The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

Creighton frowned slightly, a mix of joy and concern etching his features. He was pleased because, well, knowledge was power, and who wouldn’t be happy about their child gaining more power? But the worry was, could all this hard studying take a toll on her?

He didn’t exactly expect her to be a straight-A student or a valedictorian. In fact, he wouldn’t mind if Cicely turned out to be a carefree, happy-go-lucky “good-for-nothing.” After all, the Ellis family had the means to indulge such a lifestyle.

He had considered the future of inheritance. However, with his daughter’s temperament, she didn’t seem the least bit inclined to pour her heart into the family legacy.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t discussed it with her. More than once, he had tried every trick in the book – cajoling, enticing, but nothing seemed to sway her. Eventually, he had let go of that expectation.

She was, after all, Creighton’s daughter. Her future was destined to be with the cream of the crop. He wasn’t worried about the future of the Ellis family.

As the saying goes, “The children’s luck is their own.” To him, the Ellis family wealth was nothing more than the financial foundation for his daughter’s future happiness. Nothing was more important to him than her joy and well-being.d2

Besides, that young lad Seth had both the mind and the capability, and had won over the affection of his clear-minded Cicely. With a little nurturing, the Ellis family would surely not decline.

No one knew his daughter better than he did. If Cicely wasn’t thinking along these lines, he wouldn’t have entertained the thought either.

She had always been “without high ambition,” so why the sudden drive?

After pondering for a while, Creighton sighed. At the end of the day, more learning could only be a good thing.

He had barely hung up the phone with Cicely when Danielle’s call came through. She, too, was skipping dinner at home for a tutoring session. Now, dinner would be a solo affair for him.

Might as well, he thought, and instructed the kitchen to prepare just one plate of spaghetti for him.

After school, Danielle and Cicely had bumped into each other at the school gates. Danielle was alone, whereas Cicely was with Joel.

Cicely never hid her disdain for Danielle, and Joel was well aware of it. Now that the three of them had collided, he felt a touch awkward. He wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.

Danielle glanced at him, surprised to see Cicely this close to him. Everyone knew that Cicely was a loner at school, never one to initiate or indulge in friendships.

“What are you looking at?”

Cicely loathed that scrutinizing gaze from Danielle, as if she was trying to probe her life through Joel.

Danielle’s eyes met Cicely’s, “I won’t be home for dinner tonight, and I’ve already called.”

Hearing this, Cicely frowned, “Are you trying to provoke me?”

Danielle’s expression remained neutral, “I just don’t want you to hassle me like you did last night.”

A faint smile played on Cicely’s beautiful face, “Are you deaf or has your brain been waterlogged?”

Danielle’s usually impassive face now clearly displayed irritation, “No one is more self-righteous than you.” Cicely believed the whole world was hers, that she was the best, irreplaceable, and everyone else was just background to her brilliance.

Danielle had no intention of engaging further, leaving Cicely with a parting shot before walking away.

Cicely watched her leave coldly, saying nothing more, and proceeded to the café she and Joel had reserved earlier.

Kane now fully immersed in college

mother had volunteered him to tutor Danielle. He always tried to avoid conflicts with Patty. Besides,

he didn’t

after school for the tutoring session, but

she knew was a loner, cool, calm, detached, always keeping people at arm’s length. No matter what, he was a thinker, not a fighter. That polished demeanor made it impossible for her – or anyone, for that matter, including Seth’s mother – to envision the Seth she

before her – his trousers stained and scuffed, his once pristine shirt missing buttons and bearing more stains

were picking themselves

crazy, man.

was seemingly light, but it was like a razor-sharp icicle,

glances, and

mind went

to the person next to her.

gaze flicked to Seth, and his voice dropped a few notches, as

a safe distance. “Those three guys were just walking

again, even if there was a

trio that got

you can’t even imagine how vicious this guy can look in

but she didn’t say a word. Yeah, she couldn’t imagine. But there were plenty of

like she and Seth were the farthest apart. She even felt like she

cleared out, she slowly approached

fierce as it had been when

as he readjusted his disheveled shirt, his long fingers

was unimaginable, the scene that

said, his voice deep and clear, devoid of

a few seconds before she murmured, “You’re in no shape for

do it. If not, then don’t bother in the future; I don’t have the patience to waste on the same thing over and over. If it’s the latter, you

and clear to her. He treated helping her with her studies as nothing more than a

used her limited understanding of him over the years to talk him into agreeing to these tutoring

If Seth had a red line, it was definitely Patty. So, the night before, during dinner, she had cunningly mentioned her need for tutoring in front of Patty. She hadn’t

she had been elated. Perhaps human nature was greedy; now she felt disappointed

to walk away. She had

while, she

didn’t stop or show

When Seth walked in, looking worse for wear, everyone turned to look at

dared to approach him to ask what had happened. They knew better than

to read. Danielle used this time

far from indifferent, despite his usual quiet. Danielle could feel the chill and lingering anger

him any questions. If she didn’t initiate a conversation, Seth

he appeared to be absorbed in his book, impassive, she stood up and whispered that she

a small bag in her hand, no doubt containing the

it gently in front of Seth.

slowly lifted his eyes to glance at the bag of medical supplies. “Looks like you won’t have any issues with

pale. “It’s not

his book. “If you don’t have any more