Dumped Then Claimed By A Billionaire (Nerissa and Owen) novel Chapter 5

Chapter 5 Meeting Again

Hunter looked at Nerissa, and for a fleeting moment, he seemed to see the tiny baby she once was, still wrapped in swaddling clothes.

When he had first found Nerissa, she had only been a few months old, her entire body covered in blood.

Everyone had tried to persuade him not to take her in. She was far too young, they said. Without breast milk, there was no way she would survive.

It had been winter, and not a single onlooker was willing to adopt her. Unable to harden his heart, Hunter carried Nerissa home anyway. Even though his son and his wife both opposed adopting her, he stood his ground and raised her himself.

As her grandfather, Hunter, wanted more than anything for Nerissa to live well, to be safe, happy, and at peace for the rest of her life.

So he took meticulous care of her.

“Nerissa, we’re family. There’s no need for all that empty talk,” Hunter said gently. “Since you’ve decided to start over, don’t burden yourself with unnecessary thoughts.

“I have a steady paycheck now. Paying for your SATs and college won’t be a problem at all. It’s late. Get yourself settled, wash up, and go to bed. Your room is already cleaned.”

Even if Nerissa never got into a top university and never gave him a better life, she would still be his granddaughter. Everything he gave her came with no expectation of return.

“Okay, Grandpa.” Nerissa nodded and walked toward her room.

Hunter headed to the corner of the living room.

Seeing him expertly pull the curtain shut and lower the single bed he slept on made Nerissa’s chest tighten.

‘I need to figure out a way to make money as soon as possible,’ she thought. ‘I need to improve our living conditions and get Grandpa a proper, luxurious room of his own.’

After returning to her room, Nerissa showered and removed her heavy makeup. Sitting in front of the vanity, she finally saw her true appearance clearly.

The owner of this body had delicate skin and striking eyes, a stunning beauty with an elegant presence. Nerissa had assumed they looked only seventy or eighty percent alike. She never expected their faces to be identical down to the smallest detail.

Even the tiny red mole beneath the center of their brows was in exactly the same place.

It seemed that waking up in Nerissa’s body after the explosion and time travel had not been a coincidence.

*****

At six-thirty the next morning, Nerissa finished a quick wash, changed into workout clothes, and prepared to go downstairs for a morning run.

Hunter was already busy in the dining area.

Nerissa smiled and greeted him, “Good morning, Grandpa.”

Hunter turned around, clearly surprised. “Nerissa, why are you up so early?”

“I’m going for a run,” Nerissa replied.

She was still weak. She had only been in a fight the night before, yet her entire body ached when she woke up.

Nerissa decided she needed to train properly and rebuild the strength and figure she had in her previous life.

‘A morning run?’ Hunter’s eyes filled with tenderness again as he thought, ‘She used to live so freely.

‘Except for school, she slept in whenever she wanted. And now she’s up at six in the morning, voluntarily going for a run.’

Hunter could hardly imagine what kind of life Nerissa had lived over the past year in the Calloway family, just to please them.

After going downstairs, Nerissa jogged two laps around the complex, then went through a full morning exercise routine. She did not return home until two hours later.

Hunter had already prepared breakfast. There were freshly baked pies, milk, and a small plate of pickles.

Smiling, he said, “Nerissa, go wash your hands and get ready to eat.”

“Got it, Grandpa.” Nerissa went to the bathroom to wash her hands.

Afterward, she joined Hunter at the dining table.

The morning sun streamed in through the window, bathing both of them in a soft golden light.

While eating, Hunter said, “Nerissa, Kennedy is still in the hospital. I happen to be off today. After breakfast, come with me and visit him.”

“Okay.” Nerissa nodded and took a sip of milk.

After finishing breakfast, Hunter suddenly received a call from his supervisor asking him to cover an extra shift. With no choice, he told Nerissa to go to the hospital first.

Before leaving, Hunter pressed a bank card into her hand. “Nerissa, this card has the money I’ve been saving for you. The password is your birthday. Use it for your daily expenses from now on.

“Don’t worry about running out of money. What I make is more than enough to support you. If it’s gone, just come back and ask me for more.”

To make sure Nerissa always had a safety net, Hunter saved five hundred dollars for her every month after paying the rent.

Nerissa looked at him and asked, “Grandpa, how much money is on this card?”

“About a little over ten thousand,” Hunter replied.

Nerissa continued, “Then consider this money an investment in me. Give me no more than ten days, and I’ll turn the balance into ten times that amount. Grandpa, just wait, I’ll take you to live in a big villa.”

Hunter nodded with a smile, but he did not take Nerissa’s words to heart at all.

‘She’s only nineteen. Where would she get that kind of ability? he thought. Forget ten days. I don’t think she could even double the balance in ten months,’ he wondered.

After saying goodbye to her grandfather, Nerissa picked up the nutritional supplements and headed out, boarding a bus to the hospital.

About forty minutes later, she got off the bus.

As Nerissa walked toward the hospital entrance, a figure in sunglasses hurried past her.

A moment later, the man stopped, turned back, took off his sunglasses, and revealed a handsome face as he smiled and struck up a conversation. “Hey, beautiful. Haven’t we met somewhere before?”

Traditional medicine emphasized careful observation. Nerissa immediately sensed something was off and spoke up. “Have you been feeling unusually irritable lately? And do you feel dizzy when you wake up in the mornings?”

Lennox clearly did not expect her to identify his symptoms at a glance. He lowered his head slightly. His refined eyes carried the unmistakable authority of someone born to rule. Even with his edge deliberately restrained, he was still intimidating.

After a brief pause, he said flatly, “Yes.”

Nerissa narrowed her eyes. “Excess heat is a yin pathogen. It causes constriction and blocks the flow of qi and blood. You’ve probably had these symptoms for two or three months.

“In traditional medicine, this is a classic case of qi-and-yin depletion. If it isn’t treated in time, it can severely damage your lungs and even lead to coma.”

As she spoke, she took out a pen and paper, quickly wrote out a prescription, and handed it to him. “This formula treats your depletion. I’ve written down all the precautions.”

Lennox accepted it and said calmly, “Thank you.”

Nerissa curved her lips slightly. “Now we’re even.”

He had saved her once.

She had saved him once.

Nerissa disliked owing anyone favors.

Luke watched her profile, his eyes filled with vigilance.

Luke had accompanied Lennox to the hospital before.

The doctors had said Lennox simply had excessive internal heat and only needed some cooling medicine. That diagnosis completely contradicted what Nerissa had said, and hers sounded far more serious.

‘Is she using some kind of tactic to get Lennox’s attention?’ Luke wondered.

At that moment, the elevator chimed.

The ninth floor arrived.

Nerissa stepped out. When she reached the corner, she turned back and reminded them, “Make sure you take the medicine I prescribed.”

Lennox watched the direction she disappeared in, his eyes narrowing slightly. “So it was her.”

‘Her? Who is she?’ Luke was utterly confused. ‘Lennox has been single since birth and treats women like a plague. Yet today, he broke his own pattern and saved Nerissa.’

Luke felt as if he had uncovered a shocking piece of gossip. “Lennox, don’t tell me you fell for her at first sight?”

‘Love at first sight?’ Lennox thought.

Towering over Luke, Lennox exuded an oppressive presence. He raised his hand and tapped Luke on the head, his tone icy. “There isn’t a woman in this world who qualifies for my affection yet. And for the record, I don’t plan on getting married.”