Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 1005

“If you can’t break through Sync’s technical roadblocks and win back the market share in six months…” He raised a finger, punctuating his words in the air. “Then, my girl, you’re going to lose the AI prosthetics market for good.” He let the warning hang there. “That’s how capital works. It chews people up and spits out their bones.”

Emmy’s heart skipped a beat. She could see it just as clearly as Dominic could. This wasn’t just business. It was a battle, and it had been brewing for a long time.

“I get it.” Emmy set her teacup down, her eyes going sharp. The confidence of someone who knew their own value flickered in her gaze. “Six months is enough.”

The rest of the afternoon, the study at Pepper Estate was filled with the scent of tea and the sound of animated debate. Dominic and Emmy stood shoulder to shoulder at the desk, sometimes talking over each other, sometimes falling silent as they scribbled notes. Sync’s neural feedback delays, core algorithm tweaks, the technical headaches Emmy had hit in her research group, even the wild future of brain-computer interfaces… They bounced from one subject to the next. To anyone else, their jargon would have sounded like another language, but to them, it was like talking about the weather.

Emmy brought up the places where she was stuck. For once, Dominic didn’t snap or call her clueless. He just put on his reading glasses, picked up a pen, and started sketching diagrams on a scrap of paper, explaining each step with a rare patience.

Time slipped away without either of them noticing. Lunch was barely a blip—two bites, then they were right back to tossing out technical specs between mouthfuls. It wasn’t until the light in the study started to fade that Dominic finally stopped, still reluctant to call it a day. He reached into a drawer and slid a folder across the desk to Emmy.

“Here. Fill this out first.”

Emmy looked down and felt her breath catch. Capital College—Harvard Joint PhD Program Application.

“Master, this…”

Dominic took a long sip of tea, his voice a little rough after all the talking. “Your current position at the Harvard research group is a little tricky. Luckily, my reputation still counts for something in academia.” He gave a small, proud smile. “I already talked to them. You’ll go through the Capital College special talent program. You’ll have direct access to the Harvard lab.”

He said it like it was nothing, but Emmy knew how much weight those words carried. He was clearing the path for her. Not just any path, but a straight shot to the world’s top academic stage.

Dominic’s eyes were soft but strong. “All you need to do is focus on your research. Let me take care of the rest.”

Emmy clutched the thin stack of papers. Her nose stung, and her eyes went red. In this life and the last, the only people who’d truly looked out for her were her grandpa, her mother, and now Dr. Pepper. He was the only elder who ever put her future first, no strings attached.

“Thank you… Master.”

She didn’t even think. She just acted.

An hour later, Emmy was standing in front of Abriella’s new house. She’d had to ask around to find the address, and now she stood there with her arms full—bags of the latest dolls every little girl wanted, plus a whole set of educational toys.

The door opened soon after she rang the bell. Mrs. Sullivan looked shocked to see her, but her surprise quickly turned to warmth as she ushered Emmy inside.

“Emmy, you’re here! Come in, come in! You didn’t need to bring so many things.”

Emmy grinned. “I was abroad when Abriella had her baby. I didn’t know a thing. Now that I do, I have to make up for it.”

She glanced around the living room, but the person she wanted to see wasn’t there. There weren’t any toys scattered about, no sign that a child lived there at all.

She turned to Mrs. Sullivan, unable to hold back her question. “Auntie, where’s Abriella? And… where’s the baby?”