Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 1289

James walked out wearing a deep navy suit, every detail perfectly tailored to him. His hair was neat and still held just the right amount of shine, as if he’d stepped out of a magazine. The moment he saw Emmy, all that stern composure melted from his face. He crossed the room in a few confident strides, slipping an arm around her waist like it was the most natural thing in the world.

He leaned down, his voice soft and low and that little bit husky that always got to her. “I’m sorry I put you through all that.”

Emmy let herself relax into his arms, shaking her head as if to brush his worries away. She slipped her arms around him in return, her words muffled against his chest. “You’re safe. That’s all I care about.”

His grip on her tightened a bit, holding her closer like he never wanted to let go. He lowered his head, clearly wanting to kiss her, but thinking better of it so he wouldn’t mess up her makeup. So instead, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

“Come on,” he said quietly, his tone so tender it made her heart flutter.

Together, they started heading for the inside of the ship, hand in hand, wrapped up in their own little bubble. Security guards lined the hallway, nodding respectfully as they passed.

Emmy spoke quietly, only for James to hear. “Any news? Did your people find out who was behind all this?”

James gave a slight frown and shook his head. “Not yet. All we got from the mercenaries was that it was a job off the black market. They were paid in crypto, and the details of those jobs only stick around for twenty-four hours before disappearing. The trail goes cold after that.”

Emmy pressed her lips together, brows drawing together in worry.

James kept her tucked under his arm, his voice dropping with a seriousness she didn’t hear from him often. “Whoever planned this isn’t just some amateur pulling tricks. From the way the bomb was set up, the route they used to sneak in... this was prepared at least two weeks in advance. The person behind this knows Emerald Island’s security inside and out. You know how our sonar is programmed to ignore certain migration patterns from large fish schools, right? It’s how we protect the local ecosystem and the marine life.”

His eyes grew sharp as he explained. “Those mercenaries came in with a school of deep-sea tuna. They timed it exactly when the fish were passing under the ship, used the school for cover, and dodged every underwater sensor. If Sylvia and Steve hadn’t happened to spot something strange...”

He let the thought trail off, but Emmy knew what he meant. If that accident hadn’t happened, who knew what disaster they’d be facing right now.

On the other side of the ship, Abyss stood alone in a quiet corner of the deck, hidden away from the party. He had a glass of red wine in his hand and his eyes never left the giant cruise ship as it glided smoothly through the water.

“So it failed?” His voice was rough, flat, and icy enough to send chills down a spine.

His assistant stood behind him with head bowed low, barely daring to breathe. “Yes... boss. The mercenaries completed their part of the plan, but for some reason, James went into the water himself and managed to disarm the bomb. The crisis was averted.”

The sound of glass shattering cut through the air. Abyss had crushed the wine glass in his grip without even seeming to notice. Red wine trickled over his pale knuckles, mingling with tiny glints of glass—it almost looked like blood, but he didn’t flinch.

His eyes burned with a furious mix of jealousy and confusion. How could this happen? The plan was perfect, every detail accounted for. How did James see through it?

He glared at the shrinking silhouette of the resort in the distance. The darkness in his eyes only got heavier, colder, and far more dangerous.