Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 653

Well… her daughter really had called out that night.

But the way Emmy said “Dean” now, so offhand and a little annoyed, it was obvious she was completely over him. That guy was just someone from the past, nothing more than a stranger now.

Teresa felt her heart tip in Emmy’s favor immediately.

She put on her most serious face and told James, “From now on, don’t go blaming her for things. Emmy’s in a sensitive stage. Her hormones are all over the place, and once she starts crying, it’s hard for her to stop.”

She might as well have spelled it out. My daughter is now a top priority. She’s pregnant, so you need to treat her like she’s the most precious thing in the world.

James looked at his wife and mother-in-law, completely united against him, and had no choice but to surrender.

“Okay, Mom. I promise, I won’t do it again.”

Emmy shot him a smug little look, sticking out her tongue, obviously delighted to have her mom on her side.

…

On New Year’s Eve, Teresa brought her daughter and son-in-law to the cemetery.

The place was so quiet and cold, winter wind swirling the ashes from burnt offering papers through the air.

Teresa wiped the picture on the headstone with gentle care, chatting softly with her parents about all the changes in the past year.

When she talked about Emmy finding someone good and being pregnant, her eyes turned red and her voice choked up with happiness.

Emmy stood quietly nearby, watching her mom’s back, then turned to look at the tall, steady man beside her.

She shuffled closer, hooked her pinky around his, and felt completely at peace.

On the drive home, Teresa glanced over at James behind the wheel.

“James, do you need to visit your family too?”

“It’s still early,” she added. “If you want, Emmy can go with you.”

James’s hands tightened on the steering wheel for a second, but his voice stayed calm.

“No need. I’ve never really done that. There’s no one for me to visit.”

Teresa paused, surprised for a moment.

She knew when not to push, so she just changed the topic.

“And… did you ask your family about having dinner together, like we talked about before?”

Thinking about it now, Emmy felt her old self was honestly a little ridiculous.

She didn’t even know who crossed the line first.

All she knew was that they’d both ended up somewhere totally different from where they started.

And somehow, it all felt exactly right.

Maybe everything she’d been through had just been leading her to him.

Watching the fireworks fill the sky, Emmy felt something soft and warm swelling up inside her, so intense it almost ached.

Suddenly, she remembered the scarf she’d knitted for him.

She hadn’t had time to sew their initials on it, but she still wanted to give it to him tonight, on this special night.

She turned and went into Ivy’s room, looking for the box where she’d put the scarf.

But the room was almost empty. Most of Ivy’s things were gone.

The box was missing, too.