Dumped Then Claimed By A Billionaire (Nerissa and Owen) novel Chapter 136

Chapter 136

Anna fired off three questions in a row, worried her mom might have heard wrong.

“That’s the Stratford family!’ Anna thought, her heart racing.

They were the number one family in the country.

And Mr. Stratford? He was a legend, way out of anyone’s league. Not even thirty yet, and he’d already pulled off so many business miracles.

Anna never even dared to dream about someone like him.

But now?

The Stratford family was actually moving to Kindowen.

And Hannah Stratford was coming to Kindowen to choose the next mistress of the Stratford family. For Anna,

this was her shot.

A golden opportunity.

She was beautiful, smart, and capable, just the type Hannah Stratford was looking for.

“Rumor has it, so I bet it’s true, there’s no smoke without fire,” Luna said, narrowing her eyes. “Anna, you better be ready. Once the Stratford family lands in Kindowen, you can bet they’re gonna stir things up.”

“I know, Mom,” Anna nodded.

After that, Anna glanced at Dawn.

He was pretty impressive, honestly.

But next to Mr. Stratford, he just seemed a little too green.

‘Too bad,’ Anna thought.

‘Guess he’ll just have to settle for being my plan B from now on,’ she mused.

A guy as devoted as Dawn would probably never marry anyone else, just for her.

That was fine by her.

Guys would do anything for the girl they liked.

When the time came, she’d just treat him like another stepping stone.

Besides,

he was the best kind of stepping stone you could ask for.

Just imagining how other girls could only dream of a guy like him, while he was here acting like a total simp for her and getting used as her stepping stone, gave Anna a huge sense of superiority. Her grin couldn’t get any wider.

Meanwhile, Hannah Stratford was still taking Nerissa around, making introductions to everyone.

Nerissa didn’t mind the hassle, she just followed Hannah Stratford everywhere.

Just then, a woman’s voice called out from behind them, “Mrs. Sullivan, Miss Sullivan.”

Mrs. Sullivan turned around.

It was Sue.

To be precise, it was Sue, and she was clearly here with a plan.

Mrs. Sullivan looked at Sue and introduced her to Arie. “Arie, this is Miss Sue from the Clark Group in Crivel. She studied abroad with your eldest cousin.”

“Hello, Miss Sue,” Nerissa greeted her politely.

Sue nodded slightly and reached out to shake Nerissa’s hand. “Hello, Miss Sullivan. I’m Lillian.”

“Word is, even though you grew up way out in the sticks, you don’t have a trace of that country bumpkin vibe. Not only are you multi-talented, but you’ve mastered everything from music and chess to calligraphy and painting,” Sue said, her voice pitched just right so the whole banquet hall could hear.

Those words barely left her mouth before everyone’s eyes were on Nerissa, waiting to see how she’d react.

Forget Nerissa’s background, she was the Sullivan family’s only granddaughter and their one true heir. If she didn’t have any spark, how could she ever be worthy of the name?

If she couldn’t even put someone like Sue in her place, how was she supposed to rule the Sullivan Group one day?

Tonight wasn’t just Nerissa’s big family reveal.

This was her chance to flex her skills and prove she’s got what it takes in front of everyone.

Nerissa could tell Sue wasn’t here to play nice, but she just flashed a confident, dimpled smile. She met Sue’s gaze without a hint of nerves, her lips parting as she spoke, “You’re too kind, Miss Sue. I wouldn’t say I’m an expert, but I do have some skill in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.”

Sue couldn’t hide the sarcasm in her eyes as she listened to Nerissa’s reply.

She’d just dug up all the info she could on Nerissa.

From what she found, Nerissa was nothing special, aside from a divorce, there was really nothing to write home about.

‘This basic girl actually has the nerve to claim she knows music, chess, calligraphy, and painting? Seriously?’

Sue scoffed to herself.

‘Absolutely ridiculous,’ Anna snorted to herself.

Sue followed up with a sly smile, “Miss Sullivan, you really are something else! I feel a bit out of my league here. So, tell us, out of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, which one would you say is your true specialty?”

“They’re all about the same for me,” Nerissa said, completely relaxed and not bothered at all by Sue’s probing.

Sue kept pushing, “So that means you’re pretty good at chess too, huh?”

Nerissa gave a casual nod. “Not bad at all.”

Sue’s smile grew even wider. “So, Miss Sullivan, which do you play best, Chess or Go?”

“I know a bit of both, but Go is definitely my favorite,” Nerissa replied.

“Oh, what a coincidence!” Sue pretended to be surprised. “Bet you didn’t know, Nerissa, I just happen to be a retired Go player. I even made a bit of a name for myself internationally, back in the day. They say it’s rare to find a true opponent. So, do I have the honor of challenging you to a match tonight?”

Nerissa didn’t even blink. “Of course,” she said, cool as ever.

Sue’s grin sharpened. “But come on, what’s a game without a little bet? Miss Sullivan, if you lose, why don’t you hand over that East Sea Mermaid Pearl Victor gave you? Let’s make things interesting.”

There were only two East Sea Mermaid Pearls in the world.

They were the Sullivan family’s most prized heirloom.

To show the world just how much they valued Nerissa, Mrs. Sullivan, after talking it over with her eight sons, decided to give one of the pearls to Nerissa.

If Nerissa lost the East Sea Mermaid Pearl to Sue, she wouldn’t just be giving up the Berenson family’s treasured heirloom, she’d be dragging both the Berenson and Sullivan families’ reputations straight through the dirt.

But if Nerissa chickened out now, she’d lose all respect as the Sullivan family’s heir and become the laughingstock of the entire banquet hall.

Hannah Stratford’s brows knitted together. ‘What is Sue trying to pull?’ she thought.

‘Does she think the Sullivan family’s got no backbone?’

‘How dare she treat Arie this way!’

Just as Mrs. Sullivan was about to step forward, Nerissa gently grabbed her arm. “Grandma, I’ve got this,” she said, her voice steady and full of confidence.

Those simple words were all it took to put Mrs. Sullivan at ease.

Mrs. Sullivan nodded.

Nerissa looked straight at Sue, her voice cool and steady. “Miss Sue, if we’re going to compete, let’s keep things fair. The East Sea Mermaid Pearl is the Sullivan family’s most prized heirloom, there are only two of these in existence. If you lose, what will you wager?”

Sue immediately took off the necklace around her neck and held it out. “This is the Ocean Star, handed down from my great-grandfather. Miss Sullivan, are you brave enough to bet against me?”

Nerissa flashed a calm, confident smile. “Why not?”

As soon as she said that, the whole banquet hall went dead silent.

“Is Miss Sullivan crazy? Sue’s an undefeated Go master, no one’s ever beaten her!” someone whispered.

“Rumor has it, nobody in the Go world can take down Sue, except maybe N,” another person chimed in.

N was once a sensation in the international Go world.

But N retired two years ago.

N was seriously mysterious. Every time they played, nobody ever saw their face, they always wore a mask and a hat, and only used fingerprint scans to prove their identity. Thanks to the organizers keeping everything under wraps, nobody even knew if N was a guy or a girl.

‘Could Nerissa actually be better than N?’ someone whispered, disbelief in their voice.

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