As Old Hall had guessed, apart from Nolan, she hadn’t faced many strong opponents in a while. She certainly didn’t want to miss this opportunity. So, to her, Matteo was simply another opponent, nothing more. She wouldn’t hesitate just because he was Matteo.
Hearing her response, Matteo didn’t insist. This time, he made the first move. From then on, they continued to play in silence, with no words exchanged between them. But for some reason, both Old Hall and Old Fisher realized, as they watched the game, that there seemed to be an unspoken understanding between the two of them. It was as though they weren’t strangers to each other, but had known each other for a long time. They glanced at Matteo, then at Freya, and finally their gazes landed on Raven, slowly furrowing their brows.
In the silence, Matteo suddenly spoke, “It’s been a long time since you last played chess?” Freya, while breaking apart his layout, didn’t look up and merely responded with a soft, “Hmm.” Since marrying him, she had basically stopped playing chess altogether. Matteo said, “I can tell you’re a bit out of practice.” Freya didn’t reply; her focus remained on the game. At this point, the situation was unfavorable for her. It seemed that Matteo’s side had a clear path to victory, but in reality, the hidden pieces he had placed were lying in wait, ready to trap her when she took the bait.
After thinking for a moment, Freya avoided his traps and placed a piece elsewhere. The situation cleared up, and now it was Matteo who was at a disadvantage. Matteo raised an eyebrow and smiled. After a while, he made his next move. The situation once again became tense. After a few more exchanges, Freya was slightly ahead but ultimately lost.
“What a pity,” said Elder Hall. “However, this game was even more exciting than the last one. In the first match, you didn’t have the advantage of going first, but you were able to detect a part of your opponent’s strategy. You skillfully blocked his attack with hidden moves, and at such a young age, you already have the observation, memory, and ability to control the game. Impressive!” With that, he decisively told Elder Fisher, “You can’t win against her.” Elder Fisher replied, “…I know.” If he had been the one playing against Freya earlier, he wouldn’t have been able to make it as far.
After cleaning up the chessboard, Freya stood up. Seeing that she didn’t intend to continue, Matteo spoke again, “Another round?” Before she could reply, someone else said, “Yes, the difference is so small, maybe another round and you could win.” “Yes, yes,” others chimed in.
Freya, however, shook her head. “No need.” Although the gap seemed small, and it seemed like she had almost figured out Matteo’s strategy, who could say for sure if she was just falling into a trap that he had carefully set? Thinking this, she turned and left without looking back, giving up her seat. Elder Lowe stepped in to fill the gap.
Johnny walked over and asked, “Would you like to grab a drink?” Freya replied, “Sure.” Elder Hall noticed how close Johnny and Freya seemed and paused his steps, “That young man from the Gray family really has good fortune.” Elder Fisher nodded, “Yes.” They had previously thought Raven was quite good. But after watching Freya play two games, they realized that Freya was even more impressive. In terms of chess, they were not even in the same league. Freya was calm and intelligent, her eyes clear, giving off the impression of being well-educated. They had been considering whether to ask if she had a boyfriend, but just as they were about to approach her, Johnny got there first.
Elder Hall said, “They’re quite a good match.” He glanced at Jimmy beside him. Jimmy immediately understood what he meant. He gave a helpless smile, looking in the direction where Freya and Johnny had left, and after a few seconds, he withdrew his gaze.
After Freya and Johnny sat at Cole’s place for a while, Lauren and Logan arrived. From their perspective, Freya had actively played chess with Matteo earlier to draw his attention, hoping he wouldn’t divorce her. Moreover, Matteo clearly seemed to treat her differently, and his attitude towards her had improved compared to before. This was not a good sign. They had come to talk to her. Logan spoke first, “Mag…”
Before she could respond, Johnny smiled and said, “Mr. Brown, are you here to announce to everyone your relationship with Mag?” Logan’s smile froze for a moment, then he awkwardly laughed and said, “Mr. Gray, I have something to discuss with Mag, could you…” Without waiting for Freya to speak, Johnny interrupted, “If Mr. Brown wants everyone to know about your relationship with Mag, feel free to say whatever you want. I welcome it.” Logan didn’t want to offend Johnny. Hearing this, he and Lauren left.
Before leaving, he turned to Freya and said, “I’ll call you later, remember to pick up.” Freya remained silent. She couldn’t be bothered with him. As for the phone call, she definitely wouldn’t answer it. Johnny, feeling upset, muttered, “I really feel like giving up on this.” Freya felt the same. But when it came to the matter between her and Matteo, she had never been able to find the evidence to clear her name.