Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 1282

Emmy’s fingers tightened a little on her champagne glass, but her smile stayed perfectly in place.

She turned with grace, her eyes gentle and warm, her voice soft and smooth. “Mrs. Silas, everyone. I’ve just gotten word from our astrologer. He recalculated everything, and it turns out today’s best time for our ceremony will be a little later.”

“For a little good luck, to make sure everything goes smoothly for all of us, let’s just be patient and wait a bit longer,” she said, gesturing toward the back of the yacht, her smile lighting up her face. “If anyone feels bored, there’s a special blessing performance set up at the stern. Why not check it out while we wait?”

Her words gave everyone a sense of honor. By mentioning the timing — something that this crowd took very seriously — she quietly shut down any doubts before they started.

Mrs. Silas looked instantly relieved, her own smile returning. “Ms. Lincoln always thinks of everything. Timing really does matter.”

“Let’s head over and see the show,” she said.

No one asked any more questions. Groups of guests strolled toward the back of the yacht, and the air turned lively and relaxed again.

As Emmy watched everyone drift off, she finally let out a quiet breath of relief and followed along.

Just before that, her hidden earpiece had buzzed with an update. Steve had been rescued and was now on his way to the hospital, still alive. Two mercenaries had even been captured.

But Emmy couldn’t calm down. There was still nothing about James. The earpiece stayed silent.

She took a long, steady breath, forcing herself not to imagine anything terrible happening under the waves. No matter what, she had to hold the line for him. She owed him that.

With her glass in hand, Emmy moved through clusters of politicians and tycoons, offering polite conversation and that same poised, careful smile. Her act was flawless, and she never lost control of a single thing.

A short distance away, Abis watched her with a glass of red wine, his eyes fixed on her every move. He didn’t come any closer, just observed.

He saw the way she slipped through this crowd of sharks, answering every challenge, never missing a beat — even without James by her side. Her steady confidence was only growing, and there was something dazzling, almost electric, about it.

In Abis’s eyes, there was no hiding how amazed he was, mixed with a strange, obsessive hunger. Ever since she appeared on the red carpet that morning, he couldn’t look away.

As soon as he said it, Mercedes — who’d been looking for James for ages — hurried over too. With all these people around, she couldn’t just come out and ask, but finally someone had voiced the question for her.

Emmy looked at Tyler and Isabel, a hint of mockery in her heart. Outwardly, though, her smile stayed perfect.

“My husband’s just dealing with a little work issue. He’ll be back soon,” she replied calmly.

Tyler’s eyes narrowed, just a fraction. He knew James too well. Unless something truly serious was going on, there was no way James would disappear for this long at an event like this, and certainly not leave Emmy alone to handle everything.

Tyler’s smile was as warm as ever, but his words sounded almost like he was digging for something. “Did something go wrong?”

“If you need help, just say so, Emmy.”

Isabel pitched in with a soothing smile. “She’s right, Emmy. Better to have family help than to let outsiders step in, right?”