Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 864

She was actually looking for a spot to set up, determined to sell the lobsters for a good price. All she wanted was to buy the kids the best soccer ball she could find. Lately, that was the only thing that mattered, the only thing she had the energy to care about.

Most of the tourists here were Westerners, loud and lively. Emmy, in her simple sundress, walked along the sand with a kind of quiet that made her stand out. The contrast between her cool, delicate vibe and the party atmosphere around her somehow drew even more attention. Even in this crowd, her Eastern features and natural beauty were impossible to ignore.

She was busy scanning for an empty spot and didn’t see the person in front of her until it was too late. They bumped into each other, and she stumbled.

“Sorry!” The young guy immediately reached out to steady her. The moment he saw her face, his blue eyes went wide. He blurted out in perfect English, “Oh my God, you’re… you’re that famous AI philanthropist from the States…”

Emmy’s brain basically short-circuited. She’d been recognized. Dean had warned her, if anyone ever found them, it would be the end.

Almost without thinking, she shook her head and denied it in the local dialect she’d just picked up. “I’m not!”

She spun around and took off running.

The young guy just stood there, baffled. Why would a world-famous scientist, known for her brilliance and kindness, freak out like that? He shook his head and started making his way back to the hotel.

He only got a few steps before someone stepped into his path.

A tall figure blocked the faint light from the streetlamp.

“Excuse me,” a man said, his English rough and raspy, like his throat was scraped raw. “Have you seen this person?”

The young guy glanced down at the photo the man held out. It was the woman who’d just crashed into him and then bolted.

He looked up, finally seeing the man’s face. Honestly, the guy looked rough, like he’d been living on the streets for a while. His clothes were in tatters, hair wild, beard thick enough to hide most of his face. He looked exhausted, almost haunted.

The young guy rubbed his sore arm, some of his fear fading, replaced by a mix of sympathy and doubt. “Yeah, I saw her. Just now, actually.”

The man’s eyes locked onto him. “Where?”

He pointed back toward the bonfire and the crowd. “Over there. She ran into me, then took off that way.”

Before he could say anything else, the tall man was already moving, tearing off toward the party without a word.

His name was James. To keep himself hidden, he’d disguised himself as a drifter. All he had was an encrypted satellite phone, an old charm, and a laminated photo of her. For two months, he’d been wandering from island to island across Fiji, asking every stranger he met if they’d seen her. He couldn’t risk using any official help, just had to rely on the photo and sheer persistence. Most people just shook their heads, and sometimes things got dangerous, but he always managed to get away, thanks to years of special forces training.

Now, for the first time, he had a real lead. His heart pounded so hard it felt like it might explode. He pushed into the crowd, eyes scanning every face, searching for her like a hawk zeroing in on its prey.