The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

“Ms. Cicely, could you please go check on Mr. Diaz?” Charlie asked, with a hint of desperation in his voice.

Cicely narrowed her eyes, her frown carrying a chill. “I thought after all his efforts, he was over it, ready to let me go.”

Charlie swallowed hard, the comely man’s eyes reddening before her. “Yes, Mr. Diaz thought so too. Ms. Cicely, he’s been back from abroad for over twenty days now. He hasn’t shown up around you, has he?”

A tight sensation gripped Cicely’s chest, her fingers curling slightly. After a long silence, she turned her head aside. “So? What’s wrong with him?”

Clutching his fists, Charlie slowly said, “If you go, maybe then we will find out what’s really going on with him.”

Cicely spun around, her gaze piercing as she stared at Charlie. Seconds later, she let out a scoff. “You think it’s fun to play me?”d2

Charlie took a deep breath, his eyes closed. “Do you really think I’d leave my work, and risk my paycheck, just to play a trick on you? Ms. Cicely, you’re the apple of Mr. Diaz’s eye. Would I dare to play you?”

*

Charlie drove Cicely back to her mansion, her expression colder than the frost on a winter’s window.

“He gets you to play the sympathy card just to bring me back home?” she questioned, her tone icy.

Without a word, Charlie drove past the grand gates of Cicely’s Mansion and into the adjacent, more imposing estate. He opened the car door for her, and at the entrance of the villa, a man stood waiting. As she approached, he strode forward and gave her a thumbs-up.

“Well done! I’ve never been so enlightened,” he said with a mix of sarcasm and awe.

Cicely frowned at the burly man before her and took a step back. “What’s this about?”

Kane sneered, turning to admire the splendid villa. “The house is grand, the decor lavish, but it’s all wasted on that asshole living alone.”

Cicely’s brows knitted even tighter. Kane’s crude language was grating to her ears. “Kane,” she warned.

“What? Is it just my language you can’t stand, or do you not like hearing Seth called an asshole?”

Cicely’s expression turned icy.

Kane took a deep breath. “I’m amazed. To think he’d drive himself to the brink of death over a woman.”

Cicely’s fingertips trembled slightly.

“Go inside. Could you at least check if that idiot is still alive?”

Usually, Seth was as cunning as a fox, not swayed by hard or soft tactics, except for Danielle.

In the end, it was all a facade.

What they said about Danielle being the one he held dear to his heart and soul was all a lie. He was just deliberately deceiving a woman’s feelings to make her a willing blood bank.

His methods were damn despicable.

Even if Danielle was a heinous woman, she didn’t deserve this. He should’ve kept things separate.

How did he convince himself to become such a despicable person?

And now, after all his wrongdoing, he suddenly wanted to be a good man. How idiotic.

“Ms. Cicely,” Charlie interjected, pulling her from her thoughts.

She glanced at the villa and pursed her lips. “You two are his trusted assistant and best friend. I doubt my presence will make things go your way.”

Kane suddenly turned, his frown deepening as he looked at her, then he kicked the car beside him in frustration. “For heaven’s sake, just try, okay?! What do you want me to do, get down on my knees and beg?”

Kane was known for his carefree, wealthy playboy antics. No one had seen him this crazed or grim.

Her trembling fingers clenched tightly, the pain sharp in her palm. Without another word, she stepped into the villa, Charlie and Kane following.

The familiar design, furniture, and decorations were all her doing.

The living room was empty.

“He’s upstairs in the master bedroom,” Kane said from behind her. “He’s been locked in there for seven or eight days now. At first, he was dealing with business matters, but these past few days, he’s shut down completely. Not eating or drinking, acting like a lunatic.”

Cicely was called over without any clue of what had happened. Now hearing this, all she could do was frown deeply. “Not eating or drinking for seven or eight days?”

Kane’s face was grim as he gave a dark laugh. “He’s been worse, locked away for a month once, surviving on glucose. He’s tough.”

Cicely’s heart clenched, her eyes trembling before she looked up at Kane. Her lips parted as if to speak, but no sound came out.

Charlie glanced at her, then after a few seconds of silence, took a deep breath and suggested, “Ms. Cicely, I’m sorry we called you here on such a short notice, but now that you are here, maybe we could talk first.”

Cicely’s brow twitched involuntarily. “Talk about what. I don’t want to know too much.”

“Perfect, because I’m curious to hear what’s to be said. Let’s all listen.” A deep, steady voice came from the entrance, and everyone turned to see Damon walking in with Chloe.

“Damon! Chloe!” Kane greeted them, though his enthusiasm was lacking.

Charlie nodded respectfully as well.

Cicely’s face paled, her grip on her purse tightening as she instinctively stepped back, her desire to flee obvious.

seemed to hold her captive. “You followed Charlie here today, so you must have some idea of what’s happening, right? Charlie said Seth’s not doing well, and you came,” Chloe stated,

quivered, a flash of

to twist your arm into forgiving anyone, but you came here to lend a hand, right? You gotta at least hear the guy out before you can actually

front of Chloe. It was pointless. She knew Chloe was sharp as a tack, a woman who’d weathered many storms. Chloe had clawed her way to where she was by learning how to read people like a

for a moment and then slowly nodded. “Alright.” Cicely gave a wry smile. “Let’s

had struck

She even hoped he was doing well. So her

and it breaks your hearts. You’re anxious for him to find

was silence

sit beside him on the couch. “If you don’t wanna hear

grasped his hand,

bring him down? Nobody told her she

Charlie breathed a

news of her was

was the one who had her locked up. The online backlash was relentless. I know Mr.

C&P Entertainment was hit hard by public opinion, all contracts with their talent were frozen, production deals were stalled, and money was sunk with no returns. Without the funds for Diaz Tower’s rebuild or to repay the bank loans, there were sharks circling to buy out Diaz International, including the land Diaz Tower stood on, offering

himself before continuing. “Later on, Mr. Diaz sold the Diaz

flickered involuntarily, and her poised figure on

nowhere near enough to rebuild Diaz International or pay back the bank. Mr. Diaz worked tirelessly, wining

the Ellis family had a shake-up. Some shareholders banded together, trying to oust the Ellis family from power. Between the overt pressure and underhanded tactics, Mr. Diaz

is just the tip of the iceberg;

hectic time, I thought the incident with Ms. Cicely going to

chaos without a scratch wasn’t a bad thing, but two months later, when things started settling down, he began to withdraw, staying away from the office, eventually shutting himself in his room. At first, he was still dealing with company paperwork, but then he stopped caring about that too. I was worried

He just hadn’t had the time to think about you. Then it hit me, Mr. Diaz fought to keep Diaz International because you wanted it; he intended to present it to you as a wedding gift. He fought for the Ellis

your father and Isaac’s deaths, or was he feeling your prison sentence was your way of getting back at him, proving how much you hated him? Or was he still figuring out how to be with you

up for a month, unreachable. If Erik hadn’t fallen critically ill, who

couch with the same posture as before, but now utterly drained. Her gaze was hollow as she stared at the spotless coffee table.

her, Damon frowned. “You didn’t knock

you what happened last time. No sooner had I finished speaking than that jerk opened the door and started

was handpicked by Ms.

room fell silent, five people lost in their thoughts, until Kane

glanced at Cicely, who remained impassive, her gaze lowered. He pursed his lips and said, “I won’t go into details, as I suspect Ms. Cicely isn’t in the mood to hear more. But this time, I think the reason behind all this is still Ms. Cicely. Recently, Mr. Diaz had me lift the travel ban that had been placed on her aunt. Ms. Lana has been back for a couple of weeks, and Mr. Diaz has been increasingly agitated. I’m guessing

him; he wanted her free yet

so slightly, her emotions battling within her. What would happen if things

was Erik who suddenly became seriously ill, and Seth survived for three years to get Danielle’s

nor any desire for

much thought, Chloe agreed with Charlie’s approach. It was all up

inch, her head still lowered, and her expression unreadable. Chloe couldn’t say anything; after all, it wasn’t her place to meddle too much in other

for her to make the next

his brow knitted

responded, lifting her eyes, her face a mask of calm. “He’ll come out for me, right? And then what? To prevent

Kane blinked.

nodded, “That would be

over the

open, and he gave

chuckled, “You think

her obsessive love and hatred towards your father. If we must talk about grievances,

then she scoffed mockingly, “Mr. Harper sure

most important thing is to choose what makes you happiest. Why trap

“All of this started because of his mother. My dad never loved her, and the so-called

at Seth. Don’t be surprised if others

Cicely’s eyes trembled fiercely.

to judge others’ affairs, let alone offer such leading

a comeback, but found none. “If you were him and Chloe was me, would you still

wish. What’s right? Getting what I want is right. Letting her go, torturing myself like he’s doing now? Since when did he aspire to be a

Had Damon developed

Kane crack a smile. Damon shot

rhetoric and then slowly

I wouldn’t give him up to any other woman. The one I love and cherish should stay by my side. I think no one in this world can claim a purer love for him than me, and I’m the

sitting next to Chloe, smiled and took her hand into his large,

him so resolutely? When you decided to go to prison, did you have any

It took Cicely a moment to compose herself before she let out a derisive snort

two are such a powerful duo. I can’t argue with

words, Cicely spun around

*

gazed at the closed barrier before her, not moving an inch forward. How could they

for

stretch on endlessly until Kane, who had been sneaking glances, could stand it no longer. He strode forward and rapped sharply on the door several times before darting away like

Cicely sighed.

pounding elicited no response. Behind the door, there was

his arm resting on his knee and his head buried in the crook of his elbow, motionless. Even Kane’s sudden loud and urgent knocking failed to stir him. It was as if he were a breathless statue,

knocks echoed again. They were gentle, rhythmic, but soft. Still, Seth made no

passed, and then a voice, tranquil as water, seeped through the thick door,

floor, who had been utterly still, suddenly twitched his

he lifted his head, staring blankly into

She couldn’t possibly

“Seth, open up.”

up with the help of the bed. Having sat for too long, and perhaps due to

met air, and she stumbled forward. In a panic, she

face of the man who was staring at her in surprise, his eyes reflecting