One night stand with my president(chapter 525)

Chapter 525: Why Are You So Restless?

Marshall's mind raced, but his face remained unreadable.

He walked to the other side of Lorenzo's desk and sat down.

Lorenzo set up the chessboard, and Marshall, though he knew the basics, was no expert.

Before long, he was completely outclassed and defeated by Lorenzo.

He didn't mind too much, laughing and saying, "Your skill in chess is unmatched. I stand no chance."

"You're still young," Lorenzo replied casually, while adjusting the pieces. "I'm old now. You've still got plenty of time ahead of you."

Marshall smirked inwardly but said, "You're not old at all. You're as lively as ever."

Lorenzo didn't respond to this, his gaze cool as he said, "Let's play again."

"Alright." Marshall had no choice but to comply.

The second game began, and once again, Lorenzo showed no mercy, crushing Marshall

without a second thought.

Marshall didn't care about losing, but being thoroughly dominated like this did gnaw at him a little. The truth was, he had little interest in chess, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't beat Lorenzo.

When the second game ended, Marshall thought Lorenzo would finally let him go to rest, but Lorenzo insisted on playing another round, even the third, the fourth...

Before he knew it, it was nearly two o'clock in the morning.

Marshall could feel the sweat on his brow.

Tired? Normally, he would've been, but right now, he dared not let himself feel tired.

It was already nearly two o'clock. Lorenzo was usually asleep by this time. Yet tonight, he'd been dragging Marshall into one game after another.

Marshall couldn't help but wonder, "How addicted to chess could Lorenzo possibly be? Why play until this hour? Something wasn't right. Did Lorenzo already know something?"

He is Lorenzo. Back in his younger days, he was a force to be reckoned with. Even if Marshall hadn't seen it firsthand, he had heard plenty of stories.

But if Lorenzo really knew something, why would he waste time playing chess at this hour?

"Checkmate."

Lorenzo's voice suddenly broke the silence, shocking Marshall.

He looked down and saw it was over. There was no way to turn it around now; defeat was inevitable.

He didn't want to dwell on the game, forcing a smile as he said, "Lorenzo, it's late. You should rest. It's not good for your health to stay up this late."

Lorenzo glanced at the clock on the wall, as though just realizing the time. "Oh, it's already that late?"

"Yeah," Marshall said with a nervous smile. "I'm a bit tired too. I think I'll head back to sleep." Lorenzo didn't tell him to leave. 

Instead, he kept staring at the chessboard.

The more silent Lorenzo became, the more agitated Marshall felt. He almost wanted to flip the table, but he still had enough self-control to stop himself.

If he lost his composure in front of Lorenzo, all his carefully laid plans would be ruined.

"Is he really trying to torment me tonight?"

Marshall thought.

"Marshall," Lorenzo finally spoke, his voice cutting through the silence, "You're restless."

Marshall froze for a moment, then awkwardly replied, "My chess skills aren't great. I must ve disappointed you."

Lorenzo shook his head. "I'm talking about your mind. It's not just your chess skills. If your mind isn't calm, no matter how skilled you are, you won't win."

"Yes, I understand. Thank you for the advice," Marshall said, lowering his gaze.

"So why are you restless?"

Lorenzo's gaze lifted to meet his.

His eyes were sharp, as if they could pierce through to Marshall's very soul.

For a split second, Marshall held his breath, unable to withstand the weight of Lorenzo's presence.

"I..." he tried to explain, but no words came out.

He felt like a fish caught in the shallows, struggling to breathe, only to be pulled back into the depths.

He couldn't answer, and Lorenzo smiled.

"Look at you. What are you so nervous about? I'm not scolding you. I just want to have a chat. Young people are always so restless. You probably don't even like chess that much, do you? I've kept you here for so long. It must be tiring for you."

Seeing Lorenzo's kind expression, Marshall felt a bit lost. He instinctively replied, "It's no trouble at all. I'm happy to stay."

"Today, I just had a craving for chess. If Harrison were home, l'd have him play with me a few rounds. But that brat hasn't visited me in days." Lorenzo sighed.

"Harrison's busy," Marshall said quickly. "He has to manage the whole Thomson Group. 

It's not easy for him to find time. Don't blame him."

"I know," Lorenzo said. "I've always had high hopes for him, and he hasn't let me down."

Marshall's gaze dimmed slightly.

"If it weren't for your health, I would've had you go work at the company by now," Lorenzo continued. "I've noticed you've been feeling better lately, hardly any coughing. I'll talk to Harrison, have him arrange a position for you at the company, and take you under his wing."

Marshall quickly replied, "No need... I've never been to the company. I don't know anything about it. It'd be too much trouble for Harrison. Plus, my health... I might collapse again at any time."

He couldn't be sure if Lorenzo was testing him, but he didn't dare answer directly.

Besides, being offered a position? He didn't want it.

"Oh, your health will get better," Lorenzo scolded lightly.

He glanced at the time again. "Alright, it's getting late. You should rest."

Marshall felt like a weight had been lifted. He was no longer thinking about the game, only how to escape the suffocating atmosphere. 

He just wanted to get away from Lorenzo's intimidating presence.

"Alright, you should rest too."

Marshall quickly stood up and left without looking back.

Lorenzo watched his retreating figure, his eyes full of unreadable intent.

Frankie had been waiting for Marshall to return and couldn't sleep. He made his way to the main house, where he asked the night staff what was going on, but no one seemed to know anything.

He paced anxiously in the courtyard, thinking, "Could it be that Lorenzo had done something to Marshall? It's possible. This was the Thomson villa. If Lorenzo wanted someone to disappear, it would be easy enough."

Frankie only had a son. If anything happened to Marshall, he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

The temperature that night was frigid, and Frankie, dressed too lightly, was shivering as he waited. He didn't know how long it had been before Marshall finally appeared.

"Marshall." Frankie rushed to meet him.

When Marshall came out, he was still trying to keep it together. But upon seeing Frankie, his legs almost gave way. Luckily, Frankie caught him just in time.

"What happened to you? Why are you only coming out now? What did Lorenzo want with you?" Frankie asked urgently.

Marshall's face was pale, and after a long pause, he finally stammered, "We... played chess."