Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 547

James had no idea Emmy would show up with someone else, let alone another woman.

His face changed instantly, going dark, and the mood in the private lounge crashed with it. The air felt icy, thick with tension, like the room had dropped to freezing in a heartbeat.

Emmy’s mind spun when she saw who had just walked in. The resemblance was unreal. For a split second, it felt like she’d just left her husband—only to run right into him again.

But when Mr. Nelson’s gaze turned cold behind his gold-rimmed glasses, that strange feeling of familiarity was gone, replaced by something sharp and intimidating. Emmy had never seen James like this before—so cold, so distant, as if he could drag everyone around him into a bottomless pit.

Her heart jumped into her throat.

Isabel looked just as stunned as Emmy, but she knew exactly who Mr. Nelson’s anger was aimed at. Her jealousy flared even hotter. She clenched her hands tight on her knees, knuckles turning white.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Nelson.” Emmy was the first to recover, quickly standing to explain. “I just ran into Ms. Summer here. We’re friends, so we chatted for a bit.”

Isabel shot up too, looking hurt, her eyes shining with unshed tears as she stared at him. “Jamie, do you really hate seeing me that much?”

James’s brows drew together, his eyes dark and unreadable behind those glasses. When he finally spoke, his voice was cold and unrecognizable.

“Yes.”

Isabel’s eyes filled with tears right away. She pushed on, desperate. “Why? How come you can sit and talk to Emmy like it’s nothing, but you can’t even look at me? We used to love each other so much!”

Isabel wiped at her eyes and gave a shaky laugh. “Jamie, maybe you can forget how you felt about me, maybe you can forget what you promised, but I don’t believe you could forget this.”

She unclasped the elegant jeweled necklace from around her neck and slid the locket open. Inside was a tiny photo, no bigger than a thumbprint.

It was the two of them from years ago—Isabel and Jamie, faces pressed close together, both grinning like they didn’t have a care in the world.

James’s eyes widened. Almost without thinking, he reached out and took the necklace from her hand. He stared down at the little photo, his expression torn between longing and pain.

Watching the way he looked at that picture, Isabel finally let out a shaky breath of relief. She’d gambled and won. Jamie hadn’t forgotten that photo—or her. He just needed a little help to remember.