Ex Cried as I Wed a Tycoon

Lyman couldn't help but laugh in exasperation. Was it really that strange if he wasn't into celebrities?

"I'm a fan, too, you know," Lyman said.

Effie gave him a curious look, clearly intrigued. She wondered, who could Lyman possibly be a fan of?

"Who is it?" Effie pressed, her eyes sparkling with interest.

Lyman's gaze lingered on her for a moment, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face. "That's a secret," he answered slowly.

Effie pouted. "Fine, keep your secrets."

"Are you mad at me?" Lyman teased, pinching her cheek. He just couldn't resist; her face was so soft, so tempting to touch.

Effie shook her head, feigning annoyance. This guy-he was getting bolder the more familiar they became.

"No, I'm not mad."

"Someday, I'll tell you," Lyman promised, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Alright," she agreed easily.

As soon as Effie returned to the office, Shirley slipped in, glancing around as if expecting someone to jump out at her. "Effie, thank goodness you two didn't get caught! I was on the verge of a heart attack back there!"

"Thanks for covering for me," Effie replied gratefully.

"I owe you a coffee," she added.noveldrama

Shirley offered an exaggerated bow. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your boundless generosity."

"Oh, get lost!" Effie burst out laughing.

The next day, Effie got a call from Nita inviting her and Maurice out to dinner.

"What's the occasion?" Effie asked, grinning. "Did something good happen?" Nita's voice came through the phone, mock-offended, "Do I need an excuse to take my friends out? Are we even friends if I can't treat you to dinner?"

"Of course we're friends," Effie replied quickly.

Nita continued, “But tonight is a friends-only dinner, okay? Leave your plus-ones at home."

Effie couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Nita's words, but she agreed anyway.

She didn't expect Nita to choose Angelo's, the same restaurant Lyman had taken her to the day before.

"How'd you find this place?" Effie asked as they arrived.

Nita looked surprised. "Wait, you've been here before?"

Having known Effie for years, Nita could read her friend's thoughts with just a glance.

Effie nodded. "Yeah, Lyman brought me here yesterday."

Nita sighed dramatically, "If I'd known, I would've asked you to book the table. I wasted a favor to get us in tonight."

"A favor?" Effie echoed. "What kind of favor?"

Nita's eyes darted away, clearly not wanting to elaborate. "Oh, I'll tell you next time. It's a long story."

Just then, Maurice arrived.

The place was packed, with people lining up out the door.

Thankfully, Maurice was bundled up enough that nobody seemed to recognize him for now.

Nita went up to the host. "Hi, I'm a friend of Mr. Elliott. We spoke earlier-do you have our table ready?"

"Yes, our manager let us know you'd be coming," the host replied, ushering them inside.

Nita hurried Effie and Maurice into

the restaurant, glancing over her shoulder. Maurice's public persona made her nervous; the last thing she wanted was for him to draw a

crowd.

“Thank goodness it's not peak hours yet,” Nita murmured as they settled in. "Otherwise, this could've gotten messy."

Effie nodded. "Yesterday when I came, I think the owner had just returned to town, so no one really knew about this place yet. I can't

believe just one day later, it's already this busy."

Nita smiled. "Word gets around fast. The food here is amazing-everyone says

it's the real deal."

Effie agreed, "It's true. Everything

from the mains to the desserts and appetizers is excellent. The owner's standards are always high. That French style baked escargot with cream—I swear, I could eat a few more plates of it."

Nita's eyes lit up. "Now you're making me even hungrier."

She nudged Maurice. "What about you? Anything you're craving?"

Maurice didn't answer, his eyes fixed on Effie.

It was only then that Effie realized-Maurice didn't seem too happy.