The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

Cicely took a moment to digest his words— Her slap hadn’t landed, so he wasn’t seeking justice for Danielle. She supposed she could reluctantly accept that answer.

“Figured out how to make it up to me yet?”

Seth glanced at her coolly. “I didn’t make you mad.”

“Use the excuse of bringing me homework to check if Danielle was being bullied by my grandad, use me as a cover to care for another girl, and you think I shouldn’t be mad?”

Seth fell silent, walked over to the car, and tapped on the window. “Pop the trunk.”

The driver complied, and the trunk slowly opened.d2

Seth walked over, bent down, and pulled a box from the trunk. As he opened it, he said in a deep voice, “Come here.”

He didn’t look up, and it wasn’t clear who he was speaking to.

Cicely approached. She saw him rummaging through a first-aid kit and instantly understood. A smirk tugged at her lips.

Watching Seth take out a bandage, Cicely arched an eyebrow and said, “Is this your way of making it up to me?”

He shot her a glance, took her hand, and applied the bandage to her wrist.

“The Diaz family’s business has always been under your dad’s wing. I wouldn’t want him to find out I’ve upset his little princess and have him take it out on the company,” Seth explained.

“So you really are trying to butter me up.”

Cicely’s wrist was slender, and the bruise-reducing bandage wrapped around it neatly. She waved her arm in the air, a playful smirk on her lips as she looked up at him. “Don’t want my dad to see it?”

Wasn’t it more obvious now?

Seth pressed his lips together, silently packing up the first-aid kit, but Cicely stopped him. She picked up another bandage, tore off the wrapper, grabbed his hand, and placed it on the back of his hand. “Courtesy demands reciprocity.” It was where she had hit him with the book earlier.

After a glance at the haphazard wrapping, Seth let his hand hang, closed the first-aid kit, and shut the trunk, staring at her impassively. “All good now?”

Cicely raised an eyebrow. “Of course not. I got hurt because you were protecting her. Isn’t it only natural you make it right?”

She flaunted her wrist in front of him. “I’m thirteen, not three. You can’t fool me that easily.”

Seth’s gaze swept over her face, past her shoulder, landing on the books she had thrown to the ground. “Still don’t want your homework?”

Cicely turned and saw the scattered books, frowning.

“Speak up.”

“What’s there to say? I threw them out, and now you want me to pick them up?” She’s not going to embarrass herself.

Seth simply walked over, bent down, and picked up the books, methodically packing them into a bag. “I’ll have someone return your stuff later. You don’t need to come tomorrow.”

Cicely’s face darkened again. “You wouldn’t do that!”

Seth remained silent, opening the car door.

the bag was snatched from his grasp. Cicely stood holding her backpack. “Learning is my own business. Why should I let my education suffer because I’m mad at you? Tomorrow’s the final exam, and you’d better

to run away. Her gaze swept past Danielle, still

disappear into the distance, his gaze

Danielle’s eyes flickered. “Seth.”

calmly,

to skip a grade

you should

lip, her eyes pleading. “Won’t you

“That’s your business.”

was flat as he got into the

know how to approach them with a request yet, but I have to skip a grade. Next semester, I’ll talk to them,

you sure you have to make trouble for me

her fists tightly around the door. “Trouble?” Tears welled up in her eyes. “Why is it okay for

to do

swirled in Danielle’s eyes, stung by Seth’s words.

the Ellis family, and although they were supposed to be her family, she didn’t know any of them. Now, even Seth, her most trusted person, seemed to be drifting away from her. All alone,

her question, his cold gaze fell

was cold enough

her hand, with

she saw Danielle return, Cicely

her eyes. Thinking back on Cicely’s attempt to hit her outside, Danielle still

the first time she’d called Cicely by name since

much interaction, not for lack of trying on Danielle’s part, but Cicely was a tough nut to crack. Nothing seemed to faze her, with her aloof and superior

close to her. Despite her gentle,

was taken aback to hear Danielle formally address her, but she knew the seriousness likely meant trouble. Her

within as she said, “I’ve been with Seth longer than

chuckle, “So what? You want to talk about who’s the

age, love was something they were just beginning to grasp, the edges of understanding blurry and strange. They knew the words—the labels—but they were just that: terms to be read and

indisputably derogatory one. Cicely’s blunt

your logic, since we’re going to be living

Danielle was speechless.

twirled a pen into her messy bun. “You don’t fancy me,

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Cicely’s smile cooled as she

fight for him. If I can’t win him, I’ll cling to him. As long as the end result is to my satisfaction, I’m not above playing dirty. Besides, I made my

head in disbelief. “This is pure possessiveness. It isn’t love. And he’s not going to let

possessive. It’s enough that I fancy him. If he loves me, great; if not, I’ll make him say he does every day. Love’s

Seth to love her back. But if he didn’t, she couldn’t

words were, they were irrefutable. She fancied him, and having him near was enough. Certainly better

together, but from the moment I declared him mine,

“Do you really think he’ll indulge you like that? Stay with you even if he doesn’t love you? Cicely, you’re spoiled. Not everyone is part of the Ellis

that

family ever not exist? It was there, backed by her father, and someday

know that Danielle’s offhand retort would

Cicely visited the Diaz residence. Patty was home, lounging on the sofa with a spread of snacks on the coffee table. She greeted Cicely and invited

said casually, as Cicely approached the

a faint smile. “How’s your study going? Jumping straight into