Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 1337

James crouched beside the edge of the bed, his large frame casting a protective shadow as he hovered his hands gently behind the two toddlers to keep them from falling. The children were completely oblivious to the agonizing torment the adults were enduring. They simply laid beside their mother, babbling and chattering away without a care in the world.

Dolly clung to Emmy's neck like a little sticky rice cake, puckering her lips as she continuously demanded kisses. Joey sat on his knees nearby, carefully cradling Emmy's hand against his chest. He reached into his tiny pocket and pulled out a miniature transforming robot. It was his absolute favorite toy, one he never even allowed his sister to touch. With solemn dedication, he pressed the robot into Emmy's palm.

"Gift," Joey said, tilting his little face up with utmost seriousness. "For Mommy. A gift."

Seeing her brother offer a present, Dolly refused to be outdone. Grunting with effort, she dug her chubby fingers into the front pocket of her pajamas. After a moment of searching, she proudly pulled out a slightly squished strawberry lollipop. It was a treasure she had kept hidden from the nannies for days.

Using her few tiny baby teeth, the little girl struggled to tear open the plastic wrapper. Once free, she proudly held the pink candy up and tried to shove it directly between Emmy's tightly closed lips.

Seeing this, James quickly reached out and caught his daughter's tiny hand. "Be good, Dolly. Mommy cannot eat right now."

Dolly blinked her large eyes, completely failing to understand. She stubbornly pushed the candy forward, arguing in her sweet, babyish voice, "Sweet! Yummy! For Mommy to eat!"

James felt a sharp ache pierce his heart. He swallowed hard, forcing down the lump in his throat, and tried to make his voice sound as gentle as possible. "Mommy has to wait until she wakes up to eat it. Why don't you eat it instead?"

But the little girl was incredibly stubborn. She shook her head firmly, pushing the candy forward again. "Mommy eats! I won't eat!"

James stared helplessly at his daughter's defiant little face. Her sheer stubbornness was the exact mirror image of Emmy's. He took a deep breath and tried a different approach. "Then how about you give it to Daddy? Daddy is so hungry right now. Daddy wants to eat it."

Held tightly in her father's arms, Dolly seemed to sense his profound sadness. She reached out with her soft, warm hands and clumsily wiped at his rugged face.

"Daddy, don't cry," she cooed sweetly.

But her innocent comfort only made his tears fall harder. To the rest of the world, he was a ruthless, decisive CEO and an iron blooded special forces commander. He could stand unblinking in a hail of bullets and face life or death with absolute calm. But here, in this bedroom, in front of the woman and children he loved with his entire being, his impenetrable armor shattered into dust.

He was actually far more terrified than anyone else that Emmy might never wake up. He had spent his entire life deprived of a family's love, accustomed to walking alone through darkness and isolation. Emmy was the only person who had ever shown him what it meant to love and be loved. Aside from these two children, Emmy was his only true family in this world.

He simply could not bear to imagine how he would survive the rest of his life if he never heard her laughter again. A world without her would be absolutely no different from hell.