The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride
Chapter 2041-2050
Before he returned, Seth had found Cicely’s words in the car utterly baseless
and irrational.
What had he said to her? He told her not to be too greedy, and not to be so
fussy. He accused her of sentencing him to death without cause, of making a
fuss over nothing.
When she said she could forgive him even if he fooled her just once, he told her
she was living a lie, and it was meaningless.
What else did he say? He mentioned he needed to think about whether he really
liked Danielle and that maybe he could give it a shot with her.
Enter title…
The memory of Cicely standing at the car door with that panicked and helpless
look in her eyes resurfaced in his mind. A bitter taste suddenly rose in his throat,
and as Issac clasped his collar tightly, Seth’s hands clenched into whiteknuckled fists at his sides.
She had given him so many chances, even waited for him to deceive her.d2
Seeing Seth’s stricken expression, Issac, regardless of his own raging anger,
realized he had to step out of their world. Issac let go, stepped back,
straightened his clothes, and left the bedroom.
The room fell silent.
Seth gazed at her for a long moment before slowly approaching her. “Why didn’t
you say anything?”
Cicely looked sideways at the slight gap left by the closet door not being
properly shut. “I guess I felt it would be too dramatic to say it out loud. Besides,
what’s done is done. Speaking about it won’t change anything. Why humiliate
myself further?” She threw his earlier words back at him.
“I’m sorry.”
A flicker passed through Cicely’s eyes as she slowly turned to meet his gaze.
“The last thing I wanted to hear was an apology because I really don’t want to
tell you it’s okay. It’s all so trivial, confirming indeed that you messed up, and it
doesn’t undo what’s happened.”
Seth watched her silently, as if waiting for her to vent all the pent-up resentment
in her heart.
Cicely took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and when she opened them again,
she looked at him with a faint laugh, “Am I being unreasonably stubborn again?
Are you always right, and everything I say is just adding to my mistakes?”
As she spoke, she glanced casually at the digital clock on the table, then
lowered her eyes, concealing the turmoil behind them, and spoke indifferently.
“I’m going downstairs to join Grandpa and Dad for New Year’s Eve.”
Seth stepped forward, “I’ll carry you down.”
Cicely turned her head away, her posture as she sat waiting for him to carry her
was notably stiff and unwelcoming.
Seth bent down, his long arm sweeping under the bend of her legs, his voice
low and dim as he spoke. “I didn’t go to the hospital.”
Cicely wrapped her arms around his neck to avoid falling. She didn’t respond.
Seth lifted her up and headed for the door, continuing, “Because I seriously
violated traffic laws.”
A sardonic smile played on Cicely’s lips. She had seen it all before.
“U-turning on the overpass, driving the wrong way, crossing the median. I got
detained, and had to pay a 200 dollar fine.”
Cicely’s brows twitched, and she looked up at him. “What are you trying to say?”
“Nothing much, just I deserved paying my fine for leaving you there.”
Cicely pulled a wry smile, “Don’t shift the blame to me. I’m not the one who
made you lose points or pay a fine.”
Seth cast a glance down at her, stopping by the stairwell wall to carefully set her
down.
Cicely frowned, looking at him with her injured foot raised. “Do you think now
that Issac is gone, you’re the only option I have to get downstairs?”
Seth grasped her waist and leaned in close, his back slightly bending to meet
her forehead, his voice carrying a hint of hurt as he reiterated, “I didn’t go to the
hospital.”
Cicely’s eyelids flickered slightly. She was once again struck by how deviously
manipulative this man could be. He was actually playing the victim and acting
hurt, and she was amazed he had it in him.
“Not going to the hospital is a regret? I never stopped you from the beginning,
so there’s no need to feel hurt with me, and you won’t gain anything.”
Seth’s grip tightened slightly, his voice deep and husky, “Do you really have to
play dumb with me?”
Cicely’s frown deepened, “While wasting time with me here, aren’t you afraid
Danielle might actually drop dead in the hospital without seeing you?”
Anger began to cloud Seth’s eyes, his emotions turning murky. “You don’t have
to say such nasty things.” His breath lowered, “That was not very wise to make
you into someone you are not because of her.”
Cicely chuckled lightly, “Perhaps the truth is harsh. What’s the point of living a
lie?”
Seth’s eyes darkened further, a flash of sharpness passing through, quickly
suppressed. “I shouldn’t have said those things in the car. I didn’t go to the
hospital, I never considered liking her, and I wasn’t really planning to try with
her. Stop using those words against me, okay? They were wrong. It’s my
mistake.”
His current attitude gave Cicely an illusion, that to continue arguing with him
seemed pointless. It made her feel even more like a petty, vindictive shrew.
But if he admitted he was wrong, did that mean the pain those words caused
could be completely erased?
She closed her eyes, pushing down the sadness in her heart.
Her slightly pursed lips were seized by his cool ones, gently probbing, “The
countdown is about to start. Even if you don’t forgive me, can we leave this
behind? Let’s welcome the new year together, okay?”
Leaving this in the past year and starting anew the next?
Cicely was carried downstairs by Seth, and both Erik and Creighton looked a bit
weary. It wasn’t common for people their age to stay up for New Year’s Eve, so it
must have been tough for them to hold out until now.
However, seeing Cicely seemed to invigorate them. “Let’s hurry, the countdown
is about to begin. Let’s go outside for the fireworks.”
The TV show was also gearing up for the New Year’s countdown.
Seth wrapped Cicely in a blanket and a warm down coat before carrying her
outside.
In the yard, Brody and a few men had already set up the fireworks, ready to be
ignited at the right moment.
The TV in the living room was turned up to the loudest volume, the thrilling voice
counting down second by second.
“Ten, nine, eight…”
“Five, four, three, two, one! Happy New Year!”
The final second ticked by, and the fireworks in the backyard ignited, shooting
into the sky with a cacophony of whistles and pops. They exploded in a dazzling
array of colors, painting the night with their brilliance.
Amidst the festive clamor, Cicely thought she heard Seth’s voice near her ear.
She paused, turning to look at him with a puzzled expression, “What did you just
say?”
Seth looked down at her, his dark eyes reflecting the colorful lights from the
distant fireworks.
A faint smile played on his lips, and the icy look in his eyes seemed to melt
away as he gazed intensely at her, then leaned down to gently peck her lips.
“Happy New Year.”
Cicely’s eyes flickered with a hint of subtle disappointment, but it was fleeting.
She looked back up at the sky and replied softly—
“Happy New Year.”
*
Happy New Year.
There was the new year, but joy seemed absent.
Cicely’s winter break was marred by a foot injury that set her back over twenty
days.
Even so, even after a spat they had on New Year’s Day, Seth, upon returning to
work from his holiday, still bombarded her with a flurry of company emails. He’s
determined as ever.
Bored at home, Cicely read a couple out of the ten emails and then spent her
time tucked in a corner of the living room, piecing together a castle from a set of
building blocks she’d bought.
Seth came home several times to check on her progress, and finding it wanting,
he went straight to Creighton with his complaints.
Creighton could hardly contain his bemusement as he pointed at her, and from
then on, he took it upon himself to supervise her. Even as she sat in the corner
building her castle, Creighton would drill her on the company’s history, the
famous projects they’d pushed forward, their progress, outcomes, and the
comprehensive reasons behind their inception.
Cicely’s head spun with the daily analysis. She chewed Seth out in her mind
while stacking blocks—a grown man, tattling, of all things.
Danielle’s condition was not dire. The checkup revealed minor issues but
nothing significantly worrisome, only a slight delay in her recovery.
Seth still visited her occasionally, accompanying her to the hospital when it was
time for her bandages to be changed. He even went so far as to bring in a
renowned rehabilitation specialist from abroad. The Ellis family also extended
their utmost support.
Whether Danielle was spurred by some unseen motivation, her cooperation with
the therapy was surprisingly zealous, and her recovery progressed remarkably.
After New Year’s Eve, Cicely stopped bringing up Danielle. It didn’t matter if
Seth visited the hospital, arranged for experts for Danielle, or ensured someone
was always there to watch over her. Sometimes, Seth wondered if he was
uncomfortable with a life too tranquil.
Cicely fought with him over Danielle, and he was dissatisfied. Now that she no
longer made a fuss, he was still displeased.
He felt Cicely did not really care about what he did. It’s like as long as he was
there in the end, she could tolerate anything he did. He did not like this feeling.
Once Cicely’s foot was nearly healed, Seth brought her back to his side. He
personally drove her to the office, ensuring she stayed within his sight, whether
she was playing or dozing off from boredom.
He had even set up a desk for her in his office at Diaz International, right next to
his own. Her desk was smaller, a bit shorter than his, and whenever he brought
her there, her petite figure seated beside him exuded an air of endearing
obedience that he found quite pleasing.
Aside from work, she took an interest in almost anything. Her desk soon
became cluttered with little trinkets, including some on his desk—everything she
deemed unsightly was replaced with items she favored. He let her be.
The progress on their wedding home was on track for completion in two months.
Wedding planners had begun to consult with Cicely on the details, and she
spent her days in front of the computer in discussion. Every now and then, she
sought Seth’s opinion, which he occasionally provided with superficial
consideration. Eventually, Cicely found his advice lacking and stopped asking.
The venue was set in P City’s largest church, a testament to the Ellis family’s
penchant for indulging their loved ones. The church was funded and built by the
Ellis family over a decade ago, as a gesture of goodwill and safety for their
daughter who had married abroad.
The hotel was the most luxurious one in P City.
Just the selection of these two sites had made Cicely’s wedding preparations
the talk of the town, with everyone eagerly anticipating the event.
Cicely had become quite the busy bee, taking on some of the Ellis Group’s less
crucial matters since Seth had oddly entrusted her with them.
Though reluctant, she had picked up a few things, and she was getting to know
the company’s leadership quite well.
But life in the Ellis Group always came with its share of troubles, so she
preferred spending her time at Diaz International. Lounging idly there was
easier, as there was no need for her to get involved in company affairs.
Seth never hid anything from her. So, when she overheard Seth mentioning a
software project that had been in preparation since last year, requiring a
substantial investment and loan arrangements with the bank, curiosity got the
better of her. “What kind of software development requires such a huge sum?
What field is it in, and are you confident about it?”
Seth replied coolly, “Sixty percent confident.”
Developing the software was one thing, and market adaptability was another. If
it couldn’t seamlessly integrate into the market, failure was the only path that
awaited him.
Cicely frowned, clearly puzzled. “The Ellis Group has been dragging on that
mechanical construction project until now, and you know my dad has been
holding onto it for you. You pass up a project that’s practically handing money to
you to chase a new development you’re not entirely sure of. Two years of
preparation, and you’re only sixty percent confident now.”
“You want to prove yourself, to claim your dignity, not to play second fiddle to the
Ellis family. C&P has already succeeded, and now you’re the one calling the
shots at the Ellis Group , with notable results. Now who would dare to speak ill
of you? People are falling over themselves to get in with the Ellis Group . So
why does it seem like you’re the only one running in the opposite direction?”
Seth’s face was stern, his voice low and serious, “I’m not avoiding the Ellis
family. This project was something I intended to pursue from the start,
regardless of whether the Ellis family extended an olive branch or not.”
Cicely took a deep breath, “But what if it fails? What will become of Diaz
International? Seth, why not let Diaz International take shelter under the Ellis
Group’s wing? They can invest in your development project.”
Seth pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly irritated by Cicely’s suggestion, “I
don’t need it. If I truly fail, then the Ellis Group can consider taking over Diaz
International without any resistance.” To acquire a shell of a company would be
a piece of cake, wouldn’t it?
“Even if the Ellis Group did take over Diaz International, it would be for the good
of Diaz International.”
Seth inhaled deeply, “Let’s not talk about this anymore. Aren’t you busy planning
a wedding? That should be more important to you right now.”Cicely watched as Diaz International began to buzz with activity. The newly
established Engineering Department was already in full swing with a senior
engineer at the helm. It was apparent that Seth had been planning for this
moment for years, with a team ready to hit the ground running.
She knew that the best way she could support him was to stand back and let
him take the reins, even though she wished she could do more to help.
Opportunities for her to get involved were just scarce.
On a quiet afternoon, Cicely took a stroll through the Engineering Department,
where the team—dressed in their plaid shirts and casual blazers—worked
diligently. They were the epitome of understated brilliance, their fingers dancing
Enter title…
across keyboards as screens filled with cryptic code that Cicely couldn’t begin to
decipher.
Her impending marriage to the head honcho of Diaz International was no secret
in P City, so her presence in the department went largely unremarked. The
place was abuzz with rumors of her being a pampered lady, hardly a tech wiz,
making the complex code on screen all the more alien to her.
The department manager, Camden, a tall and lean man sporting a slick suit and
a confident air, made sure to greet her with a touch of charm. His humor and wit
were a breath of fresh air in the otherwise grave environment, making him the
darling of the coding engineers.
“Ms. Cicely, here for an inspection, are we?” Camden quipped with a grin, as
Cicely casually scanned the rows of computers, humming thoughtfully.d2
“Do you have any instructions for us, Ms. Cicely?” Camden asked, following her
gaze to the screens full of incomprehensible code.
Cicely glanced at him and then at a nearby workstation. “How are other people,
like me, supposed to make sense of all this code?” she inquired.
With a knowing smile, Camden nodded to the engineer at the desk, “Show our
future Mrs. Diaz what we can do.”
The engineer swiftly switched screens and within moments, following a flurry of
keystrokes and one final resounding press of the Enter key, a simple animation
graced the monitor. A white kitten, lollipop in paw, bounced across the screen
under the twinkling words “Wishing Mr. Diaz and Mrs. Diaz a lifetime of
happiness.” The animation was simple, but the speed with which it was created
impressed Cicely
“The code may be difficult to understand, but the result is clear enough,”
Camden remarked with a smile.
Cicely nodded, genuinely impressed. “You guys really are quite something.”
“Thank you for the compliment, ma’am.” Camden replied.
After Cicely left the department, she immediately started Googling introductory
courses in engineering.
Later, Seth returned from a meeting to find Cicely squinting at her computer
screen with such intensity, he teased, “Planning on going blind?”
Cicely shot him a sidelong glance and continued her focus on the screen.
“Meeting over, huh?” she replied nonchalantly, eliciting a frown from Seth who
took a glimpse at her screen and saw the C programming language. “Why are
you looking at this?” he asked, puzzled.
Cicely replied with newfound interest, “It’s fascinating. I visited the Engineering
Department today, and they whipped up an animation for me in minutes. It
seemed magical.”
Seth chuckled, “You won’t get it. You might as well give up.”
Cicely glared at him but didn’t persist, although she wasn’t ready to give up just
yet. A few days of learning and the novelty could wear off, but she wasn’t about
to guarantee anything to Seth.
To Seth’s surprise, Cicely’s persistence outlasted his expectations. For a week
straight, she devoted herself to mastering C programming language, bringing
her books to the office and frequently visiting the Engineering Department. She
was scarcely seen except for lunch and at the end of the day.
Her casual approach to college, where she was known as the little princess of P
City, seemed to work in her favor as no one expected her to fail. The campus
had become more of a hobby, with occasional visits to maintain appearances.
During one of those visits, Joel struck up a conversation about coding, and
Cicely, now with a bit of coding knowledge and confidence, admitted she was
studying it too. Joel invited her to join a club at school run by a senior who was a
programming whiz.
[Does he have the patience for it?] she typed back to him, aware of the slight
irritation she had been causing at the Engineering Department.
[Of course, and you’ve got me, right?] Joel assured her.
[Fine, I’ll check it out tomorrow,] Cicely agreed with a sigh.
…
The next day, Camden and a few engineers couldn’t help but suppress their
excitement when they realized Cicely wasn’t accompanying Seth to work.
Camden cautiously asked Seth about her whereabouts.
“She’s at school,” Seth replied casually, and Camden’s mood lifted slightly.
Perhaps having Mrs. Diaz around wasn’t so bad after all—it meant no overtime
work for them.
Without hesitation, Cicely joined the club Joel had mentioned. It turned out Joel
had learned more than she had, and he patiently tutored her through the basics.
Before the after-school club wrapped up, Joel casually handed Cicely a USB
drive, given her noticeable dedication to studying these past few days, he
couldn’t resist asking:
“Why are you suddenly interested in coding?”
Cicely toyed with the drive in her hand, replying nonchalantly, “Just seems cool
and interesting. Seth’s working on a new project, and I figured I might be able to
help him out if I learn a bit.”
Joel’s eyes darkened slightly, then he let out a resigned sigh, “Since it’s software
development, it’s probably all advanced code. We’re talking a good three to five
years before we’re at that level.”
Cicely didn’t seem bothered, “Knowing a little is better than nothing. At least I’ll
understand what they’re talking about.”
After thinking for a moment, Joel nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, Cicely lifted the USB drive, “What’s this for?”
Joel then remembered, “Well, that’s got a program I developed with a friend.”
Cicely uttered an acknowledgement, about to plug the drive into a computer,
“Let’s see what it’s about.”
Joel quickly restrained her wrist, “Wait a second.”
“What’s up?”
Joel explained, “It’s a blank drive. The program code is embedded within. It’s a
virus. You can’t see it.”
Cicely’s mouth hung open in surprise, “A virus? So what happens when you
plug it into a computer? Does it just die?”
He nodded and then shook his head, “The drive has a huge capacity. Once you
plug it in, it’ll automatically back up all the stored files on the computer at
lightning speed. Once it’s done copying, the computer will crash.”
Cicely looked repulsed, “Then how do you use it? Even if you copy the files,
what will hold them for extraction?”
This seemed to be Joel’s pride and joy. The usually modest and polite boy now
displayed an unmistakable air of satisfaction. “The ‘virus’ will only spread to one
computer. On the second machine, it acts like a normal USB drive, but the files
are hidden and need to be cracked to show up.”
Cicely found this intriguing, “Is this to prevent corporate espionage?”
“That’s the idea if you have a specific target.”
Cicely shook her head, “Sounds complicated. Where’s the decryption code?”
Joel shook his head, “Still working on it. It needs time.”
“So why give it to me? It’s useless to me right now.”
“I wanted you to have a piece of my achievement, as a keepsake.”
Cicely raised an eyebrow and slipped the drive into her bag. “Make sure to send
me the cracked version when it’s ready.”
“Of course.”
*
Dusk had settled. The two chatted as they made their way toward the school
gates. “Did you arrange a ride? I can drive you home if not.”
“No, it’s fine. Seth said he’d pick me up.” Cicely hadn’t finished her sentence
when someone bumped into her shoulder, causing her bag to fall and her to
stagger, but Joel quickly steadied her.
“Sorry.” The person mumbled an apology. Cicely wasn’t one to hold a grudge,
but before she could regain her balance, Joel stepped in front of her,
protectively moving her behind him.
Cicely, puzzled, peeked around and saw Ray, whom she hadn’t seen in a while.
Ray seemed to recognize them too. His gaze lingered on Cicely before he let
out a sardonic laugh, “Ms. Cicely, aside from everything else,
there is something destined between us, right?”
Ray looked haggard, the once polished young guy now appeared disheveled.
His long hair was carelessly styled, and his chin sported a patch of stubble. His
clothes were wrinkled. It was clear he was trying to maintain his image, but the
effort only made his disarray more evident.
Although Cicely was almost raped by him, given the whole story and what lay
behind it, she actually felt Ray had been dealt a raw deal.
With his penis ruined and hiss family fortune lost, Ray’s current state evoked a
twinge of pity from Cicely.
“Mr. Ray, I assume there’s nothing else?” Joel interrupted, wary of Ray’s attempt
to converse with Cicely.
Ray’s laugh held a hint of scorn, “No. The Ellis family’s darling is loved by all, I
hear. You’re getting married in a month, I guess congratulations are in order.”
Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked towards the school
entrance.
As they watched Ray disappear into the distance, Joel finally relaxed, turning to
Cicely. “You okay?”
“I’m fine. You had me covered.”
Joel bent down to pick up her bag, dusted it off, and handed it back to her. “Talk
about bad luck, I thought you wouldn’t see him at school. And yet, here we are,
running into him on the last day.”
Cicely took her bag, her voice tinged with confusion, “Last day?”
“Ray came to school today to drop out. With everything that happened at home,
and it’s probably best he leaves, given how he’d be treated here.”
Joel left the sentence hanging, but Cicely understood what he meant. “I see,”
she responded flatly, “I guess that makes sense.”
“Now his family is just him, and those who used to flock around are now
avoiding him. I heard he sold off his properties a few days ago, not sure what he
plans to do.”
Cicely paused, “Sold them?”
“Yeah.” Joel nodded, “There are plenty of rich kids around here; a few bought
from him. If he’s planning to use that money to make a comeback, that’s great.
But there’s the fear he might do something drastic. I heard he had a serious
clash with Seth not too long ago. You might want to warn him to be careful.”
Cicely’s expression grew somber.
At the school gate, a familiar luxury car with its hazard lights flashing was
waiting. The understated, yet imposing black sedan was boldly parked right at
the entrance. Clusters of students leaving the school cast curious glances its
way.
Cicely recognized the car immediately. She stopped and turned to bid Joel
farewell. The silent vehicle suddenly sprang to life as Seth emerged, dressed
sharply in a suit, his demeanor austere, drawing murmurs from the onlookers.
Nobody could mistake him. In the hallowed halls of the prestigious academy, it
was rare to find a young prodigy who, even before donning their graduation cap,
had already carved out a substantial niche in the elite echelons of the business
world. He was a legend whispered about in the corridors and classrooms, his
name synonymous with success and mystery.
His visits to campus were infrequent, his presence more myth than man to most
of the students. Thus, when he did appear, it was as if a celebrity had walked
among them, causing a stir of excitement and awe.
Cicely was mid-farewell with Joel when a sudden chorus of animated whispers
erupted around her. A gaggle of girls huddled by the nearby school monument,
their excitement bubbling over as they bounced in place, their voices a mix of
disbelief and delight.
Was all this fanfare really necessary?
She turned slightly, casting her gaze back to Seth. Well, perhaps the fuss was
justified.
Just right now, his expression was less than pleasant. His brows were furrowed
in a frown, his stance aloof, as if the weight of his glare could be felt from a
distance, cold and as deep as an abyss.
Cicely belatedly pieced together the puzzle. Right, that man had a minor clash
with Joel before.
Joel had been kind enough to part with friendly advice, cautioning her to warn
Seth to beware of a certain Ray. Comparing their temperaments, Seth’s current
demeanor seemed rather off-putting.
“Alright, I should head back. Take care on your way,” Cicely said, choosing not
to provoke him further despite her lack of enthusiasm for his attitude.
Joel replied with a smile, nodding. “You too, and remember, if you run into any
trouble, just give me a shout. I’m here for you.”
“Will do.”
They exchanged smiles and waved goodbye, but Seth’s expression only soured
further.
It wasn’t until Cicely approached him, seeing the stern cast of his face up close,
that she felt a mix of irritation and amusement bubble up. “Who got under your
skin?” she asked, a teasing lilt in her voice.Seth shot Cicely a frosty glance, “How come you’re hanging out with him?”
Cicely replied as if it was the most natural thing in the world, “We’re in the same
class and part of the same club. Isn’t it pretty normal for us to hang out?”
Seth turned and opened the passenger door. As Cicely bent to get in, Seth
grabbed her arm. “What club are you talking about?”
“Uh, the coding and programming club.”
Seth narrowed his dark eyes, “Still can’t shake off this hobby, huh? It’s been
quite a while. How come the enthusiasm hasn’t faded?”
Enter title…
Cicely smiled, her eyes curving, “I’m surprised myself that I’ve stuck with it for so
long. Who knows? In a few years, you might be offering me a high salary to
work for you. Let go. You’re hurting me.”d2
Seth released her arm with a snort and a chuckle, “I bet you haven’t written that
many lines of code. If a corporate spy got their hands on you for a little
interrogation, I doubt it would take two minutes before you’d spill all my secrets.”
The smile vanished from Cicely’s eyes. Glaring at Seth, she retorted,
“Underestimate me? I could last five minutes, at least.”
“Heh,” he couldn’t help but laugh softly, his lips curling. “Get in the car.”
Cicely huffed and slid into the seat.
As soon as the car started, Cicely began to recount her recent run-in with Ray.
Seth hit the brakes, glanced at her, then eased off again.
“I’m fine. Joel was there too, didn’t even get a chance to exchange words with
him.”
Seth’s lips tightened slightly.
“Ray was at school today to drop out. I heard he’s sold off several of his
properties, too. Joel’s worried he might do something drastic again, especially
towards you…”
“Can’t you speak without bringing up Joel?” Seth’s voice was heavy with
displeasure, cutting her off mid-sentence.
Cicely paused, “Of course, that’s what I think too.”
The car sped up, taking Cicely straight to her apartment.
*
With just a month until the wedding, July was shaping up to be the happiest
month of Cicely’s life. Her birthday, her marriage anniversary, and her wedding
day were all coming up.
Her wedding dress had been custom-made by a designer Seth had flown in
from France a couple of months ago. It was due to arrive any day now. The
jewelry was specially ordered by Creighton from Belgium.
The wedding home was finished, decorated under Cicely’s meticulous
supervision, with every detail personally designed and arranged by her. After all,
it was where she and Seth would spend their lives together.
Some custom furniture was still due to arrive, but that too would be sorted out in
the next couple of days. Seth was so worried about her overdoing it, and he had
carried her back from the wedding house several times.
He had scolded her in various ways. She had pleaded for mercy, and Seth had
believed her, for a while. But she would dare to do it again next time.
The last time was just the day before when she received a call from the
renovation company saying that the custom furniture had arrived and needed
her direction for placement. She was about to leave when Seth pressed her to
the bed, leaving her weak and unable to get up until the next day.
After the Seth’s threats in bed, she was scared out of her wits, swearing she
wouldn’t dare again. Now, recalling their shameless romp, she didn’t even have
the courage to face people outside. Cicely chewed Seth out a countless number
of times alone in her room for being a brute.
Seth had Charlie take over the finishing touches on the renovation.
The third day before noon, Seth called Cicely to Diaz International.
Desperate to get out, Cicely got ready as quickly as she could, digging out
summer clothes that would cover her up as much as possible.
Black slim pants, and a white ruffled silk blouse – she was wrapped up tight.
Just stepping out of the car downstairs, Seth’s call came through. “Where are
you?”
“Downstairs at the company.”
“Wait there, I’ll come down and take you to lunch.”
“Okay.”
Seth raised an eyebrow at Cicely’s outfit today. He’d never seen her dressed like
this before. She looked like a delicate girl who somehow managed to pull off the
look of a professional woman.
“Aren’t you hot?” he quipped, noting her long sleeves and pants, which seemed
out of place in the summer heat.
Cicely shot him a glance, “Whose fault is that?”
Seth caught on instantly and chuckled lowly, wrapping his arm around her waist
as they left the building.
The lunch venue showed he had put in some effort, and the food was decent.
“You didn’t call me out just because you found this nice restaurant, did you?”
“No. I’ve got a surprise for you this afternoon.”
Cicely raised an eyebrow, asking a somewhat silly question, “What kind of
surprise?”
Seth just looked at her, saying nothing.
Cicely didn’t press further. A surprise wouldn’t be a surprise if it was revealed
ahead of time.
After lunch, Cicely leisurely savored her cake, taking in the tastefully decorated
restaurant. She was quite pleased until she noticed Seth checking his watch for
the third time, deflating her mood. “Do you have urgent work?”
Looking up at her, Seth’s gaze was calm and serious, “She’s being discharged
from the hospital today.”
Cicely paused, remembering her father mentioning this the day before, which
she had forgotten.
Swallowing the last bite of cake, she casually remarked, “Well, let’s go then.”
Seth’s eyes followed her hand as it rested on the fork beside her, his
unfathomable dark eyes briefly betraying an indiscernible emotion. “Finished?”
“Yes.”
Standing up, Seth said, “Then let’s go.”
Cicely took her time drinking some water, then slowly rose to her feet, flashing
Seth a smile as she approached him. He took her hand, and they left together.
“Did you finalize the script you’ve prepared for her?”
“Mhm.” Seth buckled her up with straightforward honesty, “It’s C&P’s big feature
this year.”
“But the script you picked for Emiliana wasn’t from C&P, and she even won an
award for that role. Big features aren’t exclusive to C&P, you know.”
Cicely turned to look at the man whose expression was a bit tense. Her smile
deepened, “Remember our deal, okay? Once she’s discharged, you promised
her a role in a show, and then you’re free of any entanglement.”
“Understood.”
Cicely didn’t say much more. She had been holding back until now, just one step
away from the outcome.
At this point, there really wasn’t any need for words or actions. It should all go
smoothly.
Danielle got discharged, and started filming. Cicely would marry Seth, and they
would announce it to the world.
Everyone would be happy, square and fair.
*
At the hospital, everyone was there. Erik, Creighton, and Patty.
Everything was packed up. It seemed they were just waiting for them, or rather,
for Seth alone.
Danielle was dressed in a plain, ankle-length dress, revealing a stretch of her
slender, pale leg, moving as gracefully as before.
When Seth arrived, Patty finally breathed a sigh of relief. “Alright, let’s head
home. I can’t stand another second in this hospital.”
Cicely was holding a bouquet of flowers, but seeing Danielle, she didn’t seem
inclined to hand them over. Instead, she just raised an eyebrow and smiled
faintly, “Congratulations on your recovery.”
Seth stepped forward, handing over a folder to Danielle. “The promise I made to
you.”
Danielle took it, flipped through it, and found a script. Her grip tightened
suddenly, and looking up with a laugh, her eyes began to fill with tears. “Are you
that eager to be rid of me? I haven’t even left the hospital, and you’re already
looking to sever ties?”
Seth’s face was impassive, “A discharge gift.”
Danielle bit her lip hard.
Patty quickly came to soothe Danielle, glaring at Seth, “Couldn’t you have
picked a better time to give this to her?”
“Sooner or later it had to happen. She knows it well. Filming starts next month.
You’re the lead actress. Be prepared.”
Danielle’s tears fell in drops, infuriating Patty to the point of clenching her teeth,
“You…”
Suddenly, Creighton spoke up with a stern voice, “Enough! If you want a role,
the Ellis family has plenty of resources to help you. We all knew what you were
thinking when you made that deal with Seth. Having agreed to it has already
granted you significant favor. Now that we’re simply fulfilling a promise, do you
still expect to choose a time that suits you?”
“And what time would that be, to your liking?”
Cicely was taken aback; her father seemed unusually firm today. Danielle had
not even left the hospital and was already feeling slighted by Seth, and now her
father had given her another blow.
Danielle’s face froze, apparently not expecting Creighton to speak those words.
Her tears, in Cicely’s eyes, were like a fountain, flowing on command, never
drying up.
“Creighton, what nonsense are you spouting at such a time?” Patty was getting
frantic, glaring at him.
“Nonsense? Cicely and Seth are about to get married. When does Danielle plan
to give up and leave them alone?”
“We came to pick her up from the hospital, and what then? She sat there
determined to wait for someone. If she doesn’t move, we all have to sit and wait
with her. No matter how spoiled Cicely might be, she’d never stoop to such low,
selfish, disrespectful behavior. For years, the Ellis family has offered her nothing
but genuine care, and what has it gotten in return?”
It turned out Danielle was really waiting for Seth. Cicely regarded Danielle with
eyes brimming with irony.
After Creighton finished his words, he pulled Erik up, who was sitting in a chair,
leaning on a cane, with a scowl that barely hid his exhaustion.
“If it were just me today, I could wait with you. Your grandfather, at his age,
came personally to take you home for lunch, and you have the nerve to sit here
waiting. You really are something.” Creighton took almost every ounce of temper
he’d ever had in his life out on Danielle. Danielle had quite the skill to drive such
a gentle and courteous man to this state.
Danielle’s eyes blinked, and she suddenly realized her fault, but she looked up
not at Creighton or the tired-looking Erik who was still hungry. Instead, her gaze
was fixed on Seth, who stood beside Cicely. Even in embarrassment, it seemed
she only cared about Seth’s opinion.
Cicely walked to the bedside and tossed the bouquet she had been cradling into
the trash bin. She approached Danielle, her smile chillingly cold.
“What are you going to do?” Patty said defensively, stepping forward to shield
Danielle.
Cicely’s lips twisted into a discernible curve, her clenched hand in her pocket
gradually relaxing. “Why so nervous? Do you also feel Danielle indeed deserves
a good scolding?”
“Danielle, as the Ellis family’s granddaughter, it’s okay for you to be proud and
arrogant. But you need to know your place. If someone’s trying to teach you
manners, you should be humble enough to learn, not keep thinking you’re above
everyone else.
“How long have you lived, and how long have grandfather and my father lived?
The Ellis Group has remained stable under their guidance and is now a worldrenowned enterprise. How many people want to connect with them, or be
friends with them? Whether they succeed or fail, even a fool can see it clearly.
How come when it comes to you, even the most basic respect is lost?
“No wonder Seth doesn’t see anything in you, and to think otherwise would be
foolish. In fact, aside from Ray, no man would be so blind as to truly fancy you.
Unless, of course, your looks have some selling point.”
Danielle was so angry she shook all over, biting her lip until blood seeped out.
Cicely chuckled, “Since you have been discharged, what’s the point in lingering
with everyone here? Go home and prepare well for your role; after all, this script
wasn’t easy to come by.”
Patty held Danielle’s trembling arm tightly, “Let’s go, Danielle. Whatever it is, we
can talk after you’re discharged.”
They had to leave eventually.
Danielle glared at Cicely’s retreating figure, her eyes filled with undeniable
hatred. Patty squeezed Danielle’s arm and patted her back gently. The tension
in Danielle’s eyes blinked away, and her body slowly relaxed.
The group reached the hospital entrance, where three cars were parked,
arranging for everyone to get in.
Cicely now stood on the hospital steps, her arm linked with Seth’s, her gaze
faint and distant as she watched Patty and Danielle inseparable like shadows.
“Seth, tell me, do you think Danielle will really keep the promise she made to
you?”
Seth looked down at Cicely with a pensive frown. “Why do you ask this all of a
sudden?”
Cicely looked up at him, a wry and somewhat ironic smile playing around her
eyes. “I just suddenly felt that she’s not the type to keep her word. She’s too
competitive, especially against me. She won’t just give you up. You say you’ll
take care of her until she’s better, and you’ve promised her a role in a
screenplay. Do these things really mean more to her than her own life? Thinking
about it, this deal of yours doesn’t seem to favor her much, does it? Can she
really just let it go?”
Seth’s brow furrowed deeper. “I am married, Mrs. Diaz.”
Cicely chuckled softly. “But if I can’t manage to get along with my mother-in-law,
it speaks volumes, doesn’t it?”
She sighed then continued, “As long as your mom likes Danielle, she’s bound to
dislike me. That means I could be kicked to the curb at any moment.”
A deep, cobalt flame seemed to ignite in his eyes, his voice tight with tension.
“Stop that nonsense.”
Cicely sighed again, tiptoed, and rested her chin on the man’s shoulder.
“Danielle has your all-important mother to back her up. Look at me, what do I
have? Isn’t that pitiful? Won’t you consider handing over Diaz International to
me? At least then I’d have a fighting chance.”
Seth looked at her with a light gaze. “We’ve talked about this already.”
Cicely pouted in disappointment. As she turned her head, she suddenly caught
sight of a figure standing behind the hospital’s reinforced glass door, wearing a
black hat and a black mask, revealing only a pair of eyes that were coldly fixed
on her.mHer heart skipped a beat at the sight, her body staggering slightly.
When she looked again, the person seemed to smile at her, lifting a cellphone in
their hand, then turned and disappeared around the corner.
Seth steadied her promptly. “What’s wrong?”
Cicely pointed towards the door. “I thought I just saw someone I know.” She
could only say familiar, but with that disguise, she couldn’t make out who it was.
Seth looked back, but the crowd in the lobby was too thick to spot anyone
familiar to Cicely. “Who?”
Cicely furrowed her brow in thought, then finally shook her head. “I must have
been mistakenSeth whisked Cicely back to the company without a moment’s hesitation.
The whole ride there, her mind was a whirlwind of curiosity about who that
person could possibly be. She mentally flipped through every face she
remembered, but couldn’t match those eyes with any of them.
“What’s on your mind?” Seth glanced over at her several times during the drive,
each time finding her lost in thought.
She thought about it and couldn’t really think of who that person was, so she
could only shake her head, “Nothing.”
Taking a deep breath, she expelled the frustration from her system, her
eyebrows lifting playfully as she spoke, “So, any more surprises in store for me
Enter title…
today? Don’t tell me Danielle getting discharged is your big reveal.”
Seth’s lips curled slightly, “You didn’t know she was getting discharged
today?”d2
Cicely pursed her lips, “Dad called me last night.”
“You think her discharge counts as a surprise?”
Cicely rolled her eyes, “I’d rather she stayed there for the rest of her life if she
wasn’t wearing you out with every passing day she spent in the hospital.”
“Then it’s not that.”
Knowing she’d get nothing out of him, Cicely switched gears to another question
that had been nagging at her. “Actually, there’s a lunch at home because
Danielle is getting discharged. Why did you insist on us grabbing a bite before
heading over?”
“Weren’t you satisfied with today’s lunch?”
“It could’ve waited for another day.”
Their car slipped into the company’s underground parking lot, darkness
enveloping them, the sound of the tires rolling over speed bumps echoing
emptily.
“I’d hate to spoil your appetite; keeping your stomach happy seemed like the top
priority.”
Cicely paused, a smile she couldn’t suppress playing at her lips, “Since when
did you get so smooth?”
“Just stating the facts.”
They rode the elevator straight up to the top floor office.
As the door swung open, Cicely fixed her gaze on Seth, her eyes sparkling,
filled with anticipation for the surprise Seth had promised.
Seth, as cool as a cucumber, took his seat and began going through paperwork
as Charlie came in to report on the company’s project progress.
Seth browsed through the documents with a calm demeanor, signing off on
them after hearing Charlie’s update. Charlie handed over the signed documents,
and Cicely hurried over, her eagerness palpable.
Seth’s eyes hinted at amusement watching her. It had been a long time since
he’d seen her this lively and spontaneous in his presence. It was a rare sight
these days, but still deeply missed.
“Where’s my surprise?” Cicely pressed.
But no sooner had she asked than there was another knock on the door. Seth’s
eyebrow quirked up as he called for the person to enter.
Charlie walked in, only to be met with Cicely’s dark, stormy gaze. “Charlie, can’t
your updates wait to be reported all at once? Do you really have to come in and
out just to catch glimpses of Seth?”
Corner of Charlie’s mouth twitched, a bit caught off guard as he glanced toward
Seth, who was busy pretending to be fascinated by his pen. “Ma’am, this work
just came up unexpectedly, and I couldn’t delay.”
Cicely pursed her lips, leaned against Seth’s desk, arms crossed, and huffed to
show her displeasure.
Charlie cast a tentative look at Seth, feeling a tad nervous. Had he managed to
ruffle the lady of the house?
With a nod from Seth, Charlie placed the latest market research report on the
desk – a hot-off-the-press issue. Seth flipped it open and glanced through it.
Charlie continued, “Mr. Diaz, there’s already a software of similar nature making
rounds on the internet, boasting nearly three hundred thousand users. Our
development is in the final stages, and to prevent these competitors from getting
too savvy about our direction, I suggest we hold off on any further market
research to keep our information close to the chest.”
Seth, looking satisfied with the report, responded, “Do you really think that the
program I’ve spent a fortune and time to design could be so easily overtaken by
those shortcut-seekers and copycats? We’ve got the patents. Let them take a
shot at it. This research shows that our brand recognition and acceptance are
on the rise. Let them test the waters for us; it’s good publicity, after all.”
Charlie nodded in agreement.
The room fell into a brief silence, broken only by Cicely’s cool stare. “Charlie,
we’re not expecting any more last-minute documents in the next half-hour or so,
right?”
With an awkward chuckle and a couple of ‘no, no’s, Charlie beat a hasty retreat
from the office.
Cicely stood up, eyes narrowed, “You’re not tricking me into accompanying you
to pick up Danielle from the hospital, are you?”
“Tired?” Seth deflected, not directly answering her question.
Furious, Cicely retorted, “I’m going to sleep. Don’t bother waking me if my
‘surprises’ are not here!” With that, she stormed off to the office’s rest area, her
face a mask of indignation.
Ten seconds.
Fifteen seconds.
A thrilled shriek pierced the silence from the rest area, followed immediately by
the door swinging open as Cicely burst out.
Seth, lounging in his chair with a pleased expression, wasn’t surprised by her
reaction; it was as if he had expected it all along.
Cicely bounced up to him, pointing excitedly inside, “When did it get here?”
“About two hours ago,” Seth replied calmly, which meant it had arrived right
around the time she had reached the company’s lobby.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!” She dashed back into the rest room, a
whirlwind of excitement, while Seth watched her, amused. Her curiosity was
clearly piqued by the contents inside. He pushed back from his desk and
followed her in.
In the center of the rest room stood a dazzling pure white wedding dress, its
surface almost entirely covered in delicate diamond sparkles. Despite the drawn
curtains, even the faintest light made the gown shimmer with a rainbow of
colors.
Not a detail was spared, even the gloves were adorned. The dress,
conservative in design with an off-the-shoulder cut and long lace sleeves,
exuded an air of top-tier elegance and charm. The train of the veil was so long it
hardly fit in the room, cascading down, wide enough to cover her shoulders
entirely.
She suspected every detail of the dress bore Seth’s influence, designed with
conservatism in mind.
Still, it was utterly breathtaking.
She had visited countless bridal shops before, but never had she found a dress
that captivated her heart quite like this one.
Cicely twirled in front of the mirror, her hands caressing the delicate lace of the
wedding gown she couldn’t seem to part with. “Do you think I’ll be the most
beautiful bride in the world if I wear this?” she asked, her eyes sparkling with
excitement as she clung to the dress.
Seth watched her, an amused smile curling his lips. “That’s a question for the
Magic Mirror, love.”
Cicely’s brow furrowed in mock annoyance. “Oh, c’mon! Can’t you just say yes?”
Approaching her with a relaxed stride, Seth’s fingers grazed the edge of the veil.
“Sure, you’re the most beautiful to me, but I prefer it when everyone agrees
you’re the fairest of them all. A princess only gets one answer from the Magic
Mirror.”
Well, the guy sure had a way with words.
Delighted, Cicely whipped out her phone and started snapping pictures of the
gown from every angle.
Seth stepped back, “Aren’t you going to try it on?”
“No way,” Cicely shook her head. “If I try it on in front of you now, you won’t get
the full effect on our wedding day.”
Her eyes danced with mirth as she looked at Seth. “Just you wait until the big
day to see the magic happen.”
Seth pressed his lips together, a sign that his patience was being tested.
“I’m gonna send these pics to Grandpa, Dad, and Issac.”
A shadow passed over Seth’s eyes, a hint of displeasure seeping through his
gaze. “Do you have to share everything with Issac?”
Cicely was busy typing out a message, replying without thinking, “Uh-huh.”
But then, sensing Seth’s mood, she looked up, her eyes still warm with smile.
“Issac has always been there for me since we were kids. I didn’t have many
friends, so naturally, he’s the one I talk to the most. He even bought sanitary
pads and underwear for me during my first period. And I remember once I
stained his shirt. I think he washed it himself.”
It seemed like a sudden recollection, and now, thinking back, she blushed a bit.
Back then, boys were so concerned with keeping their image, getting
embarrassed over the smallest things. They were especially offended by things
like girls getting their periods, and the boys often made fun of girls for such
things.
But Issac never did.
The more she thought about it, the more she realized how good Issac had been
to her. He’s quietly standing by her side, always there when needed, without a
single complaint. Because of his silent presence, she took him for granted all
these years, treating him like part of the background. But, he was as essential to
her as her nose, her eyes, her limbs – any part of her body.
Taken for granted, yet indispensable.
Cicely’s expression grew more serene as she pondered what life without Issac
would be like. What kind of Cicely would she be now?
Her contemplation caused Seth’s face to darken further.
“Cicely, what are you thinking about?”
His voice was deep and brooding, snapping Cicely back to reality just as her
phone vibrated in her hand. She looked down to find a message from Issac.
[Beautiful. You’ll definitely be the world’s most beautiful bride.]
Cicely’s lips curved into a gentle smile. See? That was the kind of answer that
satisfied a girl.
Upon seeing her reaction, Seth strode over and snatched the phone from her
hand.
He glanced down at the message Issac had sent so promptly. “I didn’t realize he
had it in him to say such things. Does that please you?” His jealousy wasn’t
even trying to hide itself.
“What girl doesn’t like to be called beautiful? Someone’s a bit too obvious with
their jealousy, Mr. Diaz.”
“Jealous?” Seth scoffed, then he tossed the phone back to her. “Shouldn’t I be?”
Cicely caught the phone, finding it amusing to see such a display from him. “Of
course, you should. Anyway, I might be out this afternoon for a bit, so you hold
down the fort at the office, champ.”
She pecked him on the lips and turned to leave, only to be yanked back by her
arm. “You didn’t mention having plans this afternoon. Where are you going, and
what for?”
Cicely thought for a moment. “Shopping.”
Seth’s brow furrowed. “Tell me what you need, and I’ll have someone buy it.”
“No need. Shopping is more meaningful when done personally.”
“I’ll have Charlie follow you.”
“Why suddenly assign Charlie to tail me? I’ll have Issac.”
Seth’s expression became even more strained.
Cicely sighed, her fingers fiddling with the smooth fabric of Seth’s suit sleeve.
“Issac and I have been like two peas in a pod since we were kids. He’s always
been good to me. He’s handsome, fit, even-tempered, and capable.”
Seth abruptly brushed her hand away, but she just laughed softly and caught his
sleeve again. “So, if there was anything romantic between Issac and me, you
wouldn’t have the change with me. If there was anything to develop, it would’ve
happened long ago.”
Seth tried to pull away, but Cicely held on tight.
“I’m married, Mr. Diaz. If you keep getting jealous, should we take out our
marriage certificate and give it a good look to calm your current mood?”
“The person who needs a good look is you.”
“Alright, alright. We’ll look at it together tonight at home.” She patted his hand
soothingly. “There, there. I’ll come pick you up after work, and we’ll head home
together.”
Seth just stared at her, and sighed.
*
As soon as Cicely left the office, she messaged Issac. [Going shopping.]
[Got it.]
Charlie, noticing Cicely’s departure, quickly got to his feet and greeted her. “Mrs.
Diaz, it hasn’t been an hour yet.”
Cicely gave a nonchalant “Hm” in response. “I’m leaving it to you. It seems like
you’re itching to spend more time with my husband. Didn’t want to keep you
waiting.”
The secretaries nearby couldn’t help but stifle their laughter at the exchange.
Charlie turned beet red. “Mrs. Diaz, it’s really just work.”
Cicely raised an eyebrow, giving him a knowing smile before heading for the
elevator.
Charlie, under the secretaries’ amused gazes, carried the freshly delivered
paperwork into Seth’s office.
Seth had just returned to his desk when he saw Charlie. He stopped in his
tracks. “You, follow Cicely.”
*
Stepping out of the office building, Cicely found Issac’s car already waiting for
her. He quickly opened the door and stepped out to greet her. “Miss, which mall
would you like to visit today?”
Cicely paused at the door, looking up at him. “Where do you usually shop for
clothes?”
Issac paused, his expression subdued as he spoke, “If I’m really short on
clothes, I’ll find the nearest small department store to buy some. It’s not the
place for you, Miss.”
Cicely frowned slightly, her gaze landing on Issac’s shoulder. She didn’t have
much of an idea about men’s suits or brands. She saw him every day, decked
out in a suit and leather shoes, impeccably neat and tidy. Yet, she had never
considered that his clothes might actually be so cheap.
Suddenly, she reached out and pinched the collar of Issac’s suit. Issac flinched,
instinctively stepping back.
“Don’t move.” Cicely leaned in closer, examining it carefully. In terms of color,
fabric, and craftsmanship, it was a far cry from any of Seth’s suits.
“It’s certainly not suitable for me.” Cicely let go of his collar and gracefully slid
into the car. “Then we’ll head to the most upscale department store in P City.”
“Alright.”
*
After parking the car in the underground lot, Cicely unbuckled her seatbelt.
“Issac, come with me.”
“Okay.”
A warm feeling suddenly washed over Cicely. The words Issac used most often
in her presence were “okay” and “yes.” Regardless of whether her proposals
were right or wrong, he was always like that
They walked into the elevator, and Cicely pressed the button for the men’s
designer floor.
The women’s section was mostly populated by female shoppers, while couples
dominated the men’s section.
Cicely was now the bride-to-be who was the talk of P City, and in this luxurious
place, there was no one who wouldn’t recognize her. Whenever she approached
a counter, the sales associates would surely offer their congratulations. “Ms.
Cicely, are you shopping for Mr. Diaz?”
Cicely just smiled faintly without answering. She casually perused the suits on
display, occasionally pulling one out and having Issac, who was standing by the
entrance, try it on for size.
Issac stood ramrod straight, allowing Cicely to use him as a temporary
mannequin.
After visiting three or four brand stores and trying on no fewer than ten suits,
Cicely finally spotted a white suit at another counter that caught her eye. After a
quick measure-up on Issac, she turned to the nearby sales associate and said,
“This one, get his size for him to try on.”
Issac glanced at the white suit, his lips tightening slightly. Hesitating for a
second, he still couldn’t help but speak up, “Mr. Diaz probably doesn’t like
white.”
“Who cares about that?”
She continued to pick out a shirt and tie, and then handed them to Issac to try
on. She went back to browsing the other styles on display.
Just a few minutes later, the fitting room door swung open, revealing Issac in a
white suit. Wearing a black shirt paired with a blue-gray diagonal striped tie, his
white waistcoat peeked out from beneath his open suit jacket. The jacket was
decorated with a row of carefully crafted black buttons. His overall look was a
balance of refinement and elegance.
His usual wear was always a modest black suit. This color, which he had never
tried before, turned out to suit him as well.
Cicely was pleased. “This is the one. Wrap it up when we’re done here.”
“Miss, I think my size is one down from Mr. Diaz.”
“Who said I was buying for him?”
Issac paused, mentally running through images of the Mr. Erik and Mr.
Creighton, yet none seemed to fit. “Could this be for…”
“Mm-hmm, hurry up and change. We need to get shoes next.”
“Miss,” Issac felt uneasy, glancing down at the suit he was wearing, “I’m often
working outside; this outfit doesn’t really suit my needs.”
“Who said anything about wearing it to work?” Cicely laughed lightly. “You think
I’d have you drive around in a high-end white suit? That’s not my style.”
“Then this is for…”
Cicely took a deep breath, “Did you really think I’d let you attend my wedding in
something off the rack from a small department store?”
Issac fell silent for a moment, “I’ll prepare something myself.”
“But I don’t trust your taste. You’ll be sitting with my family at the wedding. You
need to uphold the image of Cicely. If you don’t want the suit, then don’t bother
coming to my wedding.”
Of course, Issac would attend Cicely’s wedding. It was a given, no question
about it. However, Cicely’s words gave Issac pause, “Could I purchase it
myself?”
“That’s not an option.”
Silently, Issac turned and went back into the fitting room. Cicely smiled with
satisfaction and paid the bill.
After buying shoes, Issac found himself trailing behind Cicely, his arms filled
with bags of his own belongings for the first time.
Passing a café, Cicely stepped inside, ordering two cups of coffee without
hesitation. Issac couldn’t feign ignorance any longer and took a seat opposite
her.
The tall, handsome man exuded an aura of discomfort. Cicely rested her chin on
her hand, watching him, her voice soft, “Seeing that wedding dress today, I feel
like I’m finally getting married, stepping into the next phase of life, and it all hit
me hard. I thought about my life. Few people have been by my side, but they’re
the most important to me.”
“I considered what Cicely would be like without you in my life, and I can’t
imagine an answer.” Cicely sipped her coffee, gazing out the window at the
passersby. “Since I can remember, you’ve been there with me as a friend and a
brother, supporting me unconditionally, right or wrong. Wherever I am, whenever
I need you, you show up without fail. You never say much, always going along
with me, and I took that for granted, then easily overlooked you.”
Cicely turned back, catching the unguarded disappointment in Issac’s eyes. She
pressed her lips together, smiled gently. “But if you were absent from my
wedding, I think I would be very lost. Apart from the groom running away, your
absence would sadden me more than anyone else’s.”
Issac looked at her in surprise.
Cicely straightened up, stirring her coffee. “It’s the most important moments of
my life, and you won’t be absent, right?”
Issac nodded, “Right. I’ll always be there.”
At first, Charlie didn’t understand why Mr. Diaz had suddenly asked him to follow
his wife. Whenever she went out, Issac was always by her side, without fail. And
today seemed no different. Adding him to the mix seemed redundant.
seeing Cicely personally shopping for clothes and shoes for Issac,
Charlie kind of got why
they were enough to
Mr. Diaz,
confession.
*
of the café and rushed back to
to wait for Seth to finish work – not counting
departures.
sent Issac on his way, knowing she’d
soon enough.
in the office, Seth was hammering away at the keyboard,
glanced up at her with a nonchalant lift of his
work?” Cicely flopped down on
on the monitor, Seth asked blandly, “Didn’t you
What’d you buy?”
silently stuck her tongue out, weighing the truth. Telling this guy
off, she thought. “Just browsed a bit, didn’t
Was there
the place
felt guilty, “Who rushed out?
saved the file,
I dig, or will you come
was getting annoyed by his pressing demeanor.
sell you out, or cheat on you? What could I
to check
you could do,
you can’t tell
you get all jealous and gobble me
admit there’s something you’ve done
still act
fire suddenly died down. She couldn’t outplay this man. “So if
promise not
laugh, standing up and moving closer to her. “I
so you might as well keep it to yourself. As you thought, I might just
you up.”
“Eh?”
just begun to question when suddenly, she was swept off her
and into his arms.
happening, she kicked and
what are you jealous
open the door to
her into the bed.
should exercise some
wedding night.”
need
I’m not really looking forward to
“Heh.”
her, and she had
was thoroughly at his
him weakly a couple of times, her
but her efforts feeble.
before Charlie’s call came through, as if he
up to take the call,
put
though Cicely was drained, waiting obediently was not in her nature.
bed and decided to wander
to leave, so
They were used to working late
to mess with her.
league, but
employees’ feathers.
Cicely appeared, everyone
typing intensified. Cicely smirked and scanned the room.
usually loitered around, wasn’t there, she headed
work today,” a programmer
were suffering every day
and yet not daring to take
puzzled, “I didn’t hear about
things she wasn’t aware
today. He might be
he’s been working really hard. I’ll have
cut Camden some slack.”
spoke, she pulled up a chair next to the programmer, “I’m
looks like Seth for me. I need to
a coder to work his
a new message. She checked it to find
my scene. The wedding dress is gorgeous. I adore
dying to see it
touched on every girl’s soft spot. Cicely was
the envy of another girl. [Come over
she texted
I’m free tomorrow
was followed by a string of
Enter title…
Friday. Alright, we’ll have
take a look.]
[Yay!!! Love you!!]d2
[Sure. Dismissed.]
[Got it, your Highness.]
since her career took off, Emiliana had become more
had grown more familiar and
replies from Creighton and Erik. Cicely had gotten
just
turned her
“Are we almost there?”
two more minutes,
bored. “Do you
planting one in a hard drive to mess up someone’s system, or
steal trade
viruses, but it’s rare and targeted. We’re mostly
upgrading and reinforcing firewalls. As for hacking
steal secrets, those kinds of machines are
break into. Take our computers here—our firewalls are crafted by
commissioned by Mr.
worries.”
see,” Cicely murmured, “so if there’s corporate espionage, it must be an
job?”
a crime. No one
“Right.”
“It’s ready, ma’am.”
“Huh?”
to the cartoon character playing on
The character was adorably dressed
dark furrowed brows and a stern, haughty expression,
to Seth’s typical
help but laugh, “So this is how you
a commanding
ma’am.”
out loud and said, “Move over. Let
her a few game
with “pow,
even swell up
was laughing her head off. It was hard to
taking a hit.
for over half
office, suspecting she was causing
she would have
giggles echoed through the office space. The tech, whose seat
watched Seth approach with a thunderous
Diaz getting pummeled on the screen
“Ma’am.”
in the game,
“Mr. Seth…”
continued. The office, which had
making
she sensed a chilling presence behind
with Seth’s dark, ominous glare. The impact
intense she blinked rapidly.
glanced at the screen, his voice icy, “Having
“Yeah.”
“Enjoying it?”
“Sorta.”
a sound that sent shivers down her
getting yourself so excited?”
was speechless. This man had the
comment in public.
her from her seat,
had my fill. Don’t wanna
tight against her skin,
when you’re this
Seth whisked Cicely
engineering department collectively exhaled in relief.
heavens!
*
much distance between herself and Seth as possible.
Stop looking
at Cicely’s scrunched-up figure
car and let the couple
department isn’t some playground. They work tirelessly
there distracting them with
was there to boost morale, and I realized
do work hard. You should consider giving them
paid for their work, but now they have to entertain you
seem fair.”
“It’s really because you’re the bully. They’re just taking
owe them
bullying you?” Seth gave her a sidelong
neck, his voice teasing.
held her breath, “Did you know Camden called
to change the
narrowed slightly, “And that
to care for your
at her briefly, then turned to Charlie as
Camden.”
“Sure.”
light.
a good ten seconds before it
crackling to life. “Hello, Charlie, is
a tad frazzled, prompting Charlie to
Camden? Something wrong?”
some emergency came up, and I
here on behalf of Mr. Diaz, aren’t
Diaz is right here. You can
directly.”
You are with
so urgent that you don’t even have a minute to
and stern voice cut through the air,
such scenes, merely watched as Camden’s trembling voice grew
on the
Mr. Diaz, it won’t happen again. It’s just that I might not be
days, and I was
few more days
the weekend. You can’t make it
days?”
that’s plenty. Thank you, Mr.
“Alright.”
Cicely lounged back against the cushion, drawling
years older than you, and yet,
him stuttering and shaking
one paying his hefty salary is me.
nowhere to cry when
glanced out the window at a couple of girls walking
an ice
have ice cream with Emiliana
Tomorrow, Emiliana.
be joining you for dinner tomorrow night. I’ve got
Emiliana.”
time will you be
so dinner,
I’ll be home before midnight for
ten at the latest. Otherwise, don’t bother
I not get to
providing you with
cough.” Charlie, who was driving with utmost
choked unexpectedly.
hadn’t anticipated this
scalded
the most shameless of
*
at the restaurant Seth had taken her to on
was discharged from the hospital. Emiliana naturally gave
reviews as well.
decided to catch
away from the restaurant. They bought a couple
taking
were bustling with life. The square was crowded,
conversation revolved
on
For groomsman,
groomsmen be Mr.
the more the merrier! If not, Issac can just join my
bridesmaids.”
laughed, “You want him
it, he might just
spoils
let out a proud
by posters of
glamorous than the last.
some fame by now, and to avoid unnecessary trouble,
hat.
was bustling. They grabbed their tickets and
on the promotional boards—several were talents under
me, I saw Danielle at the
and her crew happened to be there,”
the electronic posters.
much, “Considering it’s the biggest studio
into
their costumes and crew today, so lavish.
it’s a top-notch production.”
help out, he wouldn’t skimp. But a toptier production, that
favor. Mr. Diaz’s
true,” Cicely agreed
some high-profile lady at the
so she’ll probably rest over
to announce your wedding to the
find our
could guess who Emiliana was referring to, but she really didn’t
Danielle. She nodded and let Emiliana pull
was nine o’clock. Cicely had
cinema, they
to
“Got it.”
*
eerily quiet over the weekend. Cicely, often visiting
had her own access card. Leading Emiliana
floor, they
somewhat astonished, “I thought we
are we at Mr. Diaz’s
here for the dress, but who knew
his office?”
figured the man probably just wanted to corner
They entered Seth’s office, flicking
instantly bathed in brightness.
time here, and even without Seth
help but feel tense.
arrangement screamed grandeur
ignored the little table next to
a plush cushion
mats.
of Cicely cooped up in
couldn’t suppress a chuckle.
“What’s so funny?”
to him at work cracks me up.
work done? I can’t imagine it. All I see is you sitting
deck of cards
grimaced dismissively, “The affairs of Diaz International
supposed
point there.” Laughter
chair and
but let’s see you
no, I’m not
the wedding
huff, Cicely moved to a concealed door in the lounge area and pushed
froze
in…” Emiliana couldn’t wait and squeezed past into
but her words
back with a mischievous
this
disarrayed bed was a testament to
crept up Cicely’s ears.
she had hit the nail on the head and stepped
the corner of a cabinet. She gasped. “Oh
a hand over her mouth, scurrying to the center of
now illuminated
than it had been in
that all diamonds? I’m getting
bell sleeves are
that veil, so lush
silver thread embroidery,
is
reaction to the stunning bridal gown was
overstatement.
an air of pride, “Did
Only you get the sneak peek before
high-resolution photos with her
wear it at the wedding. You’re going to be
snorted again, “Don’t share those pictures, okay? Wait until I’m wearing
on the wedding day.”
dress, you must have repaid the favor in kind,
shot her a glare, “Are you done?
leave the dress’s side, “I could look
it still
I’m out of
“Hey, wait for me…”
to leave, she
and you’re already rushing
is.” Cicely grabbed her purse from the
annoyed.
“Late for what?”
me
raised an eyebrow, “That strict,
if the curfew was
not doing anything wrong. Even if you are
perhaps flirt a little,
“I hope you get a boyfriend
little’ to keep him
two reached the elevator, and just as Cicely was about to
froze in mid-air, her gaze fixed on the
button herself,
top floor, and upon opening,
on.”
entered, deep
floor, then pulled out a compact
had plans
drink.
and the elevator began to run,
fifteenth floor, Cicely suddenly reached down and pressed the floor
for the twelfth floor.
halted
stepped out just as they
a glimpse of her retreating figure. “This
floor!”
“Wait for me downstairs.”
completely, and Emiliana couldn’t
words.
familiar to Cicely, second only
it housed
three elevators had been on the ground floor
other two should have remained there, so why had one
at the twelfth?
was home
the making. The software was in the final
malicious sabotage could be
no
left something crucial behind and was
be one thing. Or
to do. The thought made
they? But if they
dark, not a single light
through the foyer and down the hallway
flash of a smartphone’s flashlight caught her
hidden angle as the
something in a sneaky
intruder’s actions tightened Cicely’s chest with apprehension. This
an insider. But who else could have a security badge for free access
company?
sounded nervous, a muffled voice
with anger and urgency.
the Bluetooth earpiece, occasionally winking blue in
they communicating with someone inside
a private
Camden’s tremulous voice on the phone that
beginning to realize something. That
security badge.
Camden had told the stranger something
for Camden’s
you, that file path you gave me
on me, and you’ll be picking out a coffin for
That voice…
frowned, a tinge of recognition flashing in
Ray’s face suddenly merged
when she had picked
pain pulsed at the
the pieces of information started connecting in
dropped out
comeback or something more extreme.
opted for the latter.
wasn’t due to a lack
because Ray had threatened him
gathering, Ray had vowed to make
executing
software development was well-known within the company,
to find out, he certainly could have. It was no secret that this
So, he chose the
program or destroy
had worked for would come tumbling
clearly no different
to face him
text Issac to come up when
of the empty office
walls.
Cicely’s mind went blank.
her face, and she squinted, drawing
raised her hand to shield her eyes from the glare and answered
Everything okay? When are you coming
she inhaled a quiet breath, “I’m
me a moment more.
“Make it snappy.”
“Will do.”
it into her purse. Her palms slick with
sheen of cold sweat.d2
always said we have a certain
Enter title…
eerily calm, as if being caught in the act was the
in the world
herself to relax, offering a hesitant smile as she
him.
Ray, aren’y you in the
“Not at all. It’s rare for you to be here at this
Ms.
reply immediately, taking a moment
too bothered about getting
nearby desk,
just now didn’t blow my cover, does that mean
perhaps strike a deal?”
beat, then burst into laughter. “So, you overheard
to Seth that day
didn’t deny, “Pure coincidence. I was just there to see
them, their
discussing the weather. “To be honest, our
have misunderstood you. I wouldn’t have
romantic type,
smile widened as he removed his face mask, “Ms.
you hand over
then I’d
her purse to retrieve her phone. When
screen lit
been
phone’s screen illuminated, Ray snatched
checked the phone and saw no calls
of tampering. Still not satisfied, he emptied her
cards, and other daily
with the
the drive, he raised an eyebrow with a smirk, “Can
same reason as me
curled her fingers, her gaze fixed on
head, “Not sure.”
“Hmm?”
face-to-face with Ray, her
Seth is cold
and Diaz International, left
and even though we’re set to marry,
me. I don’t know when he might leave me, so I
so important to him, he wouldn’t
mother favors Danielle, and to this day her desire to set
is still alive and well. There was no way for me to break in
sights were
my name a few
the software development fails and
easily
Ellis Group, Diaz International is small
value is irrelevant to me; I just
on Ray who had been listening quietly, and she
align with mine. I intend to
International will then face a huge debt crisis, and with
company will be mine.
sorry, but I won’t let you.
you profit
you’ve left no room for error,
to take it and reap any benefits. Even if you do develop it further
he won’t
be
his expression contemplative, then
be terrifying, willing to go to such lengths for
kidnapped
Seth destroyed the
tastes the loss of his most prized possession,
International”
making a quick buck
point of money? Better
gaze on her, “Aren’t you worried that if Seth
this, he’ll
had the audacity to
of
“With the head of engineering Camden in my
surveillance was a piece of
“Exactly. No cameras, no evidence, no reason for him
me.”
sardonic grin playing on his lips. “So,
together?”
strode toward
unlock the door to
chair, powered up the computer,
had given
out his own flash drive from his pocket,
Cicely’s voice, cool as a
Ray.”
he looked up at her. “What,
just smiled. “If I’m going to sabotage, I’ll do it right. I know
that plain Jane
recover the lost files without
your little exercise?”
a
should we do,
“Destroy the computer itself.”
asked, “Smash
bit out of your depth
drive remains intact, smashing
the data
was starting to panic. “Then what do
towards the flash drive he had placed aside, the one he
her bag. “That flash drive
in the
data. The files will
will be rendered useless.”
of a
before. It wasn’t outside the realm of
should I
you have a better option? We’re both in too
think you’d let
long and hard, and finally,
Cicely.
after we’re done, give me back the flash drive. It cost me
it to get back at someone else
wipes the computer as you claim,
an eyebrow
and inserted the flash drive into the port.
then went black, showcasing a flurry of white
across the darkness.
about two minutes, the display halted, and five seconds later,
The central unit ceased to hum, and
light faded to
It worked.
tense heart finally eased a bit. She had thought
bold claims, but it seemed there was no need
the power button of the
response, and the same went for the monitor. She hadn’t fooled
up at Cicely, easily noticing the faint smile playing
that love indeed could drive people
wrath is a
gaze to meet his, raising an eyebrow,
mind?”
that Seth really did a number
princess to this extent.”
reached over and tried the computer switch to make
bent over to pull the
Diaz International could put up a fight, but
a sliver of the Ellis Group shares. Worst case scenario, I’ll
of the Ellis’
generous,” he said with a laugh as he stood up. “Well,
is up to you.
I’ll be taking your phone for
I’ll leave it by the fountain downstairs. Remember to pick
Cicely remained stone-faced.
the building, Cicely made her
found Emiliana and
lot.
you were gone
the standoff with
“Nothing much.
have Issac drive you.”
realizing she wouldn’t
need, I’ve booked a hotel nearby. I’ll take a
head home and
“Be careful
nodded, urging Cicely into the
in the vehicle, Cicely leaned back,
happened?” Issac inquired.
responded with a faint “hmm” before
“Didn’t you see anyone else
were downstairs?”
tensed. “Did you run into
“Ray.”
jerked violently before coming to a stop on the side of the
around to face her, his
her head. “I’m
exhaled in relief, restarted the car, and asked, “What was he doing at
International?”
one wants to destroy Seth more than he does.
program.”
hesitated for a moment. “So, did he succeed in getting what
“Well… Oh, right.”
retrieved her
Joel’s
a little unsure about getting
began urgently, “the flash drive you
crack the program?”
the back burner
suddenly asking about this?”
her lip, a tremor in her voice betraying her panic. “I accidentally used
really important files on it.
to crack?”
through the phone. Joel,
on his bed ready to play with his phone
too hard, just
out. I’ll contact our senior
tears circling
what
“Okay, hold on.”
landline to call
of the decryption software came up,
difficult to solve, and then we put it on hold because we had
projects. What happened?”
urgency, blurted out, “The flash
recover the files urgently. Can we work on
“That urgent?”
hummed affirmatively, “Better if we start
the other end before a reluctant
heart eased a little as she wiped her tears, “Are we heading
university? I’m coming, too.”
“Sure.”
sent a message to
bit longer tonight. Don’t wait up.
a pouting emoji and
heading to
lips, “Miss, you won’t be any help
and wait for news.”
face him. I caused this mess, and now
fix it. Let’s just go to the
Seth can’t reach you.”
“Understood.”
after Cicely arrived at the university, Joel and his
after another.
a look of unease, they didn’t
do other than to start working on the computer for a
behind them, trying to understand their
red eyes before, much less imagined that
“You really
this. Go home, take a bath, and
her head, gripping his arm, “I
As she spoke, tears flooded her
and guilt, “Don’t
flash drive, so I share the blame. If you won’t go home, at
and try
was of
nearby seat.
*
just left the house when
phone call yesterday, Seth had a hunch that something was
had Charlie dig into it and found that Camden’s family
clue where
son had vanished, and Mrs. Camden
from school. Camden
wanted to see his wife and child
been 24 hours. Only
– they’d been retrieved and
company.
and confirming she was with Emiliana
watch, Seth felt no urgency to hasten her return
*
Seth met Camden at the company, the man was a
before Seth, Camden wept bitterly. “Mr. Diaz, I’m
threatened
darkened ominously. “Who threatened
“It was Ray.”
became glacial as he
to feel like ice. “And
company’s access cards, my office’s key cards,
path
chill
family without reason and then acting
which was why he
towards Ray’s family. So, he tossed Ray into the police station to
himself, and he did not pursue the matter further afterward. Charlie
he didn’t expect him to really take
to know much about computers. If he
still might be able to recover
grew more severe at this.
getting my stuff. Wasn’t
left
scrambling behind.
*
floor, in Camden’s office, Charlie bent over the
up
approached the computer with a
he switched to a
the first. Within minutes,
like a
Seth’s cool composure, pressed for
seeing Camden’s
lips quivered as he stammered, “Mr. Diaz, all
clean from that computer.”
eyes narrowed sharply, the chill in his brow spreading like frost
snap threatening to fracture a sturdy
do you mean ‘all its data has been wiped
passing out,
the computer operate, it’s gone. Without it, this computer
a piece
closed his eyes in despair. It was
two years of preparation, a fortune invested,
world’s most expensive junk.
clenched into fists as if
thought he didn’t know anything
know. I’m just as lost. I remember he took a USB
it was enough. But this, this is the work of
not some amateur.”
of Seth’s
away, mumbling with his head
could’ve done this on his own
his heel, “I’ll
good would it do?
with fear, added, “He had
tapes.”Charlie’s stride halted, his
down his cheeks. “My son and wife are
can’t risk their lives
my hump for the firm, and I’m willing to do that. But I
on the line. It’s just not fair. Why
long moment. Charlie
as a still pond, eerily composed. “How long would it
over?”
second. “It’s a six-month job. If
ass off,
Enter title…
Seth closed his eyes.
next month… It was too
find Ray, see if he has a
eagerly, “Right, right, right! Maybe he still has a
him fast
jolted into action
*
the whole night in his office, waiting
their only
had fallen asleep at her desk
was
the two busy figures nearby
and helplessness welled up, followed by silent
had spent two
facing ruin was unbearable.
Disappointment? Regret? Defeat? Despair?
to see him like that. Just
enough.
not get married, but she couldn’t
on
her side the whole time, pained to see her this way.
out to buy breakfast.
he
cafeteria’s offerings were always the same
worked all night, didn’t stand
without taking their eyes
the hearty scent of
pushed
breakfast.”
groggy, looked around, sniffed at the bag, then her face
from the room, hand over her
the room, Cicely leaned against the wall, heaving with nothing to
up.
After rinsing her mouth
she
jacket over her and whispered, “I’ll
you to the hospital.”
“I’m fine.
the flowerbed, pulling the jacket tight around
the smell in there. Can you check on their progress for
crack it?” Pale and weak,
left her to ask
should be able to do
and modify, but we can’t give a
and that it’ll
Issac nodded, “Thank you.”
Despite being promised a certainty,
without getting a successful
looked up at the brightening sky, biting her lip
when he finds out the program is
pause, Issac replied, “He won’t lose it.
ever fails at
reddened again. “But he’s been working on
years.”
her pained expression, “Everyone faces failure
want his life to be smooth. I don’t want him to
because of me.”
made Cicely’s heart ache with
head, tears
a hand on her
drive. They’ll crack the program sooner or
don’t need to worry this much.
his sake. Even if
are made by people.
just a matter
comforting logic. She looked up, “What
is it?”
now is get some good sleep,
at
worried if he finds
are two hours until work starts.” Issac held her back as she tried to
sleep for two hours before going to
the hotel next door.
time Issac was
to get some
…
the set to see Danielle.
around the studio city that evening, so they ended up staying at
early, ready to head back
their room and
downstairs.
about to walk out the front
by the arm by someone who appeared out of
instinctive scream.
anxious voice rang out. Danielle
that it
glanced at a startled Patty and quickly shook
“Let go
go, but looked around and took out a cellphone from
“Danielle, I really like you, but I can’t expect
me. This is the last thing I can do for you. I hope you get what
wish
to Diaz International before noon
ask him to meet
was confused, “What are you talking
why should I go
of time, I have to go. Just remember
on his surroundings as he spoke, then abruptly
down low, and
scene, asked, “Who was that guy?
What’s with the phone? Is there something important
that moment, Patty’s driver approached, and
arms with Patty and they
out
*
his breakfast and taking a stroll outside, Creighton received a
bat, Patty’s shrill voice almost pierced
eardrums.
raised a piece of work! She’s so
to have her, nor would we dare. This
I will never agree to let her marry into
criticized him, Creighton wouldn’t have
by belittling his daughter to nothing,
into you this early in the morning? Where
deserve such strong opinions?!”
snorted, “Where did she wrong me? She
do you think she wronged me?! Is she at home? If so, tell her to come
We’re going to settle this
Danielle suggested, “Patty,
this morning. Let’s ask them to meet us
instead.”
to Diaz International?! Since
depend on his say-so.”
company on the brink, it was understandable for Patty to be livid.
chest heaving with indignant rage, her fury was palpable.
curse, and yet I had to be
managed to drag Diaz International down first. What
disaster!”
almost roared
Patty’s raging and domineering demeanor,
accompanied her to
*
and annoyed after being
He wanted to call Cicely to ask what was going on, but
be asleep. Instead, he called Issac,
phone was off.
brow furrowed
He immediately called Seth.
phone was picked up quickly, and he
you and
Seth paused, “No.”
call me wanting to call
Cicely like she’s the worst? Are
an issue at the company last night. I didn’t go home,
was out with friends last
everything’s fine. I can’t reach
was
happened?”
his lips, “I’ll contact
“Alright.”
up feeling unsettled, especially
happened at the company. Given Patty’s hysterics on the
Brody to check on
*
had no intention of sleeping. No matter how uncomfortable she
eyes, so she just
and left the room.
waiting at the door, and seeing her like this,
“Going to Diaz International?”
Cicely nodded.
to grab some breakfast
Cicely shook her head.
no longer insisted. They
company, they saw Charlie,
that with such a big issue, Seth would definitely be at the
That was the logical conclusion.
office?”
on her with an unfamiliar blend of
“In the
a hitch in Cicely’s heart. She pressed
tightly and with a dim expression, she
him.”
Cicely this time, accompanying her upstairs. The office
quiet on the weekend.
the door while she
of eyes turned
Danielle stood before Seth, seemingly in the middle of a
with him.
the
across the
glance was towards Seth, whose bloodshot eyes
well last night?” he
raspy to the extreme.
and after a brief
“Seth, I didn’t go home
late…”
because you spent the night partying with Emiliana
home?”
gaze never wavered from her, each question sounding like
something else.
lip and shook her head, “No,
away. “As long as you haven’t
me behind my back, there’s no issue. I’m busy now, you
leave.”
office. As she was about to open her
say something, Patty’s shrill voice suddenly cut through the air.
what we just
dumb?”
two-year project! Doesn’t this
confidential data is gone, and the
International might go under because of her. This
woman!”
turned to Patty
“How did you
clenched in anger, pointed at her, her eyes red with fury. “Listen
it and you
however, stepped closer to Danielle,
know about
crisp slap, Patty’s hand struck
shook violently, and he abruptly stood
heard the commotion, burst through the door and shielded
him.
now in a rage beyond control, glared at Cicely. “What right do
Danielle like this? After what you’ve done, you
shameless!”
was icy. “Madam, the
down.”
clear? What more clarity do you need? Does
laughed mockingly, pulling out a phone from her bag – the one Ray
and after pressing something, tossed it
Seth.
began to play, its
expression at the time:
is cold and aloof. The
and Diaz International, left to him by his father. My affection
no secret, and even though we’re set to
leave me, so
wouldn’t
Danielle, and to this day her desire
for me to
were set
Diaz International to my
software development fails and the
easily fall into
Ellis Group, Diaz International is small fry. Whether it fails
its value is irrelevant to
destroy this program.
the Ellis
fall into my hands.
of who did it. He has no reason
to destroy, I’ll do it thoroughly.
USB, any engineer here could
What’s the point of
is infected with a virus
computer, it will automatically destroy everything
operational data, resulting in both data destruction
hardware failure.”
…
was interspersed, but it
have much of a
Instinctively, she looked towards Seth, who was
slowly morphing from grim to mocking, and
obliterating even the computer’s
done a thorough
and approached him, “It’s
away hers as
steadying herself on
is it?” Seth eyed her coldly, his gaze like nails laced with
by inch. “You’ve
to get your hands on Diaz International, and
tearing it down. I thought you were just
you can’t stand to look at
if it’s like pulling teeth, but you’re oddly fascinated
always scurrying off to the engineering
deal with
you
thing. Without surveillance, I’d have
no
the side, her gaze fixed on a crack in the floor, a smirk
across her face. It looked like she didn’t have to lift
Cicely was done for.
terrible, her head was spinning, and her heart
none of it was
Ray.”
narrowed his eyes and turned to look at her,
the desk beside him. It seemed like he was thinking,
a way out
spoke up, “If it was
a flash drive would have
remind him that he might get caught, and to destroy
to do it? Don’t you see the contradiction
words?”
from Danielle completely
explanations.
when he looked up again, they
and cold state. Just as Cicely was about to bring up
the flash drive,
same time, four uniformed officers
said, “You guys are from Department of Justice, right?
to maliciously
losses, and the evidence is irrefutable. Please take
preparing
as he turned to look at
over
words ‘Department of Justice,’ Cicely’s head shot up,
as she
you going to press charges against me?” Charlie’s stride halted,
back, tears streaming down his cheeks. “My son and wife are
Mr. Diaz. I can’t risk their lives for the company.
and I’m willing to do that.
line. It’s
for a long moment. Charlie
still pond, eerily composed. “How long would it take to
over?”
second. “It’s
off,
Enter title…
Seth closed his eyes.
wedding next month… It
if he has a backup
right! Maybe he still has
fast
into action and dashed
*
his office, waiting for Charlie’s
become their
the school, Cicely had fallen asleep at her
hoped it was all a
and the two busy
Anxiety and helplessness welled up, followed
who had spent two years
facing ruin was unbearable.
Disappointment? Regret? Defeat? Despair?
to see him like
enough.
could not get married,
look on
whole time,
breakfast. Two portions for Joel and Joel’s
remaining one he placed
school cafeteria’s offerings were always the same –
his friend, having worked all night, didn’t stand on ceremony.
without taking their
hearty scent of the steamed
and Issac pushed
breakfast.”
around, sniffed at the bag, then her face turned, and
the room, hand over her mouth. Issac followed
against the wall, heaving with
up.
her mouth and quenching the
she settled
draped her dropped jacket over her
you to the hospital.”
“I’m fine.
sat down by the flowerbed, pulling the jacket tight around
smell in there. Can you check on their progress
weak, her voice barely
her to ask Joel about the
be able to do it. We’re
but we can’t give a definite timeline. Just
that it’ll work
Issac nodded, “Thank you.”
back to Cicely. Despite being promised a certainty, no answer
her without getting a
sky, biting her lip in
Seth will do when he
won’t lose
or if he ever fails at
eyes reddened again. “But he’s been working on this for
years.”
pained expression,
I
because of me.”
the harshness of reality made Cicely’s heart ache
hung her head, tears
gently placing a hand on
from the flash drive. They’ll crack the program sooner
much.
especially since you did it for his sake.
and these programs are made by
it’s just a matter
comforting logic. She looked
is it?”
you need to do now is get
him at
worried if he finds out. I
starts.” Issac held
definitely sleep for two hours before going to the company.
hotel next door. Go rest
this time Issac was
get some
…
dropped by the set to see Danielle. Danielle promised
the studio city that evening, so
next morning, they were up early, ready to head
breakfast in their room and packed up,
downstairs.
to walk out the front
someone who appeared out of nowhere.
instinctive scream.
it’s me.”A familiar, anxious voice rang
saw that
glanced at a startled Patty
“Let go of
didn’t let go, but looked around and
really like you, but I
I can do for you. I hope you get
wish
don’t go to Diaz International before noon to see Seth. If you want
you can ask him to meet you somewhere
confused, “What are you talking about? Why can’t I go to
and why should
have to go. Just remember what
on his surroundings as he spoke, then abruptly cut Danielle
cap down
the scene, asked, “Who was that
phone? Is there something important on
approached, and after greeting
arms with Patty and they walked down the
out
*
breakfast and taking a stroll outside,
Right off the bat, Patty’s shrill
eardrums.
of work! She’s so heartless and ruthless,
nor would we
agree to let her marry
just criticized him, Creighton wouldn’t
belittling his daughter to nothing,
you this early in the morning? Where did Cicely wrong
deserve such strong opinions?!”
wrong me? She nearly
think she wronged me?! Is she at home? If so, tell
now. We’re going to settle this
Danielle suggested, “Patty, Ray advised us not to go
this morning. Let’s ask them
instead.”
Diaz International?! Since when does my
depend on his say-so.”
on the brink, it was understandable
with indignant rage, her fury was palpable.
a curse, and yet I had to be entangled with her.
Group but managed to drag Diaz International down first. What
disaster!”
Patty almost roared at the driver.
raging and domineering demeanor, didn’t dare to speak
accompanied her to Diaz
*
was left confused and annoyed after being yelled
call Cicely to ask
be asleep. Instead, he called Issac, only to
phone was off.
furrowed
He immediately called Seth.
picked up quickly, and he
and Cicely have a
Seth paused, “No.”
just call me wanting to call
like she’s the worst? Are you with Cicely
an issue at the company last night.
out with friends last
fine. I can’t reach
that there was a problem at the
happened?”
lips, “I’ll contact Cicely
“Alright.”
especially since
happened at the company. Given Patty’s hysterics
Brody to check on Diaz
*
No matter how uncomfortable
just took a shower,
and left the room.
the door, and seeing
“Going to Diaz International?”
Cicely nodded.
grab some
Cicely shook her head.
longer insisted. They headed straight for Diaz
the company,
issue, Seth would definitely
was the logical conclusion. “Charlie,
office?”
on her with
the Engineering
tone and terse reply caused a hitch in Cicely’s
expression,
him.”
this time, accompanying her upstairs. The office was
quiet on the weekend.
wait at the door while she
pairs of eyes
before Seth, seemingly in the middle of
with him.
in disarray, the computer tower
across
was towards Seth, whose bloodshot eyes met
well last
raspy to the extreme.
tighter and after
didn’t go home
late…”
it because you spent the night partying with Emiliana that you didn’t
home?”
gaze never wavered from her, each question sounding like
something else.
bit her lip and shook her head, “No, that’s not
darkened, and he looked away.
back, there’s no issue. I’m busy now,
leave.”
at the chaos of the office. As
say something, Patty’s shrill voice suddenly cut through the air. “That’s
what we just told you, or are
dumb?”
project! Doesn’t this mess prove
data is gone, and the computer is
Diaz International might go under because
woman!”
frown deepened as she turned to Patty and Danielle,
“How did you know about
anger, pointed at her, her eyes red with fury.
and you
stepped closer to Danielle, her
know about the
Patty’s
he abruptly stood up from his
heard the commotion, burst through the door
him.
now in a rage beyond control, glared at Cicely. “What right do
what you’ve
shameless!”
icy. “Madam, the situation isn’t clear yet. Please
down.”
do you need? Does this
laughed mockingly, pulling out a phone from her bag – the
pressing something, tossed it
Seth.
began to play, its
expression at the time:
that Seth is cold and aloof. The most important things to
mother and Diaz International, left to him by his father. My affection
no secret, and even though we’re set to marry, he’s never said
he might leave me, so I thought, if
important to him, he wouldn’t just walk
favors Danielle, and to this day her desire
alive and well. There was no way for me to break
were set on
to my name a
software development fails and the
Diaz International would easily fall into my hands.
Diaz International is small fry.
value is irrelevant to
this program. Diaz
bank loan issues, then the Ellis family will help,
fall into my hands.
did it. He has no reason to suspect
I’m to destroy, I’ll do it thoroughly. I know
files with a regular USB, any engineer here could recover
What’s the point
USB is infected with a virus I had specially prepared
it will automatically
operational data, resulting in both data destruction
hardware failure.”
…
voice was interspersed, but it
face, which didn’t have much of a color to it, went
she looked towards Seth,
grim to mocking, and he even let
quite something, obliterating even the computer’s
a
head frantically and approached him, “It’s not like that,
his hand, batting away hers as she reached for his
steadying herself on
eyed her coldly, his gaze
through her nerves inch by inch. “You’ve mentioned more than
to get your hands on Diaz International, and you’ve even
I thought you were just being
stand to look at a
it’s like pulling teeth, but you’re oddly fascinated by those
off to the
with that,
would you say
one thing. Without surveillance, I’d have no
wrong too. There’s no surveillance,
to the side, her gaze fixed on a crack in
It looked like she didn’t have to lift a
Cicely was done for.
felt terrible, her head was spinning, and her
it was true.
Ray.”
to look at her, his clenched fist
seemed like he was thinking, trying to believe
looking for a way
moment, Danielle suddenly spoke up, “If
copy the files onto a flash drive would have been enough.
get caught, and to destroy the
he was going to do it? Don’t you
words?”
sentence from Danielle completely overturned all of
explanations.
looked up again, they had
Just as Cicely was about to
the flash drive, his look silenced
same time, four uniformed
from
with others to maliciously destroy company
evidence is irrefutable. Please
We’re preparing to
furrowed slightly as he turned to look at Patty, but
over to one of
Justice,’ Cicely’s
panic as she looked towards the
going to press charges against me?”
back, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Mr. Diaz. I can’t risk their lives for the company. I’m just
my hump for the firm, and I’m willing to do that. But I can’t put
It’s just not fair. Why
for a long moment. Charlie
a still pond, eerily composed. “How long
over?”
a second. “It’s
ass off,
Enter title…
Seth closed his eyes.
month… It was
see if he
nodded eagerly, “Right, right, right! Maybe he still has
to find him fast
jolted into action and
*
his office, waiting for Charlie’s
become their
asleep at her desk numerous times,
it was all a dream, but each
reality of her surroundings and the two busy
feeling. Anxiety and helplessness welled up,
thought of Seth, who had spent two years and
facing ruin was unbearable.
Disappointment? Regret? Defeat? Despair?
see him like that. Just
enough.
and they could not get
look on
side the whole time, pained to see her this
out to buy breakfast. Two
one he placed before
school cafeteria’s offerings were always the same – buns and
having worked all night,
their
hearty scent of the
pushed the
breakfast.”
at the bag, then
over her mouth. Issac followed
the wall, heaving with
up.
After rinsing her mouth and
stomach, she
draped her dropped jacket over
you to the hospital.”
shook her head, “I’m
pulling the jacket tight around her,
in there. Can you check
and weak, her voice barely held
left her to
but hopeful, “We should be
a definite timeline.
and that
Issac nodded, “Thank you.”
Cicely. Despite being promised a certainty,
without getting
brightening sky, biting her lip in worry. “Issac, what do
Seth will do when he
lose
or if he ever fails at something, he
reddened again. “But he’s been working on this for
years.”
avoided her pained expression, “Everyone faces
to be smooth. I don’t
because of me.”
made Cicely’s heart ache
hung her head, tears falling, drop
placing a hand on
from the flash drive. They’ll
worry this much. Speak to him clearly,
did it for his sake. Even if it’s not
are made by people.
just a
with Issac’s comforting logic. She
is it?”
now is get some
at the
if he finds out. I
are two hours until work starts.” Issac held her back as she
two hours before going to the
you in the hotel next
truly awful, and this time Issac
get
…
the set to see Danielle.
evening, so they ended up staying
ready to head back to
they finished breakfast in their room and packed up,
downstairs.
were about to walk out the front door, Danielle was
who appeared out of
instinctive scream.
voice rang out. Danielle snapped back
and saw that it
a startled Patty and
“Let go of
but looked around and took out a cellphone from
to Danielle. “Danielle, I really like you, but I
This is the last thing I can do for you. I hope you get what you
wish
noon to see Seth. If you want
him, you can ask him to
confused, “What are you talking about? Why can’t I go to
and why should I go
I have to go. Just remember
on his surroundings as he
cap down
at the scene, asked, “Who was that guy? All
What’s with the phone? Is
driver approached, and after greeting
and they
out in
*
breakfast and taking a
bat, Patty’s shrill voice
eardrums.
a piece of
family can’t afford to have her, nor would we dare. This wedding
it! I will never agree to let her marry into
him, Creighton
daughter to nothing, and Creighton’s
gotten into you this early in the morning? Where did Cicely wrong
deserve such strong opinions?!”
wrong me? She nearly ruined
wronged me?! Is she at home? If so,
We’re going to settle this
“Patty, Ray advised us not to
Let’s ask
instead.”
we go to Diaz International?! Since when does my family’s
depend on his say-so.”
brink, it was understandable for Patty to be livid.
indignant rage, her fury was palpable. “I
a curse, and yet I had to
Group but managed to drag Diaz
disaster!”
roared at the driver. Danielle frowned
demeanor, didn’t dare to speak up
accompanied her
*
was left confused and annoyed after being yelled at and
up on. He wanted to call Cicely to ask what
she might still be asleep. Instead, he called Issac, only to
phone was off.
brow furrowed in
He immediately called Seth.
picked up
and
Seth paused, “No.”
mother just call me wanting to
she’s the worst? Are you
was an issue at the company
was out with friends
everything’s fine. I can’t reach her. Could
was a problem at the company.
happened?”
pursed his lips, “I’ll
“Alright.”
hung up feeling unsettled, especially since Seth
the company. Given Patty’s hysterics on the call, he
check
*
had no intention of sleeping. No matter
just took a shower,
and left the room.
door, and seeing her like this, he
“Going to Diaz International?”
Cicely nodded.
to grab some breakfast
Cicely shook her head.
no longer insisted. They
at the company, they saw Charlie,
a big issue, Seth would definitely be at
a weekend. That was the logical conclusion.
office?”
on her with an unfamiliar blend of anger
the Engineering
terse reply caused a hitch in
and with a dim expression, she muttered, “I’ll go
him.”
Cicely this time, accompanying her upstairs.
quiet on the weekend.
at the door while
pairs of eyes turned to
stood before Seth, seemingly in the
with him.
desk was in disarray, the computer tower and monitor
across the
first glance was towards Seth, whose bloodshot
“Sleep well last night?” he
raspy to the extreme.
door handle tighter and after a brief silence, mustered
late…”
spent the night partying
home?”
each question sounding like an evasion
something else.
and shook her head, “No, that’s not
darkened, and he looked away. “As long as you haven’t
back, there’s no
leave.”
the chaos of the office. As she was about to open
suddenly
even hear what we just told you, or are you deliberately
dumb?”
sabotaged your two-year project! Doesn’t this mess prove
the computer
go under
woman!”
to Patty and
“How did you know about
in anger, pointed at her,
and you still don’t believe
stepped closer to Danielle, her gaze sharp. “I’m asking
did you know about the data
slap, Patty’s
he abruptly stood
commotion, burst through the door and shielded
him.
glared at Cicely. “What right do you have
this? After what you’ve done, you still act
shameless!”
icy. “Madam, the situation isn’t clear
down.”
more clarity do you need? Does
mockingly, pulling out a phone from her bag – the one Ray
– and after pressing something, tossed it onto the
Seth.
familiar voice began to play, its clarity
expression at the time:
and aloof. The
to him by
and even though we’re set to marry, he’s
know when he might leave me, so I thought, if I
he wouldn’t just walk
Danielle, and to this day her desire to set him up with Danielle
for me to break in from
were set on
to my name a few
the software development
would easily fall into my hands.
Group, Diaz International is small
irrelevant to
this
then the Ellis family will help, and Diaz
fall into my hands.
who did it. He has no
destroy, I’ll do it thoroughly. I know a bit
these files with a regular USB, any engineer here could recover
exactly. What’s the point
USB is infected with a virus I
computer, it will automatically destroy
computer’s operational data, resulting in both data
hardware failure.”
…
was interspersed, but it
much of a color to it, went
looked towards Seth, who was
his eyes slowly morphing from grim to mocking,
something, obliterating even the computer’s
You’ve done a thorough
frantically and approached him, “It’s not like that,
batting away
herself on the
Seth eyed her coldly, his gaze like
nerves inch by inch. “You’ve mentioned more than
your hands on Diaz International, and you’ve
down. I thought you were
dull, and you can’t stand to
it’s like pulling teeth, but you’re oddly fascinated by
off to the
with
recording would you say are not true? Maybe you’re
I’d have no reason
no surveillance,
gaze fixed on a crack in the
It looked like she
Cicely was done for.
felt terrible, her head was spinning, and her heart ached.m“Seth, I
the recording, but none of it was true. I
Ray.”
and turned to look at her, his clenched fist
the desk beside him. It seemed like he was thinking, trying
a way
Danielle suddenly spoke up, “If it was just to trick
onto a flash drive would have been
him that he might get caught, and
it? Don’t
words?”
one sentence from Danielle completely overturned all
explanations.
when he looked up
state. Just as Cicely
drive, his look
the same time, four
from Department of Justice, right? It’s her,
with others to maliciously destroy company secrets,
the evidence is irrefutable. Please take her
We’re preparing to press
brow furrowed slightly as he turned to look at Patty, but
over to
the words ‘Department of Justice,’ Cicely’s head shot
as she looked towards the tall, imposing
against me?” Seth caught the fear in her eyes, his breath hitched for
four figures before
investigated.”
Patty suddenly shouted, her angry
“The evidence is irrefutable,
woman’s put
she’s practically driven Diaz International into
International or me anymore,
Seth, “I’ve already alerted
probably knows just how cruel and shameless
Enter title…
knitted
the Department
mentioned that the
can assist in the inquiry to
is indeed innocent, we will ensure she
unharmed.”
lawsuit against her immediately!” The
emotions and words spiraling out of
turned, deep and tranquil as he looked at
in her eyes. “I don’t want to
the tainted are taken
wouldn’t
Ellis family.”
laden with
her so terrified. Not
watched her for a long moment, taking in every facet of
spoke slowly, his voice
a misunderstanding. Is that
spilling over with the motion. “I wouldn’t harm
have to believe
tear-streaked face was alien to him; he had
Seth’s face tight with tension. Finally,
paused, turning his head away from
voice was like a
exceedingly sharp. “Take
stiffened on the spot. Her wide eyes stared blankly at Seth. Had
tears that suddenly fell from her eyes, everyone might
a statue, rigid and
one day these words would pierce her
let’s go,” the two Justice Department agents
her, ready
were now utterly still, her
her face. She looked at Seth silently for two
away, seemingly in
stepped forward, blocking their path. “You
of hope glinted
Ms. Cicely
speak,
an investigation
taking her today, I
as she lifted her head to
in front of her, his expression stern and commanding,
indomitable authority.
“Mr. Ellis.”
mask of fury, “What
married couple.
in
agents knew the chairman of the
respect. But now that they had been assigned this
pressure,
in. “Mr. Diaz, we’ve caught
bring him up here. Let him
demanded, unfazed by Creighton’s
feeling like they’d been granted a reprieve, quickly asked Charlie
bring the accused.
laughter. “Ms. Cicely, we
And to think, you were so confident
almost believed Seth
explanation, his words were a death
Cicely.
and suddenly realized
win over Danielle by fighting
even a man? Should I say you’re devoted or just
Creighton there, Cicely’s composure returned. The chaos
settle. Still, the pain was
hit Ray right where it
he laughed again. “It’s thanks to you I
Ms. Cicely, truly. Without you,
I have no regrets in this life. I really should
or
laugh. How wonderful. Even now, he was
Danielle. Even if Danielle’s role in their
that of a third woman who shamelessly clawed her
still supported her.
as Ray was concerned, everything Danielle did
deserved.
“Take him away.”
a curse, exploded again within her. It felt as though
blown to
a smile, her
detachment.
at the grain of
yet distant. “Ray’s unwavering trust
envy. In this, I’m clearly outmatched,”
emotion, resigned
beat. So many people around, yet
intended for him alone.
believing in her. What good was
many people waiting?
the prejudice against her?
of the Ellis family, Cicely—was she
about in the
the span of a heartbeat, his eyes darkened, his jaw clenched, and
Cicely’s retreating back with a chill in his
from the Department of Justice glanced
Ellis, perhaps we should escort everyone out and investigate this
that be
say?” Patty strode over, snatched
and hit play again, specifically for Creighton
Read The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride Chapter 2041-2050
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The Read The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride by Novelxo.com has been updated to chapter Chapter 2041-2050 .
In Chapter 2041-2050 of the The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride series, The passage describes a conflict between Chloe and Keira. Keira has hurt Chloe, and Lance Olson is caught in the middle. An old lady named Hannah observes the situation, and she wants to meet Chloe due to her good nature. However, there is a potential issue with her grandson's arrival......... Will this Chapter 2041-2050 author Novelxo.com mention any details. Follow Chapter 2041-2050 and the latest season of this series at Novelxo.com.
The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride Chapter 2041-2050
The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride novel Chapter 2041-2050