Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 1255

Mercedes was standing right outside the door.

She wore a champagne-colored slip dress that hugged every curve, effortlessly highlighting her figure. The fabric just looked expensive, the kind that glides over skin. Her long hair seemed casually arranged, but you could tell it had taken a good amount of work to look that perfectly tousled, draping over her shoulders in a lazy, glamorous sort of way.

When Emmy opened the door, Mercedes removed her sunglasses with deliberate slowness. Her eyes were expertly made up, lashes dark and long, her gaze sparkling with playful mischief. She took one look at Emmy—eyes traveling all the way down and back up, lingering on Emmy’s mess of bed hair—and her lips curled in a small, knowing smile.

“No wonder you didn’t show up for the welcome this morning, sister-in-law.” Her tone was teasing, but a little pointed.

“It’s already so late, and you’re just getting up?” Mercedes leaned casually against the doorframe, studying Emmy with open amusement. “Being the boss’s wife and all, isn’t sleeping in a little too much of a luxury?”

Emmy couldn’t help frowning. Today was a big day. Most of the arriving guests were VIPs and media, and as the face of the brand, Mercedes naturally got the grandest welcome of them all. Emmy had known since yesterday that the resort had rolled out the red carpet for Mercedes. Even Rupert, the CEO, would be there, alongside James, who rarely made appearances himself.

What she didn’t expect was for Mercedes to show up at her door right after arriving, not even stopping to rest. Annoyance bubbled up inside Emmy, but Mercedes’s standing didn’t allow her the luxury of slamming the door in her face. She kept her voice cool. “Did you need something, Mercedes?”

But Mercedes just smiled, acting like she hadn’t noticed Emmy’s chilly tone at all. “Oh, nothing serious. I just thought maybe there were some misunderstandings between us. I wanted to chat a bit.”

“We’re both really close to Nico, you know. It just seems a shame for things to stay awkward.” Her tone was soft but there was something sly behind it.

Emmy laughed to herself, giving Mercedes a smile she didn’t mean. “Of course.”

“But as you can see, I just woke up, and I need to get myself together. Would you mind waiting a minute?”

When Emmy finally stepped out of the bathroom, she caught the sound of the commentator’s excited voice. “Chairman James from Janus Sphere Technologies is here in person to welcome international superstar Mercedes!” the anchor gushed. “Just shows how much the company values their ambassador!”

Emmy glanced at the screen. There it was—footage from an hour ago. Bright sunlight, a stiff sea breeze, James standing tall and unapproachably elegant in a jet-black suit. He was booming with quiet energy, shaking hands politely with Mercedes.

Emmy slowed her steps for half a second, and Mercedes, of course, caught it immediately. She pointed at the TV, her expression suddenly all innocence, like she was afraid Emmy might take it the wrong way.

“Sister-in-law, Nico only came out personally because of the grand opening. That’s all it was.”

Her eyes searched Emmy’s carefully. “You’re not going to be mad at him over something so trivial, right?”