From Sneers to Cheers: Anthea’s Ascent

Rebecca watched Daniel make the phone call. "Daniel, maybe we should just let it go. You can't turn your back on your own father for me."

Daniel slipped his arm around her. "Don't worry, Rebecca. My dad's a reasonable man. I'm sure once he meets you, he'll like you just as much as I do."

Who could possibly dislike a kind girl like Rebecca?

"Really?" Rebecca blushed, a little shy.

"Really!"

***

Meanwhile, in the Christensen family's game room, Anthea and Sherman were locked in a tense chess match.

Neither gave an inch, each move calculated, the pieces clicking softly on the board.

Anthea raised her brow. "I've never met anyone who could actually challenge me before. You're only the second." Most games, she barely had to think.

But with Sherman—and that infuriating stranger from online-it was different.

Both of them were masters, the kind who demanded your full attention. The tiniest distraction, and you'd be left with a board in ruins.

Sherman paused, rolling a chess piece between his fingers. "So who was the first?"

Anthea set a piece on the board, her fingertips lingering. "Someone you wouldn't know."

Why couldn't he ever know these people?

That strange sense of familiarity crept over him again. It was uncomfortable-like

pressure trapped

continued, "I think you and

only grunted in

then, Sherman's phone buzzed. He answered, listened, and his

moment, he ended the

Anthea

"Daniel's going

brother's been properly fooled by Rebecca. Can't

"Can't fix stupid."

think there's something fishy about Sandra's death. Maybe... it has something to

picked up a chess piece, his interest piqued. "What makes

his gaze. “After Sandra died, didn't Rebecca get Daniel totell your family that her mom had passed her dad's still in prison and she hoped you'd help her out,

thinking back. "Yeah,

why I'm

Anthea leaned in. "When I went to the fun went

eralhome found

-

But Sandra wasn't the type to kill herself.

Rebecca found out your family wasn't

el.not

Daly and Sandra

were quiet but unshakable, sinking

chess piece

Sherman's king. "Want to find out if Rebecca really had a hand in Sandra's

nodded. "You have a

"Bring Daniel tonight. Seven-thirty,