Chapter 119
Brandon slightly turned his head away, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down intensely.
Without uttering a peep, he spun around to grab the contract from the table, his hands grasping each corner in a top-bottom, left-right motion. “Yeah, I did sign this contract on the fly. But this design proposal, it wasn’t just me, alright? The whole design department gave it the thumbs up, unanimously. Everyone’s been jazzed about making it a reality, so I played a bit fast and loose, jumping the gun without so much as a by-your-leave.”
He snatched up Sophia’s hand and shoved the contract into it with a thud. “Here’s your contract back, now it’s in your court to
decide its fate.”
With that, Brandon turned on his heel and made his exit.
“Hey.” Don tried to stop him in a panic, but the words got stuck in his throat the moment he felt Brandon’s icy mug, leaving him to only watch Brandon walk away until he was out of sight. His eyes, filled with concern, then darted back to Sophia.
Sophia was teetering on the edge of a meltdown, tears plopping down as she sat down at the table, hands covering her mouth as she tried desperately to rein in her emotions, but to no avail. The tears came harder and faster, eventually turning into uncontrollable sobs.
With no other options, Don sneakily whipped out his phone and shot a video, sending it Brandon’s way with a text.
[You’re seriously just gonna walk away like that?]
Brandon sat in his car, staring blankly at Don’s message, his finger hovering over the video, tempted to click but then steeling himself not to. He chucked the phone aside, buckled his seatbelt, and was about to floor it when he paused, grabbed his phone again, and played the video.
In the video, Sophia was at the table, crying uncontrollably, her face the picture of despair and helplessness.
Brandon tossed the phone aside again, his throat tight, but then he picked it up once more, unbuckled his seatbelt, swung the car door open, and stepped out. His hand pressed on the electronic lock, and with a “click” confirming the doors were locked, he was already striding towards the restaurant entrance.
Don watched Sophia cry with growing anxiety, repeatedly glancing at the door and then back at her, handing her tissues.
“You alright?” he asked worriedly.
Sophia shook her head slightly, trying to say “I’m fine,” but all that came out was a choked sob; she couldn’t utter a word.
Don was beside himself with worry when suddenly a shadow loomed, a hand grabbed Sophia’s arm, and pulled her to her feet.
“Hey, you.” Don’s instinct to stop was cut short as he looked up to see Brandon’s expressionless, handsome face.
Without glancing at him, Brandon left Don with a “Remember to pay the bill” and then whisked Sophia away.
Don was left speechless.
He could only watch as Sophia was hauled off, stumbling along with Brandon.
Brandon pulled Sophia out of the restaurant, to the car, opened the passenger’s door, and pushed her inside, fastening her seatbelt for her. He then circled around the front of the car, got in on the driver’s side, buckled up, released the handbrake, and the car sped off.
His left hand pressed down on the central locking button, and the tightly shut windows suddenly rolled down.
The night air rushed in through the windows, causing their hair to whip wildly around.
Sophia raised her hand to pat down the hair blowing in her face, her emotions gradually calming down a bit in the rushing wind.
She sat in silence in the passenger seat, gazing out at the increasingly congested road.
Brandon didn’t say a word either, just blankly glanced outside the window, and as they approached the next intersection, his hand turned the steering wheel half a circle, and the car took a left turn onto the less crowded street.
The congestion was easing up, the car’s speed picking up, and the night wind grew stronger as they accelerated.
