Ronan rolled his eyes so hard it was a wonder they didn't stick that way. "Shut it. What's for breakfast tomorrow?"
"Eastside's crispy croissants!"
Ronan... just stared.
Those croissants were legendary, and the queue for them was a minimum two-hour wait. He was doing this on purpose!
Humming a tune, Grayson made his way back home, where he was greeted with an unexpected presence.
"Grayson."
Wallace stood up. "You're back."
Seeing Wallace, Grayson raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What brings you here? Weren't you in training?"
"The Welandia exchange delegation is arriving soon, and Piper wants to invite you to be the chess club's coach," Wallace explained, clearly sent by Piper for this mission. "I'm not going."
Grayson shook his head so vigorously it was like he was trying to ward off a swarm of bees. "I'm too old for this crowd."
Wallace tried to argue.
"Ask your teacher. He might be interested." Grayson passed the buck. "It's late. I'm off to bed."
Wallace wanted to protest but Grayson brushed past him, leaving no room for further discussion.
After more than an hour, Keegan Wright returned home.
"Teacher."
After hearing the purpose of Wallace's visit, Keegan readily agreed. "Sure, I'll head to the chess club tomorrow morning." "Great."
With the task completed, Wallace left, satisfied.
The Wright family, father and son, were renowned figures in Craneville. Grayson, in particular, was a celebrated chess master. Even though he had retired from the competitive scene years ago, legends of his prowess still circulated. He was the first from Craneville to clinch the Global Chess Championship.
A master among masters in the chess world.
His retirement was due to a lack of worthy opponents.
Post-retirement, his son Keegan took up the mantle, sweeping through the chess world with his own prodigious talent, teaching students who even surpassed their master.
The news of Keegan joining the chess club sent waves of excitement throughout.
After reporting back to Piper, there was a hint of dissatisfaction in the air.
"Grayson still refuses to come out of retirement?"
"He does. Says he's too old for it." Wallace hadn't been hopeful; the old master had stayed out of the public eye for years and was unlikely to make a comeback now. Piper sighed in disappointment. "Alright then."
"Let's make sure we're ready for the Welandia delegation's arrival in Craneville tomorrow. Everyone needs to be on their toes!"
"Will do."
After Wallace left, Piper tried to reach Eltham over the phone, to no avail.
Lately, Eltham seemed to be growing closer to Brittany, even going on private dates.
She took a deep breath, feeling a lump in her throat, the discomfort palpable.
Brittany, victorious in her chess game, left with Ysabel.
"Bri, you're so good at chess. Why haven't you joined the chess club?"
"I'm interested in chess, but I'm not professional."
Brittany felt it was more luck than skill that won her the game.
Ysabel was about to say more when her husband received a troubling call. His face fell. "Ysabel, our child's got a fever. We need to go."
"Of course."
Back home, their child was still burning up, leading to a rushed hospital visit that finally saw the fever break. As Ysabel breathed a sigh of relief, she spotted Estelle Ulbricht emerging from the maternity ward. "Ms. Ulbricht."
After exchanging greetings, Ysabel, noticing Estelle was alone, asked, "Isn't Dominic with you?"
"He's been tied up with work." Estelle, visibly pregnant and uncomfortable, shared her due date was next month, lamenting her intense cravings for sour foods.
"They say if you crave sour, it's a boy," Ysabel joked, engaging in light conversation. Suddenly, she recalled Brittany's recent peculiar behavior.
Excessive sleepiness.
Cravings for sour foods.
Could it really just be an upset stomach?
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