Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 1022

Inside the black sedan racing along the ring road, the tension was almost suffocating. Emmy sat with her eyes closed. She looked calm, but inside, her thoughts were anything but settled.

Juan’s words still echoed in her mind, sharp and painful, digging into a place she tried so hard to keep hidden. It wasn’t that she cared about the rumors themselves. The problem was, there was just enough truth in them to hurt. Back when she was at Star Jewel, scrolling through posts about her disappearance, she’d seen plenty of nasty comments. At the time, she was in treatment for depression, and she didn’t dare read too closely. She tried to forget. Later, when she finally felt strong enough to look back, every post, every news story, every comment about her had vanished from the internet. Even the keywords were gone.

But the internet never really forgets. People certainly don’t. Juan hadn’t just ripped open old wounds today. He forced her to face the ugly truth. In this world, secrets don’t stay buried. Even if every trace online was erased, she was still the woman everyone whispered about, “the one Dean fooled around with for a year.” If enough people repeat a story, it becomes the truth. She knew that even if she was innocent, nobody in this world of suspicion and gossip would believe her. Most wouldn’t even want to believe her. People love believing whatever story fits their own version of events.

Emmy opened her eyes and stared out the window at the city lights flashing past. Now that she was married to James, the whole situation wasn’t just about her anymore. It was about James’s reputation, about the Nelson family’s name. She couldn’t let people talk behind his back like he’d married someone else’s castoff.

Her gaze hardened. She had to figure this out.

Emmy folded her arms, her fingers tapping absently on her sleeve as she thought. Then, suddenly, a sharp screech of brakes split the air. The car jolted, throwing her forward. Instinctively, she braced herself against the front seat, her brows knitting in pain.

Beside her, Penny reacted instantly. She grabbed Emmy’s arm with one hand, the other already moving to her waist, ready for trouble.

“What happened?”

The driver’s voice trembled. “Ms. Lincoln, a few cars just cut us off and forced us to stop.”

Emmy steadied herself, peering through the windshield. Several black SUVs were parked across the road, blocking their way. A door swung open, and a young man in a suit stepped out. He walked straight to Emmy’s window, bent down, and knocked.

Emmy narrowed her eyes, lowering the window just enough so they could speak. She was on guard, every sense alert.

The man didn’t seem fazed. He lowered his voice, polite but firm. “Ms. Lincoln, I’m sorry to trouble you so late.”

He paused, then smiled with practiced courtesy. “Mr. Nelson would like to invite you for tea.”

Mr. Nelson. In the Capital, there was only one man who went by that name—James’s half-brother, Tyler.

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