Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 469

James froze, halfway through pulling on his jeans, and glanced back at her with a look that was equal parts exasperated and affectionate.

“I’ll be back before you even need to start the tests. It’s still early—I’ll have Abriella come over so you can get some more sleep.”

Emmy let go of his hand and nodded, but couldn’t resist reminding him, “Just be careful, okay? I’ll be here waiting.”

Once he finished getting dressed, James leaned down and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her cheek, clearly not wanting to leave.

A few minutes later, Abriella stumbled in, hair sticking out in every direction, barely stifling a yawn as she walked into the room.

James waited until he saw her before he finally left, the door clicking shut behind him.

Abriella eyed Emmy’s bed, tempted to crawl in, but the thought that James had just slept there made her think twice. Self-preservation won out, and she flopped down next to the bed instead.

Some lines just shouldn’t be crossed.

“My god,” Abriella mumbled, rubbing her eyes, “being a firefighter is definitely not for everyone. It’s only four something in the morning.”

“I was out with Will until one last night just wandering around. He probably got, what, three hours of sleep?”

Emmy couldn’t help but ask, worry creeping in, “Isn’t this dangerous?”

“Relax,” Abriella waved a hand, her eyes barely open. “Will said it’s just a minor thing, nothing serious. A few small fries to deal with, that’s all.”

“I’m exhausted. I’m gonna crash for a bit…”

She didn’t even finish before she was out, fast asleep, head resting on the edge of the bed.

Emmy, though, couldn’t fall back asleep. The chaos from that day came rushing back, gunfire echoing in her mind so loudly it felt real. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to calm down, but the sounds only got sharper.

Desperate for comfort, she rolled over and grabbed Abriella’s hand where it dangled off the bed. The warmth of her skin slowly eased the noise in Emmy’s head, letting her finally breathe easier.

Seeing Abriella already deep asleep, Emmy gently pulled the blanket up to cover her.

As everyone worked, two SUVs came barreling in, dust flying as they pulled off a perfect drift stop nearby. The doors swung open and James, Will, and the rest of their team jumped out, all in black firefighting gear.

Every firefighter on scene froze, staring at them. The next moment, excited whispers spread like wildfire.

“Holy crap… are those the legends from Capital South Bay Fire Station?”

“No way, that’s James leading them! I’ve only ever seen him at big award ceremonies!”

“Seriously, their records are all top honors! Remember the chemical plant explosion on the west side last year? They were the ones who got in and shut off the main valve.”

“And that skyscraper fire in the financial district? Over a hundred floors up, helicopters couldn’t even get near, but they scaled the outside and rescued people themselves!”

“My old squad leader said during that tunnel pileup under the bay—half the tunnel underwater—they dove in and pulled people out, one after another!”

“I heard they’ve even worked with SWAT on bomb threats and hostage situations! Are they even human?”