Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 1311

Dinner was simple, but everything was done with care. Emmy’s favorite dishes, just the way she liked them. They finished their meal quickly, almost without talking. As soon as they were done, a sleek home robot glided over and cleared the table, not making a sound.

James was about to stand up and get back to work, but Emmy reached for his wrist and tugged him gently. Then she leaned into him, settling herself in his arms like it was the most natural thing in the world. It felt safe there, like she belonged.

“Why rush?” She tipped her face up to look at him. “We haven’t listened to those voice messages yet. Let’s do that first. You can go work after.”

Honestly, she was more than just curious about what Mercedes had to say. She wanted James to hear it, too, wanted him right there at her side.

James looked down at her, a little helpless, but mostly fond. He shook his head, smiling without even realizing it, and slid his arm around her. Pulling her close, he rested his chin gently on her hair.

“Alright. Play them,” he said softly.

Emmy opened the first message. Mercedes’s voice filled the room in a rush—slurred from drinking, thick with anger and bitterness. James listened, silent, his jaw tight. When Mercedes said, “Do you have any idea how much we connected?” something in him went hard and cold. He pressed his lips together, a stubborn line that said more than words. His brow pulled tight with frustration.

He and Mercedes? There had never been any connection. What there had been was only his promise to Jamie. That was it. And he had stuck to it.

The message ended. Emmy didn’t say anything, just tapped to play the second, then the third one after that.

She clicked on the next recording.

After a long pause, Mercedes’s bitter, shaky laugh filled the recording.

“I ended up hanging onto him for dear life, like he was my last hope. He had Jamie’s face. He was Jamie’s family—someone Jamie had truly loved... I just never expected Nico to be so talented. In two years, he pulled me out of the gutter and made me the top star at Star Entertainment. Honestly... me and Nico, aren’t we kind of the same?”