Bruce nced at Bet and huffed, "I''m not ying with him. He always lets me win, treating me like a child."


    "Well, he wouldn''t dare beat his future father-inw," Mr. Moore retorted automatically, only realizing his blunder after the words were out.


    The atmosphere instantly froze. Bruce didn''t say anything, just kept his head down, sorting the chess pieces, but a palpable sadness seemed to surround him.


    Bet stood by with one hand in his pocket, his lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes fixed on Yvonne.


    Yvonne descended thest few steps of the staircase and walked over to Bruce''s side. "Mr. Jones," she said with a bright smile, "how about I y a couple of rounds with you?"


    "You know how to y chess?" Bruce asked, looking surprised.


    Young women these days rarely had the patience for such things. They spent their time on makeup, shopping, and video games. Very few learned to y chess


    anymore.


    "A little," Yvonne said modestly. "Just don''t mind my terrible skills."


    "Well then, you two y. I''ll go check on the kitchen," Mr. Moore said, standing up to give Yvonne his seat.


    Yvonne yed two games with Bruce. At first, he underestimated her, but he soon realized she was a formidable opponent. Bruce''s thinking time grew longer, his moves slower. Monica, who hade over to watch, nearly dozed off.


    "Morgan, are you even trying? How can you not beat a youngdy?"


    "A true gentleman watches the game in silence," Bruce grumbled, clearly not ready to admit defeat.


    But no matter how much he resisted, he lost three games in a row.


    "You''re full of surprises," Bruce said, not angry at all, but chuckling happily.


    This wasn''t knowing "a little," this was knowing a lot.


    "Just beginner''s luck," Yvonne replied, still humble, though her beautiful eyes curved into crescents, hinting at a touch of smug satisfaction.


    Just as Bruce was about to put the game away, Bet suddenly spoke up. "I''ll y a couple of rounds with you."


    Yvonne, who was helping Bruce sort the pieces back into their contamers, baused for a


    dbefore modding


    Bet took Bruce''s seat opposite Yvonne.


    Yvonne chose ck, and Bet took white.


    It was Bet who had taught her to y chess, but she was no match for her teacher. This time, she was the one whose moves becante Stower and more deliberate


    Yvonne was smart, able to think three moves ahead. But Bet was


    one of those people who was even smarter, capable of seeing ten moves ahead.


    "Have you decided, Yvonne?" Bet asked with a gentle smile.


    Yvonne frowned, cing a ck piece on the board.


    "Are you sure?" Bet raised an eyebrow, cing his white piece next to hers.


    Only then did Yvonne see the trap. She quickly snatched her piece back and moved it to another spot.


    "A move made is a move yed," Bet said.


    "So what if I regret it?" Yvonne retorted, shamelessly breaking the rules.


    Bet just shook his head, his gaze a mixture of helplessness and affection.


    But even with her cheating and take-backs, she couldn''t win. They yed two games, and she lost both.


    Frustrated, Yvonne swept her hand across the board, scattering the ck and white pieces.


    "Bet, what kind of boyfriend are you? Don''t you know you''re supposed to let the girl win?"


    Bet chuckled and took her hand. "I was respecting my opponent. Want me to let you win the next one?"


    "I''m not ying with you anymore!" Yvonne huffed, pulling her hand away.


    The sound of their bickering drew the attention of Monica and Bruce, who were chatting in the living room.