Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 1273

As soon as the doors swung open, a rush of cool air swept over everyone, washing away the sticky heat from outside. James grabbed a couple of champagne flutes from a passing waiter and handed one to Emmy. Almost instantly, he was surrounded by a group of Wall Street power players. They chatted away in effortless Spanish, tossing around numbers in the billions, each deal bigger than the last. James slipped a hand into his pocket, lounging there like he owned the room, his confidence and authority clear in every nod or half-smile. Just his presence had a way of making people stand a little straighter.

Emmy didn’t stay at his side. She wandered over to the other side of the lounge with her glass, settling in near the sofas where a handful of wives and daughters were seated. She offered them an easy, elegant smile and slid right into their conversation about jewelry and skincare. Emmy looked young, but there was a calm, friendly air about her that drew them in. Even the pickiest socialites found themselves warming up to her.

Andrew gave James a quick hello, but didn’t hang around. He took Teresa by the hand and they headed off to explore the resort together, all wrapped up in their own little world. Mercedes, on the other hand, still looked furious after being on stage, her makeup a little smudged. She ducked into a private side lounge to fix it up.

Most of the guests had already split up into little groups, each off on their own adventure. The whole resort felt like a playground from the future. At every intersection, holographic guides pointed the way, mechanical birds chirped from the tops of palm trees, and driverless carts carried guests along winding paths. Everywhere you looked, people stared with wide eyes and grins, snapping pictures as fast as they could. The excitement was contagious.

“This is unreal,” someone whispered.

“It feels like a scene out of a sci-fi movie!”

But not everyone was caught up in the magic. In the shade at the edge of the crowd, Abis stood quietly in his gray casual suit, sunglasses hiding his eyes. He watched the celebration with a cold, almost menacing expression. A tiny robotic bee buzzed by and landed on his palm. It was a Janus Sphere Technologies microbot, designed for both surveillance and pollination. Abis narrowed his eyes, the corner of his mouth lifting in a wicked little smile. There was no wonder in his gaze. Only disgust.

He closed his fist, crushing the delicate machine with a quiet snap. Without a pause, he squeezed until the bee was nothing but twisted metal, then tossed the remains aside. He pulled out a handkerchief, slowly wiping his hands clean as his stare cut through the crowd and fixed on the giant cruise ship anchored in the distance. His grin deepened, turning sinister. Under his breath, in a whisper barely louder than a breeze, he muttered, “James, you don’t actually believe you’ve won, do you? Enjoy the party while it lasts. It won’t be long before you’re paying the price... for all these bigshots’ safety.”

On the other side of the resort, Krystina and Sylvia were having their own little standoff. Krystina was all about checking out the latest gadgets in the tech pavilion, but Sylvia wanted nothing more than to dive into the water sports. Neither was willing to give in, so they agreed to split up and do their own thing.

Just as Sylvia turned to head toward the beach, Krystina caught her arm. “Wait. I don’t like the idea of you going alone. Let me find someone to go with you.”

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