Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 817

Ben’s face went pale, then flushed, then drained of all color. The memory hit him hard. He remembered how, back when he insisted on marrying Claudia, Dean had tried to stop him, his voice cold as ice. “She’s poison. You really want to marry a woman like that?”

At the time, Ben had snapped back, defending Claudia against his own son. Now, thinking about it, it felt like the slap he’d just given Claudia had landed on himself instead.

His gaze dropped to the gun. He scowled. “Why do you even have this?”

Dean took his time, reclaiming the gun and sliding it back into the inside pocket of his suit jacket. “For protection.”

He spoke quietly, then looked Ben straight in the eyes. “So, what are you going to do with her?”

“I’ll hand her over to the police.” Ben’s voice was rough, almost breaking.

Dean let out a soft, annoyed click with his tongue, clearly disappointed. “How dull.” He turned away, like he couldn’t be bothered to stay a second longer.

He had already taken a couple steps when he stopped, as if something had just come to mind. He glanced back. “Why did Claudia say Emmy and Mr. Nelson are investigating her? Since when are Emmy and Mr. Nelson working together?”

Ben was too overwhelmed to care about any of that right now. “I have no idea.”

Dean’s eyes turned even darker, but he didn’t press. He pulled open the car door, slid in, and in moments the sleek black Maybach disappeared into the night.

…

In the weeks that followed, Emmy poured herself into perfecting the AI prosthetic limb and finished her research paper. She named her invention “Lingxi,” inspired by the line, “Our hearts are linked as one, though we have no wings to fly together.” It captured her hope that AI and the human brain could truly connect, responding seamlessly to every thought of the person wearing it.

Not long after she submitted her project report, she won the top prize in the national tech innovation awards—the Golden Tower Award.

By the time the awards ceremony rolled around, Emmy’s baby bump was unmistakable. She moved awkwardly, but refused to let anyone else accept the award for her. She walked up on stage herself, glowing under the spotlights. In an instant, she went from being a “goddess of domestic tech” to the new superstar of the AI world. Everyone wanted to meet her, work with her, be her.

Down in the audience, Isabel was dressed in an expensive gown and perfectly styled hair and makeup, but her face was clouded over with jealousy. She glared at Emmy, who looked radiant on stage—even with her big belly, she was stunning, shining brighter than anyone else in the room. There was no hiding the icy anger in Isabel’s eyes.

…

When Emmy got back to Moonlight Bay, she handed off all the business negotiations for the Lingxi project to Sylvia. Sylvia, as efficient as ever, grabbed the folders and hurried out.

Emmy turned on the TV. The news was covering the awards ceremony. The host sounded breathless with excitement. “It’s reported that the Lingxi AI prosthetic will completely transform the lives of people with disabilities, both here and around the world. It allows for real-time mental control, and its breakthroughs in neural sensation give users the gift of touch again. Let’s give another round of applause to the creator of Lingxi, the brilliant scientist, Ms. Emmy!”

On the screen was a close-up of her accepting the award. She looked confident and calm, her eyes shining with hope for what was ahead. Emmy finally let out a long breath. She gently touched her rounded belly, a smile curving her lips.

“Baby, Mommy did it.”

Now she had everything she needed—her reputation in the AI world, her standing at Nelson Corporation. She finally had enough leverage to stand up to the rest of the Nelson family. At last, she could focus on getting ready for the baby’s arrival, fully at peace.

But just as the sun was setting, her phone rang—and with it came news that changed everything.