Chapter 76 Tussle Over the Chessboard

Thalia stood in the middle of the crowd, feeling as if a thousand eyes were on her. Geoffrey and the Backshaw family members around him were watching her closely. Their scrutiny was so intense that her body stiffened, and she forced a polite smile. "Mr. Backshaw Senior, this is a birthday gift from the Marquette family. We hope you like it." She opened the ornate box, releasing a crisp, herbal fragrance that instantly eased the tension of everyone nearby. Alden and Kiera leaned forward on tiptoes to get a better look. Inside was an unassuming chess set. Alden's lips curled into a mocking smirk. As expected, it was hardly a gift worthy of presentation. How could the Marquette family dare to give something like this? He had expected Thalia's gift to be tossed onto the table and ridiculed by the crowd. He thought she would be humiliated and ran to him for help. But the next moment, he froze in disbelief. He watched as Geoffrey personally approached Thalia and took the chess set.