Ex Cried as I Wed a Tycoon novel Chapter 520

She violently shoved Lyman away. "Go! Hide!" she hissed frantically.

Lyman didn't want to leave her alone in the woods, deeply concerned she might trip and hurt herself in her intoxicated state.

But Effie simply turned and sprinted off into the underbrush, leaving him no choice.

He watched her stumble through the trees with a heavy frown, fighting the urge to chase after her.

"Effie? What are you doing out here?" a colleague's voice rang out nearby.

"Miss Bagnold, did you manage to find the restrooms?"

Smoothing down her clothes, Effie walked out of the shadows to join the group, shaking her head innocent. "No idea. I wandered all the way over here and didn't see a thing."

Convinced she was telling the truth, the group immediately abandoned the path and veered off in the opposite direction.

Watching from the cover of darkness, Lyman finally exhaled in relief, confident that she was safe now that she was back with her coworkers.

His phone buzzed silently in his hand. It was a quick text from Effie telling him to wait right there; she would loop back around as soon as the coast was clear.

A slow, predatory smile touched his lips. The sudden thrill of sneaking around in the dark sent a jolt of anticipation through his veins.

After finally ditching the search party with the excuse that she wanted to walk off her buzz, Effie quietly slipped back toward the treeline.

But as she passed the edge of the campsite, she heard a muffled, heartbreaking wail echoing from one of the tents.

Her heart instantly lurched into her throat.

There was only one child at the entire retreat. That had to be Andie.

Without a second thought, she rushed over to the flap. "Andie?"

"Auntie?" his tear-choked voice whimpered back. Effie immediately unzipped the fabric and crawled inside.

The toddler was sitting entirely alone in the pitch-black tent, his little face drenched in tears.

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