Dumped Then Claimed By A Billionaire (Nerissa and Owen) novel Chapter 77

Chapter 77

Chapter 77

Owen froze, staring at the man who’d suddenly appeared beside Nerissa.

‘Who… who is he?’ Owen thought, his mind spinning.

‘Why is he so close to Nerissa?’ he wondered, jealousy gnawing at him.

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Nerissa was momentarily stunned too. At just the right angle, she could see Lennox’s chiseled profile, and even could hear his heartbeat.

It was solid and powerful.

His heart was beating strongly.

Beat after beat.

It felt strange. This was the first time a man had ever pulled her close by the waist. Through the thin fabric, she could even feel the burning warmth of his hand.

It was insanely warm.

Her breath quickened.

She almost forgot how to react.

Lennox turned to Owen and spoke again, his voice icy, “Nerissa is my girlfriend now. Don’t you dare bother her again.”

Lennox’s voice was cold, freezing cold.

It was like every word was coated in ice.

Cold sweat beaded on Owen’s forehead.

‘Wait, he’s Nerissa’s boyfriend?’ Owen thought, his mind spinning.

‘What the hell is going on?’ he wondered, his heart pounding.

‘I thought Nerissa loved me the most!’ he asked himself, jealousy gnawing at him.

‘We just split up a few months ago. How does she already have a new man?’ he thought, feeling a wave of disbelief.

‘And… Owen’s thoughts spun out of control.

‘Why does Nerissa’s boyfriend look just like… someone?’ The realization hit him out of nowhere.

‘Like… His breath caught.

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Chapter 77

‘Like Mr. Lennox Stratford!’ Owen’s mind screamed, stunned.

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Even though Owen hated to admit it, the man standing before him, tall, handsome, and commanding, really did bear an uncanny resemblance to Lennox Stratford.

Lennox was notoriously private, never giving interviews, so Owen had never met him face-to-face. The only time he’d ever caught a glimpse of Lennox was at a high-profile gala, where Lennox was the star of the show.

Now, seeing this man up close, Owen realized it wasn’t just the sharp features. They both had that same overwhelming, alpha energy that made it impossible to look away.

Nerissa wrapped her arm around Lennox’s waist, her mind switching gears, “Time to play the perfect girlfriend. She flashed a sweet smile and said, “Yeah, Lennox Stratford is my boyfriend! Babe, didn’t we agree to watch a movie together? What took you so long?”

‘Lennox Stratford?’ Owen thought, completely stunned.

‘It really is him, Lennox Stratford!’ His heart was pounding out of his chest.

Just hearing Lennox Stratford’s name…

…made Owen’s knees go weak.

‘How did Nerissa manage to hook up with Lennox Stratford?’ Owen thought, completely baffled.

‘No way!’ he told himself, refusing to accept it.

‘Impossible!’ he thought, shaking his head in disbelief.

“This can’t be Lennox Stratford,’ Owen kept telling himself, desperate to deny the truth.

‘Lennox is a top-tier big shot. Why would he ever go for Nerissa, a divorced woman?’ Owen sneered to himself, jealousy eating him alive.

Nerissa’s scent was intoxicating, and her body was soft and inviting against him.

There was barely any space left between them.

It wasn’t just Nerissa who could hear Lennox’s heartbeat, he could feel hers too, and her signature scent invaded his senses, impossible to ignore.

It was that fresh, wintry flower fragrance,

No designer fragrance could ever come close to it.

Lennox stiffened all over, frozen in place.

A rush of burning desire surged through him, impossible to tamp down no matter how hard he tried.

His throat suddenly felt so dry.

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Chapter 77

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“Sorry, Nerissa,” Lennox said, his voice still husky no matter how hard he tried to sound calm. His eyes were overflowing with adoration he just couldn’t hide. “I… Something came up unexpectedly, so I was late. I promise it won’t happen again.”

If Nerissa had looked up at Lennox right then, she would’ve seen his face flushed, and even the skin down his neck was red.

Not only were his eyes filled with pure, unfiltered affection, but his voice was wrapped in a gentle warmth, a far cry from his usual cold demeanor.

Even Nerissa was having trouble telling if he was faking it or if he really meant it.

‘Damn, Mr. Stratford could really pull this off!’ she thought, a little impressed.

‘He could totally go pro in showbiz, she joked to herself.

Watching Nerissa get herself a new boyfriend so fast. It was not just anyone, but the top dog Lennox Stratford…

Owen felt a storm of emotions, jealousy, anger, and disbelief all swirling inside him.

‘Why? Why does she get to move on so easily?’ Owen fumed, his heart twisting with resentment.

‘Wasn’t I supposed to be her unforgettable first love, the one she could never replace?’ he thought, jealousy burning in his chest.

‘Why is she already into someone else?’ he wondered, feeling a wave of disbelief.

The more Owen thought about it, the harder it was to breathe. He pointed at Nerissa, his voice full of spite. “Hey, man, maybe you don’t know, Nerissa isn’t just my ex-wife. I dumped her. She’s secondhand, leftovers! She…”

Owen was convinced that once Lennox heard that, he’d ditch Nerissa without a second thought. ‘No man would ever go for a dumped woman, he thought with a sneer.

So…

that meant Nerissa would just get dumped all over again.

Just the thought made Owen feel smug and satisfied.

But then, before he could even finish his sentence, a solid punch smashed right into his face.

Bang!

Owen was sent crashing to the ground, his face instantly ballooning up, totally unrecognizable. He hit the floor so hard that it felt like his bones might crack.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

The very next second, Lennox’s custom leather shoe nailed Owen right in the crotch with no mercy.

ام او را براون و خوار کا این

1 week bike wor

**** of the reset are all at the breathe for trong

#takty w Grow with whom we

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Chapter 77

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“Ms. Jamison,” Lennox cleared his throat, doing his best to tamp down the heat burning inside him. “I was a bit abrupt just now. Given the circumstances, I had to step in and play the part of your boyfriend.”

“Seriously, it’s no big deal. I should be thanking you! Next time, dinner’s on me!” Nerissa said, flashing a cheerful grin.

“Alright, Ms. Jamison,” Lennox said, not bothering with formalities. “Where are you headed? I’ll get the driver to take you.”

Nerissa gave a soft smile. “We’re pretty close now, so no need to be so formal. Just call me Nerissa, like everyone else does.”

Lennox nodded gently. “Alright. You can just call me Lennox from now on.”

“Lennox Stratford?” Nerissa asked, testing the name on her lips.

“Yeah,” Lennox replied, his voice steady.

The driver was left speechless.

‘Did she just call Mr. Stratford by his full name?’ he thought, totally floored.

But the wildest part? Mr. Stratford actually went along with it, and he didn’t mind one bit.

Forget Aosthorne,

there probably wasn’t a single person in all of Cilowesad who’d dare just call Mr. Stratford “Lennox Stratford” to his face.

It was clear as day.

Ms. Jamison clearly meant something special to Mr. Stratford.

If he hadn’t witnessed it himself, he’d never believe it.

Seriously, who would ever believe this?!

“So, Nerissa, where are you headed?” Lennox asked, picking up where they left off.

When he said her name, there was a gentle, almost flirtatious warmth in his voice, something that made the moment feel soft and romantic.

It was so magnetic, almost addictive.

And honestly, it just sounded so good coming from him.

Nerissa blinked, and then replied, “I’m meeting Fifi at Sycamore Square for a movie.”

Lennox nodded slightly and said to the driver, “Please take us to Sycamore Square.”

“Yes, Mr. Stratford,” the driver replied respectfully.

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Chapter 77

Nerissa glanced over at him and asked, “Your turn, why’d you suddenly show up at my place?”

“Honestly, my mom made me come,” Lennox replied.

“Your mom?” Nerissa blinked in surprise, not expecting that answer.

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Lennox nodded and said with a faint smile, “Yeah, she had something for you, but forgot to give it to you last time, so she sent me over to deliver it.”

“What is it?” Nerissa asked, her curiosity piqued.

“Just some snacks and a little gift,” Lennox replied.

“Wow, your mom is really thoughtful! I feel kind of bad accepting all this,” Nerissa said, a little flustered.

“Don’t worry about it. She genuinely likes you and she’s very grateful you saved me, so you really don’t have to feel awkward,” Lennox replied, pausing for a beat. “Once I drop you off at Sycamore Square, I’ll have the driver deliver everything to your place. What’s your apartment number?”

“Unit 101 in Building 5. My grandpa should be home,” Nerissa said.

“Got it,” Lennox replied.

The car sped along, and soon arrived at Sycamore Square.

Lennox got out and opened the door for Nerissa. “Nerissa, if that man ever shows up again, just text me or call me anytime.”

Obviously, he was talking about Owen.

Nerissa nodded slightly. “Alright, thanks.”

“No problem,” Lennox replied.

After they said their goodbyes, Lennox got back in the car. “Take me to the office first, and then drop off the stuff from the trunk at Ms. Jamison’s place.”

“Yes, Mr. Stratford,” the driver replied.

A few minutes later, Lennox spoke up again.

“Forget it, I’ll just go myself,” he said.

His mom had specifically told him to drop it off in

person.

Having the driver do it just felt off, like he couldn’t be bothered to show a little sincerity.

That’d just be disrespectful.

The driver paused, a little surprised. “Mr. Stratford, so you’re not heading back to the office right now?”

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“Yeah, let’s go to Nerissa’s place first,” Lennox replied.

“Got it,” the driver replied.

The driver looked calm as ever, but his thoughts were a whirlwind deep down.

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‘Looks like Mr. Stratford really treats Ms. Jamison differently. She’s definitely not just anyone to him, the driver mused, his mind buzzing.

He couldn’t help but marvel to himself.

‘It’s like an old house suddenly bursting into flames,’

‘And man, those flames are wild!’ he thought, shaking his head in disbelief.

Lennox leaned back in the seat, grabbed a bottle of ice-cold water from the car fridge, twisted off the downed most of it in one go.

The icy water slid down his throat. For a moment, the heat burning inside him finally started to fade.

The driver could see Lennox chugging water in the rearview mirror.

He couldn’t help but marvel to himself.

cap, and

‘Damn, when the old house finally catches fire, it’s a whole different vibe!’ he thought, shaking his head in disbelief.

After finishing his water, Lennox pulled out his phone and fired up the game.

That was right.

One could play Splendor Peak on his computer or his phone, and everything synced up perfectly.

That was why it had blown up and gone global in just one night.

Lennox was using a foldable screen phone.

As soon as he logged into Splendor Peak, he tapped straight into the Adventure Manor.

He checked Phyllis’s profile page first.

Phyllis wasn’t online.

The system showed Phyllis had last logged in two hours ago.

Lennox pulled up Phyllis’s profile.

Age: Hidden.

Gender: Hidden.

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Chapter 77

The only thing visible was his total playtime.

26 hours.

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Lennox narrowed his eyes with a faint smile. ‘Now this is someone interesting, he thought.

Even though he had no clue what Phyllis’s gender was, he figured it was probably a man, like him. Most girls were into chess, not games like this.

Lennox made his way back to the tree from yesterday. To his surprise, someone had set up another brand- new chess puzzle on the stone table.

This one was totally different from the last puzzle.

The difficulty had clearly jumped at least a level or two.

Half an hour later, the car pulled up outside Nerissa’s apartment building.

Lennox still hadn’t solved the chess puzzle.

Tthe driver reminded him, “Mr. Stratford, we’ve arrived downstairs at Ms. Jamison’s place.”

Lennox snapped out of it. He got out of the car, headed to the trunk, and grabbed the gifts from the driver. “Let me handle this myself. Just wait out here for me.”

“Got it,” the driver replied.

Lennox carried the gifts over to Unit 101, and stopped at the door. Since there was no doorbell, he managed to free up one hand to knock.

Knock, knock!

Soon, the door swung open.

“Who is it?” Hunter asked as he pulled the door open.

He stood in the door.

“Is this Mr. Jamison? I’m a friend of Nerissa’s. I came to drop something off for her,” Lennox said. For some reason, even though he was used to running the show and never rattled by anything, standing in front of Hunter, he found himself unexpectedly nervous.

His nerves were all over the place.

And honestly, it was the weirdest thing. He’d never been this way, not ever.

“Oh, you’re Nerissa’s friend! Come on in!” Hunter said, quickly ushering him inside.

Hunter was smiling.

Lennox walked in, his luxury suit looking totally out of place in the humble little apartment.

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Hunter could tell right away that Lennox was no ordinary man. He smiled and asked, “Young man, what’s your name?”

Lennox quickly replied, “Mr. Jamison, my name is Lennox Stratford. You can just call me Lennox.”

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21:09 Wed, Jan 21