The Phantom Heiress Rising From The Shadows novel Chapter 97

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Chapter 97 He Has Never

Lost Before

Harlan eyed Brenna with a mixture of arrogance and hate, letting out a derisive snort. “So that’s why you were acting so fearless earlier. I thought you had real skills, but it turns out you’re just hiding behind a man.”

Brenna looked at the man in front of her. He had been beaten badly and carried an air of defiance. She raises an eyebrow slightly. “And what exactly are you implying?”

Truthfully, Harlan had no real understanding of Ethan’s influence. In less than a decade, Ethan had turned the Mitchell Group from a mid–tier company into a global empire, becoming the wealthiest man in the world in the

process.

But no one was invincible. Everyone had their weak spots. Could Ethan really be good at gambling, too?

Harlan studied Ethan intently, but Ethan’s piercing stare sent a shiver down his spine. Unable to maintain eye contact, Harlan looked away, realizing just how outmatched he was.

Ethan, unimpressed by Harlan’s bravado, turned to Brenna and asked in a tender voice, “Do you want me to

help you?”

He assumed the odds weren’t in her favor. After all, he believed not many women truly excelled at gambling

Still, regardless of the outcome, Ethan wasn’t about to let anything happen to Brenna. Losing a round of cards was one thing, but losing a finger was unthinkable.

Harlan quickly caught on to Ethan’s offer and straightened up, saying to Brenna, “You can’t let him help you! No outside help. If you have the guts to challenge me, don’t go running to a man for help! That’s unfair!” –

But then, as if realizing something, he sneered, “Actually, now that I think about it, you probably don’t know much about gambling. Even if you bring Ethan into this, it won’t change anything. Let me tell you something. you pathetic woman–whether he’s here or not, I’m not afraid of you. And if you lose, I won’t hesitate to chop off your finger, no matter who’s standing by your side. I’m not someone you can push around.”

He thumped his chest arrogantly. “I’ve been ruling these tables since you were still in school. If you’re having second thoughts, now’s the time to back out. Just crawl under the table and apologize to me, and I’ll let this

slide.”

He gestured grandly to the entire ninth floor, exuding confidence despite his disheveled state. “Go ahead and ask around. Who on this floor doesn’t know me? Who has ever walked away with a win against Harlan?”

He then jabbed a finger toward Joonas and declared, “If you don’t believe me, ask him. Has anyone ever beaten

me on the ninth floor?”

At that moment, he regarded Brenna disdainfully, as though she had already lost.

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Chapter 97 He Has Never Lost Before

The Imperial Bar might be one of Ethan’s many businesses, but with his extensive empire to manage, he rarely had time to concern himself with the regulars here or the winning streaks.

Still, he glanced at Joonas, who immediately stepped forward and said respectfully, “Mr. Mitchell, Harlan has

never lost on the ninth floor.”

dmit

Harlan scoffed, “So, what’s it going to be, Miss Harper? Admit defeat now, or are you ready to lose your fingers?”

Thiago, seething with anger, snapped, “Watch your mouth, Harlan. Brenna’s skill is leagues ahead of yours. You should be worrying about how you’ll beg for mercy when it’s your fingers on the chopping block. You might want to have an ambulance on standby for reattachment.”

Harlan slammed his hand against the table, his face twisting in rage. “Who the hell asked for your opinion? Stay out of this!” he exclaimed.

still bitter over Thiago’s earlier attempt to inject him with that stuff, Harlan itched to beat him. Gritting his teeth, he added, “Don’t get cocky. You won’t be laughing when this is over. If you’ve got any guts, stay here after this is over. I will deal with you then.”

Thiago merely smirked, unbothered. He knew exactly what kind of man Harlan was and had prepared for what might happen accordingly.

The dealer had already dealt the cards.

Stacks of chips sat neatly beside both players, the required thirty million in betting chips ready to go.

Harlan glanced at Brenna’s stack arrogantly. He motioned to the dealer, signaling for her to shuffle the deck.

In his mind, Brenna was nothing more than an amateur–a casual card player out of her depth in a high–stakes.