Chapter 156

• RICHARD’S POV
• Breakfast was usually my time to zone out. I had the news on in the background, just to drown out the quiet. But this morning, as I shoveled scrambled eggs into my mouth, the news anchor's voice cut through my haze.
• “Today, we’re covering the ongoing challenge from the city’s most famous chess prodigy, Victor Tusk. Tusk has remained unbeaten for five years, and now, there’s a chance for anyone who thinks they can outplay him to make history.”