Chapter 340 I Miss Daphne
"Yeah, it was a complicated process but a sweet memory," Lydia said. "Didn't you have something like that in school?"
With Daphne's looks and personality, you'd think she'd have tons of admirers. It didn't add up.
Daphne thought for a second. "Nope."
Back in school, Daphne was all about studying. She was always busy with classes, competitions, and exams.
She'd bring her books to school and take them home every day. Love letters? She never paid them any mind.
She was always more mature than her peers. After middle school, she self-studied a lot, leaving her pretty clueless about emotions.
"So, you've never liked anyone from childhood till now?" Lydia asked.
Daphne got serious. "Does Charles count? I liked him."
Lydia asked, "How did you like him?"
Daphne pointed to her heart. "When we were together, it felt like a warm current, making me happy. But when I heard he wanted to divorce me for Kayla, it hurt."
That pain wasn't just a metaphor; it was real and suffocating.
Lydia and Alexander paused.
Lydia hugged Daphne tightly. She realized that even though Daphne hadn't experienced those innocent loves, she understood love deeply.
Some people love straightforwardly. Love comes in many forms.
"I'm fine," Daphne said calmly. "I don't feel anything anymore."
She was someone who could love deeply and let go completely.
Lydia just held her without saying a word.
Alexander looked heartbroken.
"Don't say Benjamin likes me anymore." Daphne reminded Alexander. "It's fine when it's just us, but if Benjamin finds out, it might cause misunderstandings."
Alexander pursed his lips and finally agreed. "Okay."
But Alexander still thought Benjamin liked Daphne. He definitely did!
Daphne's phone rang. It was Charles.
She checked the messages first.
Charles: [Grandpa wants to play chess with me again.]
Charles: [Daphne, are you there?]
Charles: [I'm calling you.]
Daphne replied: [Put on the equipment. I'm logging in.]
Since Charles mentioned Marcus was suspicious, she had him get a set of gear from Mark, including a wireless camera and a tiny earpiece.
The camera looked like a button, so Charles could wear it without suspicion, and he had a miniature earpiece.
Through the camera, Daphne could see the chess game between Charles and Marcus and relay moves to him.
She had already played several games for him this way.
She also thought about talking to Brian after Christmas. With his medical skills, he could probably help Charles regain his memory.
Daphne told Alexander and Lydia she had something to do and went upstairs.
Charles was ready. When Daphne gave the go-ahead through the earpiece, he started playing with Marcus.
Rex was there too.
Charles followed Daphne's instructions to the letter.
"When did you learn Daphne's style?" Marcus asked, recognizing the familiar moves. "Have you been playing with her in Gedser these past months?"
"Knowing you miss her, I studied her style," Charles said convincingly. "This way, I can play on her behalf."
Marcus had started to get on with Charles in a normal way. "If you had listened to me back then, you wouldn't be divorced now. You were foolish."
"Yes," Charles replied obediently. "You're right."
Marcus glared at him, feeling bored. In the past, scolding him felt satisfied, but now, "You're right" blocked all his words. Annoying, they played two more games.
Towards the end, Marcus's mind was elsewhere. "Do you still want to win Daphne back?"
"Yes," Charles said.
"Aren't you afraid of being hurt?"
"I made a mistake back then. No matter how much hurt and obstacles there are now, I will try my best."
"You know," Marcus said, missing Daphne more and more. "Daphne was driven away by you."
Marcus wished Daphne were his granddaughter. That way, she'd always be around, and Charles, as his grandson-in-law, would often visit to pursue her.
In that case, whether they were together or not wouldn't matter to Marcus, but he didn't have that blessing, didn't have such a wonderful granddaughter.
"Charles," Marcus called.
"Yes?"
"I miss Daphne." Marcus held a chess piece, his gaze drifting to where Daphne used to sit.
Those happy times were gone, and his Daphne wouldn't come back.
Charles paused. Daphne also froze for a moment.
"Why did you lose Daphne?" Marcus's eyes were full of longing, and even his tone aged a bit. "Such a wonderful person."
Daphne's heart trembled slightly.
She even felt an urge to buy a ticket to Ivrea City and tell Marcus, "I'm here to accompany you." But she couldn't.
"Do you want to call her?" Charles asked after a moment of silence. "I can help you call."
"No." Marcus truly loved Daphne and always considered her feelings. "Don't disturb her. Besides, you let her down back then. I don't have the face to do it."
Most importantly, he didn't know what to say to Daphne. If he said he missed her, wouldn't that make her feel torn between coming and not coming?
"Don't use Daphne's style to play chess anymore," Marcus said. Every time he saw those moves, he thought of Daphne.
Charles agreed.
As the game ended, Marcus went to stroll in the yard.
Everywhere he went, he saw scenes of Daphne with him—practicing standing, calligraphy, playing chess, and telling stories.
He had been wondering why this Christmas wasn't as lively as previous years.
Now he understood. It was because Daphne wasn't here; she had been driven away by Charles.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
