The Scorned Heiress's Hidden Empire (by Jade Quinn) novel Chapter 23

When Ryan heard these sleazy insults, his eyes burned with rage, his fists clenching so tightly that his knuckles cracked. He was ready to lunge, but Natalie raised her hand again and pressed it gently against his

arm.

Ryan looked at her. Her face was still unreadable, but a flicker of coldness passed through her eyes.

“Karma has a way of dealing with filthy mouths,” Natalie said.

Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, a few pebbles came out of nowhere and struck the knees of the guys who’d been talking. They dropped to the ground with a thud, grimacing in pain.

Max yelled, “Ow! Who the hell did that? That hurts like hell.”

They stared at the stones on the ground, completely baffled. The others around them were also thrown off by the sudden turn of events.

“Was that you?” Max demanded. He and his lackeys pointed at Natalie, a mix of shock and anger on their faces.

The direction the stones had come from seemed to be from her side, but none of them had seen her move.

Natalie didn’t even look at them. Her voice was indifferent. “Did you see me doing anything? Are we racing or not? If you win, the car will be yours.”

A flicker of unease passed through the crew, but their greed for the Phantom and their blind confidence in their own side quickly drowned it out.

Max steadied himself. Whatever unease he’d felt was completely overridden by her last words. He said, “Of course we’re racing. You said it yourself. If you lose, I’ll take the car.

“I’ll add something to the pot. Beating a girl like you wouldn’t look good on me anyway.”

Max thought for a moment, then raised his voice so everyone nearby could hear. “If you beat me, my crew and I will steer clear of you from now on.

“And I’ll throw in thirty percent of my new club. No strings attached. How’s that for a deal?”

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

Max had poured a fortune into this new club of his. It was his latest money pit. It hadn’t even opened yet, but word was already spreading through the scene. Thirty percent equity in that place was worth a hell of a lot.

That bet carried way more weight than betting a few luxury cars. And for Max, it was the perfect way to show he was “too classy to squabble with a woman“. Of course, deep down, Max was sure he couldn’t lose.

Hearing that, Natalie didn’t react at all and said in a flat tone, “Fine.” Then she added, “But I don’t want your club shares.”

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Chapter 23

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55 vouchers

Natalie thought, ‘A trashy place like that from a guy like this? What kind of money could it even make? Besides, I don’t need that.

Max blinked. “Then what do you want?”

Natalie’s gaze drifted past him, landing on the modified GTR behind him, and then on the other sports cars a bit further away.

“If I win, I get your and those three’s GTRs,” she said, raising her hand to point at the ones who had been running their mouths the most earlier.

She continued, “Each of them will need to give up the best car they own, and I’ll smash them. On the spot.”

“S–smash them?” Max asked. He and his lackeys behind him went pale.

“That’s right. Smash them,” Natalie repeated. There wasn’t a trace of joking in her eyes. “In front of everyone. With sledgehammers. I’ll get to smash them into scrap. Not one car will be left intact.”

The place went dead quiet. That bet was brutal.

For guys like them, a luxury car wasn’t just a ride. It was status, a toy, and who they were.

Smashing one into scrap metal in front of everyone was like stripping them naked in public and stomping on their pride. They’d never be able to show their faces in their circle again.

Ryan sucked in a sharp breath, too, staring at Natalie with even more amazement. He thought, ‘When Natalie plays, she plays for keeps.

Max’s face grew grim. He glared at Natalie, his chest heaving. He thought, ‘This chick isn’t trying to race me. She wants to ruin me.‘

“What? Scared?” Natalie tilted her head, a faint trace of mockery slipping into her voice. “You were so confident a moment ago.”

She was using reverse psychology, and in this moment, it worked like a charm.

Max was trapped. With everyone watching, he’d already talked big. Backing down now would be even more humiliating than losing the race. If he did, he might as well kiss his reputation goodbye not only on Blackridge Mountain, but also in the entire Harbor City scene.

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She smiled at Ryan, “It’s fine.”

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