Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 694

Teresa sat in the car, her anger building with every passing second. Now it all made sense. Mrs. Nelson hadn’t invited her out of kindness, and those women hadn’t just been making casual conversation. That so-called tea party had been a setup from the start, all just a show to put her in her place. They wanted her to know that the Drennon family would never be good enough, that she should let go of any hope she might have had.

What a joke. When had she ever wanted to climb her way into the Nelson family? She hadn’t even known that James, the firefighter, had such a powerful family backing him. Teresa clenched her chest, trying to calm the storm of frustration inside her.

Why did fate have to play such cruel games with her daughter? Emmy had finally escaped the pain of her last relationship, married a man who always put her first, someone who made her feel cherished. And it turned out to be another lie. No wonder James always seemed too perfect. He never felt entirely real. Now she realized he had a plan all along. Every bit of his kindness, his gentleness, was just part of the act. It was all about getting her daughter to marry him, to have his children.

He must have looked into Emmy’s life from every angle before choosing her. Teresa had always known Emmy was especially fertile, and she’d warned her again and again to wait until marriage before getting too close to any man. Had James found out about that too? Was that why he’d been so determined, so persistent?

The thought made tears spill silently down her cheeks. Why did her daughter have to suffer like this?

She stayed in the car for a long time, waiting for the anger and pain to settle. When she finally felt steady enough, she picked up her phone and called Emmy.

Emmy was still dealing with a throbbing toothache when the phone rang. She answered with a muffled, “Mom.”

Teresa heard it immediately. “Emmy, what’s wrong with your voice?”

“My tooth hurts,” Emmy replied, hoping to keep her mom from worrying. “I think I’ve got a cavity from eating too many sweets. I’ll get it checked out. It’s not a big deal.”

Teresa frowned. Emmy’s teeth had always been perfect, and she’d had all the right dental work done as a kid. How could she suddenly get a cavity?

“Where are you right now?”

Emmy’s heart skipped a beat. She worried her mom might show up at any moment. “I’m just out for a walk, Mom. Is something wrong?”

“A walk?” Teresa’s tone turned serious. “Did something happen?”

“Okay.”

Emmy hung up, not wanting to say any more. Every word made her cheek ache. She went to the bathroom and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. The redness from the slap was fading, but a deep, ugly bruise had taken its place, standing out against her pale skin. She wondered if it would be gone in a few days.

She called room service and ordered a bunch of hot eggs. Every two hours, someone would drop off a couple of steaming eggs at her door. Emmy would sit at her laptop, catching up on emails, rolling the warm eggs gently over her cheek.

She didn’t leave her hotel room for two days. She ignored every message James sent her. Abriella even showed up twice, knocking and apologizing, but Emmy refused to open the door or respond.

By the fourth morning, the bruise had faded enough to blend in, and her tooth had finally stopped hurting. She finally felt ready to step outside. She took the elevator up to the Michelin-starred restaurant on the top floor and ordered a single set meal. The food looked almost too pretty to eat, each dish delicate and perfectly arranged.

She was quietly eating a bite of slow-cooked salmon when the light shifted. Someone sat down across from her.