The Lu Family Estate - Three Days Earlier
Day One:
Morning light slanted through the library's tall windows, casting golden rectangles across marble floors that had witnessed three generations of Lu family decisions. The scent of jasmine tea mingled with leather and old paper—a combination that usually meant serious business was being conducted.
Today, however, the most serious business involved a four-year-old and a chessboard.
Little Tiger perched on his silk cushion, legs tucked beneath him, studying the board with the intensity of a general planning his final assault. His small fingers hovered over his knight, hesitated, then moved with sudden conviction.
"Is... is that checkmate, Tai Nai Nai?" Little Tiger asked softly, then bit his lower lip as if worried he'd made a mistake, his voice carrying the slight lisp that made his words sound endearingly soft around the edges. Despite his speech difficulties, his pronunciation of "Great Grandmother" was careful and respectful.
