Chapter 537 Shameless Kenneth
“Oh no!” Jefford exclaimed. “I’ve accidentally upset the board! There’s no way to know who’s in the lead now!”
Kenneth folded his palms on the handle of his cane and said nothing.
Natalie’s gaze darted between Kenneth and his butler and saw through their charade at once.
The wordless exchange between the adults went unnoticed by the children.
“You did that on purpose, Jefford!” Franklin yelled. “I saw you flip the board!”
“I saw it too! I saw it too!” Sophia cried, losing interest in the sweet cakes before her. “How could you do something this despicable, Jefford?”
The old butler blushed at being reprimanded by young children.
Clayton looked all serious. “Great-grandpa, did you have Jefford flip the board to avoid having to admit that you lost?”
Kenneth scowled. “He was the one who did it! What are you implicating?”
Xavian pursed his lips in disapproval. “If the board had not been flipped, Mommy would have been in the lead by six points.”
As Xavian’s proclamation rang out in the stunned silence, Kenneth found his mouth wide open with shock.
The boy is just an observer of the game he’s not a part of! How did he manage to keep track of the game so closely?
“It doesn’t really matter if the board had been upset,” Xavian continued with a shrug. “I remembered every move both of you made from the beginning. If you don’t believe me, I can recreate the board right before it fell.”
Kennth tugged at his mustache in awe. “Do you really remember the whole game, Xavian?”
“I wouldn’t be claiming that otherwise.” The boy solemnly dusted the crumbs off his fingers as he spoke. “I can even do it right now if you like. Mommy used to beat her master too and he would flip the board over just like that. It was always me picking up after them and resetting the board.”
Kenneth gazed at Natalie in utter disbelief.
I can’t believe Malcolm used to lose to her! Even if I came to the match fully prepared instead of underestimating her, I might not even be able to win. What a spectacular display of skill. Every step seemed disconnected and casual until the intricacy and patience of her plan become fully revealed when I find all my pieces trapped!
Kenneth was a firm believer in ascertaining one’s true character from the board.
His fondness of the game was well known, the vast number of acquaintances who had sat across from him over the years offered him the opportunity to hone his judge of character on his opponents. To his pleasant surprise, he realized that there was much more to the girl than he had initially assumed. Ever patient, she did not attempt to fawn all over him like he was accustomed to. Every move she made was calm and calculated.
Before he realized it, Kenneth discovered a newfound respect for Natalie.
“There’s no need for that.” Kenneth rubbed his temples. “You are right. Your mother was six points ahead of me. I concede that I have been bested by her.”
Natalie smiled graciously. “You were lenient with me, Grandpa.”
Meanwhile, Samuel had just returned from work to an empty home.
“Gavin!” He summoned the butler. “Where are Natalie and the kids?”
The butler hesitated. He had been under the impression that Natalie and the children would have returned from paying Kenneth a visit long before Samuel did. To his chagrin, there was still no sign of them at eight in the evening when Samuel returned and started asking him about their whereabouts.
“It was the children, sir. They insisted on seeing your grandfather.”
“What happened next?” Samuel asked sharply.
“Ms. Natalie personally drove them to his house.” Gavin’s voice softened fearfully.
“Why did she have to drive?” Samuel’s cast a cold gaze at the butler. “Where was our chauffeur?”
