Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 727

He stood with his back to her, carefully arranging a row of elegant, steaming containers on the rolling table. He was dressed in simple black, the same laid-back style he always wore. Emmy hadn’t seen him in days. Now, just the sight of that familiar figure made her heart clench hard, like something had reached right inside her chest and squeezed. She couldn’t wrap her head around it. How was he here, just like that, out of nowhere?

He must have heard her come in. Still, he didn’t turn around. He just kept fussing with the dishes, almost like he was hiding. Abriella, who’d been in the room a moment ago, was gone.

Emmy stayed silent. She just stood there, staring at his back, neither of them saying a word. The air seemed thick with a strange kind of silence.

After what felt like forever, James finally turned to face her. His eyes, dark and bottomless, locked on hers. She could see a storm of emotions swirling there, so much held back, so much you could drown in. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, his voice coming out rough.

“I’m sorry it took me this long to come see you.”

He hesitated, then asked softly, “Are you… feeling any better?”

Only then did Emmy move. She walked toward him, slow and uncertain. She could feel her eyes burning, the kind of sting that warned tears were close. James watched her come closer, emotion flooding his face. Instinctively, he reached out, as if to pull her into his arms. But just as he did, Emmy stepped aside, slipping past him and heading for the table filled with food.

She glanced over the dishes, everything perfectly balanced and nutritious. A cold, almost mocking smile tugged at her lips.

“So, you’re the one who’s been making all my meals these past days.”

James didn’t answer. He just stared at her, his jaw tight, lips pressed together.

Then, suddenly, he closed the distance between them. Before Emmy could react, he wrapped his arms around her from behind, holding her tight.

Suddenly she felt something hot and wet on her neck. Drop after drop. Was he… crying?

The thought hit Emmy so hard she could barely breathe. Her own tears fell faster, but she bit her lip, refusing to make a sound.

It took a long time for James to calm down. When he finally lifted his head, he still didn’t let go. He just rested his chin on her shoulder, his voice barely more than a whisper, rough and uneven.

“It feels like… I can never protect the people I want to protect. Emmy, if you want a divorce, I… I can submit the paperwork.”

He forced the words out, each one sounding like it hurt to say.