Chapter 11
Wendelyn had competed in chess tournaments and even won awards. Today, she came with one goal: to impress the York family. And now, the perfect opportunity was right in front of her.
Owen didn’t agree right away. He had only said he wanted to play chess because he wanted to talk to Shermaine a little longer and avoid giving Inchua an excuse to send him back to the York residence. If it weren’t for his poor health, Owen would have wanted to stay here for a few more days to keep a closer eye on Shermaine and Joshua. Though Shermaine didn’t know how to play chess, Owen figured he could teach her. Besides, when it came to playing with him, Wendelyn wasn’t even qualified in terms of seniority.
Owen could see right through Wendelyn’s intentions. She clearly had her sights set on his outstanding grandson, Joshua. Her excuse about bringing Shermaine over was just that—an excuse. Her real motives were far from innocent. To save Shermaine from embarrassment, Owen planned to turn Wendelyn down gently.
But before he could say anything, Shermaine spoke first, “Sure. You can play a round with Mr. Owen York. I’ll watch and learn.”
Wendelyn’s eyes flickered. She couldn’t read Shermaine’s move. ‘She agreed just like that?’ she wondered.
Owen looked kindly at Shermaine. “Sheary, if you want to learn, I can teach you.”
“I’ll learn faster just by watching you,” Shermaine said with a light smile.
Since that was the case, Owen replied, “Alright then, I’ll play a game with Wendelyn. Sheary, watch closely.”
“Yes, sir,” Shermaine nodded.
The housekeeper, Mariam Wilkinson, brought out the chessboard and set it on the table. Wendelyn lowered her gaze, hiding the jealousy in her eyes. Slowly, she lifted her head again, still putting on a modest front. “Then I won’t stand on ceremony,” she said. “Mr. Owen York, I’m not that good, so please don’t hold it against me.”
“It’s just a game of chess. No need to be so serious,” Owen said casually, clearly not taking it to heart.
“Alright.” Wendelyn’s smile was starting to slip. ‘Just wait, Mr. Owen York. You’ll be seeing me in a whole new light soon enough,’ she thought.
Owen had no idea what was going through her mind. Seizing the moment, he added, “Joshua, go over the rules of chess with Sheary again. Help her out.” He never missed a chance to push Joshua and Shermaine a little closer.
Joshua didn’t turn him down. Owen loved chess, and if Shermaine could learn it, she could play with him more often and help pass the time. Mariam had already brought over the chessboard. Wendelyn sat down across from Owen and suddenly felt nervous for no apparent reason. It was the kind of pressure that came from his age and rich life experience.
Owen didn’t hold back his presence, and Wendelyn wasn’t equipped to handle that kind of weight. “Let’s begin. You go first,” he said.
Wendelyn forced a smile and let out a stiff laugh before picking up a piece and making the first move. She was actually very serious—she hoped her skill would impress Owen and earn his recognition.
Owen was highly skilled at chess and often played against master-level opponents, which spoke volumes about how good he really was. To him, playing against Wendelyn, a junior he didn’t even take seriously, wasn’t exactly exciting. Right now, he was playing with the same mood someone might have when tossing breadcrumbs to a pigeon.
Every now and then, he glanced over at Joshua and Shermaine. He was pleased by how patient his grandson was and mentally gave him a thumbs up. Then he looked back down at the board and saw Wendelyn had taken another of his pieces.
Owen said, “Taking another one of mine? Pretty bold of you.”
Wendelyn replied, “I know you let me take it on purpose. I can handle it.”
Owen smiled without saying a word. Shermaine was watching intently, while Joshua sat beside her, explaining the rules of chess in detail. They were sitting close. The fresh cedar scent from him lingered in the air, and his warm breath brushed past her ear.
Shermaine felt a soft tingle in her ear, and her thoughts started to drift. ‘His presence is kind of distracting,’ she thought. ‘He’s messing with my focus on the game.’
No matter how refined and composed Joshua seemed, there was something undeniably assertive about him, making it impossible to ignore him. Shermaine, without showing it, subtly shifted to the side to put some distance between them. “I got it now. Thanks.”
Seeing his fiancée pull away on her own, Joshua didn’t seem to mind. “No problem.”
By the mid-game, Owen took a look at the board and actually got a little more serious. Wendelyn, on the other hand, was struggling. Her palms were soaked with sweat, and every move she made was cautious. She didn’t dare act rashly anymore.
Owen had to admit that though Wendelyn was adopted, she did have a bit of talent and ability. He thought, ‘No wonder people call her gifted and praise her so much. She’s more capable than I expected.’ Still, admiration was one thing—it didn’t mean she could be compared to Shermaine in Owen’s eyes.
When the game finally ended, Wendelyn lost. Owen gave her a compliment. “Not bad at all.”
Wendelyn forced a cheerful expression and smiled slightly, “Your chess skills are remarkable. I was no match.”
She had gotten into chess back then and even hired a tutor, all because she’d heard Owen loved playing chess. She thought if she got good enough, she could impress him one day. Now, that moment had come. However, Owen only gave a faint nod and said nothing more.
Wendelyn’s fingers tightened. ‘That’s it? That’s all?’ she wondered. She’d thought Owen would really admire her, but the result was far from what she’d hoped.
At that moment, Owen let out a few coughs, took a sip of hot coffee, then looked kindly at Shermaine. “Sheary, did you pick it up?”
Shermaine nodded. “I did, Mr. Owen York.”
“You’re really smart,” Owen said with a warm smile, completely convinced. “Wanna give it a try?”
“Sure,” Shermaine replied.
Joshua quietly brought over a blanket and laid it across Owen’s legs. Seeing that he still looked fairly energetic, Joshua didn’t say anything. Owen let Shermaine make the first move.
As the game began, Wendelyn softly said, “Shermaine, you’re amazing. You only watched one game and already learned how to play. When I first started learning chess, it took me hours of studying before I could even get the basics.”
Chess was deep and demanding, both mentally and physically. There was no way someone could just pick it up that fast unless they were a genius. Wendelyn would never consider Shermaine a genius. In her eyes, Shermaine simply didn’t understand how difficult chess really was. That made her, in Wendelyn's view, arrogant and clueless.
Wendelyn’s intentions were far from kind—she was hoping Shermaine would embarrass herself so Wendelyn could shine in comparison.
“You’re not me, so how would you know I can’t do it?” Shermaine held the chess piece, idly turning it between her fingers. Her voice was as lazy and calm as ever.
Wendelyn wondered, ‘Anyone who doesn’t know better might actually think she’s some kind of prodigy. Where does she even get that kind of confidence? Did she forget that before she came back to the Jean family, she was just a bumpkin from some poor village with barely any education?’
Wendelyn spoke softly, pretending to offer a kind reminder, “Shermaine, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just wanted to say chess isn’t as simple as you might think. You’re the Jean family’s heiress, and when you’re out in public, you represent us. You should be careful about what you say and do. It’s fine here in front of Mr. Owen York and Mr. Joshua York, but if it were someone else, it wouldn’t look so good if you messed up. Don’t you think?”
Shermaine let out a cold laugh, resting her chin on one hand. “Thanks for the concern. But to me, chess really isn’t that hard.”
Wendelyn smiled, “Then I’ll be looking forward to your performance.”
Owen stroked his beard. Every word Wendelyn said was clearly meant to trip Shermaine up, and Shermaine just walked straight into it without blinking. But in his eyes, Shermaine was a sharp and beautiful young woman—not the idiotic type to act recklessly without thinking. That was why he chose to quietly watch their exchange, turning a blind eye to the tension between them.
Owen figured it wasn’t like he couldn’t step in if needed. If things took a wrong turn, he’d end the game right away. He would never let Shermaine be humiliated in front of Wendelyn. He knew exactly where to draw the line.
While he was still mulling things over, Shermaine spoke, “Mr. Owen York, it’s your move.”
Owen answered, “Alright.”
From the moment the game started, Wendelyn had been waiting for Shermaine to embarrass herself, but the game kept going surprisingly smoothly. Aside from a few clumsy mistakes at the start, Shermaine didn’t ask to take anything back even after Owen pointed them out.
Instead, Shermaine’s moves started getting sharper. At first glance they looked casual, even careless—but not a single mistake followed. During that last game, just from watching, she’d already learned how to apply what she saw to new situations.
Wendelyn’s mind went blank. Shermaine played like a commander on the battlefield—calculating, composed, striking with feints and forks, setting traps to bait, then flipping the board with a counterattack. Her style was bold and unrestrained, yet completely airtight. Anyone watching with half a brain could see she was a level above Wendelyn. She didn’t look like a chess newbie at all.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Joshua’s lips. From the way Shermaine had responded earlier to his explanations of chess strategies and rules, she really did seem like a beginner. It didn’t look like she was faking it. If she wasn’t faking, then it could only mean one thing—Shermaine was smart. She had a natural gift for learning.
Owen stroked his snowy white beard and let out a hearty laugh. “Sheary, you’re incredible. This isn’t just picking it up—you could probably enter a tournament and bring home a trophy for the country.”
Chapter 12