Ex Cried as I Wed a Tycoon novel Chapter 447

Effie was curled up on the sofa next to her grandmother, the two of them sharing a bowl of popcorn while watching TV. The afternoon sun drifted lazily through the curtains, and everything felt peaceful and easy.

But her phone buzzed repeatedly, shattering the calm.

Her grandmother glanced over, concern flickering across her face. “Effie, your phone’s been going off for a while now. Maybe you should check who’s trying to reach you—it could be something important.”

Effie sighed. “Alright, I’ll see who it is.”

She grabbed a napkin and wiped the salt and grease from her fingers before picking up the phone, scrolling through the notifications at a leisurely pace.

It was just a string of messages from Fidelia. With a small frown, Effie silenced her phone and tossed it onto the coffee table. “Just someone being dramatic,” she said.

Three hours went by. After a hearty lunch, Effie picked up her phone again and finally noticed several missed calls—some from Lindy, others from Marcia.

A vague sense of unease settled in her chest.

Just then, Lindy’s name flashed on the screen once more. Effie pressed answer.

“Mom?”

“Oh, thank God—you finally picked up,” Lindy breathed, sounding relieved.

In the background, Marcia’s anxious voice broke through. “Lindy, can you ask Effie if Fidelia’s with her? I’ve called them a dozen times and no one’s answering!”

Marcia sounded nearly frantic.

Effie was stunned by the accusation. She’d never once promised to go to any escape room adventure with Fidelia. Clearly, Fidelia had used her as an excuse to sneak out—and now Marcia was trying to shift the blame onto her.

Effie took a slow breath. “Aunt Marcia, let me ask you something: how old is Fidelia this year?”

Marcia, frazzled, snapped back, “She’s twenty-two! What’s your point?”

“My point,” Effie said evenly, “is that she’s an adult now. She can make her own choices and deal with the consequences. If she lied to you to go out, that’s on her—not me.”

Marcia’s voice shot up an octave. “How can you be so heartless?”

At that, Lindy—who’d been listening quietly, unable to take any more—finally spoke up. “Marcia, I only called Effie because I thought she’d actually agreed to go with Fidelia. That’s what Fidelia told us.”