Chapter 235
At that moment, Thorne spoke up, “Alright.”
Charlene sat down across from him, her demeanor calm and collected.
Vesta, after the initial surprise, quickly regained her composure. She greeted Campbell and the others before returning to stand by Thorne’s side.
The surprise wasn’t limited to just Granger, the Hawkins family, or the Spencer family. York and Campbell were also taken aback.
Even though Hickey had introduced Charlene to everyone earlier in the art gallery, neither York nor Campbell knew much about her.
They observed Charlene’s gentle and quiet demeanor, which didn’t strike them as someone who would seek the spotlight. They figured that even if she could play chess, she wouldn’t volunteer to do so in such a setting.
Quintin wasn’t familiar with Charlene, but she had certainly caught his eye. With her striking looks and her calm, polite demeanor, she struck him as someone from a respectable family. He even thought she would make the perfect granddaughter–in–law…
He was surprised to learn that Charlene could play chess as well.
Thorne looked at Charlene and said, “You go first?”
In chess, having the first move can be a significant advantage.
Charlene didn’t refuse and made the first move. Thorne followed suit.
At first, their moves were subtle and understated. They didn’t speak, and Charlene focused solely on the board, barely glancing at Thorne sitting across from her.
After a while, Campbell and Quintin noticed that Charlene’s strategy mirrored her personality–calm and steady. She attacked and defended without haste, clearly controlling the flow of the game rather than moving impulsively.
Realizing this, Campbell and Quintin were astonished. They had previously praised Vesta for her quick thinking and skillful play, but even then, she was led by Thorne throughout their game, who was clearly going easy on her.
That game had lasted quite a while, as Thorne’s laid–back approach gave it a playful, almost romantic feel. Despite this, Vesta was indeed among the best in her peer group in terms of adaptability and strategic thinking.
But now-
Thorne realized that Charlene wasn’t just going along with his tactics; instead, she was cleverly luring him into her own strategy. When he dialed back his aggressive approach, Charlene took advantage of the opening, skillfully blending defense with a robust offense. This strategic play forced Thorne to hesitate before making his next move.
He looked up at Charlene and gave a slight smile.
Quintin, impressed by Charlene’s tactics, couldn’t help but cheer, “Nicely done!”
Stewart raised an eyebrow, smiling.
Granger and York were taken aback. They realized that they had lost track of Charlene’s strategy quite some time ago.
In fact, they were initially deceived by her calm, defensive approach and failed to spot her hidden maneuvers. It was only now that they realized Charlene not only played chess but played exceptionally well.
Vesta, standing by Thorne, was also more focused on his side of the game. Like Granger and the others, she
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Chapter 23.
had long lost track of Thorne’s strategy.
Initially, she thought Charlene would quickly be defeated. But as she observed Thorne’s increasingly serious expression, even more so than when he played against her, and noticed Campbell and the others watching the game intently, she finally realized that Charlene was truly skilled at chess–possibly even more skilled than herself.
Chapter 23
Chapter 236
