Dumped Then Claimed By A Billionaire (Nerissa and Owen) novel Chapter 89

Chapter 89

Chapter 89

The door swung open.

91%

65 vouchers

Standing outside was a tall, slender figure in a light-colored hoodie, fitted cargo pants, and black combat boots. She just looked effortlessly cool. Her hair was on the longer side, styled into a loose side braid that hung over her chest.

She was wearing a baseball cap.

The brim was pulled low, hiding her eyes and brows, so all Lennox could see was her sharp jawline and perfect lips. Her skin was fair and her lips were naturally rosy.

She looked seriously badass.

She gave off a bit of an aloof vibe, almost cold.

And yet, there was something strangely familiar about her.

Lennox stared at her, his sharp eyes narrowing. This was a man who’d never even blinked in the face of blood and chaos, but now he looked genuinely shocked. He widened his eyes in shock “Nerissa?”

‘No way… Ivy’s thoughts spun out of control.

His heart started pounding.

‘Is Phyllis really Nerissa?’ he thought.

‘So… Lennox thought, his mind racing.

‘The one who beat me to the Adventure Manor was Nerissa.

‘And the one who cracked the Assassination puzzle was also Nerissa.

Hearing Lennox’s voice, Nerissa was visibly stunned. Her head shot up.

Their eyes met. For a moment, they saw themselves mirrored in each other’s eyes.

In that moment, time seemed to freeze.

It was like someone had hit pause on the world.

It was like the world had faded away, leaving only the two of the.

After a few seconds, Nerissa found her voice again, shaking off the shock that had frozen her in place.

“Lennox?” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Yeah, it’s me, Lennox said, sounding flat and emotionless, though he was screaming deep down.

‘No way, it really is Lennox, Nerissa thought. Her brain went blank for a second.

Seeing Lennox standing there, looking all serious and sharp, Nessa was totally caught off guard.

‘How is Lennox even here?’ she wondered, her brain doing somesaults.

‘Wait, did I just walk into the wrong room?’ Nerissa thought, suddenly second-guessing herself.

She took a few steps back and glanced at the number on the doc

1/6

09:32 Thu, Jan 22 = G

Chapter 89

“No. 1?” Nerissa muttered, her brows furrowing. “Yeah, this is it.”

‘Or maybe… did I just get the room number wrong?’ she wondered.

Nerissa pulled out her phone and scrolled through her chat history with Mr. S.

‘Nope, I got it right,’ she thought, checking again just to be sure.

“This is the right spot, Nerissa thought.

“Wait, what the hell is going on?’ she wondered, her thoughts racing.

Lennox fixed his gaze on Nerissa, his eyes intense and deep. “Nerissa, are you Phyllis?”

Even though it was supposed to be a question, he said it like he was stating a fact.

Right then, everything else just melted away. Lennox’s world narrowed down to just her.

“Yes, I am.” Nerissa nodded, then snapped her head up, eyes widened in shock. “Hold on, you’re S?”

‘So… Lennox thought, his mind racing.

‘The one I’ve been matching wits with these past few days…

91%

55 vouchers

‘The first person to find the entrance to Adventure Manor in the Misty Forest, the one who barged straight into my inner world… was Lennox?’

In that instant,

her mind was in complete chaos, and she couldn’t steady herself

“Yeah, I’m S,” Lennox said, his voice still deep and magnetic.

Nerissa was even more stunned.

She had never would’ve guessed that Lennox was actually S.

The S who always blew her mind.

The S who kept her guessing.

Lennox was just as blown away.

He’d always thought Phyllis was a man.

Turned out, Phyllis wasn’t just a woman. She was barely ninetee

Honestly, he couldn’t help but feel a bit sheepish about it.

“Come on in and grab a seat,” Lennox said, moving to the side wh a gentlemanly gesture.

“Sure,” Nerissa said, making her way inside.

The private room was seriously impressive, rocking a traditional vibe with its vintage decor.

Passing through layers of beaded curtains, she spotted a sturdy wooden coffee table.

Behind the table stood a screen painted with portraits of beauti

2/6

0932 Thu, Jan 22 =

Chapter 89

There were scented candles burning on the table.

The scent was faint.

ས ཊཱི91%ཟླ

55 vouchers

She could still make out the faint yet unmistakable scent of leaves and morning dew. It was soothing and refreshing.

Nerissa sat down across from Lennox, still feeling like she was in a dream. Her beautiful eyes fixed on him in disbelief. “You’re really S?” she asked, her voice tinged with shock.

“Need me to prove who I am?” Lennox arched his brows with a smirk.

“And how exactly are you gonna do that?” Nerissa shot back, curiosity sparking in her eyes.

Lennox nodded toward the chessboard. “Easy. One game. Winner takes all.”

Nerissa chuckled, her tone playful. “Bring it on.”

‘Looks like I’ve finally met my match. she thought.

She was just as eager to dive in.

Nothing would prove Lennox was really S better than a head-to-head game.

Nerissa started clearing the chessboard, getting the pieces ready for the game.

“No rush. We’ve got plenty of time,” Lennox said, pouring her a cup of coffee with a relaxed, unhurried air. “Here, have some coffee.”

Nerissa took the cup, gave it a careful sip, and her eyes sparkled with surprise. “Wow, it tastes amazing!”

The coffee was extraordinary.

And it was hard to come by.

Even if one was loaded, he couldn’t just walk in and buy it.

Money was not gonna cut it.

One needed real power and influence, too.

The coffee was basically the holy grail for coffee lovers.

Nerissa had never imagined she’d ever get a sip of it at this cafe.

I specially brought it.” Lennox picked up the pot and refilled her coffee. “If you can taste how good it is, then I guess I did the right thing

Chess needed a worthy opponent.

Coffee was the same. One need someone who truly appreciated

Good coffee only showed its real value when it was tasted by someone who knew what was up.

Someone who didn’t get coffee? Even the most expensive kind night as well be tap water to them

Most people couldn’t tell the difference. But Nerissa? She was the first person Lennox had ever met who recognized it in one

sip

He was shocked.

3/6

09 32 Thu, Jan 22 =

Chapter 89

91%

65 $5 vouchers

Just how many sides of her are still hidden from me?’ Lennox wndered, unable to shake the feeling that Nerissa was full of

secrets.

She was like an uncut diamond. Before the stone was split open, no one could guess what kind of brilliance it would reveal.

Nerissa absolutely loved the coffee. She took another sip, and sal with a satisfied smile on her face, “I guess I’ve just got a sharp palate. Since I’m kind of obsessed with coffee, I usually remember the flavor after just one try.”

“You’ve got me beat. I need a few tries before I can actually remember a coffee’s flavor or type,” Lennox admitted, and then grinned, “By the way, the snacks here are pretty awesome. Want to give them a shot?”

Nerissa picked up a slice of cake.

She ate with zero pretension, taking a huge bite that left her checks puffed out like a little hamster. It was a far cry from her usual cool, aloof vibe. But there was something irresistibly cute about it.

Lennox took a sip of his coffee, then seemed to remember something. “Nerissa, do you have a sweet tooth?”

“Of course! I’m a total sucker for anything sweet,” Nerissa said, nodding with a grin.

Nerissa was absolutely helpless when it came to desserts, and even her smoothies had to be loaded with sugar.

Hearing that, Lennox pulled out his phone and ordered the shops most popular desserts, the peach mousse and chocolate

tart.

He’d always thought Phyllis was a man, so he’d picked out all the low-sugar snacks, nothing too sweet.

He remembered reading somewhere that most girls had a sweet tooth.

But Nerissa was never one to follow the rules, so Lennox figured he’d better ask. Once he found out she was a total sugar addict, he didn’t hesitate to place the order.

The new desserts were delivered in a flash.

Nerissa’s gaze locked onto the sweets the moment they arrived.

She sampled this and that, making sure to taste every single trea

While Nerissa was busy sampling the desserts, Lennox took the opportunity to sort out the Go pieces and drop them into their matching bowls.

Once Nerissa was done tasting the sweets, Lennox had finished sorting the Go pieces.

Lennox spoke up, “Nerissa, ready to play?”

Nerissa nodded. “Black moves first. You take the lead.”

Everyone knew that in Go, getting the first move was a big deal.

First move meant the player got the advantage.

But Nerissa couldn’t care less.

For real pros, it didn’t matter who went first.

“Alright,” Lennox said, not one to argue. He nodded with a smile “Guess I’ll take you up on that”

As he spoke, Lennox picked up a black piece and set it down one board.

4/6

09:32 Thu, Jan 22 G.

Chapter 89

Right on the star point.

91%

65 vouchers

It was the classic opening move in Go. If one wanted to control the board and set himself up for a strong game, that was where he should start. Pretty much every serious player put the first piece there.

Lennox was no different.

Nerissa, calm and collected, picked up a white piece and set it down right next to Lennox’s.

Lennox raised his eyebrows.

‘What’s she playing at?’ he thought, a bit thrown off.

Usually, the second player would pick an open spot on the side or in the corner to start building up territory. If he just stuck right next to his opponent’s move, he was basically begging to get boxed in.

Lennox had to hand it to her.

Nerissa’s move made him do a double take.

Her approach was totally out of left field.

She was a complete wild card.

But honestly, that was classic Nerissa.

She was always full of surprises, and never failed to amaze anyone.

Lennox’s eyes narrowed with sharp focus as he grabbed another piece and set it down to Nerissa’s right.

Nerissa stayed totally unfazed, placing her pieces right up agains Lennox’s moves, sticking close without a hint of hesitation.

Trading moves, neither backing down.

Before long, the board was alive with tension.

It was clear Nerissa’s white pieces were starting to fall behind.

In the blink of an eye, Lennox had already captured three of her white pieces.

But Nerissa looked totally unfazed, her face calm and collected,ot even a flicker of concern. She just kept making her moves, like nothing could shake her.

Lennox was relentless, closing in with every move.

Just when it looked like Nerissa’s white pieces were about to get wiped out, and she was on the verge of total defeat, she placed her next one with deliberate calm.

This time, she switched things up.

Instead of sticking to her earlier strategy, she set her piece right the center of the board.

Suddenly, the tables turned.

Just when it looked like Nerissa was doomed, she pulled off a micle move out of nowhere.

The game flipped in an instant. Nerissa went from losing everything to putting Lennox in a tight spot, backed into a corner with nowhere to run.

5/6

09.32 Thu, Jan 22 G.

Chapter 89

39180

Nerissa picked up her cup, took a sip of coffee, and said with a playful smile. “Looks like I’ll take the win. Thanks for the match

Lennox stared at the board with widened eyes, totally stunned by what he saw.

Holy crap, that’s freaky! Lennox thought. his mind spinning.

Seriously, this is next-level terrifying! he couldn’t help but think completely blown away.

It finally dawned on Lennox that Nerissa hadn’t been struggling at all. She’d been laying out her trap from the very start.

She made it look like she was getting squeezed with nowhere to go, but she was baiting him in, setting him up for the fall

Turned out, he was the one with nowhere left to run, not Nerissa

Talk about a perfect bait-and-switch. She played me like a fiddle Lennox thought, a rush of awe and respect flooding his

mind.

Brilliant! Lennox thought, awestruck.

He couldn’t help feeling impressed.

‘She’s a total pro!’ Lennox was blown away, respect flooding his mind.

Even though Lennox lost, he was completely impressed. He’d been outplayed fair and square. Honestly, it felt great to lose to someone that good.

It was a clean, satisfying defeat, utterly refreshing.

For a long moment, Lennox just stared at the board, soaking it all in. Finally, he looked up at Nerissa with a wry smile. “Nerissa, you beat me fair and square.”

“Honestly, you’re very good,” Nerissa said, glancing at the clock on the wall with a smile. “Most people can’t even last twenty minutes against me.”

But Lennox had gone toe-to-toe with her for over two hours before the game finally ended.

That alone was proof of just how strong Lennox really was.

Nerissa wasn’t just saying that to be nice. She was telling it like it was.

Lennox said with a faint smile, “You know, I’ve never lost to anyone before. Care to go for another round

6/6

AD

Comment

Send gift

No Ads

09:32 Thu, Jan 22 G