Filed To Story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
Barely a minute had passed, and the outcome was painfully clear. Mirabella kept gobbling up Phyllis’s pieces, which left her opponent’s defenses in tatters.
Even Mr. Gardner couldn’t believe his eyes. His granddaughter, the pride of his lineage, was being utterly trounced by the girl?
Another minute ticked by, and Mirabella had won.
It was now apparent to everyone: Mirabella hadn’t been coached by some master in secret; she genuinely possessed the skill!
There she was, casually sipping lemonade, served by a hovering butler, taking delicate bites of pastries when Phyllis was lost in thought; so effortlessly, so insouciantly, she had conquered Phyllis.
Phyllis sat stunned, her gaze fixed on the scene that had unfolded on the chessboard, unable to come back to her senses for a couple of long seconds.
Eugene’s laughter boomed with delight, “This birthday bash is absolutely delightful! It’s not your granddaughter’s fault. Bella is simply leagues above us.”
His words made everyone do a double take. They looked from him to Mirabella, their eyes wide with disbelief.
What was Mr. Albright saying?
Mirabella’s skill surpassed everyone’s, including Mr. Albright himself?
Impossible!”Phyllis’s losing to her doesn’t surprise me one bit. I lost to her last time too, hahaha.” Eugene’s admission sent another shockwave through the crowd.
What did that mean?
Mirabella’s chess prowess was greater than Mr. Albright’s?
But if that weren’t so, why would Mr. Albright humble himself to heap such praise on her?
“She has been my chess protege for over a decade.” Eugene said with a broad, proud smile, “She’s surpassed her mentor, which fills me with immense pride. Her level of play could give any artificial intelligence a run for its money, and as her mentor, I couldn’t be happier.”
The people in the room was petrified, having never heard a whisper of Mr. Albright taking on a protege, let alone teaching her for over ten years.
This girl had earned Mr. Albright’s favor and even outshone his expertise. There could be no other explanation – she was a prodigy.
“Does that mean this young lady has long been the chosen one in your eyes, Mr. Albright?” Vivian, Roxanne’s mother, maintained a gracious smile as she queried, “Are you planning to pass on your legacy to her?”
“I’d like nothing more.” Eugene chuckled again, “But the girl hasn’t given her consent. You don’t know how long I’ve been asking her that, and yet she hasn’t said yes.”
Again, astonished gazes turned to Mirabella. Was she out of her mind?
To be so highly regarded by Mr. Albright, to be his sole protege – this was a dream many would kill for.
It signified a future soaring to great heights, a life beyond ordinary.And yet for years, she hadn’t given her assent!
Some in the room were green with envy, while others were practically breathless with incredulity.
Envy can be a bitter pill to swallow!
Mirabella had been blessed with the good fortune of studying chess under the guidance of Mr. Albright for over a decade, starting when she was just a little girl. Was she seven or eight years old? Or could she have been even younger, around five or six?
Having someone to mentor her from such a tender age, no wonder she had surpassed them all in talent.
It was only now that they realized why, despite their overt and covert attempts to persuade Mr. Albright to take on protege, he had always refused. He had his eye on someone all along, and what an exceptional choice Mirabella was.
With her by his side, why would Mr. Albright ever consider anyone else?
They would have chosen Mirabella as their protege too.
They had made fools of themselves, thinking too highly of their own children’s abilities.
“Does Mirabella have any plans to take on any protege?”
A middle-aged woman stepped forward with great respect and addressed Mirabella, “I would love to study under your guidance. Is there a chance you might accept me?”
Everyone was stunned.
The woman speaking was Mona, a renowned chess player famous nationwide, who had won a multitude of chess championships. It was shocking to see her, a figure of such esteem, willingly step down to learn from Mirabella as a protege.”I can tell your skills surpass mine, and I hope you would grant me the opportunity to learn from you. I truly love chess,”
Before Mona’s voice trailed off, another notable figure stepped forward.
“If Mirabella isn’t considering taking on any protege at the moment, might I at least add you on WhatsApp to get acquainted? I’m Atwood, the secretary-general of the Chess Association, and I greatly admire your play. The way you handled both offense and defense was nothing short of astonishing.”
“Could you possibly give my kid some pointers?” A lady from the crowd approached with her child in tow, “My daughter has been studying chess for seven years, and every mentor has said she’s immensely talented. You’re about the same age; perhaps you could be friends.”
“I’d love to learn from you as well.”
As the crowd around Mirabella grew, she was about to decline politely when a young woman’s voice broke through.
“Mr. Albright, I heard that Queena is also attending your birthday party. Has she arrived?”
The speaker was Alma, who smiled with easy confidence, “If Queena has come, I wonder what she would make of this game. Simple, or intriguing?”
It was then that the rest of the guests remembered this illustrious individual.
“Right, Queena! I almost forgot about her.”
“I heard she’s won twelve world chess championships. Whenever she competes internationally, the title is hers for the taking.””She’s known for her aggressive play, pinpointing her opponent’s weaknesses and striking swiftly and ruthlessly. Even at a disadvantage, she can turn the situation around in no time.”
“I’ve seen her match videos, and even though you only see her hand moving the pieces, it’s such an elegant hand.”
“Her game is truly electrifying.”
Hearing this, Bluno felt a glimmer of hope that his daughter might have a chance at mentorship, chiming in, “Such a game would hardly impress her, right? Where is she? Would we have the chance to witness her brilliance?”
“Mr. Albright, if Queena wished to study under you, would you accept her as a protege?”
“Her skills must be far superior to this young lady’s, right?”
“Mr. Albright, has Queena arrived?”
“If she could challenge this young lady to a match, that would be the ultimate spectacle!”
The guests thought that if Queena could make Mirabella look foolish, they would feel much better.
After all, it was hard to accept being outdone by a young girl, but there were also those who were eagerly anticipating; if Mr. Albright insisted on Mirabella as his sole protege, they might still have the chance to study under Queena.
Rumor had it that in a recent high-profile man-versus-machine match, Queena had defeated an AI, stunning the world and becoming a legend.
However, up until now, very few had ever seen her in person.
Reporters had tried to interview the elusive chess prodigy’s opponents, but no one spilled the beans.
The identity of Queena had become something of an enigma.
Some said she was a beautiful girl, while others insisted she was a weathered old woman.
Regardless of her age, the world never stopped speculating about her.
“If she were here, Mirabella would surely be no match for her, right?”
“I wonder if we’ll get the chance to see her today.”
“Serena, has Queena arrived yet?”
Suddenly, Lindsay’s voice cut through the murmur of the crowd.
She asked Serena curiously, arm-in-arm with her, “Didn’t you say Queena once gave you some pointers? That kinda makes you her protege.”
It was too late for Serena to silence her.
All eyes turned to Serena, filled with shock, surprise, and disbelief.
“Isn’t that Serena Collins, the daughter of the Collins family?”
“She’s a protege of Queena?”
“I can’t believe Queena actually mentored her.”
“It’s not strange at all, given her status. It’s no wonder Queena chose her as a protege.”
After all, she was Serena Collins.Setting aside talent and potential, the sheer influence of the Collins family spoke for itself. If her parents had intervened, it wouldn’t be strange for Queena to take Serena under her wing.
“Serena, do you know if your mentor Queena is here today?”
“As the protege, you must be pretty skilled at chess, right? Why not challenge her to a match?” They were talking about Mirabella. As Serena’s gaze met Mirabella’s, the former became suddenly sheepish.
That was ridiculous; how could she actually face off against Mirabella in such a setting?
She had seen Mirabella’s prowess with her own eyes! Even Mr. Albright had been bested by her.
Serena had merely been boasting to Lindsay, confident that no one would question the connections and power of the Collins family. But she hadn’t anticipated Lindsay blurting it out in front of everyone.
Since when had Lindsay become such a blabbermouth!