Mag-log inVesta started to pay more attention to Charlene's predicament. Her heart skipped a beat as she watched Charlene handle the difficult situation Thorne had put up in unexpected ways. It sank like a stone as she heard Quintin's applause. Charlene was staring at the chessboard in front of her with serious concentration. For now, things were stable, but she sensed that victory was almost... She stopped and looked at Thorne. Thorne took the initiative. Charlene stopped her hand in its tracks."This is really impressive," said Campbell, grinning. I never imagined that I would see a chess battle this captivating in such a setting, especially between two young players. Very impressive. The noise annoyed Quintin, who yelled, "Keep it down!" Campbell stopped talking. After a few tense minutes, Charlene finally moved to gradually level out the tilted board once more. Thorne replied with another piece two minutes later. After returning the piece she was holding to the board, Charlene declared, "I
That's when Thorne said, "Alright." Calm and collected, Charlene took a seat across from him. Vesta immediately recovered her composure after the initial shock. After saying hello to Campbell and the others, she went back to Thorne's side. Granger, the Hawkins family, and the Spencer family were not the only ones who were taken aback. Campbell and York were equally surprised. York and Campbell knew virtually little about Charlene, despite the fact that Hickey had introduced her to everyone earlier at the art gallery. They noticed how calm and kind Charlene was, and they didn't think she would be interested in the limelight.They reasoned that she wouldn't offer to play chess in such a situation, even if she were capable of doing so. Charlene had captured Quintin's attention even though he didn't know her. She gave him the impression that she came from a respected household because of her striking appearance and her composed, courteous manner. He even believed that she would be the ide
With a laugh, Quintin said, "Not bad at all.""Why aren't you busy with your painting?" he then inquired. "I'm just here to make sure you feel well taken care of; I didn't want you thinking I was neglecting you." "Go on, get back to your work, and stop interrupting my chess game." Campbell, however, remained unmoved. When Quintin and Campbell complimented Vesta, the Hawkins and Spencer families grinned broadly. Vesta was well known to everyone in the area. She was a person who evoked both respect and jealousy. After all, Vesta had it all—beauty, intelligence, and now both Campbell and Quintin were interested in her because of her chess abilities.In addition, the Spencer and Hawkins families had risen in the social hierarchy as a result of Thorne's admiration for Vesta. That kind of daughter—who wouldn't want one? Enviously, someone said to the Hawkins and Spencer families, "Katie, Mr. Hawkins, Mrs. Hawkins, you really have a wonderful granddaughter and daughter." "Absolutely," others
Charlene was mentally reviewing their chess battle when she noticed something. She heard Vesta say, "Quintin, after watching your game, I'm really tempted to give it a try, but I'm afraid I'm not quite skilled enough yet to take on Thorne." "Oh, don't worry about it," Quintin said with a laugh. "Earlier, I was just kidding. Go ahead and do it if you're interested." As Vesta opened her mouth to reply, someone laughed and said, "If Ms. Hawkins is playing, the outcome really is anyone's guess, haha." "That's right! Another said, "Mr. Henderson might end up sleeping on the couch when he gets home if he beats Ms. Hawkins, even if he is a chess whiz. " The remark caused the audience to burst out laughing. Quintin was unaware that Vesta and Thorne were connected. He could see why Vesta was a wonderful fit for Thorne, given her remarkable beauty and self-assured demeanor. "Oh?Well, in that case, I'm eager to see if you can keep your cool like you do against us old-timers when you're playing
"The pleasure is all mine to have a chess match with you, Quintin," Thorne remarked courteously, setting down his glass of water. Thorne approached Quintin and sat down across from him. "Please, Quintin, guide me through this game," he said. Granger, Vesta, and the others gathered to see the game play out. Stewart and Charlene also joined, taking up positions behind Quintin. Granger and Vesta were both experienced with chess now. Granger walked over after noticing how engrossed Charlene was in the game. He asked Charlene, "Do you play chess?" "A little," Charlene said humbly. Stewart stood close by and whispered to himself, "A little.It's more like a ton. Perhaps since he didn't know her well, he didn't say anything more. Both Quintin's and Thorne's tactics were initially very ambiguous. However, Quintin gradually shifted toward an aggressive approach as they became acquainted with one another's styles. Conversely, Thorne concentrated on deflecting Quintin's assaults while forging ne
After a while, Campbell waved everyone out before slipping down the hallway into his private chambers. Charlene, Stewart, Thorne, Granger, the Hawkins family, and the Spencer family came after him. The Hawkins and Spencer families' presence didn't seem out of place at all with so many people making their way inside. After they were all inside, they took up residence in the garden and on the lengthy patio. A variety of cakes and coffee were brought about by the staff. Helena and Campbell were engrossed in a chat, obviously enjoying each other's presence. Apart from Helena, Campbell also had two other acquaintances who were skilled painters.The three of them decided to paint on the spot as their conversation took a lively turn, and they invited Helena to participate. "York, could you fetch the art supplies from my study?" Campbell asked, turning to face York. "Sure thing," York said. Campbell gave Helena's artwork a lot of praise when they were done. Naturally, the topic of art and pai
They came to the exhibition with the express purpose of networking and establishing relationships. Naturally, Henley and Laverne were compelled to watch Thorne while networking following his arrival. They wanted to witness his reaction when he saw Charlene. They soon discovered that Thorne had no r
There was a true stampede toward the direction of the front rows when word spread. However, Kenton was prepared to be overrun by people who had secured the best seats early on as others from the rear rushed through. Despite being in the front row, Vesta avoided talking to Kenton. Laverne motioned h
Thorne was constantly occupied with work and owned numerous businesses. Jasmine was fighting boredom at home while Thorne was out on business for the next few days. She couldn't help but dial Charlene again. Charlene had forgotten the events of the previous few days when Jasmine called. She quickly
Charlene ate toast and scrambled eggs for breakfast on a sunny morning the following day and went to work as normal. She was halfway through her meal at lunch when her phone rang. For the first time since she had sneaked out of Sapphire Springs Resort, it was Jasmine calling. In response, Charlene







