Dumped Then Claimed By A Billionaire (Nerissa and Owen) novel Chapter 75

Chapter 75

Chapter 75

Hearing Grant’s words, Tom finally breathed easy.

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He turned to Grant. “Are you sure? Are you really sure Clive will take us back and team up with us again?”

“Yes! I’m sure!” Grant’s gaze was unwavering.

He knew Clive better than anyone.

Clive was just too soft-hearted, and that was exactly why Wade had betrayed him.

Otherwise,

Kinsbeat would’ve gone public ages ago.

Tom, like a man grabbing his last hope, shot up from his chair. “Let’s go! We’re heading to Kinsbeat right now.”

Grant stood up and followed Tom.

After Splendor Peak blew up,

reporters were camped out all around the entrance of the Kinsbeat building, hoping to catch Clive for a story.

Everyone was dying to snag an interview with Clive.

Of course,

what they really had their eyes on was an exclusive with the mysterious Ms. Jamison.

If not for Ms. Jamison,

Kinsbeat Game wouldn’t be riding high right now.

They stared at the heavy security and the swarm of reporters with cameras outside Kinsbeat’s entrance.

They were both totally floored.

They had never imagined that one day, just seeing Clive would be this much of a challenge.

Right at that moment,

the crowd went wild.

“Look! Mr. Beaumont’s here!” someone shouted.

The moment Clive stepped out of his car, the crowd mobbed him.

Microphones and cameras were thrust right up to his face.

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Chapter 75

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“Mr. Beaumont, Splendor Peak is about to break a hundred million downloads! How does it feel to hit such a milestone?” one of the reporters called out, excitement buzzing in the air.

Up until now, no game on the global scene had ever hit a hundred million downloads.

Splendor Peak was the first ever to pull it off.

Clive flashed a smile at the cameras. “To be honest, I never imagined we’d see a day like this. Just two months ago, after some folks walked out, Kinsbeat was in shambles. But it’s all thanks to Ms. Jamison. If she hadn’t created Splendor Peak, the first AAA game to make it big internationally, Kinsbeat wouldn’t be where it is

now.”

“Is Ms. Jamison in the car? Can I get an interview with her?” another reporter pressed.

“Sorry, Ms. Jamison keeps a low profile. She doesn’t like being in the spotlight,” Clive replied.

“Mr. Beaumont, could you tell us her real name? Everyone online and all the gamers are dying to know who she is,” the reporter persisted.

“Sorry,” Clive said, keeping it short.

“Will Ms. Jamison be accepting the Celestial Dome Awards on behalf of Kinsbeat this year?” another reporter asked.

The Celestial Dome Awards voting results weren’t out yet,

but everyone already knew how this would end.

Back then, the Calloway Group could actually put up a fight.

But now?

The Calloway Group had turned into the industry’s punchline.

Even Owen, the once-in-a-decade dark horse of the finance world, had ended up a joke.

Clive was caught off guard for a second. “Honestly, I’m not sure about that. I’ll have to talk to Ms. Jamison.”

“Mr. Beaumont, one more question. Is Ms. Jamison an employee or a shareholder of your company?” another reporter asked.

“She’s a shareholder!” Clive smiled at the cameras. “And not just any shareholder, Ms. Jamison is actually our biggest one. To everyone at Kinsbeat, she’s more than just the top shareholder. She’s our inspiration, our hope, the light that led us out of the darkness. She’s the reason we’re standing here today, at our best.”

Clive wasn’t just saying that to be nice.

He meant every word.

To him, Nerissa was his faith, someone he believed in with all his heart.

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Chapter 75

She always had been.

And now, more than ever.

He would never betray Nerissa.

Grant and Tom waved frantically at Clive, trying to get his attention through the bustling crowd.

“Mr. Beaumont! Mr. Beaumont!” they shouted, hoping he’d notice them.

They did everything they could to catch Clive’s eye.

But with so many people packed in, it was impossible to stand out.

Clive didn’t even glance in their direction.

Suddenly,

Grant seemed to remember something. “Come on, Tom, let’s head over there.”

Tom had no clue what Grant was up to, but he just went along, following right behind him.

They circled the Kinsbeat building and made their way to the back entrance.

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Since Kinsbeat had only blew up last night, security hadn’t really been tightened yet, and the back door was way out of sight, so none of the reporters had even noticed it.

Grant had teamed up with Kinsbeat for a couple of years, so he knew every corner of the place like the back of his hand.

As soon as Grant and Tom walked in, they spotted Wade stepping out of the elevator.

All the swagger and confidence Wade had was gone, replaced by a look of utter defeat, like a deflated balloon.

He’d thought that leaving Kinsbeat for the Calloway Group would be his ticket to the top, that he’d finally make it big in the gaming world.

That he’d have crowds of people admiring him,

and make a legendary impact on the gaming world.

He had thought Kinsbeat would collapse without him, fading into a bittersweet memory, just another tear- jerking relic of its time.

But he had never seen it coming.

Reality turned out to be the total opposite of what he’d hoped.

Kinsbeat didn’t just survive his departure, it went on to spectacularly launch the first AAA game to blow up on the international stage.

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Chapter 75

And Wade? Well…

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He had thought he’d be a big shot in the gaming world after jumping ship to the Calloway Group, but just look at where he’d ended up.

With the Calloway Group going down in flames,

his reputation in the industry crashed overnight. People called him a snake, an ungrateful traitor. Some pissed-off netizens even hunted down his personal socials just to tear him apart.

Now, no game studio would go near Wade, not even if their lives depended on it.

Nobody had a clue just how much Wade was kicking himself now.

If he’d known it’d end up like this, he’d never have ditched Kinsbeat.

If he’d stuck around, he’d have been right there, one of the few who made the AAA game happen, and his reputation would’ve skyrocketed along with it.

So,

Wade was here for the same reason as Grant and Tom.

He came here hoping Clive would hear him out.

He wanted to beg Clive for a second chance.

Too bad,

Clive shut him down cold.

That was why Wade stepped out of the elevator, head hanging, feeling like the world had just kicked him to

the curb.

Grant shot Wade a look full of sarcasm. “Well, isn’t it Mr. Swynford, the guy who stabbed Mr. Beaumont in the back? Seriously, how do you even have the nerve to show your face at Kinsbeat?”

Tom jumped in, mocking Wade. “If you knew it’d end like this, why’d you do it in the first place? If I were Mr. Beaumont, I wouldn’t forgive a snake like you either.”

Wade stopped in his tracks, looked up at Grant and Tom, and let out a cold laugh. “You two are no different from me. You’re both traitors! You really think Mr. Beaumont’s gonna forgive you? Dream on!”

“I’m finished! Grant, Tom, you’re just as done for as I am!” Wade shouted with a bitter laughter.

“Haha! We’re all finished!”

By the end, Wade threw his head back and howled with laughter, the sound echoing down the hallway.

He looked completely unhinged, wild-eyed and out of control.

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Chapter 75

Grant frowned. “We’re nothing like you. Mr. Beaumont and us, we’re real friends.”

“That’s right!” Tom stood tall, backing him up.

Wade ignored them, stumbling out like a madman, lost in his own world.

Grant and Tom hopped in the elevator and headed straight for the top floor.

Ding!

The elevator doors slid open.

There was Clive, talking to his staff.

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Grant and Tom rushed over, and perfectly in sync, they both fell to their knees with a heavy thud right in front of Clive.

“Mr. Beaumont, we know we messed up. We’re really sorry. Whatever punishment you think we deserve, we’ll accept it,” Grant said, his voice trembling.

“Yeah, we really do know we were wrong. Please, just give us one more chance,” Tom added, desperation thick in his voice.

Grant was sobbing uncontrollably, tears and snot running down his face. “Mr. Beaumont, if you just give us one more chance, I’ll do anything you ask.”

Tom nodded eagerly. “Grant’s right, Mr. Beaumont. For old times’ sake, please give us another shot. We swear to God, no matter what happens, we’ll never betray you again.”

Grant knew Clive well. Whenever he pleaded like this, Clive would always get soft and end up giving them another chance.

But today.

Clive just stared at them, his expression cold as ice.

Grant’s gut twisted with dread.

The next second,

Clive said coldly,”I told you, one chance, that’s it. Regret all you want, it won’t change a damn thing.”

“And let’s be honest, you two aren’t here out of real remorse, and you still don’t see what you did wrong. The only reason you’re kneeling here is because you’re afraid of losing your privileged lives. It’s all about your own interests.”

Tom and Grant were totally freaking out.

‘What do we do?’ Tom thought, anxiety gnawing at him.

It looked like Clive wasn’t going to forgive them.

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Chapter 75

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Snowball hopped right in, like he’d done it a thousand times, and curled up in Nerissa’s arms. “Meow!”

‘Nerissa, I’m here!’ Snowball chirped, wriggling right into her arms like he owned the place.

‘Did you miss me?’ he meowed, gazing up at her with those big, hopeful eyes.

Nerissa, still half-asleep, hugged Snowball and planted a kiss on his chubby little head. “Snowball, you smell extra nice today”

There was a faint whiff of mint in Snowball’s fur, with just a trace of tobacco mixed in.

It was exactly the kind of scent Nerissa loved.

“Meow!”

‘Of course I smell good, Dad’s scent is all over me!’ Snowball thought, purring with pride.

Lennox woke up in the middle of the night and noticed Snowball was gone, but he didn’t think much of it. He just got up to use the bathroom, then went back to bed and fell asleep again.

In the dead of night,

he had an incredibly realistic dream, so vivid it felt almost tangible.

A dream so real, he wouldn’t even dare put it into words.

The next morning,

Lennox pulled back the covers. For a moment, he couldn’t believe his eyes.

He couldn’t help but remember last night’s dream.

He’d never had a dream like that before.

And the kicker was,

the girl in his dream looked exactly like Nerissa. Same face, same voice…

Lennox blushed.

Right then,

there was a knock on the door.

“Who is it?” Lennox rasped, his voice thick with hoarseness.

“It’s me, Mr. Stratford,” a maid called from outside. “I’m here to collect the dirty laundry.”

“No nee. I want to sleep in this morning,” Lennox said, trying his best to sound normal.

The maid was caught off guard.

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Chapter 75

‘Sleep in?’ she blinked, surprised.

‘That’s a first!’

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She’d been working at Stratfordland for years, and Lennox had always been disciplined, never once sleeping in. ‘What’s up with him today?’ she wondered.

‘He actually wants to sleep in?’ She was stunned.

‘Well, hell must’ve frozen over,’ she thought, totally floored by the request.

But she didn’t dwell on it. “Alright, Mr. Stratford, I’ll come back later,” she replied.

Once the maid was gone, Lennox crawled out of bed, grabbed his comforter, and lugged it into the bathroom. He filled the tub to the brim. Since there was no laundry detergent in sight, he just dumped in a bunch of body wash. Then, awkwardly hunched over, he started scrubbing the comforter by hand like a man on a mission.

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21:09 Wed, Jan 21