Chapter 801

Ashlyn smirked, her eyes sparkling with confidence. She asked Ian, “What happens if I win? Will you promise to treat my friend then, Old Mr. Leno?”

Her confidence piqued Ian’s curiosity.

Young people don’t have the patience to sit through a checkers match. He did not believe she knew how to play at all.

“Fine. If you win, I’ll treat your friend.”

As he spoke, Ian stepped onto a stone path in his yard and strode toward the round table under the shade of grapevines. His white hair fluttered in the breeze.

Ashlyn followed closely behind and sat opposite him.

Then, she placed the board on the table and arranged the intricate emerald checkers pieces on it.

Sunlight dappled on the checkers through the thicket of grapevines. The soft illumination brought out the stunning glow of the Cat’s Eye Emerald.

Ian’s cold face seemed to soften a fraction as he observed the scene.

Checkers was his favorite thing in the world after his family.

Now that he was alone and living away from his family, the checkers set before him gave him more comfort than anyone could imagine.

Ashlyn smiled at the subtle change in his expression and invited him to begin. “Please start.”

Ian glanced at her and ran his finger over one of the beautifully carved Cat’s Eye Emerald checkers.

“You’re younger. You should go first.”

She did not refuse his offer and settled her slender fingers on one of the pieces.

Her appearance was at complete odds with her cutthroat skills at checkers.

She moved her pieces swiftly and shrewdly, attacking while defending her ground admirably.

Ashlyn did not panic during her match with Ian, who was totally surprised by her exceptional skills in the game.

He thought he would easily defeat Ashlyn in a short-lived match.

Thrilled at his opponent’s talent, Ian upped his game and planned his moves more tactfully than usual to counter her moves.

Finally, Ashlyn won the tight match by one step.

Ian frowned slightly as he reorganized the checkers, asking, “You could’ve won by a wider margin. Why did you choose to win by such a close match?”

Ashlyn smiled lightly and replied, “One is more than enough. Old Mr. Leno, I hope you’ll stand by your promise. And I promise I’ll help you to solve the matter that has been the source of your pain and anger.”

Ian got to his feet, visibly tensing before his expression paled. He asked, “How could a young lady like you solve the cumbersome matters that have been eating me?”

Her expression admirably stoic, Ashlyn vowed, “As long as you cure my friend, I promise I’ll solve it for you. I may be a young woman, but I never break my promises.”

“I should harvest the vegetables now. Help me with that,” Ian declared abruptly as he stopped before his vegetable patch. “I swore never to treat another patient again, but since I have lost this bet, I’ll keep my promise and treat your friend.”

Ashlyn smiled and rolled up her sleeves. Then, she stepped into the vegetable patch and began pulling out weeds. Her fingers were covered in dirt in no time.

Her diligence moved Ian since she seemed like a pampered socialite to him. He asked gently, “Is it worth it?”

“Yes,” answered Ashlyn simply. She kept her head lowered and continued weeding. “I grew up in the countryside. My grandma planted vegetables for a living, and I helped her a lot. Life back then was so happy and peaceful. But…”

But now, Grandma is no longer how she used to be. I’m not the same Ashlyn, either. Everything has changed.

Ashlyn still could not fathom how she had forgotten about how she met Lucas.

Her head pounded whenever she tried to recall their meeting.

Thankfully, Ian was not a gossipmonger, and he said, “You can go back once you finish weeding the patch. Come back here tomorrow morning.”

Meanwhile, Spencer had been waiting for over an hour in his car in the alley, yet Ashlyn was nowhere to be seen.

He knitted his brows in concern. Another half an hour passed, which meant Spencer had been waiting for almost two hours.

Ashlyn was still nowhere to be seen.

Concerned, Spencer got off the car and hurried toward the Leno residence.

From afar, he noticed the open gate of the residence, which gave him an unobstructed view of everything happening in Ian Leno’s yard.