Dumped Then Claimed By A Billionaire (Nerissa and Owen) novel Chapter 4

Chapter 4 Grandpa

Moonlight streamed in through the window, casting a faint glow over Lennox’s side profile.

His thin lips were pressed into a hard line, radiating an overwhelming aura of authority that made it difficult for anyone in the room to even breathe. The atmosphere grew stifling.

Even though Luke was his nephew, he did not dare say another word. He instinctively lowered himself, his tone turning impeccably respectful. “All right, Lennox. I’ll have someone look into it immediately.”

Luke admired people with talent, especially promising juniors like Owen.

Fine. If Lennox wants an investigation, then let him have one, Luke thought. Real genius isn’t afraid of tests. I’m sure Owen won’t disappoint him. Once the results are out, Lennox will realize he misunderstood Owen.

The thought of uncovering the truth and shocking Lennox in the near future made Luke unreasonably excited.

‘Lennox stands high above everyone else, untouchable and almost divine,’ Luke thought again. ‘All these years, no one has ever managed to shake him. And I’ll be the first. Oh yeah.’

*****

At the same time, Nerissa returned to the home she remembered.

It was a very ordinary residential complex in Aosthorne.

After Hunter Jamison adopted Nerissa, he had always rented an apartment here.

Nerissa took the elevator up to the eighth floor and raised her hand to knock.

About a minute later, the door opened.

Standing there was an elderly man in his early sixties, his features gentle and kind. Hunter froze when he saw Nerissa at the door. Then he blurted out in shock, “Nerissa? Why are you back so late?”

It was already past midnight.

Hunter was sixty-three this year. His hair had turned gray in places, but he was still in decent shape.

A year ago, when Nerissa insisted on marrying Owen, Hunter had strongly opposed it. He believed she was still too young and should not give up her education for a man.

“Nerissa refused to listen and ended up having a fierce argument with him. Their relationship had grown extremely strained.

In the end, Nerissa threatened to starve herself, and only then did Hunter reluctantly agree to the marriage.

“Grandpa,” Nerissa said with a smile.

Only after she spoke did Hunter dare believe that what he was seeing was real. Overcome with emotion, he pulled Nerissa inside.

But the moment his hand closed around hers, something occurred to him. He immediately let go, flustered. “Nerissa, I-I’m sorry.”

‘Her status is low now,’ Hunter thought. ‘She’s a lady from a blue-blood family, while I’m just a janitor in this neighborhood.’

Hunter braced himself for her to lose her temper. Instead, Nerissa smiled and took hold of the hand he had just released. “Grandpa, I really want to eat the pasta you make.”

Hunter was stunned.

After Nerissa married into the Calloway family, she had slowly changed. She began to look down on Hunter for his humble background, for being a janitor in a residential complex. She even refused to acknowledge him as her grandfather in front of others.

But now, seeing her hold his hand, Hunter felt his nose sting. “All right. Come in. I’ll make you some pasta right away.”

Since marrying into the Calloway family, Nerissa had come home to visit Hunter fewer than three times.

Hunter’s coworkers all said he had raised an ungrateful child.

At this very moment, Hunter wished he could grab a loudspeaker and shout to the entire neighborhood that his granddaughter had come back to see him.

Before heading into the kitchen, Hunter casually turned on the air conditioner in the living room.

That small gesture deeply moved Nerissa.

The older generation was used to living frugally. Even on sweltering summer nights, Hunter was reluctant to turn on the air conditioner, yet he was always willing to give Nerissa the very best of everything.

Her tone was calm, but the words hit like a boulder thrown into a still lake, sending waves crashing in every direction. Hunter’s eyes went wide.

‘She’s divorced? How is that even possible?’ Hunter thought, hardly believing his own ears.

It took a long while before he found his voice. Nervously, he asked, “Nerissa, did someone in the Calloway family bully you? Don’t be scared. I’m here. If they dared lay a hand on you, I’d fight them to the end.”

A year ago, Hunter had opposed Nerissa marrying Owen.

A year later, when he learned that Nerissa had divorced Owen, he did not blame her for bringing it on herself. His first instinct was that she had been wronged and that he needed to stand up for her.

Nerissa looked at Hunter and spoke softly. “Grandpa, don’t worry. No one can bully me. I was foolish before. I treated Owen like he was everything. Now that I’ve come to my senses, I’ll naturally stay away from him and live a better life.”

Hearing that she had not been mistreated, Hunter let out a breath of relief, then asked again, “Then, you’re really divorced?”

He still found it hard to believe.

In his eyes, Nerissa had loved Owen desperately. During the time she went on a hunger strike, she had gone two full days without a single drop of water. ‘She loved him that much. How could she suddenly get divorced?’ he thought.

Nerissa did not explain further. She simply took the divorce agreement out of her bag. “Here. I think you were right.

“I’m only nineteen. I should focus on my studies, get into a university I truly want, and live up to my youth, and to myself.”

Nineteen was the most beautiful age of a person’s life. It should be spent chasing dreams, not rushing into marriage.

Only after seeing the divorce papers did Hunter realize that Nerissa was not lying. At that moment, his hands began to tremble.

Nerissa looked at him and said with quiet resolve, “Grandpa, I was immature before. I was too willful and broke your heart.

“I failed everything you taught me all these years. From now on, I’ll study hard and make sure we live a good life together.”