Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 995

She’d been struggling with neuroscience theory lately, and this was exactly the time she should be hustling, not taking time off. But there was no way she could miss the Nelson Corporation board meeting. Right now, she was probably the only person who could stand with James, and she wasn’t about to let him go through that alone.

John glanced up from his mountain of data and broke into a smile. “Oh, Emmy, don’t even go there.” He slipped off his glasses, and his blue eyes were filled with genuine admiration. “We’ve all seen how hard you’re working. Honestly, no one in this lab has been putting in more hours than you these past couple of weeks.” He grinned, giving her a thumbs up. “That AI algorithm you came up with? Brilliant. You saved us at least six months of number crunching. I mean it.”

He leaned forward, his voice warm and sincere. “You need to have more confidence in yourself. This little break is the perfect chance for you to get some real rest. Don’t keep stretching yourself so thin. Go take care of your own stuff. We all need you, you know. When you come back recharged, we’ll be counting on you to help us work more miracles.”

Emmy shot him a grateful smile. “Thanks, John.”

By the time she stepped out of the lab, the sky outside had already turned dark. The Boston evening air was crisp and biting on her face, but she felt light on her feet. She didn’t linger, heading straight back to her hotel to pack. There wasn’t much to bring. Besides the gifts she’d picked out for her mom and James, she threw in a couple of neuroscience textbooks to read on the flight.

“Come on, Penny,” she said, grabbing her bag.

This time, she hadn’t told anyone she was coming home. Just her and Penny, slipping quietly onto a flight back. Not even Danny knew she was arriving early.

It was a long flight, and by the time she landed in the Capital, the morning sun was just beginning to glow. Only once she’d touched down at the airport did she finally call Danny.

“Danny, I’m at Terminal 3. Can you pick me up?”

There was a stunned silence on the other end, and then Danny practically shouted. “Mr. Lincoln! You’re back? I’ll call Mr. Nelson right now. He’s going to be over the moon!”

“Don’t,” Emmy interrupted quickly. “Don’t tell him yet. I want to surprise him.”

Danny went quiet. Was this really going to be a surprise, or more like a shock? Especially with everything going on at Moonlight Bay right now.

He swallowed, grabbed his car keys, and dashed out the door, his nerves buzzing the whole drive.

Forty minutes later, a sleek black car pulled up to the curb. Emmy slid into the back seat, pulling off her sunglasses to reveal a fresh, radiant face.

“Where’s James?” she asked.

Danny tightened his grip on the steering wheel, glancing at her in the rearview mirror. “Mr. Nelson… he’s been spending most of his time at Moonlight Bay these days.”

“Giggle, giggle…”

A burst of laughter, sweet and clear as tiny bells, and the soft babble of a baby, so cute it made her heart melt.

Kids? There were kids at home? Whose kids?

Whatever the answer, the house was full of life, more lively than she’d felt in ages. Emmy felt a rush of curiosity and a strange, giddy excitement bubble up inside her. She wondered if they’d all be shocked to see her.

She took a deep breath, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips. She straightened her clothes and hair, then dashed into the yard.

Like a bird finally coming home, she burst in front of everyone, arms flung wide, dimples flashing as she grinned.

“I’m back! Did I surprise you? Bet you didn’t see this coming!”