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nTranslator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

nEven the audience was on edge while watching the game between Grant Sanders and Finn Taylor.

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nEvery move of the chess pieces felt like a stab to Yvette Larson’s heart.

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nAlthough Yvette Larson knew nothing about chess, she could tell that Grant Sanders was an experienced player who was calm and collected and made his moves quickly.

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nThis meant that victory was surely in his hands.

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nYvette Larson couldn’t wrap her head around why her husband had even agreed to this contest in the first place. ‘Initially, it was much easier to settle the matter. I would’ve simply coaxed them at best or begged them at worst.’

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n‘From Grant Sanders’s attitude, I could tell that he wasn’t really trying to put me on the spot. But now, he is only going to let us leave if my husband wins. This means that we will surely remain captives here if my husband were to lose. As a respected figure, Grant Sanders will definitely keep his word. Otherwise, how would he face others in the future?’

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nThe game of chess was still ongoing. Nearly all the chess pieces had been taken off the chessboard.

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nThe ones that were still left on the board were mostly Grant Sanders’s. It seemed like Finn Taylor had no way of making a comeback.

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nPlunk!

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nGrant Sanders made his last move. “You lost.”

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nGrant Sanders picked up his teacup and took a sip of tea confidently.

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nThe moment Yvette Larson heard those words, she shut her eyes. She knew that this was the end for both her and her husband. ‘This chess game could very well have determined our fates.’

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nBy the side, Joshua Sanders and William Sanders were both sneering.

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nBut Finn Taylor seemed not to have heard Grant Sanders. He reached forward and made his move.

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nThen, everyone’s gazes fell.

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nWith that move, it seemed like the tables had been turned—it was checkmate.

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nGrant Sanders’s chess pieces had all been surrounded. He had absolutely no way of moving his pieces around.

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n“You lost.” Finn Taylor said the exact same words.

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nThere was an awkward pause.

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nGrant Sanders’s hand trembled as he tried to steady himself. He placed the teacup down and looked at Finn Taylor. “Interesting; how interesting.”

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n“Leave then.” Grant Sanders waved them away as Finn Taylor stood up and took his wife’s hand.

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nYvette Larson was still in a daze and hadn’t returned from her trance. Nonetheless, she politely bade him goodbye. “Goodbye, Uncle Sanders.”

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nThey then rushed off.

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nWilliam Sanders crawled up to Grant Sanders, making a neck-slicing gesture.

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nThe latter shook his head, not wanting William Sanders to silence them.

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nAfter leaving the Sanders family’s house, Yvette Larson quickly hailed a cab back to the Larson family’s residence. She had to personally tell her grandpa about what had happened.

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nBut when the couple arrived at the Larson family’s residence, she realized that something was amiss.

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nThere was not a single soul in the house—not even the family elders.

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nThinking of only one possibility, she rushed over to the Larson family’s meeting room with her spouse.

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nFamiliar faces greeted her as she pushed the door open—her grandpa (Joseph Larson), her father (Francis Larson), her mother (Linda James), Franklin Larson, Frederick Larson, Quince Larson, Eleanor Larson, and Quinn Larson.

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nThe entire Larson family was present.

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nThe moment Yvette Larson pushed the door open, everyone’s gazes fell on her.

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nFrancis Larson and Linda James were the first to react.

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nThey rushed over, and Linda James grabbed her daughter’s hand. “My poor daughter. Are you feeling alright?”

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nYvette Larson shook her head. “I’m fine thanks to Finn Taylor.”

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nLinda James ignored the second part of her sentence and pulled her daughter over to Joseph Larson. “Dad, Yvette is back.”

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nJoseph Larson nodded. “That’s good. It’s good that you’re back.”

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nQuince Larson and Eleanor Larson shared a knowing glance that was full of regret. Up until now, they still couldn’t understand why the Larson family’s fate was always bound together, be it for better or for worse. ‘The heavens are really blind since Yvette Larson hasn’t been killed this time.’

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nEleanor Larson put on a concerned expression and asked, “Yvette, did the Sanders family do anything to you? Why don’t you tell us how you managed to come back?”

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nAll eyes were on Yvette Larson because of that question. This was the question in everyone else’s mind as well.

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nThey were all curious about what Yvette Larson had experienced at the Sanders family’s residence.

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nYvette Larson was in a dilemma about how to answer this question.

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n“What’s wrong, Yvette? Do you have something to hide? Don’t tell me that you betrayed us just so you could escape! To think that we were all discussing how to save you!” Eleanor Larson was no different from a shrew. She immediately tried to slander her cousin once she realized that the latter wasn’t replying to her.

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n“Eleanor Larson, you’d better not spout nonsense!”

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n“Spout nonsense? You know best what you’ve done.”

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nThe Old Master—Joseph Larson—nearly fainted from anger upon seeing his grandchildren arguing with each other so intensely. He slammed his fist on the table. “Alright. All of you, shut up!”

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n“Yvette, tell us what happened at the Sanders family’s residence.”

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nEleanor Larson had wanted to go on, but Quince Larson tugged at her. Finally, she relented.

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n“Grandpa, after the Sanders family kidnapped Finn Taylor and me, Grant Sanders asked about my marriage. He then challenged Finn Taylor to a game of chess and said that he would let us go if my husband won. My husband won in the end, and we were allowed to leave.”

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n“Kneel down!” The Old Master, Joseph Larson, only said two words after hearing Yvette Larson. His tone was stern and domineering.

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nYvette Larson was slightly frightened and was just about to kneel down when her husband stopped her.

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nThud!

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nFinn Taylor kneeled down on the ground.

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nIn the Larson family, he was nothing but a matrilocal son-in-law that was looked down on. However, he would never let anyone bully his wife.

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n“So you know how to kneel as well? I thought that you’d gotten so courageous that nothing mattered anymore. Who allowed you to win that game of chess?”

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nYvette Larson was in disbelief. ‘How could Grandpa say that?’

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nShe quickly explained, “Grandpa, I was only able to come back because Finn Taylor won. If he had lost, I might’ve been kept as a prisoner in the Sanders family’s residence forever.”

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n“So what?”

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nJoseph Larson’s words were like a bolt out of the blue to Yvette Larson. “Grandpa, what do you mean?”

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n“What do I mean? I should be the one asking you guys what you mean. So what if you had lost that game of chess? At the very most, you’d have been kept in the Sanders family’s residence. In the end, you might’ve even become Joshua Sanders’s mistress. But now that you’ve won and returned, do you know how much trouble you’ve brought upon the Larson family?”

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n“Finn Taylor, how dare you win against Grant Sanders? Do you think you’re worthy of winning? You’re a jinx! You’re going to kill the whole Larson family!”

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