The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 620

"Who's the hottie?" the girl with short hair asked, puzzled, as she excitedly clung to an arm, looking around cluelessly, "Where at?"

"Over there, over there, the guy in the suit... walking with the principal," the long-haired girl who first spotted Brandon exclaimed, pointing at the slowly retreating figure of Brandon. She was thrilled and excited, but didn't dare to speak too loudly, afraid of being overheard.

Brandon's aloof aura was intimidating enough to keep her from acting rashly.

The others were taken aback by her over-the-top reaction, each of them involuntarily following the direction of her finger to take a gander.

"Whoa, you're right," the short-haired girl couldn't help but whisper excitedly, "Holy smokes, look at that face, that body, that vibe, it's just too much. Who is he? Why is he walking with the principal? He couldn't be an alumnus, could he? From which year..."

Curiosity was bubbling up like popcorn popping.

Zack, the guy in the group, also couldn't help but look up in Brandon's direction, snorting dismissively, "Pssh, he's just a dude, what's the big deal? Look at you all gawking."

While speaking, he couldn't help but steal a glance at the girl they called "Tina."

Tina was also curiously eyeing Brandon, her eyes filled with admiration and the dazzle of spotting a handsome guy, her attention clearly not on Zack.

Sophia, who was initially focused on finding the right angle to snap a photo of them, didn't expect everyone to turn their heads as if they'd seen the eighth wonder of the world. She too followed their gaze and immediately spotted Brandon walking through the crowded area with President Poe and others.

Sophia paused for a moment with her phone mid-air.

She recognized him.

She had seen him from a distance at the school a couple of days ago when she came looking for inspiration, surrounded by school officials like the star he was.

Just like that day, he was the brightest presence in the crowd, still exuding that unapproachable and aloof aura.

Boys and girls chatting and taking pictures along the way couldn't help but point out the hunk to each other.

After all, good looks are always a scarce commodity, especially when it comes to a well-proportioned, stand-offish elite man.

Zack, clearly not pleased with his friends ogling a stranger, teased them to snap out of it, "Alright, alright, get a grip. He's just a decent-looking guy. Come on, let's get this photo done. The ceremony's about to start."

While saying this, he patted their shoulders to bring their attention back and then looked at Sophia with an apologetic smile, "Sorry about that, can you please take our picture now?"

Sophia nodded slightly, refocused, and crouched down a bit to take a few snaps for them before handing the phone back to the girl.

"Thanks, sis," the girl eagerly checked the photos they'd just taken, clearly pleased, and couldn't help but express her gratitude again, "These look great, thanks a bunch!"

"No problem," Sophia replied politely and turned to leave.

As Brandon, who was casually listening to President Poe describe the school, hesitated mid-step and subconsciously looked back at the crowd.

"What's up?" the faculty advisor standing next to Brandon asked, confused, but only saw Brandon frown slightly, his eyes scanning the sea of faces before a faint self-mocking smile flickered across his lips.

His unusual reaction prompted President Poe and the faculty advisor to exchange glances and scan the crowd as well, but they didn't notice anything amiss.

"It's nothing," Brandon replied coolly, turning left with the group towards the academic buildings.

At the same time, Sophia was making her way in the opposite direction through the bustling crowd, heading for the school gates to grab some lunch.

She had arrived at the hotel around eleven and hadn't eaten yet; her stomach was starting to grumble.

Meanwhile, Ivan Evert was also weaving through the crowd, letting his gaze search among the faces.

He had just received news that Sophia was at West district secondary school.

Perhaps selfishly, he didn't want Sophia to be seen by Brandon, nor did he want her to see Brandon.

That day, in his attempt to stop Brandon, he had missed his chance to follow Sophia.

By the time he left the school, she had vanished.

Security footage from nearby businesses showed her taking the small path along the school wall, but that stretch had no cameras, making it a challenge for him to trace Sophia's whereabouts.

Today, he had finally found out which hotel she was staying at, only to learn from the detective agency that she had taken a taxi out early in the morning, and her destination was West district secondary school. But that was all they knew – she had gotten off at West district secondary school and entered the premises.

So Ivan thought he'd come and take a look.

Finding someone in a vast crowd isn't easy, but Ivan still wanted to try his luck.

He knew Sophia was an alumna of West district secondary, but judging by her reaction that day, she seemed not to recognize him. If she had amnesia, why would she return to her old middle school?

As he searched through the crowd, Ivan couldn't help but frown and ponder.

On stage, the sound checks were beginning, and the host was calling for homeroom teachers to organize their students to take their seats.

Homeroom teachers began waving their class flags, signaling their students to gather.

The once chaotic and crowded playground and pathways suddenly became orderly and clear.

Students followed their homeroom teachers back to their seating areas.