Chapter 109

My heart stirred, and for a moment, I forgot to pull away. "Hurry up and play!" The guy who'd won earlier called out impatiently. Hesitantly, I placed down a "South Pawn". Norman chuckled. "Nice move! Playing the South Pawn—may it bring you smooth sailing." With a grin, he took another drag from his cigarette, adjusting my chessmen for me again. Truthfully, I did know a little about chess. Growing up, I often watched my mom play with her friends, though watching was one thing—playing was another. As I gradually picked up the rules, I found myself getting the hang of it until I looked down at my pieces and realized I had a checkmate. I glanced at Norman, unsure. He casually flicked his cigarette ash and gave me a nudge. "You've got it! Time to collect!" He stood up, calling out loudly, "She won! Hand over the cash!" The other three groaned, reluctantly digging into their pockets. "No way! Mr. Wood's luck just turned. She's won back everything he lost earlier. We need to go