Ex Cried as I Wed a Tycoon novel Chapter 2

A faint, golden light illuminated the contours of the man's face, sharpening his striking features. He looked distant, his expression cool and detached—an air of aloof restraint that was both forbidding and irresistibly alluring.

He frowned slightly, about to turn and leave.

Suddenly, Effie's slender, pale fingers gripped the sleeve of his dress shirt, clinging to him as if he were her last lifeline.

Her heart raced, and the man's unique scent seemed to swirl around her, clouding her senses. Flashes from the private lounge replayed in her mind, and she found herself thinking—if Mitchell could do it, why couldn't she?

“Let go,” the man said, his entire being radiating an icy, implacable chill.

“No,” Effie replied, her voice as soft and teasing as a kitten’s purr, the kind that tugged at your heart and made you want to draw closer.

He glanced down at her, the corners of his mouth curving faintly.

“No? Do you even know what happens next if you don’t?” His tone was laced with danger and a dark, magnetic charm.

“Would you be interested in marrying me?” Effie’s eyes were rimmed with red, but she gathered all her courage to get the words out.

She knew it sounded insane.

But she just wanted someone—anyone—to marry. This wasn’t a drunken impulse; she was entirely serious.

Her grandmother was getting old and always wished she’d settle down. She was supposed to marry Mitchell, but after tonight, that was never going to happen.

Effie didn’t want her grandmother to worry, and she didn’t want to give herself a chance to look back, either.

Any man was better than Mitchell, that cheating bastard.

She noticed the man wasn’t wearing a ring. Probably single.

She had to try, right?

Besides, his crisp, clean scent wasn’t unpleasant to her at all. If anything, it made her feel oddly at peace.

For the first time that night, her mind was perfectly clear.

He spoke, his voice cool and steady. In the next moment, he lifted her chin gently with his fingertips, forcing her to meet his eyes. She took in his refined, almost otherworldly features—eyes clear and deep, face a blend of innocence and seduction, the kind of beauty that could drive a person to sin.

It was him.

“Are you sure? Do you even know who I am?” His voice was low and resonant, thick with a magnetic pull that made her heart skip.