Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 248

Emmy’s face turned bright red and she scrambled to paste on a polite smile.

But James beat her to it. “This turntable is really badly designed,” he said, sounding almost bored. “It spins too fast. Didn’t anyone consider how hard it is for women to grab food like this?”

Mr. Nelson actually nodded in agreement, gesturing to the carved decorations on the wall behind James. “This is a business suite. Most of our guests are men, so they’re used to a faster pace.” He thought for a second. “I’ll remind the manager—if there are ladies present, have them slow the turntable down.”

Emmy was stunned. She’d never imagined Mr. Nelson would be so reasonable. The tension in her chest finally eased. For the first time all night, she actually enjoyed her meal, though her nerves still fluttered in the background.

Mr. Nelson’s phone rang. After a brief call, he said, “I have something to take care of. Please, enjoy your meal.” His assistant appeared right away, wheeled him out of the private room, and the door closed behind them.

As soon as Mr. Nelson left, Emmy felt all the tension drain from her shoulders. She immediately jumped up, pointing excitedly at a clear soup at the far end of the table, her eyes sparkling. “I want the wild mushroom chicken soup! Quick, spin it over here!”

James watched her sudden burst of excitement, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He reached out and turned the table so the soup landed right in front of her.

Just then, his phone vibrated in his pocket. James glanced at the screen, then stood up. “I’m going to the restroom. Take your time.”

He headed straight for the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. The suite door was already open. Tyler, in his wheelchair, turned away from the window to face him.

“You did a good job hiding her, but if I really wanted to meet her, you know I’d manage it,” Tyler said, his voice warm and casual. “She’s cute and innocent—a nice girl. But she’s not the college student you planned to marry on a whim, is she?”

James’s expression darkened. “So you’ve been looking into my life, huh?”

Tyler gave a resigned smile. “Don’t be like that. I’m just worried about you. I’m the only one in the family who still bothers.”

He wheeled himself closer, stopping in front of James. His gentle expression vanished, replaced by a seriousness that left no room for argument. “So, when are you going to give Grandma a great-grandchild?”

“You know she doesn’t have much time left.”

James fell silent, the air between them growing heavier by the second.

Tyler didn’t seem to mind. He kept going. “You know what Grandma’s ten percent stake in Nelson Corporation means. Once your child is born, they’ll inherit it directly.”

“That’s when the company will truly belong to us.”

Ever since Dean called off the engagement, Emmy had cut all ties with that crowd—even left their group chats. Seeing Shawn now, so unexpectedly, her instincts kicked in and she turned to leave.

“Sis-in-law?” Shawn called after her, catching up in a couple of strides. He grinned, tapping his lips in mock apology. “Oops, old habit. Dean dumped you, right? I guess I should call you Ms. Lincoln now.”

Emmy’s expression went cold.

She knew exactly the kind of guy Shawn was—he was notorious for being a player, changing girlfriends more often than his shirts.

She stared him down. “Move.”

Shawn acted like he didn’t hear her, his grin turning even more cocky.

“Don’t be in such a hurry. Didn’t we all used to hang out together?” he said, leaning in. “What, Dean doesn’t want you now, so you’re too good for your old friends?”

He laughed, lazy and smug, then reached out to grab Emmy’s wrist. “Everyone’s in the lounge. Come join us for a bit.”