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.

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

words and turned to run away. Her gaze

disappear into the distance, his gaze lingering on Danielle. “Aren’t you

Danielle’s eyes flickered. “Seth.”

her calmly, waiting for

want to skip a

you

bit her lip, her eyes pleading. “Won’t you

“That’s your business.”

as he

hands. “I just got back to the Ellis family, and I don’t know how to approach them with a request yet, but I have to skip a grade. Next semester, I’ll talk to them, but I hope

you have to make trouble for me

in her eyes. “Why is it okay for Cicely and not

have to do everything

swirled in Danielle’s eyes, stung

know any of them.

his lips pressed into a thin line. Without answering her question, his

was cold enough to shatter a

the sofa, holding a pen in her hand, with

she saw Danielle return, Cicely lazily shifted her

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

the first time she’d called Cicely by

a tough nut to crack. Nothing

get close to her. Despite her gentle, affectionate name, her personality couldn’t be further from

but she knew the seriousness likely meant trouble. Her posture unchanged, she continued to look at Danielle with a lazy gaze, waiting for her to

within as she said, “I’ve

what? You want to

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 ostensibly understood. Actual

derogatory one. Cicely’s

on Cicely’s lips. “By your logic, since we’re going to be

Danielle was speechless.

Cicely said, her laugh ringing out as she twirled a pen into her messy bun. “You don’t fancy me, and I surely don’t fancy

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to him, didn’t I?” Cicely’s smile cooled as she rose gracefully from

him, and if I can’t have him, I’ll 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

pure possessiveness. It isn’t love. And he’s not going to let you push him around, he might not even fancy

fancy him. If he loves me, great; if not, I’ll make him say he does every day. Love’s just a word, right? As long as he’s with me,

But if he didn’t, she couldn’t just let him walk away, could she? At

Yet, as unreasonable as Cicely’s words were, they were irrefutable. She fancied him, and having him near was enough. Certainly better than loving someone from

care how long you two have been living together, but

Cicely. “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 family. Have you ever thought about what you’d

that bridge when I

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

she know that Danielle’s

on the sofa with a spread of snacks

casually, as Cicely approached the

going? Jumping straight into the seventh grade, do you think you can keep