Chapter 3

My father's pupils tightened. He froze where he sat.

"She really got it..."

He murmured under his breath, his first reaction still disbelief.

"It has to be a coincidence. She must have gotten lucky."

Marissa was beaming beside him, her face full of smug pride.

"See? I told you Sophie has talent.

"How is that a coincidence? That's her ability."

Sophie immediately puffed out her cheeks.

"What coincidence? My intuition is real."

She straightened her spine, arrogance burning in her eyes.

My father still kept his voice steady, though surprise was obvious in his face.

"Don't get too proud. That's only the first match.

"You still have two more. Nothing is settled yet."

Sophie lifted her chin with a winner's smile.

"Just watch. I'll hit the next two too."

Over the next two days, Marissa did exactly what she had done in my previous life. She pushed Sophie's image everywhere.

In just forty-eight hours, the story that the Foster family had found a lucky charm spread through Harbor City's elite circles.

Sophie didn't understand matches. She didn't read data.

She relied on intuition alone and still called World Cup scores with perfect accuracy.

Rumors exploded.

"A girl in her twenties who doesn't even understand soccer? A lucky charm? That's absurd."

"Has the Foster family lost its mind? They're really considering handing the book to the daughter of the second wife?"

"Doesn't the eldest Foster son have anything to say? He's the first wife's legitimate son."

Soon, the second match began.

The living room was bright again, and the whole family gathered there.

After two days of hype, even my father carried a trace of expectation under his doubt.

He looked at Sophie, who sat there calm and composed.

"Second match. Are you confident?"

Sophie sat up straight, not hesitating at all.

"Of course. Dad, don't worry. I won't be wrong."

Pretending to think for a moment, she lightly gave another score.

Once again, it was an upset result almost no industry analyst had predicted.

Marissa immediately cheered her on.

"Our Sophie was born for this."

Half-believing, half-doubting, my father followed her call and entered another position.

Everyone waited.

When the final whistle sounded, the score on the screen matched Sophie's answer perfectly.

Second hit. Perfect again.

This time, my father could no longer say it was coincidence.

The casual disbelief disappeared from his face, leaving only seriousness.

One match was luck. Two matches meant ability.

Two exact upset scores in a row. Even veterans who had spent decades in the betting world might not pull that off.

For the first time, my father looked at this daughter and wondered if she truly had a gift.

Marissa smiled so widely she could barely close her mouth.

"Honey, surely you can't still call it luck now.

"Our Sophie really has talent."

Public opinion fermented completely. The tone in Harbor City's circles changed overnight.

The people who had questioned Sophie before fell silent.

Some even sighed that the Foster family's legitimate heir had studied the field for years, yet still lost to his stepsister's natural talent.

In just two days, Sophie's reputation soared.

She was already being quietly called the new princess of the betting world.

Soon, the third match arrived.

The atmosphere in the living room was tense to the extreme.

My father looked solemn, his voice more serious than ever.

"Sophie, for the first two matches, I only tested with small positions. I didn't dare put in major capital.

"But for this final test, if you can call it accurately again...

"I'll honor my promise. The entire Foster World Cup book will be under your control."

That sentence was practically a public announcement.

The next-generation betting heir of the Foster family might change.