"Effie."


    Mitchell''s eyes darkened, his face so stormy you could almost wring water from it.


    He closed the distance between them in a few quick strides. “Effie, care to exin yourself?"


    It wasn''t just suspicion getting the better of him-Effie''s behavior really was out of line.


    A moment ago she was with Lyman, and now she was arm in arm with another pretty boy.


    He''d always been sure of himself, convinced that as long as Effie was with him, she''d never look at another man-he thought his charm was more than enough.


    But seeing Effie walking so intimately with Granger, he felt like his lungs might burst from anger.


    Suzan''s words echoed in his mind: Was Effie really so shameless, seeing other men even while she was with him...?


    Effie looked at Mitchell, finding his presence utterly baffling. When she needed him, he was always the one who never showed up.


    Now that she no longer needed him, wanted nothing to do with him, he kept appearing out of nowhere.


    Effie walked straight past Mitchell without a word. Granger gave Mitchell a curious nce, then followed after her.


    Mitchell''s temper red. He called out loudly, "Effie, are you incapable of surviving without a man? Impressive time management, I''ll give you that."


    His voice dripped with sarcasm.


    Effie stopped, her gaze turning icy, a sh of anger in her eyes. She turned to Mitchell. "Your heart is filthy, and so are your assumptions. The only disgusting person here is you, not me."


    For a moment, Mitchell was speechless. After a pause, he tried again. "If... that''s not it, then exin."


    Effie''s voice was cold. "Exin what? Why should I exin anything to you? What are you to me?


    If I owed anyone an exnation, it would be my husband-not you."


    With that, she turned and walked away.


    Mitchell stood rooted to the spot, as if struck by lightning.


    Did he really have no ce in her life anymore?


    Effie nced at Granger and said, "Sorry you had to see that."


    Granger shook his head. "We''ve all got a past, don''t we?"


    Still, Granger understood the real meaning behind Effie''s words. She hadn''t just been speaking to Mitchell-she was speaking to him, too.


    Her message was clear: she was married.


    But Granger wasn''t ready to give up.


    He''d looked into it-Lyman might be with Effie now, but there''d been no public announcement, so who knew what was really going on?


    Besides, the Etheridge family was a pir of high society. If Lyman and Effie had actually gotten married, there would''ve been avish wedding, not this radio silence.


    Maybe Effie was just assuming her rtionship with Lyman made her his wife.


    He still had a shot.


    Just then, a garbage truck loaded with medical waste came barreling toward Effie. Lost in thought, she didn''t notice it at first.


    When she finally snapped out of it, the truck was almost on top of her, and she instinctively stepped back, trying to get out of the way.


    But someone moved faster. A hand seized her arm and yanked her aside.


    Effie crashed hard into Granger''s chest.


    For a moment, she could hear his heart pounding-steady, strong.


    "You okay?" Granger''s voice was warm and low, resonating just above her head.