Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 946

Emmy shot up in bed. Her phone password… 980528. Of course. James’s birthday. How could she have forgotten that? She smacked her forehead, feeling totally annoyed with herself. “Right, right, I remember now!” If she didn’t do anything for him tomorrow, that would be so hurtful. He ran with her every morning, rode horses with her, was always by her side, and yet she couldn’t even remember his birthday. She felt awful.

Trying to fix things, Emmy grabbed her phone and called her mom. “Mom, are you coming tomorrow? We could celebrate his birthday together.” But Teresa’s voice was gentle and full of meaning. “It’s his birthday, Emmy. You should be the one to celebrate with him. I won’t come and play the third wheel.” She paused. “On a special day like this, nothing would make him happier than celebrating with you.” She added, “Some moments belong just to the two of you. If I showed up, I’d just be in the way and ruin the mood.” Teresa laughed softly. “There are things you can only say or do when it’s just you and him. Get it, my silly girl?”

Emmy nodded, even though she thought her mom was being a bit dramatic. Still, she understood the point. “Okay, I’ll listen to you, Mom.” After hanging up, she tossed her phone aside and lay back down, staring at the ceiling. His birthday was tomorrow, and it was way too late to get a proper gift. But honestly, what did James need? Money? He had plenty. Fancy watches, cars, designer clothes? There was nothing he didn’t already own. Emmy couldn’t help but think that material things just didn’t suit him. He was like a work of art himself, too perfect for anything she could buy.

She rolled over and buried her face in the pillow. Whatever. She’d figure it out tomorrow. What mattered most was showing him she cared. With that thought, she drifted off to sleep, still a little tangled up inside.

The next morning, Emmy was up as soon as the sky started to lighten. She didn’t bother changing into workout clothes. Still in her pajamas and slippers, she hurried downstairs, heading straight for the kitchen.

James was a light sleeper. The moment he heard her door, he woke up. He pulled on a T-shirt and stepped out of his room. At the top of the stairs, he saw her—small and determined—dash into the kitchen. Then he heard the click of the lock. She’d locked herself inside.

Plus, even though the island had everything, there was no place to buy a birthday cake. Baking one couldn’t be that hard, right? She’d even taken baking classes in her past life, hoping to be a good wife. But it had been a while, and she was rusty. The first try, she messed up the oven temperature and the cake collapsed. The second time, she over-whipped the cream until it looked more like tofu than frosting.

She refused to give up. On her third try, she finally pulled a golden, fluffy cake from the oven. The whole kitchen smelled sweet and warm. Success.

Carefully, Emmy sliced the cake into three layers. She filled each one with fresh strawberries and diced mango, the fruits James always reached for. Then she stacked the layers, grabbed a spatula, and began smoothing the perfectly whipped cream over the cake, little by little. Now came the most important part.