Chapter 214

“Dad…” Jonathan began.

“Quiet,” Clifford coldly interrupted. His eyes remained fixed on the chessboard.

Jonathan shrugged at Cynthia and led her to a nearby couch. Cynthia, a bit nervous, whispered, “What’s Clifford doing?”

Jonathan explained, “Did you see the chessboard on his desk? This puzzle is older than I am. He’s been trying to solve it for decades. It’s said to have been set up by his old rival, and it became an obsession. He spends hours on it every day, completely engrossed.”

Cynthia glanced over and said, “Chess?” Jonathan nodded. Cynthia’s interest piqued.

Chess was one of the rare skills she’d learned from her mentor, and it was her best. Even her mentor had said she possessed a natural talent. Cynthia instinctively rose and walked over. As a chess enthusiast, she was drawn to such difficult puzzles.

Standing by the chessboard, Cynthia studied it intently for a moment. She was surprised. “Isn’t this the classic triple problem my mentor taught me?”

Noticing Clifford deep in thought, she pointed to a spot and suggested, “Clifford, try this move.”

Clifford’s concentration was broken, and he looked displeased. He looked up at Cynthia and asked, “Ms. Jones, do you understand chess?”

Cynthia humbly replied, “I don’t fully understand, but breaking this stalemate shouldn’t be too hard.”

Clifford’s expression grew even more serious. He thought, Where does this young girl come from, daring to speak so boldly! I’ve been studying this chess puzzle for sixty years. Could it be that the move she mentioned never occurred to me? No matter how I play, there’s no way to win.

Clifford asked her to sit down. “Come, play a game with me. I want to see how you plan to break this.”

Cynthia confidently sat across from Clifford. She made a move, and soon Clifford captured a large part of her territory. She made another move.

Clifford shook his head, amused and perplexed. Here he was, playing chess with a young girl who didn’t understand the game.

Jonathan had been watching from the sidelines. During the hour Cynthia played chess with Clifford, Jonathan thought of several phrases to describe Cynthia’s play: “off to a rough start,” “caught in a tough battle,” “on the defensive,” “a series of mistakes,” “losing,” and then “winning.”

Even Jonathan couldn’t quite understand how she won. Those final moves were too quick.

Clifford was bewildered. He stared at the board for a long time, watching how his seemingly strong position was gradually defeated and ended hastily in just a few moves.

She had been planning it from the very beginning. He had studied this strategy for many years, exploring various paths, including the route Cynthia took. However, he’d assumed it was a dead end and never pursued it to its conclusion. He never anticipated a new possibility, and she had triumphed.

“Hahaha.” Clifford laughed heartily, looking up at the sky. “Wonderful, absolutely wonderful.”

The game that had troubled Clifford for nearly sixty years was suddenly resolved, and he felt his mind clear, as if an invisible hand had lifted a heavy stone from his chest. He could breathe freely.

He thought, Quidam, your game has finally been broken. It’s a pity the one who solved it isn’t me, but a young girl!

Clifford’s excitement was palpable. “The younger generation is truly impressive.”

Clifford closed his eyes, thinking of his dear friend, Quidam. They had both been betrayed by their organization and relentlessly pursued. Clifford had saved him by sacrificing himself as bait.

Before Clifford was drugged and put on the ship, Quidam had hugged him tightly. “Wolf, live like a human being. Lead a meaningful life, rise above others, become wealthy, and have a large family with many descendants.” Such earnest words from someone so reserved.

This was their last unfinished chess game. Tears silently rolled down Clifford’s cheeks.

Seeing Clifford’s distress, Cynthia felt a surge of anxiety. She quickly stood beside Jonathan, slightly hiding behind him and tugging at his sleeve. She thought, Why is he crying all of a sudden? She regretted taking the spotlight.

From childhood to adulthood, Jonathan had never seen Clifford shed a tear. He was a quiet, rarely smiling man. Except with Susanna, he was always serious and stern with his children and grandchildren, maintaining a distant and authoritative demeanor. The younger family members were all a bit afraid of him.

Moreover, Clifford had been in control for many years, wielding unquestionable authority. Despite distributing most of the company shares to the next generation, he still held a powerful, emperor-like presence as chairman.

His life was extremely busy, and he rarely spent time with his children at home. This lack of attention fueled rivalry and conflict among the Bennett children, as they never experienced much warmth from their father—only authority.

All the children longed for their father’s recognition and attention. What began as a quest for fatherly love eventually turned into a competition for the family business, power, and shares.

By now, the four siblings had settled into their roles: Whitney (oldest), with the sharpest business sense, held 20% of the company shares; Jonathan, 15%; Isabella and Amelia, 5% each. Clifford still held 10%, and everyone coveted it.

At that moment, the butler arrived for the fourth time. “Sir, the meal is ready, and everyone has arrived. Mrs. Bennett asked me to call you all to the dining room.”

Clifford snapped back to reality. He quickly wiped his eyes, got up, and looked kindly at Cynthia. He said gently, “Cynthia, you must be hungry too. Let’s go to the dining room.”

Jonathan watched, observing Clifford’s warm and gentle smile—a side he’d never seen before. The whole family had never seen him like this.

In the dining room, Clifford sat at the head of the table. “Cynthia, you sit next to me.”

Everyone was shocked. That seat was usually Whitney’s.

In the Bennett family, seating arrangements were strictly defined. For years, the seats next to Clifford were occupied by Susanna and Whitney. No one dared to sit there.

Today, almost everyone in the Bennett family was present. The four branches filled a large table.

With a cheerful smile, Isabella asked, “We’re all here, so where’s Whitney?”

Amelia replied, “Isabella, Whitney is still kneeling at the shrine.”

Isabella pleaded, “Dad, we’re rarely all together. Let Whitney join us for dinner today.”

Clifford remained silent. Isabella exchanged a look with the butler, who immediately left the room.

Seeing Cynthia hesitate, Clifford said, “Cynthia, just sit here.”