Joshua gave Shermaine a long, meaningful look that vanished almost instantly. To him, they were to be husband and wife in name only, so she posed no threat, and he saw no reason to delve into her past.

"Mr. Owen York, am I really that good?" Shermaine asked sweetly, her smile radiating innocent charm.

"You are," Owen replied without hesitation. "You're just as excellent as your brother." Owen mused that Shermaine, at an age when she should have been flourishing, had seen her rightful glory and life handed to her adopted sister, Wendelyn, due to fourteen years of separation. He believed that if she had grown up under the Jean family's protection, she would have become an outstanding individual, free from a bad reputation and mistreatment. Fortunately, she was still young and sharp, so it wasn't too late for her.

Their chess game lasted an hour. Owen, whose health had declined, rarely enjoyed a game so thoroughly. He seldom went out, and his friends weren't strong players. He chuckled, "Sheary, I knew I wasn't wrong about you."

Shermaine, having lost but respectably, replied, "You flatter me." Owen still craved another round, sensing Shermaine might not even lose if they played again. Her learning ability was truly impressive; she had even picked up on his tactics mid-game and subtly used them against him. However, after that match, he lacked the energy for another, his body weak and fatigue setting in.

Joshua helped Owen up. "Maybe you should go upstairs and lie down for a bit. I'll have the driver take you home later." Owen nodded and told Shermaine, "Sheary, I'm tired. I'm going upstairs to rest." Shermaine smiled, putting the pieces back into the chess box, "Okay." She decided it wasn't the right time to check Owen's condition with Wendelyn still present, planning to wait until Wendelyn left and Owen had rested.

"Excuse me, ladies," Joshua said as he helped Owen upstairs, and they gradually disappeared around the corner.

Now, only Shermaine and Wendelyn remained in the living room. Wendelyn felt utterly humiliated. As soon as Joshua and Owen were gone, she couldn't contain herself. "Shermaine, you clearly knew how to play chess but lied and said you didn't. You're way too calculating."

Shermaine popped a cherry into her mouth and raised an eyebrow. "What, you just can't handle the fact that I played too well to be a first-timer?"

"It wasn't your first time!" Wendelyn retorted. She simply couldn't admit that after years of learning chess, she still lost to Shermaine, who picked it up instantly and played so well. It felt like a direct insult.

Shermaine chuckled softly. "Sounds like you know the truth deep down. Honestly, you should be grateful I didn't completely humiliate you." Owen had been the one to suggest the game, and Shermaine knew his time was precious and that he genuinely wanted to approve of her. That's why, to avoid wasting time, she hadn't gone head-to-head with Wendelyn directly, though it came close enough.

Wendelyn had hoped to highlight the gap between her and Shermaine, making Owen regret choosing Shermaine. The gap was indeed obvious—Wendelyn had lost miserably and had never felt so humiliated.

Shermaine never went easy on her enemies. Her tone remained as laid-back and proud as ever. "And since you think I'm so calculating, maybe next time don't come at me with such basic tricks. Honestly, it's boring."

Wendelyn looked as if her ego had just been slapped, her face pale with rage. She gritted her teeth. "Don't get cocky."

"What's there to be cocky about just because I beat you?" Shermaine replied flatly. If they weren't at Joshua's place, Wendelyn's sweet and gentle persona would have been shattered by Shermaine's few simple lines.

Wendelyn scoffed, "What a big ego. Just because you're back in the Jean family, don't think that makes you somebody. Everyone knows I'm better than you in every way possible. It's just chess—what's so impressive about that?"

Shermaine looked at her. "Then why are you so upset?"

"I'm not," Wendelyn snapped. "Just wait and see, Shermaine." With that, she grabbed her purse and walked out.

As soon as Wendelyn left, Shermaine called Mariam. "Where's my room?"

Mariam stepped forward, polite and proper. "Ma'am, your room is right across from Mr. Joshua York's. I'll take you up to drop off your things."

Shermaine wasn't used to such formality. "Just call me Shermaine. You don't need to be so formal."

"Yes, ma'am," Mariam nodded.

Shermaine was instantly speechless, wondering, 'Didn't I just tell her not to call me ma'am?'

Her luggage had already been brought upstairs by Mariam when she arrived. Just as Mariam said, Shermaine's room was across from Joshua's. As she opened the door, the overly pink decor left Shermaine a bit at a loss. It was full of girly vibes, which wasn't her style at all. But since she hadn't planned on treating this place like home anyway, she figured she'd just deal with it for now.

Shermaine hadn't brought much luggage, but the room had everything she could possibly need. Skincare and makeup products filled the vanity, row after row, and the walk-in closet was packed with brand-new clothes, shoes, and jewelry for the season. Joshua had clearly put a lot of thought into preparing for his fiancée's move-in. Shermaine stepped out of the walk-in closet and began unpacking her belongings. Besides her usual clothes, there was a stack of design drafts, and most of the remaining space was filled with bottles—whiskey, tequila, sake, and so on. She enjoyed drinking while sketching, always with music playing in the background.

Footsteps sounded outside the door. Shermaine didn't turn around. "Is there a glass for drinking in this house?" she asked casually.

But the voice that answered wasn't Mariam's. It was Joshua's. "You really like drinking?" His voice was low and smooth, like a perfectly aged liquor—intoxicating just to hear. Shermaine wasn't someone who fell for voices, but even she found herself drawn to his. She froze for a second, then turned around to see Joshua leaning casually against the doorway, tall and refined, still there. His gaze was fixed on her, calm and magnetic. No matter how many times she looked at Joshua, she still found him absurdly attractive. His face was flawless, and he exuded a mix of mature confidence and raw, alluring masculine energy that was impossible to ignore.

"Yeah. Got any here?" Shermaine asked.

Joshua smiled. "Come with me."