Ex Cried as I Wed a Tycoon

He turned to Effie, his gaze gentle. "Did that scare you? Do you want to go home and rest for a bit?"

Effie shook her head, feeling a wave of warmth spread through her chest.

She turned to Mrs. Smith. "What will you do next?"

They had some history together, and truth be told, Effie quite liked Mrs. Smith.

Mrs. Smith smiled, her expression finally at ease. "If I can help Luminara Corporation secure this deal, I'm planning to take my child back to my hometown and start over."

Her father had mentioned this collaboration before—it was a lucrative opportunity, one everyone was after.

If she could secure it, the path back home would be much smoother.

Her father had always doted on her; she was sure life would look up from here.

Mrs. Smith paused, then added, "Honestly, I have both of you to thank for helping me make up my mind to end this marriage."

For the longest time, Mrs. Smith had hesitated, torn between old ties and new beginnings, and so she'd put up with far too much.

Lyman slipped an arm around Effie's shoulders and addressed Mrs. Smith, “Alright, I'll have Luther assist you, Mrs. Smith, until the divorce is finalized."

"Thank you both. Next time you see me, just call me Rhea," Mrs. Smith said, relief clear in her voice.

Effie nodded.

She was genuinely happy for Mrs. Smith-she was still young, with her whole future ahead of her.

Soon after, Mrs. Smith contacted her father and brought him up to speed.

Without hesitation, he sent someone to pick her up.

He even came himself to discuss the collaboration with Lyman, making his sincerity unmistakable.noveldrama

Lyman looked over the details and realized that, indeed, Luminara Corporation was the best fit.

It seemed fate had worked things out for the better.

The partnership proceeded smoothly.

Effie's guilt finally eased a bit.

If things had fallen apart because of her, she'd never have forgiven herself.

After all, this deal was crucial for the Etheridge Group as well.

With everything settled, they headed home.

The next day, Effie returned to work as usual.

She had barely sat down when Nelly walked over.

There was a sly look on Nelly's face as she said, "Designer Bagnold, where did you disappear to over the weekend?"

Effie glanced at her coolly, already guessing that Nelly wasn't here for anything good.

They'd worked together long enough for Effie to know Nelly's type.

"Is something the matter, Nelly? Where I spent my weekend doesn't really concern work, does it?" Her tone made it clear she didn't want to discuss her private life.

Effie had no intention of feeding Nelly's appetite for gossip.

But Nelly, as if she'd expected that response, replied smoothly, "Of course, just curious. Maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me, but I thought I saw you at the lakeside resort outside the city."

She hadn't expected to run into Effie there, and to her utter shock, she'd also spotted Mr. Etheridge. The two of them looked like they were vacationing together. Nelly nearly did a double-take.

All weekend she'd been turning it over in her mind, convinced she'd stumbled onto Effie's secret.

And underneath it all, Nelly was seething with jealousy. After all, Mr. Etheridge was the company's golden boy-charming, successful, untouchable.

Back when she'd first joined the Etheridge Group, she'd seen Lyman at the company's anniversary gala, and she'd fallen for him instantly.

Nelly had tried everything to get close to Lyman, but every attempt had ended in failure.

She'd even begun to suspect Lyman just wasn't interested in women—or maybe he was hiding something.

But now, to see Effie with him? The sight made Nelly both furious and resentful. If she couldn't have him, then Effie shouldn't, either.