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Novel Catalog
Chapter 4
Before Sigmund could finish, Bonnie quickly stepped on his foot, stopping him mid-sentence.
“She’s what?” Ivor asked, confusion spreading across his face.
Ged, too, looked curious.
Sigmund opened his mouth to reveal the truth about Bonnie, but when he saw the glare Bonnie shot in his direction, he thought better of it.
The elderly man cleared his throat. “She’s… the girl I want you to marry! Besides, how could you say she’s not good enough for you? You’re 27, you should be grateful she doesn’t mind your age. And you should apologize to her for being so rude.”
Ivor pursed his lips, stood up, and finally turned toward Bonnie.
“I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings, but I’m just telling the truth.”
Bonnie swallowed a piece of orange, looking unfazed. “You don’t have to apologize. I was going to say the same thing to you. You’re good, but you’re not good enough.”
The room fell into a heavy silence.
Ivor’s cold gaze flickered slightly as he took her in, appraising her.
Ged, surprised by Bonnie’s boldness, could hardly believe what he’d just heard. “What’s going on with you two? Don’t you care for me at all?”
Sigmund sighed heavily, exasperated.
“Bonnie, don’t forget that you said you’d do anything I asked after I saved you and your family.”
Bonnie frowned. “And you, Ivor. When you were still a student, your parents didn’t want you wasting time on unproductive things. If it weren’t for my support, would you have been able to play chess or join those competitions?”
“You said that as long as I helped convince your parents to let you play chess, you’d do whatever I said in the future. Why are you going back on your word?”
Ivor faltered, at a loss for words.
The room grew still again, the tension palpable.
A moment later, Sigmund spoke, clearly trying to regain control of the situation. “I know I can’t force love, so how about this? You two get engaged, and we’ll see how things go.”
Bonnie thought for a moment. “Okay, but I want to set a time limit.”
“All right, 10 years then. If you think you’re not right for each other after that, I’ll call it off,” Sigmund said, hopeful.
Bonnie shot him an incredulous look. “You might as well have said 50 years.”
Sigmund slapped his thigh, his enthusiasm unshaken. “50 years it is!”
Bonnie was at a loss for words. She knew he was doing this on purpose to push her buttons.
“One month. After one month, I’ll have nothing to do with him,” Bonnie said coldly, her resolve clear.
“One month? That’s too short, isn’t it? Talk to her, Ivor,” Sigmund urged, anxious.
Ivor, still impassive, looked at Bonnie and agreed without hesitation. “Okay, one month it is.”
“Deal!” Sigmund declared.
Bonnie and Ivor had finally agreed on something, though it was evident neither of them was happy about it.
Sigmund, clearly exasperated, let out a long sigh. “Since you’ve made up your mind, I’ll pick a date for your engagement.”
“Okay,” Bonnie said flatly, glancing at the time. “It’s late. I should get going.”
“Why don’t you stay for dinner?” Sigmund asked, eager to extend her visit.
“I haven’t been home in days. My parents will be worried,” Bonnie replied, offering him a polite but firm smile.
Sigmund acquiesced, his disappointment clear.
As Bonnie made her way toward the door, Ged spoke up, a look of concern on his face. “She hasn’t gone home in days? Isn’t she a student? She doesn’t look sick, so why take so many days off? She must have skipped class. Sigmund, what were you thinking? How could you pick a girl like that to be Ivor’s wife?”
“You don’t know anything about her,” Sigmund muttered, clearly frustrated.
Ged let the matter drop for now. He leaned back in his chair, and then something seemed to occur to him. “Oh, I almost forgot! I’ve managed to get in touch with the Shepherd!”
“For real?” Ivor perked up, his eyes lighting up at the mention of the famous chess player.
Ged chuckled. “You only come alive when we talk about chess, don’t you?”
“Cut the crap! When did you contact the Shepherd? Did he agree to play a game with me?” Ivor demanded, impatience creeping into his voice.
“I only managed to get in touch with his friend. He said the Shepherd’s been busy lately, but he’ll let me know when he’s free,” Ged explained.
“Great, I’ll wait then,” Ivor said, his excitement barely contained. He clenched his fists in anticipation, his mind already on the chess match to come.
Back at the Shepard villa, the butler rushed inside. “Ma’am! Ms. Bonnie is back!”
Vera, who had been in the middle of dinner with her husband Gresham, exchanged a glance.
Bonnie entered the house, wearing sneakers, her expression unreadable. Vera quickly set down her fork and rushed to meet her.
“Didn’t you get taken away by the police? Did you manage to… escape?” Vera asked, worry etched on her face.
Gresham gave Bonnie a stern look, his voice cold. “I might not be your father, but I suggest you surrender. If you don’t, I’ll have to call the cops for your own good.”
Bonnie frowned, her tone flat. “I didn’t break the law or escape from anywhere, alright?”
Gresham’s expression hardened. “You really won’t turn yourself in?”
Bonnie didn’t bother to explain further.
Gresham took out his phone and dialed the police station. “Hello, I’d like to make a police report. My daughter was arrested two days ago, but she escaped and returned home. I told her to give herself up, but she refused. Please come arrest her now.”