Ex Cried as I Wed a Tycoon

Lionel did his best to be patient as he looked at Suzan. "Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?" he asked.

Suzan blinked, momentarily confused. She met Lionel's gaze and replied, "Reconsider what? Whether to have a destination wedding or something more traditional?"

Lionel could only stare at her in disbelief. Sometimes he genuinely wondered what went on in Suzan's head. What kind of shoddy craftsmanship could have created a brain like that?

Since subtle hints weren't working, he decided to be blunt.

"I'm talking about Mitchell. That guy's unreliable. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider—maybe find someone else? As your uncle, I can introduce you to any number of promising young men."

Suzan stared at him, then her face drained of color. She shook her head

vigorously, her eyes going glassy with tears. For a moment, she looked like she might break down entirely.

Voice trembling, she said, "Uncle, is my request just too much for you? If it really is, I... I'll figure something out myself."

Lionel felt a stab of guilt as he saw her like this.

Fine, he thought. Let this make up for past regrets.

If he couldn't be good to his mother, he could at least be good to her descendants -his family, too.

He sighed. "Forget it. You've set your mind on Mitchell-ten wild horses couldn't pull you away."

Just then, Lyman called back. He agreed.

Lionel's mouth curled into a knowing smile, as if he'd expected this all along.

Suzan, on the other hand, was over the moon.

"That's wonderful, really wonderful!" she exclaimed.

"I'm going to get changed. I have to look my absolute best when I go to bring Mitchell home!"

As soon as Suzan left, Yvette came in carrying a mug of herbal tea. "Honey, have some ginseng tea. It'll help you unwind," Yvette said.

Lionel used to drink coffee—four or five cups a day, sometimes more. But then his stomach started acting up. The acid reflux got so bad that just one cup would leave a Urking pain. The doctor told him,

half joking, that he could keep

drinking if he didn't mind risking hisnoveldrama

health.

Even though experts were saying these days that moderate coffee was fine, there

were still the issues with caffeine and its side effects.

No matter what it was, too much of anything was never good for you.

With Yvette's help, Lionel had gradually weaned himself off coffee. It hadn't been easy at first-he suffered through headaches and fatigue-but after a few days, those symptoms faded. Now he was free of caffeine, and he felt a lot more clear-headed.

Yvette set down the tea and reached out to gently massage the furrow in Lionel's brow. "What's wrong? You seem upset."

Lionel hesitated. "Have you ever thought... Suzan and her mother don't really resemble me at all?"

Yvette smiled. “Why does that matter? My brother and I have the same parents, but we couldn't be more different-both in looks and personality. And you and Vera, same mother but different fathers—the differences are bound to be even greater."

Lionel frowned. He knew she was right, but he couldn't shake the strange feeling gnawing at him.

He just couldn't tell whether it was all in his head.

"Oh, don't overthink it," Yvette said, reassuringly. “You spent a year searching all over the country and finally found them. That's fate-you should treasure it."

She paused and added, "If things go well, maybe we can all be one big family and keep in touch often. Ifè you don't like them, well, once you've done what you need to do, you can just keep your distance. Whatever you decide, I'll support you