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.

intensity that seemed to hold her captive.

quivered, a flash

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

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

trembling hands, Cicely closed her eyes for a moment and then slowly nodded. “Alright.” Cicely gave a wry smile. “Let’s hear how rough he’s

struck a chord

didn’t hate Seth. She even hoped he was doing well. So her words came off as bravado and denial

what they were thinking and let out a scoff before moving to sit on the couch. “He’s had a tough time, and it breaks your hearts. You’re anxious for him to

was silence

“If you don’t wanna hear it, just go upstairs and bring him down. No one’s

grasped his

Cicely stayed put. She was supposed to bring him down? Nobody told

unmoved, Charlie breathed a

her from jail, but then all news of her

had a field day, claiming he was the one who had her locked up. The online backlash

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,

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

involuntarily, and her poised figure on the

renovations, it was the Diaz family’s roots. And it sold for a hefty price due to its prime location. But it was nowhere near enough to rebuild

when the Ellis family had a shake-up. Some shareholders banded together, trying to oust the Ellis family from

telling you is just the

I thought the incident with Ms. Cicely going to

too busy, and life was too hard. Mr. Diaz had no spare moment to dwell on unchangeable facts or a 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

transition wasn’t. 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

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

If Erik hadn’t fallen critically ill, who knows, he might’ve

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

Damon frowned. “You didn’t knock

I told you what happened last time. No sooner had I finished

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

lost in their thoughts, until

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

him; he wanted her free yet

grip tightened ever so slightly, her emotions battling within her. What

suddenly became seriously ill, and Seth survived for

be another illness, nor any desire for

Chloe agreed with Charlie’s approach. It

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

waiting for her to make

was the most impatient, and seeing her unmoved, his brow knitted tightly. “Cicely,

“He’ll come out for me, right? And then what? To prevent this from happening again, should I remarry

Kane blinked.

“That would be

fell over the

and he gave Damon a thumbs-up.

think that would

passed because of his heart condition, and his mother died out of her obsessive love and hatred towards your father. If we must talk about grievances, they stem from

words gave Cicely pause, then she scoffed mockingly, “Mr. Harper sure has a

makes you

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

suffering to get back at Seth. Don’t be surprised if others lose their sanity over emotions too. You could

Cicely’s eyes trembled fiercely.

alone offer such leading advice. But Damon’s words were on point.

but found none. “If you were him and Chloe

right? Getting

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

Kane crack a smile. Damon shot him a look that immediately stifled

stunned by his rhetoric and then

woman. The one I love and cherish should stay by my side. I

and took her hand into his large,

did you ever come to choose him so resolutely? When you decided to go to prison, did you have any doubts, or were you certain that

a moment to compose herself before she

duo. I can’t argue

spun around

*

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

locked oneself away in a bedroom for over a

been sneaking glances, could stand it no longer. He strode forward and rapped sharply

Cicely sighed.

Behind the door, there was

slumped against the bed, one leg bent, his arm resting on his knee and his head buried in the crook of

series of knocks echoed again. They were gentle,

minutes passed, and then a voice, tranquil as water, seeped through the thick door, slightly muffled.

on the floor, who had been utterly

his head, staring blankly into the empty room, his

She couldn’t

“Seth, open up.”

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,

open. Her kick met air, and she stumbled forward. In a panic, she reached for

and looked up into the weary, disheveled face of the