Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 1228

Down in the restaurant, James cleared his plate in no time and wiped his mouth with a napkin. He straightened the cuffs of his suit, stood up, and walked toward the elevator. The doors slid open and he stepped inside. Before he could press any buttons, Mercedes slipped in after him.

"Nico, wait—hold up," she called out, out of breath and anxious.

James's eyes darkened and his brow creased. Mercedes bit her lip, her voice shaky as her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "Nico, I’m sorry. About what happened just now in the restaurant… Honestly, I didn’t know your wife was there. If I’d seen her, I wouldn’t have called you over."

One hand tucked casually in his pants pocket, James looked down at her coolly. "Mercedes, don’t come looking for me anymore. It’ll only give my wife more reasons to get the wrong idea."

Mercedes blinked at him, stunned. "Why? Nico, just because your wife’s upset, we can’t even talk like normal people anymore?"

She tried to grab his sleeve but James moved away before she could touch him, leaving her hand awkwardly frozen midair. Tears spilled over as she gasped, "It’s not my fault she’s so petty and jealous! She can’t even handle a simple conversation between us—how is that on me? What did I do wrong? I just want things to go back to how they were, when I saw you as my brother…"

"That’s enough," James cut her off, his voice so cold that the air in the elevator seemed to drop a few degrees. He stared right at her and his gaze was razor sharp, leaving nowhere to hide.

"Mercedes, you know exactly what you’re feeling. Don’t do anything to disappoint me and don’t push my limits." He kept his tone calm, but every word felt heavy, almost vibrating in the small space. "And another thing—if I ever hear you speak badly about my wife again, even for a second… we’re done. I don’t want to see you again."

She froze, her face going paper white. Mercedes looked as if he’d slapped her, too shocked to say a single word. Right then, the elevator doors slid open. James didn’t even glance her way as he stepped out.

Passing Keaton in the hallway, James called out without looking back, "Take her back to the hotel. Meet me at the conference when you’re done." His tone left no room for questions.

Keaton dipped his head quickly. "Yes, sir." He sneaked a glance at Mercedes, who looked completely crushed, then sighed softly to himself as the elevator doors closed again.

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