Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 1236

Emmy didn’t let herself melt into his arms. Instead, she pushed him away with more determination than before.

“Let’s talk after the gala, okay?”

There were some things you just couldn’t sort out in a quick chat. Not when Mercedes was involved. If they tried to unravel it all now, they’d only end up making things worse, with both of them sulking their way through the rest of the night. She still had to socialize, and the last thing she wanted was the two of them walking out there, bristling and silent.

“No way.”

James didn’t budge. His hold only grew tighter.

“I’ve been holding it in all afternoon.” His voice was low, almost pleading. “The stupid gala isn’t important right now. We need to talk, right now.”

Emmy’s patience wore thin. She frowned and met his eyes.

“How can you even say that? The resort’s leasing isn’t finished. There are still thirty-something empty storefronts in the commercial area, not just the anchor stores.”

“They’re taken.” James cut her off, calm but firm.

She blinked. “What?”

“All the vacancies. They’re already leased out.”

He watched the shock spread across her face, his dark eyes flickering with a gentle pride. “If that’s what you’re worried about, you can stop now.”

Emmy felt a little lost.

Just a few days ago, the leasing report listed way too many empty spaces. How had that changed so quickly?

“That makes no sense. There were so many empty spots.”

James noticed her doubt. His voice softened a little.

“I looked over every single file. Twenty of the tenants were personally chosen by me. I liked their business models, so I had Keaton talk to them. The other fourteen? They reached out themselves, asking to work with us.”

He paused, sounding every bit the careful leader he was.

“I went through hundreds of applications and picked each one myself. I checked every credential, every bit of revenue, each brand’s vibe. There’s nothing wrong with any of them.”

Emmy’s hands dropped to her sides, her frustration draining away. A tender ache welled up in her chest. He’d never mentioned any of this to her.

With all the pressure he was under, he still managed to set aside enough time and energy to handle these tricky leasing details himself. This wasn’t something you could just rubber-stamp and be done with. He had to read through the paperwork, weigh risks, negotiate with each business. Even with a professional team, sealing the deal with all these tenants should’ve taken at least a month.

He’d wrapped it up on his own, and never once brought it up.

“If you knew what she wanted, why’d you have breakfast with her at all?”

James’s lips pressed into a tight, thin line. His jaw tensed.

After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice rough. “I warned her.”

Emmy gave a brittle smile, almost like the whole thing was a bad joke.

“If she actually respected warnings, or had a shred of self-awareness, she wouldn’t have tried to stir up trouble between us, especially not right in front of you.”

“Our issues were never about trust. That’s not where it started.”

She raised her hand and brushed her fingertip over his chest, light but firm.

“The problem is you. You’re the one giving her—someone who wants more than friendship—a chance to come between us.”

“You could’ve said no to breakfast. You could’ve kept the door shut. You could’ve sent her away.”

“If Mercedes had even half the boundaries Abriella has, if she understood what’s appropriate, I wouldn’t mind treating her like a sister myself.”

“But she doesn’t. And you let her cross the line.”