Chapter 272

The pancakes Daniel Richards made were... honestly, inedible. In the end, the cook had to whip up another dish. After dinner, Daniel didn’t head out right away. Instead, he stayed for a couple rounds of chess with Jason Davies. Ruby Henderson tried to stop them—after all, Jason’s health wasn’t great—but Jason just waved her off, insisting on at least two games. The crescent moon hung quietly among treetops. But Jason didn’t even make it to the second round. After finishing one game, he leaned back on the couch and dozed off. Mrs. Henderson tiptoed over, gently draped a light blanket over him, then turned to Daniel and whispered, “Let him sleep. He’s been coughing terribly at night. If he’s asleep, then at least he’s getting some peace.” You could hear the love in her voice, no doubt about it. Daniel listened in silence and slowly gathered the chess pieces one by one. Just as he stood up, a sudden storm broke outside. The wind howled through the treetops, shaking the branches like they