Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 744

Emmy’s heart jumped and the word slipped out before she could stop herself.

“Don’t!”

Her voice sounded so sharp, even she was startled by it.

She couldn’t let him come.

If he showed up, if she saw him, she knew her resolve would break. She’d never be able to watch him walk away again.

She had to make Mrs. Nelson, and everyone in the Nelson family, believe that things between her and James were really over.

That was the only way she’d have any leverage when it came to fighting for custody.

If she forgave him so easily, they’d just see her as someone they could push around, someone too easy to manipulate.

Then, she might not only lose custody. She might never see her kids again.

Truth was, she still cared, and she couldn’t pretend his effort didn’t move her. But the anger from being lied to and used hadn’t faded.

That pain was still right there in her chest.

When the line went quiet, Emmy forced herself to harden her heart. Her voice turned cold.

“If you won’t let me see you, I’m hanging up.”

“I will!”

James’s voice came through almost immediately, urgent and a little desperate. He just couldn’t bring himself to end the call.

The phone’s camera moved for a second, and then his face filled her screen.

His jaw was shadowed with stubble, making his skin look even paler than usual.

His eyes were deep and tired, red with exhaustion.

He looked completely worn out, but somehow, that roughness mixed with his chiseled features made him even more attractive. There was something about him right then, a sort of messy, vulnerable charm that made her heart ache.

Before, he always came home looking put together, smelling fresh and clean.

He never let her see him looking this tired.

Her nose stung and she bit back the urge to cry, quickly snapping a screenshot to distract herself.

Forcing her voice to sound as dismissive as possible, Emmy said,

“You look awful. I don’t want to see you anymore. I’m hanging up.”

“Let me see… you.”

When he came out again, he looked like his old self. Clean, sharp, put together.

Night settled in.

His Bentley slipped into Moonlight Bay and parked in a quiet corner.

From where he sat, he could see the closed gate of the house.

His wife and kids were just inside.

But he didn’t even have the courage to get out and knock.

He knew Emmy didn’t want to see him right now.

The night grew darker, and the moon was huge and bright above, lighting up everything with a soft, cold glow.

James leaned back in his seat and stared at the sky, hoping that just looking at the moon might bring him closer to her.

Inside the garden, just on the other side of the wall, Emmy stood by the swing, wrapped in a blanket.

She looked up at that same moon, the light settling all around her, making her glow.

They were so close, just a wall apart, but it might as well have been a thousand miles. Both caught in their own thoughts, both missing each other so much it hurt.