Ex Cried as I Wed a Tycoon

Chapter 141

Effie smiled, letting the conversation drop.

Her gaze drifted toward Lyman and Mr. Smith.

Lyman stood out effortlessly—a man who drew the eye wherever he went. Amid the crowd, he looked striking in his crisp white golf shirt, posture straight and confident. There was a natural grace to his every movement, a quiet authority that seemed both refined and unapproachable.

Beside him, Mr. Smith wore a practiced, worldly smile, the kind that suggested he'd seen every side of a deal.

As they talked, Lyman's expression remained composed and aloof, nodding occasionally but always keeping a certain distance, as if he existed in a world just out of reach.

Effie looked away, a knot of conflicted emotions tightening inside her.

Their marriage had always been a transaction-an arrangement where each got what they needed. Lyman required her presence to keep his family satisfied, while she needed his influence for protection and security.

Had she agreed out of a sense of defiance, too? Maybe.

But over time, Lyman's quiet warmth, his thoughtfulness and unwavering respect, had started to wear down her resolve. He made it hard to remember why she'd kept her guard up in the first place.

Then Mrs. Smith's words cut through her thoughts like a bucket of cold water, a reminder of the harsh truths behind marriages like theirs.

"Mrs. Etheridge, are you alright?" Mrs. Smith's gentle voice pulled her back.

soft smile. "Sorry, I

her a knowing look. "Ah, to be young-you still have endless possibilities ahead. I, on the other hand,

voice gentle. "It's never

head. "But enough about that. No point in

modest laugh. "Honestly, I don't understand

of shrewdness appeared in Mrs. Smith's eyes. "Mr. Etheridge really dotes on you.

smiled but

toward them, his gaze softening when it settled on Effie. There was a focus in his eyes,

asked in a

nodded. "Yes, I was just about to come find

to

returned his smile. "Of course, Mr. Etheridge. Don't

the negotiations were coming to

easy familiarity, leading her

here were lovely-a

asked quietly, his thumb gently tracing circles on the back of

shook her head.

Let's walk