Home / System / The Gambling System / Chapter 14: The First Round
Chapter 14: The First Round
Author: Sam Shelby
last update2025-03-02 18:42:30

Peter hesitated outside Room E52, his hand lingering on the doorknob. His heartbeat pounded in his ears, an insistent drumbeat of doubt.

This is it.

He exhaled.

No turning back now.

He had to try.

With a deep breath, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The air inside was thick with sterile silence, the kind that suffocated sound. A single, dim overhead light illuminated the sleek black-and-white chessboard at the center of the room. A mahogany table stood in sharp contrast to the gleaming, polished pieces set neatly on either side.

The arbiter, a stiff-looking man in a pressed suit, stood at attention near the board, his hands clasped behind his back. His eyes flicked toward Peter but revealed no emotion.

And then—

Jonathan.

Even after all these years, he hadn’t changed much.

He sat with his back straight, arms folded, exuding an aura of quiet superiority. His thick-rimmed glasses still perched on his nose, reflecting the overhead light in a way that hid his eyes. A
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