Dumped Then Claimed By A Billionaire (Nerissa and Owen) novel Chapter 21

Chapter 21 Brazen Boasting

Rhys wasn’t just speaking out of impulse when he made those bold claims. From the very start, he never believed Nerissa had any real healing ability.

So he didn’t even consider the consequences.

He was trying to use such an extreme statement to grab Riley and Luke’s attention, to make them realize just how serious the fallout would be if Nerissa actually performed acupuncture on Lennox.

But unfortunately, neither Riley nor Luke cared about him.

‘Fools. This whole family is fools, Rhys thought.

“Swear to be my disciple?” Nerissa raised an eyebrow. “Dr. Calderon, are you serious?”

“I always mean what I say,” Rhys replied firmly.

“Fine,” Nerissa said calmly but with authority in her voice. “I’ll be waiting for you to become my disciple.”

Rhys frowned slightly. This young girl had no shame, bragging like that.

Nerissa glanced at her phone, then fixed her gaze on Luke. “It’s about time. I’ll go in and start the acupuncture. You stay outside and wait. Remember, don’t let anyone in during the procedure.”

Luke nodded solemnly. “Ms. Jamison, don’t worry. I won’t let anyone disturb you.”

Nerissa carried her medical kit into the sterile room.

The door shut behind her.

Ethan, who had remained silent, looked at Riley with concern. “Riley, do you really think Ms. Jamison can do this?”

Rhys had a point.

Nerissa was very young.

Acupuncture was a niche. Ethan had only ever heard of it being used for wellness and detoxification in traditional medicine, never as a cure for serious illness, especially something as severe as Lennox’s condition.

‘W-What if her treatment made things worse?’ Ethan wondered. ‘Besides, Rhys is a top student who studied abroad and was a medical school professor.

‘If even he wouldn’t dare perform the surgery, what right did Nerissa have?’

Lennox was Hannah’s previous son.

Ethan could hardly bear to imagine how shattered Hannah would be if anything went wrong with Lennox under Nerissa’s

care.

And without Lennox at the helm in the business world, chaos was inevitable.

“Don’t worry,” Riley said softly, squeezing her husband’s hand. “Ms. Jamison can handle it.”

Riley wasn’t blindly trusting Nerissa.

First, Nerissa had accurately diagnosed Lennox’s true illness.

Second, she correctly predicted when Lennox would collapse.

Third, Nerissa had all the proper certifications. She wasn’t practicing illegally, and for someone her age to hold so many credentials proved her capability.

Most importantly, though young, Nerissa gave Riley a sense of calm and depth, as if she had a rare maturity beneath her youthful appearance.

That was why Riley believed in Nerissa.

Once Riley chose to believe, she wouldn’t waver.

Rhys stood nearby and naturally heard Riley’s words. He glanced at Ethan.

Ethan was the only clear-headed person left here.

Rhys hoped Ethan would step up and defend Lennox’s interests.

But sadly, Ethan was a weakling, unable to take charge. Even with Rhys’s glance, Ethan remained silent.

‘What a disgrace to be a man, Rhys wondered Successfully unlocked! me, I’d have slapped Riley first to remind her

who truly ruled the household. Women only ever hij en but

The more Rhys thought about it, the angrier he grew. His gaze was fixed firmly on Ethan. “Mr. Merritt, some things, once

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Chapter 21 Brazen Boasting

started, have no turning back. I hope you consider carefully and don’t let a woman hold back what really matters”

Without another word, Rhys turned and walked away.

Just as he reached the lobby, he saw Dean Vincent Parrish approaching with a smile.

“Dr. Calderon,” Vincent greeted Rhys warmly, “I heard the Stratford family brought in some remarkable expert. Didn’t you go watch and learn?”

‘Watch and learn? Remarkable expert?’ Rhys wondered.

A mocking smile crept across Rhys’s face. “Do you know how old the expert the Stratford family hired is?”

“How old?” Vincent asked, curious.

“At most, just barely an adult,” Rhys replied. “She doesn’t even look as professional as our hospital interns.”

But the Stratford family hadn’t grasped how serious this was.

Vincent paused for a moment, then said, “Dr. Calderon, when did you start judging people by their looks? I know Ms. Jamison is young, but she must have some skills.

“Otherwise, the Stratford and Merritt families wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to find her.”

After all, the Stratford and Merritt families were elite among elites.

There was no way they’d be fooled easily.

Rhys frowned again, surprised that even Vincent chose to believe Nerissa instead of siding with him.

‘Do these people really think I can’t measure up to a mere girl?’ Rhys wondered.

The anger boiled up inside Rhys, and he even considered jumping ship.

Vincent clapped Rhys on the shoulder. “Dr. Calderon, I know you’re capable, but there’s always someone stronger. You can’t let that stubbornness get the better of you.”

“It’s not stubbornness. It’s the truth,” Rhys retorted. “Mr. Parrish, just wait. That so-called expert will cause a fatal incident today.”

Vincent smiled helplessly, “Dr. Calderon, calm down, okay?”

Rhys was seething inside. ‘Laugh all you want, Vincent. When Nerissa causes a fatal accident, let’s see how much you’re still smiling,’ he wondered.

Lennox’s status was no joke. Though Riley had signed a waiver, if anything happened in the hospital, Vincent wouldn’t escape responsibility.

After all, Rhys had already warned Vincent.

*****

Inside the sterile room, Lennox lay quietly on the bed, eyes shut tight, long, thick eyelashes casting shadows.

Nerissa wasn’t meeting him for the first time. She knew he had a strikingly handsome face.

What surprised her was that even up close, his complexion was flawless, skin so smooth, a high, sharp nose, chiseled features worthy of a prince.

Nerissa leaned forward beside the bed, opened her medical kit, pulled out a bag of acupuncture needles, and took one out.

Under the surgical light, the needle gleamed with an eerie coldness.

The needle-acupuncture technique had been passed down for over three thousand years.

One needle negative, one needle positive.

Traditional medicine emphasized balance. As long as one mastered that principle, one could regenerate flesh from bare bones.

In her previous life, Nerissa had gained fame overseas by mastering this needle-acupuncture technique.

Holding a needle in each hand, she began the procedure.

She held a needle in each hand and inserted them into two acupoints simultaneously.

Then the needles were driven into every vital acupoint across the chest cavity.

Her needling was lightning-fast with no pause or hesitation.

Far off, there was a certain lively grace in the movements, and the hands weaving needles left afterimages too swift to follow.

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Chapter 21 Brazen Boasting

If anyone had been there at that moment, they would have marveled, recognizing this as the long-lost needle-acupuncture technique.

Where the needle went, vitality appeared.

Lennox felt as if he were enveloped in a fog of confusion.

Everything before his eyes was a hazy blur, and he couldn’t see a thing. His head spun dizzily.

Suddenly, a ray of bright sunlight broke through the dawn, illuminating the path ahead.

His previously foggy mind began to clear slowly, gaining direction and purpose.

It was like a fresh breeze brushing his face, refreshing and awakening him.

At the same time, a faint, pleasant fragrance lingered near his nose, subtle and natural.

Unlike the synthetic perfumes he usually smelled, this scent seemed to come from within and without, like trees after fresh snowfall, crisp, clean, with a hint of sweetness.

It was truly delightful.

In less than half an hour, needles had been placed in all of Lennox’s major acupoints.

Nerissa then took a pill from her medicine box and slipped it into Lennox’s mouth.

The pill wasn’t bitter; it had a subtle white peach sweetness.

At that moment, Lennox’s heartbeat began to steady, his breathing eased, and the needles embedded in his acupoints slowly turned black, a sign of improvement.

Thin wisps of white smoke rose from Lennox’s body, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

His eyelids fluttered; he gently opened his eyes.

In a dreamy haze, he thought he caught a glimpse of a breathtaking profile.

Her skin was smooth, her hands soft and delicate, unbelievably beautiful.

He tried to hold onto the image, but soon his consciousness slipped away again, blurring the line between dream and reality.

Time ticked by, moment after moment.

After a few hours, Rhys returned to the sterile room’s door, but it remained firmly closed.

He glanced at his watch.

Three hours had passed.

Normally, a cesarean section took only about an hour and a half, yet Nerissa had spent three hours just doing acupuncture on Lennox.

Even without much thought, it was clear Lennox’s condition must be dire, and Nerissa was hiding inside, afraid to take responsibility.

Rhys walked up to the three people waiting nearby. “Mr. Merritt, Mrs. Merritt, it’s been three hours with no sign of any movement inside. It’s obvious the situation isn’t good.

“If you want to save Mr. Stratford, you need to kick that door open and pull Nerissa out right now; otherwise, the consequences will be disastrous.”

Ethan checked his watch, beads of sweat forming on his forehead from worry. “Riley, maybe we should listen to Dr. Calderon.”

There might still be a chance to save Lennox if they stopped Nerissa now.

But if they delayed any longer, he was scared it would be too late

“No.” Luke stepped in front of the door. “Ms. Jamison said no one can disturb her while she’s doing acupuncture.”

Riley nodded. “Luke’s right. If Ms. Jamison is at a critical point right now, and you barge in, causing the acupuncture to fail, who would take responsibility for that?”

Rhys realized Riley was completely hopeless.

He sighed, “In that case, Mrs. Merritt, I hope you remember this decision. I have another meeting to attend, so I won’t keep you any longer.”

Just then, the tightly shut door of the sterile room swung open.

A figure stepped out.

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Chapter 21 Brazen Boasting

Everyone looked up at once.

Three hours had passed, and Nerissa’s face showed signs of fatigue; there was none of the triumphant satisfaction one’d expect after a successful acupuncture treatment.

If the procedure had worked, especially after Rhys’s earlier scorn, she would be elated.

Seeing her expression, Rhys immediately knew the treatment had failed. His eyes narrowed, a look of satisfaction flickering beneath his gaze.

‘Pride always comes before a fall; Rhys wondered.

Ethan’s heart skipped a beat when he saw Nerissa, and all the color drained from his own.

‘Could it be Lennox-‘ Ethan wondered.

Riley hurried over to Nerissa, her voice urgent. “Ms. Jamison, how is Lennox? What’s his condition right now?”

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