Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 742

He stopped breathing for a moment. His heart, which had just hit rock bottom, was suddenly hanging in midair again, tight with nerves and hope. He stared at those few words on the screen, as if they were the only thing that could pull him out of the darkness. The typing bubble blinked for a second, then disappeared. The screen went quiet. The message never arrived.

…

Emmy looked at the message she’d typed out, then started deleting it, letter by letter.

[Tyler came to see me, about your grandma’s shares…]

No, that wouldn’t do. It was way too sudden. She had just told James not to contact her anymore. If she reached out now, what would that even mean? Would it ruin the fragile peace they’d finally managed to find?

But Tyler… he was a wild card. Emmy couldn’t shake off the feeling that he wasn’t just here to help James. After all that had happened, she couldn’t let her guard down around anyone.

While she was stuck in her own head, James’s video call came through out of nowhere. Her heart jumped. On pure reflex, she hit decline before she could even think about it. The screen barely had time to go dark before a message popped up.

[Baby, I want to see you.]

Emmy pressed her lips together. She’d just finished crying. Her eyes were red and puffy. She definitely didn’t want him to see her like this.

Before she could type anything back, another video call came in. Emmy’s finger hovered over the red decline button. She hesitated for a few seconds, then finally slid her finger over to answer.

As soon as the call connected, she quickly switched the camera away from her face, aiming it at the plain white bathroom door across from her. She couldn’t help glancing at her screen. But the other side didn’t show James either. All she could see was the cool white ceiling of his office and a fancy chandelier.

Emmy frowned a little. Then James’s deep voice came through, soft and careful.

“Baby, can I see you?”

Something in her chest fluttered. She cleared her throat. “You first… let me see you.”

She barely got the words out before realizing her voice was still rough from crying.

James’s tone sharpened, worried and urgent. “Have you been crying?”

“The project I’m working on is moving fast. I should see results within a week.”

“My plan was to use this project to make a deal with the head of the Nelson family, help him become president in exchange for his shares.”

He paused, his voice growing a little softer. “As for Grandma’s shares, you keep them.”

Emmy froze. Her mind went blank. This was the last thing she’d expected.

It felt like something inside her chest had been struck hard, a mix of pain and shock spreading through her. So this man, just to avoid using her, was giving up the easiest path and choosing a much harder one instead.

Her eyes burned again. Heat rose in her throat, making it tight and hard to breathe. Emmy bit down on her lower lip, fighting back the sob that was threatening to escape. She sniffled, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Can you… point the camera at yourself?”