The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 713

Sophia locked eyes with Brandon. In his gaze, she saw a flicker of hope.

She remembered the day at the mall when he mentioned the bracelet was a gift from him, with the inscription hand-carved by him. But that part of the memory was missing for her.

She couldn’t fulfill the expectation in his eyes.

“I don’t know,” she said, her voice shaky. “I only remember running through the snow with a girl about my age. Someone was chasing us, and she fell. I couldn’t leave her behind, so I tried to carry her, but I couldn’t. We both fell down a hillside. I hit a rock, hurt my leg, and couldn’t get up. I saw a small cabin and thought my mom, dad, and big brother would be there. So I took off the bracelet and gave it to her, told her to go find them. But she never came back. I just remember waiting in the snow, watching the sky turn from night to day, over and over…”

Sophia furrowed her brow, trying to dig deeper into her memory, but nothing came. Just the lingering fear and despair of a child alone in a vast, changing world.

“Don’t force it,” Brandon said gently, taking her hand to stop her. Trying too hard always triggered headaches.

She nodded, but the lines of worry didn’t leave her face. Her mind was still blank.

Brandon’s brow was furrowed too. Who could have been chasing them? And how did Sophia end up with Marian? As children, they hadn’t known each other.

Was it possible they had both encountered a kidnapper? At the time, Sophia had been on a family trip when she got lost. They had considered abduction, but her tracks had led to a muddy marsh hidden under a layer of thin ice.

That marsh was vast and treacherous, like a giant maw ready to swallow anyone who ventured too close. The investigation concluded she might have been swallowed by the marsh, not abducted.

But without a body and knowing Sophia wouldn’t stray far on her own, Brandon and Mr. Louis never gave up hope. They kept searching.

“What about before that?” Brandon asked softly. “Do you remember anything before?”

Sophia shook her head. “No, I don’t.”

“That’s okay.” Brandon smiled reassuringly. “The important thing is you’re back now.”

He ruffled her hair affectionately. “You must have been so scared.”

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