Chapter 99


    This Brandon really freaked Kent out.


    Brandon might have been frosty, but at least he was even–tempered.


    Now, there was a mean streak hiding beneath his cool facade, a ruthless and fierce edge to him.


    After he finished trashing the living room, Brandon finally reacted.


    “Clean up the living room and just wing it with the decorations,” he said, already grabbing his suitcase


    and. heading out without a hint of nning to stay.


    The whole “just wing it”ment left the decorators scratching their heads, not sure how to y it.


    They all looked at Kent, seeking guidance.


    Kent was just as clueless and didn’t dare double–check with Brandon.


    “Just p something together,” he eventually said, extending Brandon’s vague instructions before


    chasing after


    him.


    He drove Brandon back to his pad of thest two years, sneaking peeks at him through the rearview


    mirror


    from time to time.


    Brandon’s face remained cool andposed throughout the drive.


    When they reached his doorstep, Brandon simply told Kent in a t tone to head home and get some


    rest before pushing his suitcase ahead and walking off.


    Kent never mustered the courage to ask what went down between Brandon and Sophia, or why


    Brandon seemed so changed upon his return.


    In the following days, Brandon seemed to revert to his old self–working like a maniac, polite and


    courteous to others, but keeping everyone at arm’s length with an indifferent chill.


    But Kent could still tell something was off. Brandon used to throw himself into his work with passion.


    Now, he seemed more like a walking dead, just going through the motions.


    This change in Brandon had Kent worried, but he felt helpless and didn’t even dare to ask why.


    He and Brandon were close, but Brandon wasn’t the type to open up, so asking him would be pointless


    Luckily, a few dayster, Don returned from abroad.


    Kent was tight with Don and knew he and Brandon were close.


    He remembered Don was also in Wye City, and figured Brandon must have crossed paths with him.


    Unsure whether Don knew what was up with Brandon, Kent cautiously asked Don on the way back


    from the airport, “Did Mr. Crawley run into something over in Wye City?”


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    “Nothing at all.”


    Don said, baffled by the question. “What could’ve happened to Mr. Crawley?”


    “It’s just that Mr. Crawley seems off since he came back, Kent said carefully. “Like something shook


    him up?”


    “Really?” Don perked up, turning to face him. “Like what?”


    Kent replied, “He’s redoing his matrimonial home that he smashed up. I’ve never seen him like this, not


    even during his divorce. Who suddenly decides to erase all traces of their ex–wife two years after the


    fact?”


    “Hold on,” Don caught on to something crucial. “Brandon got divorced?”


    Kent looked at him in surprise, “You didn’t know?”


    Don shook his head. He was clueless.


    He’d asked about Brandon’s wife a few times, but Brandon never mentioned a divorce.


    Kent figured Brandon wanted to keep it under wraps and regretted spilling the beans, “Mr. Crawley


    probably didn’t want it getting out. Pretend you never heard about it, keep it to yourself.”


    Don chuckled at Kent’s remorseful face, “Rx, I won’t rat you out. And even if I did, Brandon wouldn’t


    hold it


    against you.”


    Kent grimaced, knowing it wasn’t about Brandon holding a grudge. It was about him gossiping behind


    people’s backs, which was indeed the case.


    “But,” Don pondered, “there was nothing unusual about Brandon in Wye City. Although, he did space


    out looking at a little girl over a year old during lunch. He left in a hurry without eating, no idea what he


    rushed off to.”


    “A little girl over a year old?” Kent paused, his eyes widening as he looked at Don, “Could it be Mr.


    Crawley’s daughter?”


    Before he could dwell on it, Don pped him on the shoulder.


    “What are you thinking? The little girl was with her mom, and Brandon didn’t seem to know her.”


    Kent’s look of shock quickly fizzled out, realizing how unlikely it would be to randomly bump into his


    own kid halfway around the world.


    Seeing Kent’s worried face, Don couldn’t help but tease him. “You’re just an employee, yet you’re


    taking on his parental worries as well. Even his own parents aren’t this concerned.”


    “Give me a break. He’s the one paying my sry. If he’s gone, where am I going to find such an easy,


    high–paying job where I can throw my weight around?” Kent turned to Don, “Seriously, Mr. Crawley’s


    been off since he came back from Wye City. Help me out and nudge him a bit, tell him not to keep


    things bottled up. We might not be able to solve his problems, but we can be his sounding board.


    Brooding too much is bad for your health.


    Don nced at him with amusement, “Why don’t you tell him that yourself?”


    Kent replied, “He’s my boss, after all. I can’t just say to his face, ‘Boss, keep sulking and you’ll shorten


    your lifespan.”


    He couldn’t help but roll his eyes at Don.


    Donughed, “Alright, I keep an eye out.”


    But giving advice wasn’t really his strong suit. He had his own gripes to share with Brandon.


    That night, when he met up with Brandon, Don forgot all about Kent’s request and casually mentioned


    while pouring Brandon a drink, “I gave away the design director position at the joint venture.”


    Brandon, who had been lost in thought, nced at him, “To that girl?”


    Don nodded, “Yes, I’ve already told her.”


    Brandon chuckled, but his eyes didn’t share the amusement. Clearly, he wasn’t on board with the


    decision.


    To him, it seemed like Don was making a foolish move, blinded by beauty.


    “Is she that beautiful?” Brandon asked.


    Don nodded, “Yeah, really pretty. Innocent and ssy. And most importantly!


    He wanted to say “talented,” but before he could get the words out, Brandon cut him off. “If you’re


    smitten by a pretty face, go the extra mile and put a ring on it. Why gamble with thepany’s future?”


    Don was speechless.


    Brandon looked at him, “I don’t agree with using her,”


    Thepany isn’t a tool for you to woo women with,” Brandon added, his face dead serious.


    Don nced at him, “Where’s your head at? If I could charm her with thepany I wouldn’t be here


    hashing it


    out with you. Chill, she didn’t even agree herself, so no need for your blessing.”


    Brandon raised an eyebrow, a bit taken aback.


    He thought the position of Design Director at the Starlight Group would be a huge draw for someone


    fresh out of school, even if it was just for a subsidiary.


    Don saw the surprise on Brandon’s face, “Right? The Design Director gig is super tempting. She’d get


    to work back in her home country, rake in a fat paycheck, andnd straight into a director’s chair – a


    dream job loads of folks can’t even snag. Why isn’t she jumping at it?”


    This really got Don’s goat. He figured Sophia wasn’t biting because the offer wasn’t sweet enough. He


    had already agreed with Brandon to wait until Sophia’s design proposal was in before deciding whether


    to appoint her as Design Director. But eager to lock Sophia down, Don jumped the gun, all giddy about


    offering her the position, only to get rejected.


    “Thank you for the generous offer, but my experience and skills are limited, and I’m not up for such an


    important role.”


    Even her excuses for turning it down sounded so official and insincere.


    He just couldn’t fathom why Sophia would turn her nose up at this job.


    no


    Out there on her own, as a greenhorn fresh out of school, if she walked away from hispany, there


    was no guarantee she’d find such a great opportunity elsewhere.


    “To each their own.” Faced with Don’s frustration, Brandon simply remarked. He had never been on


    board with handing such a crucial position to a newbie. The refusal suited him just fine – everyone’s


    happy.


    But Don didn’t see it that way, “Look, this girl’s really got the chops and the drive, humble and not full of


    herself. Most importantly, we’re on the same page, get along like a house on fire, and working together


    has been a st. We need people like her to solidify our foothold domestically. Help me figure out how


    to make her stay.”


    Brandon gave him a look, “With therge poption of Zenithia, are you seriously worried about not


    finding someone else who’s talented,patible, and a good fit? If she’s not keen, why are you so


    keen on her?


    Don was speechless.


    No, he came to Brandon for ideas, not to be talked out of it.


    But Brandon’s attention had already shifted to the vibrating phone on the table.


    Don nced at the phone too, his brow furrowing in confusion at the name “Aaron Yearwood,”


    instinctively looking back at Brandon.


    Brandon also stared at the name on the phone, momentarily lost, but then heposed himself and


    picked up the call.


    “Hello?” His voice was calm, almost indifferent.


    “Brandon, something urgent has happened to my dad,” Aaron’s voice came through, frantic with


    urgency.


    “What happened?”