Harvey Ferber didn't want to say much about it, so he just smiled and said, "It's a personal matter."
Then he quickly shifted the conversation back to the surveillance footage. "I thought I saw an old friend of mine in your mall earlier and I'd like to check the cameras to confirm if I was mistaken. Could you help me out, Mr. Crawley?"
Brandon nodded, "Of course."
He then turned to Kent. "Kent, can you take Mr. Ferber and Clark to check it out?"
Kent nodded, "Sure thing, Mr. Crawley."
Brandon turned to Harvey Ferber with an apologetic look. "Mr. Ferber, I need to take my daughter home to rest, so I can't join you. If you need anything, just ask Kent."
"Thank you, Mr. Crawley."
Harvey Ferber thanked him politely, his gaze shifting from Brandon's face to Theresa, who looked a bit puzzled.
Brandon, holding Theresa, headed for the exit without noticing Harvey Ferber's thoughtful expression.
Theresa did notice and curiously glanced at Harvey Ferber.
Harvey Ferber gave her a gentle smile but said nothing, though his eyes followed Brandon's retreating figure with a contemplative look.
Kent, having just finished up with Susan, approached Harvey Ferber and Clark with a smile, unaware of Harvey Ferber's mood. "Mr. Ferber, Clark, let's go."
Harvey Ferber snapped out of his thoughts, nodded at Kent, and said, "Thanks, Kent."
Together, they headed to the surveillance room.
Outside the mall, in the plaza
Sophia stood there, staring blankly at the imposing logo of "West District Sky Mall," looking a bit lost and confused.
"What's wrong?"
Amanda, noticing Sophia's distant demeanor, asked with concern.
Sophia just shook her head, as if drawn by an unseen force, her gaze slowly shifting elsewhere.
Next door was a historic high school, West District High. From where she stood, she could see the school gates and the tops of the old teaching and administration buildings, which bore the architectural hallmarks of a bygone era, giving off a timeless charm and a scholarly atmosphere.
For some reason, Sophia felt an inexplicable sense of nostalgia mixed with a nameless sorrow. It was a gentle but profound sadness that, unbidden, brought tears to her eyes.
The tears seemed to have a mind of their own, swirling endlessly within her eyelids.
Amanda had never seen Sophia like this and was genuinely worried. She called out, "Sophia?"
Sophia's vacant eyes met hers, her whole being seeming soulless.
"What's wrong? Don't scare your godmom."
Amanda was rattled, her concern gripping Sophia's hand.
She had recently taken Sophia in as her goddaughter.
Sophia had only just started to recover, but she wasn't completely well yet. Her constitution remained fragile, and she seemed particularly sensitive to the cold, perhaps a consequence of spending too much time in cold water during the
winter.
Even though the weather in West District had warmed up a bit, Sophia was still bundled up in a thick coat, hat, and scarf, wrapped up so tightly that not even a breeze could get through.
Their trip to West District was part of Harvey Ferber's schedule, a last-minute arrangement.
Amanda didn't know the purpose of it. She wasn't keen on coming to this city and had been planning to take Sophia back home for the Spring Festival.
Perhaps it was because Sophia and she had hit it off, or maybe because Sophia's appearance and demeanor strongly reminded her of her own daughter who had passed away young. Amanda had always felt an inexplicable tenderness and fondness for Sophia.
After taking care of her post-discharge, Amanda had proposed the idea of making Sophia her goddaughter.
She hadn't expected Sophia to agree so readily.
This delighted and moved Amanda even more.
Her original plan was to take Sophia home for a proper New Year celebration and
to introduce her to the rest of the family, but Harvey Ferber's sudden change of plans threw a wrench in those plans.
Amanda didn't intend to follow Harvey Ferber's itinerary anymore, but when Sophia heard he was heading to West District, she, who was usually so gentle and quiet, suddenly expressed a desire to see West District too.
Harvey Ferber initially disagreed, citing her poor health and the city's chilly climate as reasons why she shouldn't come at this time.
Sophia didn't insist, but her eyes couldn't hide the disappointment.
Amanda couldn't bear to see Sophia upset, so she took the initiative to bring her along.
Today, fresh off the boat, their family was supposed to check into a hotel first, but halfway there, Harvey Ferber abruptly asked to get out the caband took off, leaving them hanging. Clark had followed Harvey Ferber, and they were gone for the better part of the day.
Amanda had wanted to take Sophia to the hotel to check in and rest, but
after Harvey Ferber and Clark left,
Sophia seemed to lose her spiritet
stepping out of the car to stare blankly at the mall's landmark for a long time. Now, she was gazing lost at the neighboring high school.
"Are you feeling unwell again?"
Seeing Sophia's tears still swirling in her eyes, Amanda spoke softly, trying to coax her, "How about we head back to the car, okay? It's warm inside, and you'll feel more comfortable."
As she spoke, she supported Sophia, hoping to lead her back to the car.
Sophia placed her hand atop the one Amanda had around her arm.
"Thanks, godmom, I'm fine."
Her voice was soft, with a slight catch in her hoarse tone.
Amanda looked at her, still concerned, "You look a bit pale. The wind's too strong
out here. Let's go back to the car, shall we?"
Sophia shook her head gently, her gaze drifting over to the neighboring school building that had a bit of an old-timey vibe to it. "I'm thinking... I wanna check that place out."
Amanda glanced at the school across the way without really thinking about it.
The school building did have a
certain old-school charm and a
distinctive architectural style, making it quite the sight in the West
District It seemed to draw her in
without her even realizing it, and she
found herself nodding along, "Sure thing, I'll come with you."
Sophia nodded in appreciation, "Thanks, godmom.â
Inside the bustling mall, Brandon was shielding Theresa as they made their way
calmly towards the exit through the crowd.
Theresa couldn't help but look back in the direction of Harvey Ferber and
whispered to Brandon, "Dad, who is that man?"
"He's one of Daddy's business rivals," Brandon explained, looking at her, "What's
up?"
Theresa shook her head, a bit confused, "Nothing, it's just... that man was staring at me earlier, it felt kinda creepy."