THE DIVORCE GAMBIT From Dumped Wife to CEO's Forever novel Chapter 158

"Yeah," Skyler answered with a nod.

Gordon frowned a little. "So, are you two officially together now?"

"Nope," Skyler replied with an easy grin. "We're still in the courtship phase."

Gordon shot him a look. "Honestly, you're hopeless."

He couldn't comprehend why Skyler would spend so much money on someone who wasn't even his girlfriend yet.

Skyler just shrugged. "You're such a cheapskate, Uncle. I seriously have no idea what you're hoarding all that money for!"

"I like seeing the numbers grow," Gordon replied coolly. "And I'd never buy such an expensive bag for someone who isn't even family."

"But when you like someone, you want to give them the very best!" Skyler countered, exasperated. "Forget it—there's no way you'd understand. I already sent you the photo of the bag, so just remember to pick it up for me, alright?"

With that, Skyler turned and headed downstairs.

Gordon settled back at his desk and started up his game. Before long, his attention was drawn to the virtual chessboard set beneath a cherry tree in the game's garden. The black and white pieces were locked in a brutal deadlock—any move, forward or back, meant defeat.

It was a classic stalemate.

Whoever set up this endgame was clearly a master strategist.

As far as Gordon knew, there was only one other player in Wonderhaven Estate: someone named Phyllis.

There was no doubt about it—this puzzle had to be Phyllis's handiwork.

Interesting.

Not only had this Phyllis beaten him into Wonderhaven Estate, but she'd also set up a top-tier chess puzzle for him to find.

Gordon was a chess enthusiast—he'd even taken first place in a professional tournament once. Yet even he had never encountered an endgame as fiendishly difficult as this.

It was a first.

No matter how he analyzed it, he couldn't see a way out.

He sat there, hunched over his keyboard, deep in thought for more than an hour.

But Gordon was nothing if not competitive. If he couldn't solve this puzzle, it would keep him up all night.

Another hour ticked by as he mentally replayed the game, searching for an answer. At last, the solution came to him in a flash.

So that's it!

He guided his in-game character to pick up a single chess piece.

With just one move, the entire game turned on its head—the deadlock shattered.

He'd solved it.

Three hours.

It had taken him three hours to crack this endgame—a new record for him.

Who on earth was this Phyllis?

Gordon found himself more than a little intrigued by this mysterious player.

Ten minutes later, he finally logged out of the game.

—

Elsewhere, at the Kensington family residence.

Caitlin had just logged into the game when a notification popped up.

[Congratulations, Ms. Phyllis! You have a new neighbor! Wonderhaven Estate welcomes its second player today: Mr. S!]

Phyllis was Caitlin's in-game name.

Phyllis—a Greek name, meaning "leaf." It symbolized hope, new life, and green beginnings.

Mr. S?

Caitlin arched an eyebrow.

She'd set the entrance to Wonderhaven Estate deep in Mistwood Forest, turning it into her secret base. She hadn't expected anyone else to stumble upon it, let alone get in.

To call Wonderhaven Estate a hidden level didn't do it justice.

It was more like Caitlin's inner sanctuary.

After a moment, she closed the profile and returned to the stone table beneath the cherry tree, setting up a brand-new endgame on the chessboard.

**

Meanwhile.

When Babur and Hudson saw the trending news about Apex, it felt like the sky was falling.

Triple-A.

Who could have guessed Apex would actually pull it off?

Apex hadn't just outclassed The Chandler Group's new game—they'd done it in spectacular fashion.

Hudson looked at Babur, his face ashen. "I can't believe it… Apex is the real deal! We're finished, Mr. Blake, we're absolutely finished!"

They'd thrown everything they had into The Chandler Group.

Now, with their new release flopping, their own fortunes were about to go down with the ship.

What now?

What were they supposed to do?

"We pull out—immediately! Cut ties with The Chandler Group and go straight to Apex," Babur said, forcing himself to stay calm. "Then we find Victor and beg him for another shot."

If they could buy into Apex now, maybe they could still come out on top.

After all, Apex had just pulled in several hundred million overnight with its new game.

Apex Game Studios had shot straight to the top of the industry, sending even international players into a frenzy.

Hudson hesitated, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. "But, Mr. Blake, did you forget what we said to Victor last night? Do you really think he'll give us another chance?"

Just last night, they'd done everything they could to insult the man.

Hudson hadn't dreamed things would turn around like this.

Babur took a deep breath. "He will. I'm sure he will. Three years ago, when my company hit a financial crisis, Victor was the one who bailed us out. His biggest flaw is that he's too sentimental. All we have to do is humble ourselves a little—he'll give us another chance. He always does."