Chapter 11 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've 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 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 g * 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 . 1/4 Chapter 11 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 Chapter 11 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 font 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 . the 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