Dumped Then Claimed By A Billionaire (Nerissa and Owen) novel Chapter 13

Chapter 13 Mockery

In Owen’s eyes, Nerissa was nothing but dead weight.

‘What did she know about games? What did she know about AAA titles?’ Owen thought to himself. ‘The Calloway Group had only reached where it is today because I earned it with sweat and hard work.

‘Nerissa’s greatest contribution to the Calloway Group was signing a marriage certificate with me. And now she wanted to help Kinsbeat Game win the Celestial Dome Awards? What a ridiculous fantasy.

Owen never took Nerissa’s joining the Kinsbeat Game seriously.

He narrowed his eyes slightly. “Clive used to have at least a sliver of hope. Now it looks like he doesn’t even have that anymore. For all his academic credentials, he still let Nerissa fool him. What an idiot.”

‘Having an opponent like Clive is an insult to me,’ Owen thought.

Yale felt that Owen’s assessment made perfect sense. Nerissa was, at best, a girl who had not even finished high school, while Owen was someone who had once received praise from Lennox himself.

Nerissa simply could not compare to Owen in any way.

Yale turned to him. “I was worried Clive wouldn’t agree to the acquisition. But now that Nerissa has stepped in and stirred things up, there’s nothing to worry about anymore.

“All we need to do now is wait for Clive to come begging the Calloway Group to acquire Kinsbeat Game.”

Owen seemed to think of something and spoke again. “Did Nerissa join Kinsbeat Game because of me?”

Given the current situation, there were only two possible reasons why Nerissa had joined Kinsbeat Game.

First, she wanted to get his attention.

Second, she intended to help him acquire Kinsbeat Game. In other words, she was not really joining the company at all; she was acting as a spy inside Kinsbeat Game.

Owen had not understood why Nerissa suddenly joined the Kinsbeat Game before. Now, he finally had his answer.

Yale widened his eyes in shock and exclaimed, “I never thought Nerissa could love you so humbly.

“Just to please you, she actually took the initiative to join Kinsbeat Game. What was she thinking? Isn’t it better to live well on her own? Why did she have to cling to you so desperately?”

Owen felt disgusted by Nerissa as well.

He had clearly already divorced her, yet that shameless woman was still harboring thoughts about him. “I’ve never seen a woman as shameless as Nerissa.”

Yale also thought Nerissa’s behavior was shameless and completely lacking in boundaries.

She showed no regard for the fact that Owen already had someone he truly loved.

That kind of behavior was truly worthless.

The more Owen thought about it, the more irritated he became. “Forget Nerissa. How’s the preparation on the R&D side coming along?”

Once the conversation shifted to business, Yale immediately straightened up. “Owen, don’t worry. Everything on the R&D side is progressing very smoothly. Mr. Stratford will definitely choose to work with us.”

Owen nodded, a flash of satisfaction crossing his eyes.

He hoped to successfully acquire Kinsbeat Game, secure a smooth partnership with the Stratford Group, and win the Celestial Dome Awards.

Three goals achieved in one move. When that time came, all of Absthorne would be under Owen’s control.

Not just Aosthorne, even in Kindowen, I’ll claim a place for myself, Owen thought, the corner of his lips lifting into a confident, determined smile.

Nerissa had been busy with Kinsbeat Game matters and had barely slept all night. It was not until a little past four in the morning that she finally lay down and dozed off for a while.

At nine o’clock sharp, Nerissa woke up on time Successfully unlocked hone while brushing her teeth and washing

After finishing her morning routine, she went downstairs to exercise.

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Chapter 13 Mockery

She started with thirty minutes of light jogging, followed by another thirty minutes of morning workouts. By the time she finished, it was already 10:10 a.m.

Hunter was coming back for lunch at noon. Although Nerissa’s cooking skills were fairly average, she had no trouble handling simple home-style dishes.

At eleven thirty, the moment Hunter stepped through the door, he caught the aroma of stir-fried food.

He looked at Nerissa, who was busy in the kitchen, in surprise. “Nerissa, are you cooking?”

“Yes, Grandpa. I’m just making one more soup, and then we can eat,” Nerissa said.

Hunter’s eyes widened.

When Nerissa was younger, she had lived with him in the slums, but he had never let her cook. Back then, Nerissa could not cook at all; she could not even tell sugar from salt.

Yet now, she was standing in the kitchen, cooking.

‘How much effort did Nerissa put in just to fit into the Calloway family?’ Hunter thought to himself.

A wave of bitterness rose in his chest. He quickly took off his vest. “Nerissa, I’ll cook. You go rest.”

“It’s fine, Grandpa. We’re almost done. Just one soup left. Please go wash your hands,” Nerissa said.

Hunter couldn’t win against Nerissa, so he went to wash his hands first.

By the time he came back, Nerissa had already set the dishes on the table.

There were three dishes and a soup.

Hunter looked at the food and smiled, “Great. Really great. Nerissa, just looking at this makes it seem delicious.”

Nerissa served him a portion of pasta. “Grandpa, you’re flattering me too much. You haven’t even taken a bite yet. How do you already know it’s good?”

Hunter took the plate. “I can tell by the smell.”

To prove he wasn’t exaggerating, Hunter, who usually ate only one serving of pasta, forced himself to finish two servings that day.

After the meal, Nerissa went with Hunter to Dylan’s place.

Their home was more than ten miles away from Dylan’s. The subway ride took about thirty minutes.

When they arrived, it was already past one in the afternoon.

Hunter stood at the door and knocked.

“Who is it? Stop knocking already. Can’t you see there’s a doorbell?” A gray-haired woman opened the door impatiently. Hunter looked at Lyra Holloway and immediately put on a smile. “Hello, Mrs. Holloway.”

Lyra was Dylan’s wife’s mother.

Lyra glanced at Hunter, the contempt in her eyes impossible to hide. “I was just wondering who would ignore the doorbell and pound on the door like that. Turns out it’s you.”

‘Slum people really don’t belong anywhere decent. How embarrassing. He probably didn’t ring the bell because he doesn’t even know what a doorbell is, Lyra thought.

Her gaze shifted, landing on Nerissa behind Hunter, and her expression changed instantly. “Oh, Nerissa, you’re here, too. What a rare visit. Come on in.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Lyra turned toward the inside of the house. “Winifred, Dylan, come out. We have distinguished guests.”

Nerissa clearly saw the contrast in Lyra’s attitude. She said nothing and followed Hunter inside.

Just as Hunter was about to change his shoes, Winifred Holloway came out of the living room. When she saw Nerissa, surprise filled her eyes.

‘Didn’t Hunter and Nerissa cut ties completely? How did they make up so quickly?’ Winifred thought.

Despite the questions swirling in her mind, she didn’t show it. She smiled at once and said, “Hunter, Nerissa, why are you changing shoes when you’re coming back to your own home? There’s no need.”

Winifred walked over and affectionately linked her arm with Nerissa’s. “It’s been so long, Nerissa. You’ve gotten even prettier.”

“Hello, Winifred,” Nerissa greeted politely.

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Chapter 13 Mockery

Winifred froze for a moment.

‘Nerissa seems especially different today, she thought. ‘That blue-blood family really does elevate people. Nerissa not only looked better than before, but her overall presence had also improved as well”.

In the past, she had always carried an air of small-town timidity, cautious and restrained wherever she went.

“Fine.” Winifred nodded, then looked at Hunter with a mildly reproachful tone. “Hunter, honestly. If you were coming over, you should’ve said something in advance.

“I could’ve had Dylan go buy some dishes Nerissa likes.”

Standing in his son’s and daughter-in-law’s place, Hunter felt a little uncomfortable. “I didn’t want to trouble you. Nerissa and I already ate at home before coming.”

“Don’t say that. That just sounds distant. We’re all family,” Dylan said as he walked over. “You have to stay for dinner tonight. Nerissa hasn’t been back in so long.”

“Yes, Dylan’s right,” Lyra chimed in immediately. “Winifred, you and Dylan stay home and keep your dad and Nerissa company. I’ll go buy groceries.”

Winifred nodded. “Okay, Mom. Hurry back, and remember to buy more seafood. Nerissa likes it.”

Hunter hurried to say that there was no need to buy groceries, but Dylan, Winifred, and his friend and family were simply too enthusiastic. He couldn’t stop them at all.

After they went into the living room and sat down, Dylan and Winifred kept themselves busy making coffee for Hunter and Nerissa.

At that moment, the door that had been closed opened.

“Mom, Dad, do we have guests?” A young woman’s voice came from the doorway.

“Ivy’s back,” Winifred replied with a smile. “Come over here. Your grandpa and your cousin Nerissa are home.”

Ivy Holloway’s expression darkened.

She was one year younger than Nerissa and was currently a senior in high school.

Although the two girls were not related by blood, they were sisters in name. Ivy, however, was a genuine city girl with a privileged background. She had loving parents, as well as doting grandparents on her mother’s side.

The Holloway family’s circumstances in Aosthorne were fairly average, but Dylan and Winifred had only one daughter, and they had spoiled Ivy since she was little.

She had been raised according to the standards of a blue-blooded family heiress. By the time she was three or four years old, she had already been exposed to refined arts such as piano, guitar, and ballet.

And Nerissa?

Not only did Nerissa have no parents, but she had also grown up in the slums. When Ivy was practicing the piano, Nerissa could only play with mud in the slums.

When Ivy was learning ballet, Nerissa was still playing with mud. Other than playing with mud, what else did Nerissa know how to do?

Because of this, Ivy had always felt a strong sense of superiority in front of Nerissa, and she genuinely enjoyed being looked at with envy by her.

But just when Ivy thought she would be able to keep Nerissa under her foot for the rest of her life, Nerissa suddenly became the young madam of the blue-blooded Calloway family.

Ivy was driven nearly mad with jealousy.

In Ivy’s eyes, Nerissa was nothing more than a useless country girl, the kind who wouldn’t even be hired as a nanny in the city.

‘What right does she have to marry into a blue-blood family?’ Ivy thought. ‘Even I never had the chance to step into a blue- blood family. Why does Nerissa get to?’

Seeing Nerissa now, Ivy felt a complicated mix of emotions and an unexplainable discomfort. Still, she forced a smile. “Hi, Nerissa.”

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