Chapter 403
Lyman leaned in close and whispered in Effie’s ear, “You have put on a little weight.”
Effie froze, speechless.
Honestly, this man had no filter. What woman wanted to hear something like that?
But then Lyman added, “I like you with a bit more weight. Before, you were too thin-there was nothing to hold onto.”
A flush crept up Effie’s cheeks. She looked away, mumbling under her breath, “Who even talks like that…”
Lyman reached for her hand, his gaze warm. “Whether you’re slim or curvy, you’re exactly my type.”
“You really know how to sweet-talk me.”
Lyman smiled. “Time will tell.”
Effie’s phone buzzed, the screen flashing with a call from Mitchell Lloyd’s assistant. She didn’t want to answer.
The assistant called again. And again. Eventually, Effie got so fed up that she blocked the number entirely.
Finally, some peace and quiet.
She thought that would be the end of it.
But as fate would have it, while she was out having lunch with Shirley, Mitchell showed up in person.
Effie was tucked away in the corner of a busy café, slowly twirling her noodles around her fork. Her delicate features seemed almost luminous, setting her apart from the noisy crowd.
She ate with a natural grace, each movement refined and elegant, making her all the more noticeable in the bustling diner.
Mitchell spotted her instantly.
He made his way over.
Effie was feeling a bit warm and reached for a napkin, but before she could, a hand holding a paper napkin appeared in front of her.
At first, she thought Shirley must have returned from the restroom, but something felt off.
Shirley’s hands weren’t this large.
Effie looked up and saw Mitchell’s face. Her brow furrowed in annoyance, and she didn’t bother taking the napkin from him.
Mitchell stood there, napkin awkwardly extended, quickly losing patience.
He said, “Effie…”
She gave him a cool glance. “What? Are you about to lose your temper again? We’re done, Mitchell. You
have no business being “do
so
us both a favor and leave.”
Mitchell snapped back to reality. Right he was here to ask Effie for help.
He set the napkin down slowly, licking his lips nervously. “Effie, would you come with me to meet-”
“I won’t,” Effie cut him off before he could finish.
Mitchell’s jaw tightened, frustration flashing in his eyes. “Effie, E&M is something we built together from scratch. Are you really going to just stand by and watch everything we worked for go up in flames?”
Effie’s tone was icy. “So now you finally admit I had a stake in the company?”
Back when he bought out her shares, he’d acted like she was shameless, as if she’d taken advantage of him at every turn.
Mitchell was momentarily at a loss for words. What happened then was one thing; this was now.
The truth was, deep down, he still believed he was the one who had done all the heavy lifting.
In his mind, without him, the company would never have taken off.
But facing Effie now, needing her help, he knew better than to say that out loud.
He swallowed hard. “Effie, Ryan-the
diamond supplier-he’s always valued family loyalty. Now he’s heard about our… falling out. He won’t Supply us with diamonds anymore. You know as well as I do, his are the purest stones, and his supply is the most reliable. I don’t want to see E&M destroyed over something like this. You get what I’m saying, right?”
Effie looked him in the eye. “I get it…”
Mitchell’s hope flickered-until she added, “But I don’t feel the least bit sorry for
you.”