The Scorned Heiress's Hidden Empire (by Jade Quinn) novel Chapter 244

Chapter 244

The fiftell her garotomeet his. Her look was cool, but it still made Eliott’s heart skip a beat

His eyelids flickered, but he kept that same smile, meeting her gaze head-on.

“Am I wrong” Eliott asked, his tone teasing.

He paused for a moment, then said. “Aren’t you Natalie Moore? The so-called heiress the Grant family booted out? The Mitchell family’s missing daughter they just brought back?

“So, you changed your name for the tournament because you’re scared of losing and embarrassing yourself?”

His voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough for a few people nearby to hear. Some glanced over, murmuring to each other

Natalie tilted her head, her expression unreadable. “You know who I am?”

Eliott flashed a smile that never reached his eyes. “Well… not really, but you do know my sister

Natalie stared him down, just waiting for him to say more.

He leaned in. “You know my sister, Isabelle Grant, right? I know all about the crap she had to deal with from the Grant family.”

He paused, his eyes roaming over her face. “You really think changing your name and identity for the tournament means nobody knows who you are?”

He never thought he’d run into her at a tournament, and for her to be lucky enough to make it to the semifinals.

He’d originally entered the tournament for the prize money from Clark Go Club, 100 thousand dollars for the winner.

Now, with only the two of them left representing Clark Go Club, and after how she treated his sister, he was definitely not going to go easy on her. He was going to make sure she got crushed.

Eliott was sure he could take Natalie down. She was just some newbie with no rank, after all.

He’d never heard Isabelle say Natalie could even play chess. Someone who grew up out in the sticks. How would she even know how to play?

He figured she was just a wannabe who got lucky to make it this far.

Meanwhile, he’d been playing Go since he was a kid, twelve or thirteen years now.

He started at five, got his first dan at seven, made it to professional first dan at ten, won the national youth Go championship at fifteen, and reached professional seventh dan at seventeen.

His teacher was the legendary Go master, Mr. Nelson, in Summerset. Mr. Nelson only ever took on three students, and Ehott was the youngest, and the one everyone thought would go the farthest.

Mr. Nelson once said of him, “He’s got exceptional talent and a calm temperament. With time, he’ll become a true mas

Eliott was sure he had no rivals among his peers. No one his age could even come close.

Professional seventh dan was as high as it got for someone his age. Moving up to eighth or ninth dan would take years and a bunch of big witis, but he wasn’t worried. He had plenty of time.

He was here for two reasons: the 100 thousand dollar prize for the champion, and the contract offer from Clark Go Club

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moirs was a bonus The real goal was the contract

Clark Go Club had just entered the Summerset market and was desperate to make a name for themselves in the Go world Their contract terms were incredibly generous and rumor had it they’d even recommend top players for international

Tournaments.

Eliott was determined to land that contract. He needed this platform to make his mark

He’d always figured his biggest competition would be those old pros or the returnees from the Korean Go Association

But then, out of nowhere, Natalie showed up, a complete amateur with no rank. playing her very first tournament and omehow making it to the semifinals. Everyone just said she got there on pure luck.

Eliott didn’t believe in luck. He only trusted skill.

His credentials spoke for themselves: professional seven dan in Go, twelve or thirteen years of relentless training, and Mr Nelson’s personal teaching.

What could she possibly bring to the table against me?’ Eliott thought.

Natalie brushed her hair back, clearly annoyed by Eliott’s endless bragging. She took a deep breath and said, “Alright, you re o amazing, you’re number one, you could probably fly a plane underwater.

Now that you’ve finished, can you just be quiet for a bit? The match hasn’t even started yet.”

Eliott was stunned by her comeback, his mouth opening and closing but not a single word coming out.

someone nearby burst out laughing, then quickly covered their mouth to stifle it.

Eliott’s face flushed, then turned pale. He gritted his teeth, swallowed whatever he was about to say, leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed, and avoided her gaze.

His heart was racing. Natalie had really gotten under his skin

He’d tried to throw her off her game, but ended up cracking himself instead.

He took a deep breath, pushed all those messy thoughts aside, and reminded himself, ‘Don’t let her mess with you. Well settle this on the board soon enough.’

Natalie idly fiddled with the stones in the basket. If she guessed right, he was probably from the Grant family the ones who took in Isabelle.

They’d run into each other a few times lately, and she could clearly sense his hostility.

Before, she hadn’t figured out the reason for his random hostility, but now it was crystal clear.

The referee signaled the start of the gaine.

Both of them straightened up in their seats. After guessing for first move, Eliott took black, Natalie took white

Eliott placed his first stone on the small star point in the upper right corner, and the media around them kicked off their live

coverage.

Chapter 21 —

Chapter 244

Natalie, playing white, made her moves calm and steady.

In the broadcast room, a few commentators whispered to each other.

“Eliott’s move is very steady. That’s just how he plays.”

“Natalie answered fast too. Seems like she was ready for this.”

“Who do you think will win this game?”

One of the commentators chuckled. “Eliott’s a professional 7-dan and a student of Mr. Nelson. Natare doesn’t even have a rank. What do you think?”

The other commentator didn’t say anything, just stared at the screen, his brow furrowing slightly.

On the board, Eliott’s black stones pressed forward relentlessly, like a beast with its jaws wide open, ready to swallow Natalie’s white stones whole.

Natalie’s white stones, however, remained unhurried, slipping and dodging through his attacks like a leaf floating on water. light and seemingly fragile, yet impossible to pin down.

Eliott frowned, sweat beading on his forehead. Suddenly, he realized every move he made was already par: of Natalie s calculations.

It looked like he was the one making the moves, but in reality, she was the one pulling the strings. She was the one luring him into attacking.

He gritted his teeth and played even more aggressively.

In the broadcast room, the commentator who had just mentioned Eliott’s professional 7-dan rank fell silent.

Another commentator chimed in. “Natalie’s move is really interesting. It looks like she’s backing off, but she’s actually weaving a net.”

The third commentator leaned closer to the screen. “Check out the bottom left corner. The shape of her white stones. She’s not retreating, she’s closing the net.”

On the screen, Natalie’s white stones suddenly surged in the bottom left corner. After a flurry of exchanges, Eliott’s large dragon of black stones was trapped by her white stones.

The commentators looked at each other, astonishment flashing in their eyes.

“This… this kind of play, this kind of strategy, how could a young girl pull off a move like this?”

“No one could play like this without twenty or thirty years of experience, and that’s only if they’re a top-tier prodigy

“Wait a second, doesn’t this way of playing look really familiar to you?”

“Who’s playing?” 4 voice called out from the doorway.

Everyone turned around. Standing in the doorway was an elderly man with gray hair. Harvey Rodriguez. president of the

Suinmerset Go Association.

He walked up to the screen, studied it for a moment, then pointed at a spot on the board. “Look here. There are no mote

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prople the white comtry who could all cut we me like them

He could be have to whete did Summerset get out, a young prodigy”

Everyone in the broadcast ons was stunned their mouths hanging open. All eyyerr glued to that miner on the sorren

On the board. Eliot’s black stones were in disarray

His mind was a mess now He played faster and faster, increasingly frantse as if trying to cover up has nerves with speed

He couldn’t believe Natalie was playing this well. He was getting beaten back at every turn

‘No way! Eliott thought.

‘How is this possible? She doesn’t even have a rank, and this is her first tournament

While Eliott was flustered and losing his cool, Natalie was the picture of composure She didn’t bother racing against his frantic pace. Every move she made was steady, unhurried, and totally under her control.

Eliott’s fingers began to tremble. No matter how desperately he played, he was trapped in her web. There was simply no way

out.

The comm

The commentators in the broadcast room were at a loss for words.

One of them cleared his throat. This game it’s looking really tough for Eliott to make a comeback.”

No one said a word. On the screen, Natalie delivered the final blow, and Eliott’s big dragon of black stones was completely slaughtered.

Eliott’s fingers hovered over the Go bowl, but he just couldn’t make the next move.

The referee came over to count the stones and announced that white had won by mid-game.

Eliott sat there, frozen, staring at the board where his stones were already lifeless.

His breath came in short, ragged bursts. He still couldn’t believe he’d lost, to Natalie, of all people! He’d been so sure he could beat her at the start. Why did I lose?’ Eliott thought.

How is she this good?!’ he thought, still in disbelief.

Natalie stood up, hands in her pockets, and casually strolled over to the registration desk to check in.

1

As she walked past Eliott, she didn’t even look at him, treating him like he was nothing more than an empty chair

In the broadcast room, Harvey stared at the screen, silent for a long moment before finally speaking.

“What’s this girl’s name?” he asked.

A staff member flipped through the files. “Natalie Moore, from the Clark Go Club. No rank.”

Harvey watched Natalie’s figure on the screen and nodded.

So young, yet so steady. Her play was seasoned and mature, every move quietly dangerous, never flaunting her skill

He’d been around the Go scene for over forty years. He’d seen every kind of genius, all sorts of prodigies, even the ones who

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ined alost pernatural

Hed watched kids become famous before they hit twenty, and seen late bloomers finally shine after decades.

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