Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 1117

James lifted an eyebrow, a playful glint in his eyes. “Babe, that’s top secret.”

Emmy paused, her disappointment written all over her face.

James hated seeing her like that, so he quickly tried to cheer her up. “Okay, I can’t spill on classified stuff, but I can tell you something else.”

He thought for a second, then broke into a laugh. The heaviness in his eyes seemed to fade away. “Let me tell you something funny.”

“One of the people we rescued this time was the daughter of a local big shot. When Brett carried her out of the dungeon, she was basically glued to his back, bawling her eyes out.”

“When it was time to get on the helicopter, she just wouldn’t let go. She kept shouting that she wanted to marry Brett, that he was her hero, and she had to repay him by marrying him.”

“Brett’s face was so red, you wouldn’t believe it. In the end, they traded contact info.”

Emmy stared at him, wide-eyed, then burst out laughing. “Well, she’s got good taste. All your teammates are pretty impressive.”

James grinned right back at her.

He shifted, settling back against his seat and getting comfortable. “What about you? How’s everything over there? I just want to hear your voice.”

His tone was soft, so tired it made her heart ache.

She saw the shadows under his eyes and felt a wave of tenderness and worry. He looked so worn out.

So she lowered her voice and started talking, her words gentle and soothing.

She rambled about her day in the lab, complained about the cafeteria’s awful pizza, described the wild mood swings of Boston weather, and told him about a stray cat she’d met outside. She even talked about a random snowman someone built by the curb, making it sound like the most fascinating thing in the world.

There was nothing dramatic, just small pieces of her everyday life.

But for James, coming down from the chaos of the day, her stories were like a lullaby.

Time slipped by, and before long, half an hour had passed.

She started gathering her things.

Noticing she was leaving, John quickly put down his files, grabbed his car keys, and came over. “It’s late. Let me drive you home.”

Emmy shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I was planning to run back.”

Work had been crazy lately, so she’d started jogging to and from the lab just to clear her head. The five kilometers were perfect—just enough to feel good without wearing her out.

Besides, the moon was bright tonight.

She wanted to pop in her headphones, listen to James breathing softly in her ear, and jog home at her own pace.

John frowned, clearly worried. “It’s almost eleven. You know how Boston can be at night. It’s not safe for you to be out there alone.”

“Let me drive you. Or at least let me run with you for a bit?”