simultaneously looked away and let go of each


    other, each stepping


    aside.


    “Sorry.”


    “Sorry.”


    They both spoke at the same moment, then both fell silent.


    “Let’s go up. Brandon said softly.


    Sophia gave a light “Mhm” and followed him into the elevator.


    They didn’t speak on the way up until the elevator stopped at Brandon’s top-floor residence.


    He used his keycard to open the door, and Sophia followed him inside. After watching him close the


    door, she turned to him. “Who were those two guys anyway? Why did we have to dodge them?”


    “The short, chubby guy is the general leader of Starlight Hotel’s Ephemoran branch, goes by the name


    Darcy,” Brandon said, looking at her with no intention of hiding it. “There’s been a bit of trouble with the


    hotel here, and I came over without telling anyone. Didn’t want to spook the horses at a critical time.”


    Sophia nodded. “Oh, I see.”


    “Thanks for back there, he added, his eyes still on her.


    Feeling a bit uneasy under his gaze, Sophia looked away slightly.


    “It was nothing, just lending a hand.”


    Brandon’s lips twitched, but he didn’t pursue the topic further. “You should go rest.”


    Sophia nodded. “Yeah.”


    She turned and went back to her room.


    Brandon watched the door close, his eyes cooling from calm to the icy focus of business mode. He


    pulled out his phone and called Kent, asking him to send a copy of the hotel elevator surveince


    footage to his email.


    Kent was quick to act; the video arrived shortly after the call ended.


    Brandon recognized Darcy, but the tall, thin man with him was unfamiliar. Judging by their recent


    interaction and bodynguage, Darcy seemed to be bowing and scraping to the taller man.


    Brandon sent a snapshot of the tall, thin man from the surveince to Kent. “Do you know this guy?


    Kent had a widework and a remarkable memory, especially for faces. It was like he had a


    photographic memory for people he had seen, a trait that had been a deciding factor for Brandon when


    he hired him for hisworking skills.


    Kent was busy, but Brandon relied on him as a human search engine to alleviate the pressure of work


    After a quick look at the photo, Kent didn’t disappoint Brandon, recalling the man’s identity in an instant.


    “That looks like. Dennis Barlow, the big boss of our rival, the Barlow Hotel.”


    After finishing his point, he made a special effort to dig up some business registration info online and


    sent it over to Brandon. “Yep, that’s the name. No pic of the guy on the web, but I’m betting my bottom


    dor it’s him. His name’s just burned into my brain, you know? When I was your stand-in at that


    industry mixer and saw the guest list, I couldn’t help but give it the ol’ double-take.”


    Barlow?” Brandon furrowed his brow, a memory shing before his eyes of the near-miss with the girl


    who could’ve been Ynda at the school gates that morning. He remembered the name “Marian” on


    her ID badge, and that he’d first bumped into her at the Starlight Hotel-same ce Dennis had been.


    Could there be a connection between the two?


    While video-chatting with Brandon, Kent noticed his pensive look and asked with concern, “Mr.


    Crawley, you got any


    worries?


    Brandon looked at him and said, “Nope. Do me a solid and check out what’s the deal between him and


    Darcy


    Kent nodded, “Got it.”


    “And one more thing.” Brandon, recalling the stunned look on Sop’s face when she saw Marian’s


    bracelet that morning, turned to Kent, “snoop around Sophia’s childhood for me, will ya?”


    Kent was taken aback. “Huh?”