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.

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 stay home and wait for

rushed through her words and turned to run away. Her gaze

the distance, his gaze lingering on

Danielle’s eyes flickered. “Seth.”

calmly, waiting for her

skip

something you should discuss with

her lip, her eyes pleading. “Won’t you even ask

“That’s your business.”

was flat as

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

you sure you have

up in her eyes. “Why is it okay

have to do everything

stung by

newcomer to 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

thin line. Without answering her question, his cold

voice was cold enough to

was nestled on the sofa, holding a pen in her hand, with

saw Danielle return, Cicely lazily shifted her

on Cicely’s attempt to

She stood across from the coffee table, the first time

Cicely was a tough nut to crack. Nothing seemed to faze her, with her aloof and superior demeanor that had turned away many who might have wanted to

to her. Despite her gentle,

meant trouble. Her

were clenched tightly, trying to hold back the turmoil within as

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

shade redder. At their 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

an indisputably derogatory one. Cicely’s blunt words had left Danielle

since we’re going to be living under the same roof

Danielle was speechless.

ringing out as she twirled a pen into her messy bun. “You

you.” Danielle protested.Books Chapters Are

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

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

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

me, great; if not, I’ll make him say he does every day. Love’s just a word,

mattered a great deal. Cicely silently answered her own question. Of course, she wanted Seth to love her back. But if he didn’t, she couldn’t just

into silence by this irrational proclamation. 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 afar and suffering for

don’t care how long you two have been living together, but from the moment I declared

love you?

dismissively. “I’ll cross that bridge

was there, backed by her father, and someday it would be hers, along

that Danielle’s offhand

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

as

straight into the seventh grade, do you