Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 978

All her life, she had been the Capital’s top socialite, the one everyone wanted to be near. Everything revolved around her.

Emmy? She was just the awkward outsider—the girl no one noticed.

A single act of kindness from her, and Emmy would look up with wide, adoring eyes, hanging on her every word.

But now, that same girl who used to idolize her was suddenly shining bright, catching everyone’s attention. Emmy was even close to surpassing her. She couldn’t stand it.

Emmy was supposed to stay in the background, always overlooked.

Tyler watched Isabel’s jealousy with a small, amused smile, as if he was admiring a flawless painting.

“There’s nothing to compare, sweetheart. You’re already the best.”

“If Emmy didn’t have James backing her, do you really think she could have developed anything on her own?”

As he spoke, Tyler’s hand wandered up under the edge of her dress.

“You women always need us men to help you. Without a man, you’re nothing.”

“And you’re no different, right?”

Isabel froze, her whole body tense.

She didn’t push him away. She knew the rules had changed.

Now, Tyler was the most powerful man in the Capital. If she wanted a dazzling future, if she wanted payback for Jamie, if she wanted to crush Emmy for good, she needed to stick with him.

To reach for the power she’d never had, she had to make sacrifices she’d never imagined.

Isabel closed her eyes and let herself fall into his arms, half-pretending to resist as she gave in to what he wanted.

…

Country M, Norton Art Center.

The afterparty for the global medical technology conference was in full swing. The room buzzed with leading medical scholars, their conversations full of complicated scientific lingo.

Emmy was out of her element. Her background was AI—writing code and building algorithms—totally different from the doctors and researchers here.

She found herself a quiet spot in the corner with a glass of juice, letting her mind drift.

That’s when a young guy with champagne came over.

“Ms. Lincoln?”

Emmy looked up.

He was about her age, blond hair, blue eyes, and that unmistakable academic vibe. His English was perfect.

“You’re the creator of ‘Sync,’ right? Emmy Lincoln?”

Well, this was awkward.

He was actually legit.

She cleared her throat and quietly lowered her hand.

“Sorry about that.”

She stood up and gestured for him to sit. “Please, have a seat, John.”

John didn’t hesitate. He pulled up a chair and sat across from her.

They started talking right away—or, more accurately, John started talking.

“Ms. Lincoln, I’ve always wondered about Sync’s neural feedback system. How did you solve the synaptic delay issue?”

“And with hippocampal damage, how do you rebuild the pathways using neurotransmitters?”

He fired off question after question, all packed with technical terms.

At first, Emmy could follow a little. Things like neurotransmitters and neural plasticity sounded familiar. She’d crammed all the basics when she found out Sync was her project.

But John dove deeper and deeper, quoting complex theories she’d never even heard of. It felt like he was speaking a different language.

“Um…” Emmy finally had to interrupt, feeling a little sheepish. “John, could you maybe explain it in simpler terms?”