Ex Cried as I Wed a Tycoon

Chapter 9

Effie glanced at her phone. The message was from Suzan.

A frown creased Effie's brow before she could stop herself.

She tapped open the chat. It was a photo.

The image showed a torn-up charm-shredded into jagged scraps.

Effie stared at the screen, her frown deepening. She knew this charm well. Two years ago, she'd made a pilgrimage to St. Mary's Abbey herself to get it. Back then, she'd bought into the monastery's legends, so determined to prove her devotion that she climbed all 999 steps to the summit, knelt at the altar, and prayed with fervor. She'd scraped her knees raw that day in the biting wind, but her heart had brimmed with hope.

She'd just wanted this charm to protect her beloved-to keep him healthy and safe.

Mitchell had found out and been moved almost to tears. He'd swung her around in a joyful hug: “Effie, I'm the luckiest man in the world."

Now the charm was nothing but a heap of torn paper, as ruined as their love.

Looking back, it felt like some sort of cruel joke.

message blinked on screen, thick

wanted me to stay safe and healthy, so he gave me this charm. You remember it, right? The one you worked so hard to get?

a little guilty... but Mitchell said it's just a cheap old charm.

gloating. So long as Effie was hurting, Suzan

charm for a moment, then typed back: "You're right- it's just a mass-produced trinket, a dollar each. If you like them, I

Effie taking a

Damn it!

suffer. With Effie's parents gone, she was like an orphan; if Suzan managed to steal her fiancé too, Effie might not even find the

Suzan smile

In fact, she was starting to look forward to her

her finger, her

were getting married. Was she

thinking, Effie opened Lyman's chat

his profile picture, surprised to see a photo of a cappuccino topped with intricate latte

he like

familiar, tugging at a distant memory, but

Effie was lost in thought, a new message