Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 1048

Cadence stared at Emmy, her eyes swirling with emotions too complicated to untangle. Right then, she realized Emmy had a kind of power that made everyone else feel small by comparison. It was something deeper than wealth or status, a kind of quiet nobility you just couldn’t fake.

With obvious admiration, Cadence’s gaze drifted from Emmy to the rest of the room. She finally spoke up. “Five billion, donated just like that. Mr. Lincoln didn’t just make a gesture of charity. He’s changed the game entirely. If this money actually lands, Nelson Corporation’s reputation will skyrocket, and this century-old company will reach a social standing no one’s ever seen before.”

She paused, letting her words hang in the air, her voice growing stronger. “Now that’s what I call vision.”

Her eyes swept across the boardroom, zeroing in on the director who had been the most vocal before. “I think Mr. Lincoln’s three votes are not just valid. They matter more than anything. If anyone in this room thinks they can step up and match that five billion donation, now’s your chance to stand up and say so.”

Cadence stopped again, her tone suddenly cold. “Anyone else want to question Mr. Lincoln’s right to vote?”

The room went dead quiet. No one dared to speak. Who could, after that?

Tyler sat there, his face drained of color, jaw clenched tight. He couldn’t get a word out.

As Cadence looked around at the silent crowd, Emmy’s words from earlier echoed in her mind. “If James can really wipe out the rot in the Nelson family, cut out all the poison, maybe the family will have a shot at something better, something cleaner. And if that happens, we won’t go down in history as the villains. We’ll be the ones who saved the Nelsons.”

Right now, those words hit harder than ever. Maybe she really should have trusted Emmy all along.

Cadence took a deep breath. No one spoke. She stood, making the call. “If there are no objections, I’ll announce the results now. More votes in favor than against. Effective immediately, all shares and related interests held by Tyler and Jamie are revoked.”

She turned to Tyler, her voice all business. “Mr. Nelson, you need to leave Nelson Corporation today. Mr. Collins and Ms. Graham will handle all the handover work.”

The second they stepped out, their assistants rushed up to take their things. Together, they made their way to the executive elevator. When the doors chimed at the top floor, everyone headed straight for the CEO’s office. At the door, the assistants peeled away to the side office, already diving into the next round of paperwork.

Emmy followed James into his office. The door clicked shut behind them. Then, before she could even process what was happening, James caught her wrist and pulled her straight into the private lounge. The door closed, and he locked it.

She barely had time to react before he pinned her against the door.

His kiss came out of nowhere, rough and urgent, almost desperate. There was no holding back, just a wild, hungry need that stole her breath. His hand gripped her waist so tightly, she could feel his pulse pounding through her skin, like he wanted to pull her right into himself. All the tension and triumph of the day melted into that kiss. Usually, James was all control and restraint.

But right now, he wasn’t holding anything back.