The Phantom Heiress Rising From The Shadows

Now His Rival 98 Chapter 98 Impossible Harlan was confident that no one could shuffle cards better than he could.

In his hand were three solid cards-a King of Hearts, a Queen of Hearts, and a Jack of Hearts.

He believed Brenna might have known her way around a deck, but she was no match for him.

He laid down the smallest one first-the Jack. Then, he gave Brenna a gentlemanly smile. He didn't care that his face was marred with scars. As long as his cards held, he could always get his way back to the top. "Brenna, it's your turn," he said. He glanced at the staff member beside him. The man held a sharp knife for the punishment after the game. Harlan imagined Ethan sitting helpless, watching the woman he loved lose a finger.

Brenna didn't seem pleased with what she held. She let out a soft sigh, a touch of gloom in her eyes, and tossed one card onto the table without much thought.

Harlan figured it was just sordinary card. From the way Brenna looked, downcast and disappointed, he was sure her hand didn't stand a chance against his.

With a smug smile creeping across his face, he glanced at the card she had thrown. But it turned out to be an Ace of Spades.

"Impossible! I shuffled the cards myself. You were supposed to get low ones. How could it be an Ace?" he exclaimed in shock.

His palms turned clammy. The two cards he had left were both weaker.

What should he do now? A wave of panic washed over Harlan, but he forced himself to breathe. Brenna had gotten lucky with one card. That was all. The other cards she had had to be smaller than his.

"Your move," he said, irritated.

Brenna gave a sweet smile and tossed out another Ace.

Harlan's eyes widened in shock. "No way! Mr. Mitchell, did you help your woman cheat? I know the cards I shuffled. There's no way she could've pulled two Aces. I'm not accepting this!" He slammed the table hard as he spoke.

However, Ethan remained calm. With a flick of a finger, Joonas stepped in and shoved Harlan's head down onto the table. "You dare disrespect Mr. Mitchell? Who do you think you are? You're not even worth his time," he said coldly.

Brenna clicked her tongue. "You lost, then you start accusingof cheating? Harlan, weren't you the one >ragging about your skills? Looks like you're all talk," she said.

00:13 Ethan watched Brenna quietly. She was calm and sure of herself. Almost too sure. Now, he was curious. How did she get this good at gambling? What kind of things had she faced to beclike this? The thought made Ethan's chest tighten. What kind of life h she lived to get this sharp with cards? He believed Brenna must have been through srough years.

But now, with him by her side, no one would lay a hand on her again.

Ethan gave Brenna's hand a gentle pat and said, "Should we just take three of his fingers now?" "No need. Let him choose how he wants to continue," Brenna calmly said.

Ethan chuckled, but his voice carried a sharp edge. "Let him go. We'll let him choose whatever he wants to play." Harlan still couldn't understand. How could a young woman who looked so gentle know her way around cards like that? Should they play dice now? Surely, she couldn't be good at that, too, could she? Without thinking it through, Harlan said, "Dice! One round to determine the winner." He shot Brenna a glare. No way a woman like her could be good at dice.

Soon, the female dealer walked over, cleared the table, and then stepped away. A male staff member in a crisp vest then approached and set the dice between them.

Harlan wasn't about to repeat his earlier mistake. This time, he picked up both sets of dice and checked them with care. Nothing seemed off.

"Lowest score wins!" he said.

"Alright. I'll play. But the loser needs to have three fingers chopped off. With this many people watching, don't even think about backing out," Brenna said, her voice was as sweet as honey.

By then, a crowd had already formed around the table. Most were influential people from Shirie, drawn in by the rising tension and high stakes.

A few foreigners had joined as well, eager to see how the matter would end.

Joonas leaned down and whispered something in Ethan's ear.

Ethan grew uneasy, and he pulled out his phone, ready for a backup plan if cer e things turned bad for Brenna.

Brenna might handle cards well, but when it cto dice, Harlan had real experience. At the Imperial Bar, he hadn't lost a gin years. Ethan shot a glance at Brenna. She looked calm, as if she had the whole thing mapped out already.

Harlan also looked confident. Maybe even more so.

After checking the six dice for flaws, Brenna and Harlan covered them with copper cups and began shaking them. Each had their own rhythm and style.

Brenna gave hers three clean shakes before setting the cup down.

Holding the cup with both hands, Harlan kept shaking. His movements seemed steady and practiced.

The dice rattled sharply against the copper. The sound was crisp and almost musical.

He noticed Brenna had already set her cup down. Only three shakes and no technique.

He believed there was no way she could beat him at this.

Harlan kept shaking his cup. When he was sure it was just right, he finally placed his cup on the table.

Brenna rested her hand lightly on the top of her cup and waited until Harlan was done. Then, slowly, she lifted e the lid.

"Impossible!" Harlan exclaimed in shock.

Brenna's six dice stood perfectly stacked-one on top of the other.

That was supposed to be his specialty. No one else in Shirie could pull it off.