Adelaide Carlisle had always been a careful person, never taking unnecessary risks, never being overly rebellious or irresponsible. Preferring chess and cooking over motorcycles and parties. Now 22, years after her chess career crashed and burned, her wariness has only gotten worse, now not even wanting to risk the pain of a relationship. But when the things she most fears start pushing their way into her life, will she reject them, or learn to take a few more risks, and be okay with the consequences? Would she abandon everything she'd ever told herself about love for a cocky chess prodigy with a cowboy hat and carefree charm? Or will she build her walls higher than before and choose safety instead? ---------------------------------------------------- !CW! This story contains alc0h0l use, sewersl1de, abvse, and other possibly upsetting themes. please read with caution and enjoy <3 © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Please do not try to copy, screenshot, share, pass off as your own, or use any part of this fan-fiction without giving full credit to author and anyone who assisted the author in writing. Credit to Walter Tevis and Scott Frank, I do not own Benny, Beth, Cleo, Harry, Hilton, Arthur, or Jolene. All other characters and events belong to and are from the imagination of the author. ---------------------------------------------------- Started: May 21, 2023 Finished: July 24th, 2024 This fan-fiction is currently going through some editing of early chapters, please stand by while we finish construction :)

Beth Harmon will be a world-renowned chess player one day, her older sister staying in the shadow letting her little sister shine. Emilie Harmon never thought she'd catch the attention of her sister's opponents but Benny Watts seems to be the fever that Emilie just can't shake. The final question left is who's king will be left standing and whose heart will end up in pieces?