Inheritance Games Amnesia

Chess, Heiress?

¨You're going to love this Heiress.¨ Jameson states, grabbing a fifth chess set off a shelf. He's dressed in school uniform, but does not look like he has any intention of going. Avery finds another chess set, mixed among the hundreds of other games and hands it to him. He picks up a stray bag of pieces and carries everything to one of the tables in one of the many Libraries.

¨What are we doing?¨ she asks.

¨Playing a game.¨ He responds

¨O really, I didn't notice.¨ She responds sarcastically, but excited to see where this is going. She knows how competitive the Hawthornes are, and that they don't do anything normally. He lays the boards out touching in a rectangle, three on each side, before dumping out the pieces.

¨You're white. Set your three boards up like a normal chess game.¨ They both set up their boards, Avery is about to mention that she has three kings instead of one. ¨Take two more queens and replace two kings. It doesn't matter which king you keep.¨ Jameson answers before she can even ask. She has a feeling there is a strategy to which king to keep, so she waits and sees him place a king on a corner board. She leaves her king in the opposite corner. ¨Same rules, just more pieces, your move.¨ Jameson instructs. She opens with moving one of her pawns on the same board as his king, allowing her to move a bishop the next time. They continue playing. There's a whole new level of strategy adding five more boards and there is no clear winner, both having grown up playing chess. Avery has a feeling Jameson will win as the game goes on because he's played this version before, she has not. Nash comes into the room, wearing a cowboy hat not long after they started playing.

"There you are." He draws, referring to Jameson. "Xans already in my truck. Get your bag, we are leaving in 5."

"But Avery and I just started playing." Jameson protests.

"And you have school today. I'm not letting you stay home anymore."

"How did you even find me?" Jameson asks.

"Found Avery."

"How did you find me?" Avery asks.

"Found Max."

"How did you find Max?" They both ask at the same time.

"Found Xander."

"And how..."

"Texted him I was going to eat a scone." Nash answers. "Now, Jameson, you are going to school today. You've skipped I don't even know how many days this year. No more. Go get your backpack, I don't know how long Thea and Rebecca or Xander will stay in the truck." Jameson reluctantly gets up and goes to grab his backpack. "Kid, your lawyer is coming to talk to you today, and I don't want you to say a thing to her without Libby and I there." Nash then looks at Oren, making sure he knows also. She notices how he doesn't even say Alisa 's name. She's never seen him mad at anyone. Alisa had snuck her out of the hospital after the bomb, just so she wouldn't lose her Inheritance by spending more than three nights away. The mansion was not equipped for her care. Thankfully Max's Mom answered the phone. Avery nods her head, and Nash quickly walks out to drive the teens to Height Country Day, their prep school.

Avery studies the board for when Jameosn gets back. She's pretty good herself, having beaten Tobias Hawthorne II on multiple occasions. He was known to her as Harry, a homeless man in her local park. They would play chess every morning, if she won, he had to let her buy him breakfast. She had no idea she was playing someone she could possibly be related to. Alisa walks into the Library, like she hasn't been avoiding the place house for two weeks. Oren says something to Eli, and follows her in.

¨John, this is completely unnecessary.¨ Alisa protests.

¨I determine what is and is not necessary.¨ Oren responds coldly.