Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 1190

Mercedes’s smile faltered for just a second before she pulled herself back together. She pointed at the table piled with pretty breakfast boxes, her voice light and teasing. “I came to have breakfast with you and your wife.”

But the man’s face stayed icy, if anything, even colder than before. That made Mercedes’s heart skip. She hurried to explain, desperate not to upset him. “The event organizers invited me to perform this morning. They put me in the presidential suite upstairs.” She paused, looking for a reaction, but got nothing. “But when I checked in, the room they’d held for you was already taken.” “So I asked the manager, and he told me you switched with the research team and moved down here.”

She glanced at him, trying for a smile. “I haven’t seen you in forever, Nico.” Then she gestured at the breakfast again, her tone hopeful. “There’s enough for three. Should I ask Keaton to get your wife?”

James glanced at the food, his voice flat. “Don’t call her.”

That made Mercedes feel a rush of relief. To her, it sounded like James was making an excuse. Maybe he didn’t want Emmy to come out. Maybe he even wanted to be alone with her. She grinned, stepping closer and reaching for the breakfast. “Then let’s eat. I picked all your favorites.”

But before she could open a single box, his voice cut through the air, cold and final. “Mercedes, you should be getting ready for your performance.”

His eyes were sharp. “The Global AI Summit is a huge deal. If you took the job, act like a professional.” He paused. “Don’t waste your time on pointless social stuff, and you really shouldn’t be in my room right now.”

Mercedes’s hand hovered in midair, her smile breaking. Her eyes got a little shiny, her voice trembling. “How is this a waste of time?” she asked. “To me, having breakfast with you before I go onstage is the most important thing.”

She took a shaky breath. “I’ve performed on bigger stages than this. I’ve even done the Grammys. I don’t get nervous anymore.” She looked at him, pleading. “Right now, I just want a real breakfast with you, Nico. I want to catch up. Why not?”

James watched her, something like annoyance flickering in his eyes. “No.”

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