Bluno was a businessman, not forgetting to introduce her daughter to him, wearing an ingratiating smile, "This is my daughter
Lindsay, just started her freshman year at college. I'm a bit embarrassed to say, while my kid's still hitting the books, your
grandson's already running the whole show at the corporation, haha, quite the prodigy!"
Lindsay knew exactly what her father was aiming for with his words. She played along, gracing Phillip with a sweet smile as she
said her hellos.
"Hello, Mr. McMillian, I'm the unfilial daughter, Lindsay."
"Unfilial? No way! Nice to meet you."
Phillip had no clue who the people around him were. His plan for the evening was simple: to bring a birthday present for Eugene,
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇthave a slice of birthday cake, and most importantly, to see his darling granddaughter-in-law. He hadn't expected to be swarmed by
guests, packed tighter around him than sardines in a can, leaving him gasping for air.
It was his own fault for not bringing the butler. Had the butler been there, at least a few eager faces might have been kept at bay.
"Phillip? Is that you, or are my old eyes deceiving me? How long has it been since we last caught up?" Mr. Gardner barged in,
elbowing Bluno aside. He stretched out a hand and shook Phillip's whether he wanted to or not, chuckling, "We used to play chess
together, remember?"
Actually, Phillip had no memory of it, but considering everyone present had been invited by Mr. Albright, he nodded politely, "It's
been ages, hasn't it?"
"Yeah, ages! Our last gmust've been seven or eight years back. You were vacationing at the McMIllian Corporation's villa
resort, staying in the presidential suite. | was right next door. | happened to be carrying a chess set as you were heading out, and
we ended up playing a few rounds."
This jogged a vague memory for Phillip, but it was a distant memory, one he wouldn't have recalled without prompting.
"Look at how big my granddaughter has gotten. Sylvia, where are you? Csay hello to Mr. McMllian, would you? Kids these
days, no sense of propriety." Mr. Gardner said, eyes crinkling with a smile, "This is Sylvia, my granddaughter. If | remember
correctly, you mentioned having a grandson about her age?"
"They do seem to be peers," Phillip replied, looking to move on.
"Phillip? Is that you?" A well-dressed elderly lady with a kindly face approached him, "It's been so long. I'm Amanda, Ted
Remington's wife. Do you remember me?"
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
Phillip did remember Ted - a well-known chess master. While not as famous as Eugene, Ted was still beloved by many.
"How has he been?" Phillip inquired with genuine interest.
He remembered watching Ted win championships and had even played chess with him a few times. Their longest ghad
stretched from dawn until dusk, with meals eaten over the chessboard. They had shared a certain camaraderie.
"He passed away." Amanda's voice trailed off as her eyes welled up, and she dabbed at the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief,
her act so overdone that even Bluno wanted to curse out of sheer irritation.
"I'm sorry. | shouldn't have asked."
"It's okay. He passed away happy. Before he left us, he passed on all his chess knowledge to his granddaughter. Oh, speaking of
which, this is my granddaughter, Mabel. Cand say hello to Mr. McMllian," Amanda called out.