Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 1305

Isabel’s tears slipped down her cheeks as she trembled in his arms, a mix of shame and frustration swirling inside her. She honestly didn’t know what was happening to her anymore.

Back then, she used to have it all together. She was smart, driven, a graduate from a top university overseas—everyone said she had this glow, a life full of promise. But ever since she’d watched Emmy walk into every room like she owned it, everyone doting on her, she just felt this bitterness gnawing at her chest. The jealousy was impossible to hide. Sometimes, she caught herself plotting all sorts of awful things, anything to bring Emmy down, and afterward, she could barely look herself in the mirror. Who had she become?

Marrying Tyler had changed her somehow. The more time passed, the more she felt like a stranger in her own skin. That old version of herself—the proud, unstoppable Isabel—felt so far away.

She squeezed her eyes shut as another wave of tears rolled down, her voice quiet but determined. “I should never have married you. The truth is… maybe we’re just not right for each other.”

The hand Tyler had placed so gently on her cheek froze in place. His eyes, once warm, darkened in an instant.

A cold laugh slipped out as he leaned in, voice dropping to a dangerous whisper near her ear. “So what is it… you regret marrying me now? Or is it something else?”

His eyes narrowed. “You still can’t forget about Jamie, can you? Still hung up on that dead man?”

At Jamie’s name, Isabel’s eyes flew open, the old pain clearly still lurking in her gaze. Tyler caught it and sneered, stripping away what was left of her defenses.

“Give it up, Isabel. Jamie never loved you. Never. The only woman he ever cared about was Mercedes. From the very start, it was always Mercedes. I’m the one who loved you, ever since he brought you into the Nelson family. I’m the one who kept you safe, even when you didn’t know it.”

Isabel’s lips trembled, her skin nearly as pale as the moon. She shook her head desperately. “No. You’re lying. Jamie did love me. He was always good to me—he took me to parties, he stood up for me, he even talked to my family about getting engaged. He wouldn’t have done all that if he didn’t care. He loved me.”

Tyler just looked at her like she was a sad joke. “An engagement? Come on, Isabel. That was just an act. He wanted Mercedes to get jealous, that’s all. He was never serious about you. To him, you were just a piece on the chessboard, something he could move or throw away whenever he wanted.”

There was a time when Tyler might’ve had some sympathy for her, might’ve kept these truths to himself so he wouldn’t hurt her. But not tonight. Not after she’d dared to bring up divorce, dared to imagine a life away from him.

He needed her to see it now, with no sugar coating. Understand that he, Tyler, was the only one who truly cared, the only one left.

……

Elsewhere, the world was shaking for entirely different reasons.

Blades from the huge helicopter thundered overhead, the wind snapping grass and tree branches flat. James took Emmy’s hand and basically escorted her onto the chopper.

The moment she realized what was happening, Emmy’s eyes went huge with panic. She clung to the seat like her life depended on it, refusing to let go.

James reached over, pulling her in against his chest. He brought his lips to her ear, teasing her with a little nibble, his voice low and close. “Didn’t you say you wanted something exciting?”

He grinned. “So, babe, what do you think? Is this enough of a thrill for you?”