She Quit Her Family and Found Herself novel Chapter 193

Seeing that Hulda had let go of her guilt and accepted the gifts, Hayden let out a relieved laugh. "That's right, take them. If you really didn't, the old man might just haunt my dreams tonight to give me a beating!"

Hulda managed a smile, carefully placing the letter and the vintage manuals back into the box before locking it securely.

Afterward, at Hayden and Joanna's insistence, Hulda stayed in the courtyard and had lunch with them.

She even cooked two of her signature dishes, which were so good that the couple practically refused to put down their forks.

Once the meal was over, Hayden finally remembered Wade Jewell's request. "Hulda," he started, "can I ask you something? Do you have any interest in returning to competitive Go?"

"Tournaments?" Hulda was in the middle of helping Joanna clear the table, though Joanna quickly shooed her hands away.

"You two talk. I'll handle this."

Hayden carefully chose his words. "Right, like going back to the professional track and competing again. It just so happens that a friend of mine runs a high-end Go club—the National Go Academy—and they are desperately looking for talented players right now."

He didn't want to be too blunt, terrified she might think he had ulterior motives. After all, he had just handed over his father's priceless heirloom to her, and now he was bringing up Wade Jewell's agenda.

He knew it could easily look like he was using the inheritance to pressure her into a favor.

Hulda blinked thoughtfully. "Well... Hayden, it's been a very long time since I've played a serious match against anyone. Go is like any other skill—if you don't use it, you lose it. I'm honestly not sure if my current level is sharp enough for tournaments anymore. Plus, I recently went back to work at The Conrad Atherton Institute. I'm afraid I simply don't have the time or energy to balance a professional Go career with my job."

Hearing this, Hayden nodded in understanding and didn't push the issue.

Hulda's stance was crystal clear. She had no desire to return to the professional circuit. Furthermore, she already had a stable career that she enjoyed. There was absolutely no reason for her to throw away her current life just to chase a Master's Cup trophy for Wade Jewell.

Since that was the case, there was no point in pressing the matter. Doing so would only make things awkward for her.

Standing by the car, Joanna took Hulda's hands in hers. "Hulda, Hayden and I don't have a daughter, and our son is far away. I really, truly adore you. Would it be alright if I invited you out sometime? Just the two of us? I promise I won't interfere with your work schedule."

Hulda smiled warmly. "I'd love that. Of course you can. I really adore you too, Joanna."

Joanna beamed with delight. "Oh, that's wonderful! I recently got roped into some ladies' social club. All the other women bring their daughters or daughters-in-law, and I'm always just sitting there by myself. Next time they meet, would you come with me?"

"Sure, as long as I'm not working, I'd be happy to go with you. Just let me know the time and date in advance."

"Perfect! It's a date, then."

Joanna watched with a delighted heart as Hulda got into the car and drove away.

This was fantastic. Next time the ladies' club met, she'd have Hulda by her side. She couldn't wait to see how that stuck-up snob Valery would try to mock her then!