“Coming, Grandma Foster!” Esther rushed down the stairs, carrying a gift box. She wondered if Jacob would like the
gift she had chosen for him.
“He will, as long as it’s from you,” Agatha assured.
Today was Jacob’s birthday. Esther had received an invitation from Xara and prepared the gift in advance.
–
Sweet Town was nearby, and an hour’s drive brought Agatha and Esther to the Sandersons’ house. The place was
festively decorated, filled with joy, as they celebrated Jacob’s 10th birthday, a special day for Steffan.
Aside from business partners, extended family members had also joined the party.
Esther handed the gift to Jacob, dressed in a suit, and gazed at the young man before her. “This is the gift I made
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtfor you. Take a look and see if you like it.”
Jacob accepted the gift and seemed pleased. “I like it.”
“You haven’t even opened it, and you like it?”
Jacob warmly reassured, “I like it as long as it’s from you.”
“I crafted this myself.”
Jacob placed the gift box on the table and carefully untied the ribbon. He opened the box to reveal a chess set.
“I heard you’ve recently taken an interest in chess. Since you have everything else, I handmade this chess set for
you. The pieces are crafted from white and black jade, hand-polished…”
Jacob used to be a Rubik’s cube enthusiast but had recently developed a passion for chess. Under his guidance,
Sunshine, Felix, and Twinkle had also started learning how to play chess.
Twinkle barely had time for Jacob due to her piano lessons and performances. In contrast, Sunshine, like Jacob, had
developed a love for chess, and they often played together.
Felix occasionally joined Jacob for a game, but he was engrossed in his studies most of the time. It was quite
disheartening at such a young age.
Esther tousled Jacob’s hair gently and asked, “Would you like to play a game? Just remember not to cry if you lose.”
Jacob stated confidently, “I won’t lose!”
As Esther and Jacob engaged in a game of chess, Sunshine and Felix sat quietly beside them, behaving themselves.
In the end, Esther emerged victorious.
“You’ve improved, Jacob,” Esther complimented.
Jacob sighed, looking at the chessboard. “I’m still far behind you.”
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm“Alright, it’s time to go,” Esther said.
That night, Jacob was the star of the birthday party, so Esther decided not to bring Felix and Sunshine to avoid
overshadowing the celebration. Instead, she joined them at the table where Agatha was seated.
As she settled into her seat, Esther received a message on her phone.
Agatha asked, “What’s going on?”
“Grandpa Gabriel is looking for me,” Esther replied.
Agatha advised, “You should go!”
“Alright,” Esther agreed.
Initially, Esther had hoped to spend the evening having fun with Felix and Sunshine, but circumstances led her to
leave the children in Agatha’s care and head to the garage with her keys.
As Esther left the Sandersons’ residence in her flashy red sports car, a Rolls-Royce Phantom passed by.
“Mr. Warner, we’ve arrived at the Sandersons!”