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.

Cicely, Chloe looked into her eyes with an intensity that seemed to hold her captive. “You followed Charlie here

flash of vulnerability crossing

lend a hand, right? You gotta at least hear

put on a show in 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

a moment and then slowly nodded. “Alright.” Cicely gave a

struck a

doing well. So her words came off

it breaks your hearts. You’re anxious for him to find forgiveness here, as if my not forgiving him makes me heartless. So, you think, compared to him, I’ve had it easy these years,

was silence

to Chloe and ushered her to sit beside him on the couch. “If you don’t wanna hear it, just go

Chloe grasped his

supposed to bring him down? Nobody

Charlie breathed a sigh of relief and

see him, and he tried everything to spring her from jail, but then all news of her was locked down tight. Ms. Cicely was determined to serve

claiming he was the one who had her locked up. The online backlash was relentless. I know Mr. Diaz doesn’t care about gossip, but then the financial

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 dirt-cheap prices. Mr. Diaz said the deal wasn’t done; he didn’t agree,

to collect himself before continuing. “Later

eyes flickered involuntarily, and her poised

due to its prime location. But it was nowhere near enough to rebuild

Some shareholders banded together, trying to oust the Ellis family from power. Between the overt pressure and underhanded tactics, Mr. Diaz was also wrestling with

What I’m telling you is just the

the incident with Ms. Cicely

woman who despised him. He was always composed, never mentioning you, even indifferent when others did. I thought getting past that 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

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

he was thinking, locked away. Was it guilt over 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

was holed up for a month, unreachable. If Erik hadn’t

now utterly drained. Her gaze was hollow as she stared at the spotless coffee table. In her clasped

Damon frowned. “You didn’t knock the door

sooner had I finished speaking than that jerk opened the door and started wailing on me without a

“Everything in here was handpicked by Ms. Cicely, including that door.

fell silent, five people lost in their thoughts,

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

tug-of-war within him; he wanted her free

slightly, her emotions battling within

years ago, it was Erik who suddenly became seriously ill, and Seth survived for three years

another illness, nor any desire for someone else’s blood. So,

with Charlie’s approach. It

who hadn’t moved an inch, her head still lowered, and her expression unreadable. Chloe couldn’t say anything; after all, it wasn’t

waiting for

seeing her unmoved, his brow knitted tightly.

face a mask of calm. “He’ll come out for me, right? And then what? To prevent this from happening again, should

Kane blinked.

“That

fell over

gave Damon a thumbs-up.

chuckled, “You think that would

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

Cicely pause, then she scoffed mockingly, “Mr. Harper sure has a way with

important thing is to choose what makes you happiest. Why trap yourself in the most torturous path when there’s a brighter, more liberating choice? Only fools would do

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

remained composed, “Yes, exactly. It’s like you choosing to go to prison voluntarily; you could use your suffering to get back at Seth. Don’t be surprised if others lose their sanity over emotions too. You could keep this standoff with him, and maybe in a few

Cicely’s eyes trembled fiercely.

knew better than to judge others’ affairs, let alone offer such leading advice. But Damon’s words were on point. That was

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

anything—chase, steal, or deceive. Any tactic is fair as long as she’s mine, and by my side as I 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

couldn’t help but laugh. Had Damon developed a smooth-talking

such a serious atmosphere, it was something to be able to make Kane crack a smile. Damon shot him a look that immediately

stunned by his rhetoric and then slowly

other woman. The one I love and cherish should stay by my side. I think no one in this world can

hand into his large, warm palm. “What a coincidence, so do

so resolutely? When you decided to go to prison, did you have any doubts, or were you certain that no one in the

Cicely a moment to

a powerful duo. I can’t

those words, Cicely spun around and marched

*

door, Cicely gazed at the closed barrier before her, not moving an inch forward. How could they simplify and beautify their words so

bedroom for over

could stand it no longer. He

Cicely sighed.

no response. Behind

knee and his head buried in the crook

eternity, a series of knocks echoed again.

and then a voice, tranquil as water,

floor, who had been utterly

blankly into the empty room, his

She couldn’t possibly

“Seth, open up.”

Seth turned his head towards the door, his eyes bloodshot. He hesitated for just a moment before pushing himself up with the help of the bed. Having sat for too long, and perhaps due to the alcohol, he felt dizzy as

the door. But just as she did, the door swung open. Her kick met air, and she stumbled forward. In a panic, she reached for the doorframe, but still collided with the man’s chest. Her slender

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