Alpha's Regret: Losing His True Mate-Chapter 184

But he kept his mouth shut.

Maybe it was because they didn’t really know each other that well yet.

At first, both Old Master Fisher and Dante were playing a little loose, feeling each other out.

But as the game went on, they started to get a read on each other’s style. Old Master Fisher was aggressive, pushing hard, always on the attack. Dante, on the other hand, played defensively, but he was constantly looking for openings, waiting for the right moment to strike.

It looked like Dante was struggling.

But Elodie knew better.

She watched the board closely, her eyes narrowing as she tracked each move.

Johnny, who also knew his way around chess, leaned over. "Who do you think’s gonna win?"

Elodie hesitated. "Hard to say."

Sienna and Levi, sitting nearby, overheard her vague answer and exchanged a look. Like, what kind of non-answer was that?

But Johnny knew she had more to say. She just wasn’t saying it out loud.

Because Elodie did have thoughts.

Dante looked like he was on the back foot most of the time. But every time it seemed like he was about to lose, he’d find a way to turn it around.

Or... and this was the part that made her pause... he was leading Old Master Fisher exactly where he wanted him to go.

Making it look like an even match.

The thing was, Elodie wasn’t sure if Dante actually wanted to win.

As the younger player, if he didn’t want to embarrass the old man...

She was still thinking it over when Old Master Fisher let out a sharp laugh.

"Young man from the Wilson family," he said, shaking his head, "I may not be a grandmaster, but you’re being way too polite here. It’s starting to piss me off."

Dante smiled. "It’s been a while since I played. I’m a little rusty."

Old Master Fisher snorted. "Rusty, my ass."

But he didn’t push it. Instead, he kept playing.

After another ten minutes or so, he finally lost a key piece and got checkmated.

Old Master Fisher wasn’t mad though. If anything, he looked thrilled. He wanted to see what Dante could really do.

Dante gestured toward the board with a small smile. "Another?"

"Damn right," Old Master Fisher said, already resetting the pieces.

This time, Dante didn’t hold back. He came out swinging.

Old Master Fisher stared at him, caught off guard by the sudden shift in strategy.

Dante grinned. "You told me not to be polite."

Old Master Fisher barked out a laugh, clearly enjoying himself. It had been a long time since someone had beaten him so cleanly.

He immediately demanded a rematch.

Before they started, he pointed a finger at Dante. "Show me what you’ve really got. Don’t think you can fool me just because I’m old."

Dante’s expression stayed calm. "You’ve got the wrong idea, Old Master."

"Hmph." Old Master Fisher ignored him and focused on the board.

Of course, he lost again.

He set his pieces down, stood up, and nodded. "I admit it. You’re good."

Before Dante could respond, Old Master Fisher turned to the others watching.

"Anyone else want a turn? Not to beat him, it was just to make him work for it a little."

Elodie had been quietly reviewing the game in her head when Old Master Fisher’s words broke through her thoughts. Her heart did a little jump.

Then she heard Sienna’s voice, soft and gracious.

"Old Master Fisher, after watching your match, I’m really tempted to give it a try. But my skills are limited, so if I were to face Dante, I’m afraid—"

"It’s fine, it’s fine! I was just joking around," Old Master Fisher said with a laugh. "But if you’re interested, go ahead. Let’s see what you’ve got."

Sienna was about to respond when someone else in the crowd chimed in, laughing.

"Miss Brown, from the way you’re talking, it sounds like you might actually give him a run for his money!"

Another voice joined in. "Even if President Wilson’s chess skills are incredible, if he beats Miss Brown, he’ll probably have to sleep on the couch tonight, right?"

Laughter rippled through the group.

Old Master Fisher hadn’t known about Sienna and Dante’s relationship before. But now, seeing how poised and confident she was—and how good they looked standing next to each other—he connected the dots pretty fast.

He grinned and turned to Dante. "Oh, so *that’s* how it is. Well, I’ll be watching closely to see if you can play as calmly against your girlfriend as you did against me."

Sienna, now the center of attention, stayed perfectly composed. She turned to Dante with a small smile.

"I’m not someone who can’t handle losing. Let’s just play a fair game."

Dante’s lips curved into a faint smile. "Alright."

Someone in the crowd couldn’t resist. "They haven’t even started yet and they’re already flirting."

"True, but Miss Brown’s no joke. Top PhD grad from a world-class university. I bet her chess game is just as sharp."

Old Master Fisher’s eyebrows shot up. "A PhD, huh?" He looked at Dante approvingly. "You’ve got good taste, young man."

Johnny, standing off to the side, rolled his eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn’t fall out of his head.

He’d actually been about to ask Elodie if she wanted to play.

But Sienna had swooped in before he could open his mouth.

Now, watching this whole performance unfold, he felt a headache starting. He muttered under his breath, "If you’re gonna play, just *play.* Why all the theatrics?"

His voice was quiet, but Elodie and Harry both heard him.

Elodie’s lips twitched, fighting back a smile.

Harry glanced at her, checking her face. She looked calm. Not upset. Not bothered.

That was... good. He relaxed a little.

Dante and Sienna started their game.

Elodie watched for a bit. Sienna clearly knew what she was doing. She wasn’t a beginner—her moves were deliberate, thoughtful.

But after a few minutes, Elodie looked away.

Johnny watched for a bit longer, then rolled his eyes again. He looked like he was about two seconds away from walking out.

Noticing Elodie didn’t seem all that interested in watching anymore, he leaned over. "You wanna go sit with your grandmother for a bit? Grab something to eat?"

Elodie shook her head. "No, it’s fine. Let’s wait a little longer."

Harry had noticed before Johnny did that Elodie had already checked out mentally.

When Dante and Old Master Fisher were playing, she’d been locked in. Focused. But now, with Dante and Sienna? She’d watched for maybe two minutes before her attention drifted.

The game was entertaining enough. And Sienna clearly knew what she was doing. She wasn’t at Old Master Fisher’s level—definitely not at Dante’s—but she was good.

Still, Elodie had lost interest.

Which seemed to suggest...

"She’s decent, I guess."

The voice came from the side.

Old Master Hall had appeared out of nowhere, Jimmy beside him. They were standing near Old Master Fisher now.

Old Master Fisher smiled. "Yeah, she’s pretty good."

A moment later, he turned to Jimmy. "Why didn’t you bring your paintings over?"

Jimmy grinned. "I was worried you’d say I wasn’t being attentive enough, so I came to check on you."

"Go, go, go. Get back to your own business. You’re distracting me," Old Master Fisher said, waving him off.

But Jimmy didn’t leave.

Meanwhile, the Brown and Green families were practically glowing after hearing Old Master Fisher and Jimmy praise Sienna.

A lot of people in the room already knew who she was. And now, watching her play? It just confirmed what they’d thought.

She was the whole package. Beautiful, brilliant, accomplished. And now she’d impressed Old Master Fisher and Jimmy Hall with her chess skills too.

Plus, she’d won over Dante Wilson. The most eligible bachelor in their circle. Her relationship with him had boosted the Brown and Green families’ status significantly.

Who wouldn’t want a daughter like that?

Some of the older women started gushing.

"Old Madam Brown, Mr. Brown, Mrs. Brown... what a wonderful granddaughter you have! What a remarkable daughter!"

"Truly, truly," another chimed in. "You must share your secrets. How did you raise such an outstanding young woman? We’re all friends here, surely you can give us some parenting tips?"

Before long, Mrs. Brown and Old Madam Green were surrounded by a crowd of elite wives, all eager to soak up whatever wisdom they could offer.

Sienna, soaking in all the praise and admiration, couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride.

Tracy was right there with her, beaming.

She glanced over at Elodie, standing off to the side, and smirked. Leaning toward Janice, she whispered, "Compared to Sienna, she’s really just... there, isn’t she?"

Janice’s expression went ice-cold. She clearly didn’t appreciate Tracy comparing her daughter to Elodie like that.

But the Browns, Old Madam Brown, Logan, and the others... had heard Tracy’s comment too.

They all turned to look at Elodie.

And yeah. In every measurable way, Sienna was clearly superior.