Piper looked pale as a ghost.
Wallace bit his lower lip hard, "I'm sorry."
He hadn't performed well, leading their team to a loss in the chess match, embarrassing them all!
Piper hadn't expected Wallace to drop the ball like this. A flicker of disdain passed through her eyes, but she mustered her strength and put on a solemn face. "Wallace, it's okay to lose once. It's all about keeping a cool head. You'll need to work on that." Wallace pursed his lips.
His mental game was off.
Losing to Ulysses wasn't a one-time occurrence.
The harder he tried, the more elusive victory seemed!
Keegan returned, "Piper, I'll go up for a match. The old man has already agreed to come over."
His experience and calm demeanor made dragging out a game for an hour seem like no big deal.
"Okay."
Keegan stepped up to the plate, and Ulysses, noticing his arrival, toned down his usual intensity, greeting him, "Please, take a seat."
Keegan and Ulysses weren't from the same era of players; this was their first face-off.
Keegan was cautious, considering every move carefully.
Ulysses never underestimated an opponent, resulting in a fierce battle.
It was one of the most intense matches in recent years.
Brittany watched with keen interest, sipping on her juice, when she noticed Eltham staring at her. "What's up, something wrong?" Was there something off about her?
Eltham pointed at her water bottle, "Weren't you a tea drinker before? What's with the juice lately?"
Brittany paused, wary of his suspicion, "Ran out of my usual tea, waiting for a new batch. Just using juice to tide me over."
She hesitated, then added, "The juice is freshly squeezed, tastes pretty good too."
But it couldn't be stored for too long.
Hearing her explanation about the tea, Eltham asked for the specific type she preferred and instructed his assistant to purchase the same kind.
Brittany rarely shared her preferences, so naturally, he wanted to cater to her tastes.
"Who do you think will win?"
Eltham wasn't well-versed in chess. Naturally, he hoped for Keegan to win but feared Ulysses's comeback.
Brittany, watching every move on the big screen, took a sip of her juice, calmly capped it, and said, "Keegan's style is cautious and thoughtful, a mature player; Ulysses is aggressive, his style sharp. Both are formidable." With both being titans of the chess world, predicting the outcome was tough.
Eltham seemed to be listening to Brittany's analysis but was actually captivated by her profile.
Brittany had a strikingly beautiful side profile.
Almost perfect.
Her eyelashes were long and curled, impossible to ignore.
Eltham found himself staring.
Feeling his gaze, Brittany grew uncomfortable and just then felt a bit unwell, "I'm going to the restroom."
"Do you need me to come with you?"
"No, thanks."
The restroom was a bit of a trek, giving Brittany a chance to catch her breath. When she returned, the match was in full swing.
True to form, Keegan had held his own against Ulysses for an hour, with no clear winner in sight.
Brittany was about to return to her seat.
"Miss, wait-"
Brittany turned to replace the elderly man she had met at the chess club standing behind her.
"How did you-?"
"Miss, I've been looking for you for days," Grayson stepped forward. "I've been waiting at the chess club, hoping for a match with you."
Unfortunately, Brittany hadn't shown.
Brittany was surprised the old man still remembered their conversation, chuckling, "I'm sorry, I haven't been feeling well lately, haven't been to the club. If you're up for a match, how about we play after the tournament?" Grayson was indeed interested and was about to agree when Piper's voice rang out from behind, "Grayson, you made it."
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