Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 1072

Everything in the dream was washed out and white. Emmy watched herself, weak and unsteady, being helped toward a strange-looking bed. A delivery table. She lay back, legs lifted into the stirrups. All around her, doctors and nurses in masks and scrubs moved quickly, faces hidden.

Then a familiar set of eyes appeared in her line of sight, sharp and cool, the kind you could recognize anywhere. Lorelei. Even with a mask on, there was no mistaking her. She held a piece of chocolate to Emmy’s lips, voice as calm as ever, but Emmy could hear a note of concern beneath it.

“Want a bite? You’ll need your strength soon.”

Emmy saw herself shake her head, face twisted in pain. “It hurts… so much…”

Nearby, a woman who’d been with her the whole time flinched, unable to watch any longer. She turned and called out, voice anxious. “Dr. Hall, please, give her the epidural. She can’t take much more!”

But Lorelei just shook her head, eyes never leaving the monitor. Her voice was almost chilling in its steadiness. “Just a little longer. If we do it now, her dilation will slow. The longer it takes, the more likely the baby won’t get enough oxygen. For the baby’s sake, try to hold on.”

Emmy could see herself biting down, knuckles white as she gripped the sheets, all color drained from her face. The pain felt endless.

Time slipped by, impossible to measure. Then the woman’s voice broke through again, this time trembling with hope. “Dr. Hall, it’s time!”

Lorelei finally nodded. “Epidural, now.”

Soon Lorelei came back with an anesthesiologist. The doctor held a syringe, the needle so long and thick it looked monstrous, nothing like a normal shot. This was going straight into her spine.

Emmy had always been terrified of needles. The second it neared her back, fear crashed over her, so bright and sharp it was all she could feel.

A scream ripped from her throat.

Emmy’s eyes flew open. She shot upright in bed, breath coming in ragged gasps, chest rising and falling. Her hand flew to her forehead, icy sweat slicking her skin.

The bedroom was completely still, only the soft hum of the AC in the background. Emmy pressed her palm to her chest, trying to calm her racing heart.

That dream… it felt too real. Even now, she could feel an echo of pain in her spine, her hips aching in a way that made her shiver.

Was it a dream? No. She knew, deep down, it was more than that. It was a memory, or at least a piece of one, buried deep inside her.

A few minutes later, the screen finally lit up. Notifications poured in as soon as it connected to Wi-Fi, messages and news popping up one after another. Emmy frowned and started to tap her messages, but before she could, a trending alert from Twitter flashed across the screen. She accidentally clicked it.

Twitter loaded. The headline was impossible to miss.

BREAKING: International superstar Mercedes caught in a secret coffee shop date with a mystery man.

Emmy rolled her eyes, ready to swipe it away, but her finger froze as she caught a glimpse of the photo. She tapped it open.

Nine blurry, grainy pictures filled the screen. Even with the bad quality, she could tell it was one of those ultra-private, high-end coffee shops. Light spilled in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Mercedes wore a simple beige trench, her long hair pulled up carelessly.

Across from her sat a man. Only his side profile was visible, but he wore a dark jacket, cap pulled low to hide his face. Just the hard line of his jaw was visible.

Even without seeing the rest of his face, Emmy knew immediately. It was James.