Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 493

Once the applause died down and the crowd started to thin, Emmy hugged her trophy and certificate close and made her way through the bustling hall, searching for her mom.

She didn’t get far before she noticed someone lingering at the foot of the steps—a figure she recognized right away, though he looked a little out of place.

Andrew.

He’d clearly been waiting, and as soon as he spotted her, he hurried over.

“Emmy, congratulations,” Andrew said, his eyes shining with genuine admiration. “You were amazing up there today.”

Emmy offered a polite smile. “Thank you, Mr. Aldridge.”

He seemed a bit nervous. Fumbling in his jacket pocket, Andrew pulled out a business card and held it out to her with both hands.

“I was wondering if, um, maybe we could talk about a possible partnership for the DUO system you guys developed. I’m not sure if…”

He trailed off, clearly unsure of himself.

Emmy didn’t reach for the card. She just shook her head gently.

“I’m not the decision maker for that, Mr. Aldridge. All the ideas and inspiration for DUO came from my mom. I just turned her vision into code. If you want to talk about a collaboration, you should really speak with her.”

A flicker of disappointment crossed Andrew’s face before he managed a strained smile. After he’d brought flowers to the hospital last time, he’d tried reaching out to Teresa again, but she’d shot him down with a cold, final refusal. Since then, he hadn’t dared approach her.

Emmy seemed to sense his awkwardness. Her eyes softened, and her voice grew gentle.

“You just want to talk business, right? My mom’s passionate about robotics and really optimistic about its future. Maybe she’d be open to a conversation. Business is business—you could always give it another try.”

Back at Moonlight Bay, it wasn’t long before their family’s old friend, Dr. Stamper, arrived with his battered doctor’s bag. Ever since Teresa’s hospital stay, he’d been coming by every week to check on her and help her recover.

“Dr. Stamper, could you take a look at Emmy first?” Teresa said, still uneasy after the morning’s drama.

Dr. Stamper smiled kindly and gestured for Emmy to sit. His thin, steady fingers pressed gently against her wrist, feeling her pulse.

It only took a moment before his eyebrows shot up in surprise. He let go of Emmy’s hand, looked at her, then turned to Teresa.

“Congratulations, Mrs. Sinclair. And congratulations to you, Emmy.”

He paused, making sure they were listening.

“Emmy is expecting.”