Morris smoothly wheeled himself over and settled across from Lincoln, taking his time to pick up the chess pieces and set the board. Lincoln watched him closely, noticing his deliberate movements, and couldn''t help but feel a bit concerned. "Do you know how to y chess?" he asked.


    "A little," Morris replied.


    "Have you yed before?"


    "No, but I''ve learned the rules from aputer," Morris admitted.


    With a sigh, Lincoln removed two pieces from his side of the board. "Don''t say I''m being tough on you. I''ll take away two pieces to keep things fair."


    Morris was momentarily surprised but then ced the pieces back on Lincoln''s side. "No need to give me any breaks."


    "You said it. If you lose too badly, my daughter might not think highly of you. She doesn''t fancy men who aren''t sharp," Lincoln teased.


    Morris chuckled softly. "Alright."


    And so, they began to y. At first, Lincoln casually sipped from his thermos, enjoying theid-back pace. But after half an hour, he noticed that although Morris''s moves seemed random, he managed to dodge every attack without losing a single piece. Lincoln put his thermos aside and started to focus more intently.


    Meanwhile, Morris kept sneaking nces upstairs toward the study and casually asked about Nathalie''s routine. "Does Nathalie always work thiste?"


    "Yep. For the past few years, workingte has been normal for her. I worry about her health and try to get her to take breaks, but if she stops, she starts thinking about herte husband, which drags her down. So, keeping busy with work helps her keep her mind off things," Lincoln exined.


    Suddenly realizing something, Lincoln raised his voice, "Hey, pay attention to the game! You''re not exactly a chess master, and being distracted won''t help. Don''t me me if you lose."


    Morris smirked, "Alright."


    He picked up a piece and took one of Lincoln''s pawns. Lincoln''s eyes widened, and he shrugged. "Every time start chatting with you, Hose my focus, and you take advantage. Ah got caught slipping there."


    Morris just smiled quietly.


    Just then, Nathalie wrapped up her work, threw a coat over her shoulders, and came downstairs. She was delighted to see


    Lie.


    and Morris engrossed in their Both were incredibly smart, and a match between them was bound to be interesting.


    She went over to the sideboard, grabbed a bowl of mixed nuts, and sat down across from Morris, snacking as she watched their match unfold.


    Morris, appearing nonchnt about the game, was fully engaged in chatting with Nathalie. "Finished work?" he asked.


    "Yeah," Nathalie replied, cracking open a nut and popping it into his mouth. "Your favorite, caramelized pecans."


    Morris was taken aback. "How''d you know I love caramelized pecans?"


    Nathalie froze for a moment.


    She searched her memories: she


    and Nathan had grown up together,


    bing ends meet. They


    couldn''t afford treats like


    caramelized pecans.


    When they met again, she didn''t recognize him. It was a quick encounter, with no chance to learn about his likes.


    Since she brought him back from Starlight Haven...


    Caramelized pecans had never been part of their lives.


    "I must''ve remembered wrong," Nathalieughed it off.


    Morris''s eyes held a deep, mysterious glint. "But I really do love caramelized


    pecans."