Ex Cried as I Wed a Tycoon novel Chapter 225

Effie sprang to her feet, giggling uncontrollably. Each time she swayed, Lyman's heart lurched as if an invisible hand had seized it—his breath slowed, his nerves taut.

“Don't move around so much,” he warned gently.

But before he could finish, Effie flung out her arms. “I'm about to take off!”

Lyman lunged forward just in time to catch her as she landed squarely in his arms.

With her arms looped around his neck, she burst into laughter. “That was fun! Let's do it again!”

Lyman thought to himself that there was nothing fun about nearly having a heart attack.

Effie chimed in eagerly, “Come on, let's do it one more time!”

He nearly groaned. Again? His heart couldn't take much more.

“Mr. Etheridge, the car is ready—” the driver announced, but before he could finish, Effie suddenly shrieked, “Ahh! The superhero is here! We have to run!”

The driver, his glasses catching the glow from the streetlamp, looked utterly unassuming—certainly not the superhero Effie claimed.

If the driver was the superhero, then what did that make them? Villains on the run?

Lyman could guess the answer, but he still teased, “You think we can't beat him?”

“Not a chance! You're the lamppost monster, I'm the bird monster—we're way too weak. Run for it!” Effie declared, seizing his hand and taking off down the sidewalk.

Lyman glanced at their entwined hands—hers was delicate and pale, almost ethereal. His gaze drifted up along her arm until he met her face. Effie turned to look at him, and under the amber streetlight, she smiled; her whole face seemed to glow.

For a moment, the stark, leafless trees lining the avenue seemed to burst into spring, vibrant and alive. It was as if joy bloomed right there in his chest.

He squeezed her hand tightly. She was like a sprite who'd wandered into his world—beautiful and wild, impossible to hold onto. If he let go, she might vanish in the next heartbeat.

How he wished this moment could last forever.