"Mm," N hummed in response.


    Just as she was about to continue asking, the old man suddenly said, "Ms. Kinsey, you''ve lost."


    Hearing this, N looked down and realized her pieces werepletely surrounded. "I''m not skilled enough. Looks like I need to keep practicing."


    The old man tossed his pieces back into the container, smiling. "You lost because your mind wasn''t calm. ying chess requires focus and patience. Without them, you''ll quickly lose everything. The same goes for the battles between people-one can''t rush things."


    Realizing he was indirectly pointing something out to her, N nodded. "Alright, I understand."


    "I''ll go back to work. Once you''re ready, I''ll have the driver take you to your destination. From here on out, whether you can get information from your mother depends on you," the old man said.


    "Alright," N replied.


    The old man left and went straight to his study.


    He had just sat down when he received an overseas call.


    "How is she?" the caller asked.


    The old man raised an eyebrow. "You only care about her? Not about me?"


    There was a brief pause before Damon''s somewhat helpless voice came through. "You have so many people caring for you every day. My concern feels like overkill."


    The old man chuckled. "She''s fine, don''t worry. But she''s going back to Emerald''s estate tonight. Are you sure she can handle it alone?"


    "Yes. I believe in her," Damon answered.


    "Alright. Only she can get the useful information. I''ll ensure her safety. Once I get control of the Nixons, I''ll arrange for someone to send her back home," the old man promised.


    "Got it," Damon replied.


    The two exchanged a few more words before hanging up.


    The old man set his phone down with a smile.


    ...


    That evening, while Emerald was anxiously dispatching more people to find N, the butler entered and reported that N had returned.


    Emerald''s face changed slightly. She quickly stood up and walked toward the living


    room.


    Her fury red when she saw N sitting calmly on the sofa. She hurried over. "Where have you been for the past day?"


    N looked up, meeting Emerald''s


    sharp gaze Her expression remained indifferent. "Ms. Kinsey, aren''t you all-knowing? You brought


    me from Samtornia to Meristate


    SO


    finding out where I went should be a


    piece of cake for you."


    Emerald''s face darkened. "N, my patience is limited. You''d better confess before I lose my temper!"


    "If I told you, would you believe me?" N asked.


    Emerald stiffened. Of course, she wouldn''t believe her. Even if N told the truth, she would investigate to verify what really happened.


    With Edward''s health deteriorating, no one knew when he might suddenly pass away. She couldn''t afford anyplications during this critical time.


    After a moment of silence, she said coldly, "Whether I believe you or not is one thing. Whether you tell the truth is another."


    N smirked. "Since you don''t believe me, there''s no point in telling you. Besides,


    I''d just lie anyway. If you want to hear nonsense, I''ll tell you I spent the day sleeping next to a trash can."


    "You!" Emerald gritted her teeth in anger. Only N coulde up with such ridiculous stories and say them so casually!


    Just as she was about to explode,


    the butler stepped forward and whispered, "Madam, there are only


    two hours left until


    left until the banquet the


    most important thing is to ensure the event goes smoothly. The rest can wait."


    Emerald instantly calmed down. She turned to N and said coldly, "We''ll talk about where you wentter. Now go to your room. The makeup artist and stylist will be theret


    your makeup and select an outfit for the banquet."