The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

Damon wasn’t one for the pleasantries.

The surgery had been a success; as far as he was concerned, Seth waking up was just a matter of time, the worst-case scenario being a bit of a waiting game.

Lana’s words fell on deaf ears as Damon’s gaze remained fixed on Cicely, his voice firm, “Once should be enough of a lesson. If we drag this out, are you really waiting for him to throw in another life for good measure?”

Cicely’s heart skipped a beat, her emotions betrayed by her face, and Damon, seeing this, was satisfied. He turned to Chloe, who was huddled in his arms, and deftly fastened the buttons of her trench coat collar. “If you don’t agree to get hitched, I won’t meddle in whether he lives or dies after this. But if you do tie the knot…”

After adjusting Chloe’s coat and tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear with a half-smile, Damon’s gaze shifted back to Cicely. “There might just be an absolute stunner of a surprise in it for you.”

Cicely’s brow furrowed. “What do you think could possibly surprise me now?”d2

Damon’s lips curled into a smirk. “If I say there’s a surprise, there definitely is one. If you’re curious, why not walk down the aisle and find out?”

The crowd exchanged glances, wordless. They all knew Damon was breaking his back over Seth. He was pulling out all the stops – carrot and stick.

Kane and Nathan exchanged a knowing look. Damon was going all out for Seth; they’d make sure Seth knew it and was eternally grateful to Damon.

*

Three days felt like an eternity. Damon’s few words had completely spooked Cicely. Seth was still not out of the woods, and anything they feared could happen at any moment.

The ICU strictly prohibited visitors. The round-the-clock vigilance was torturous.

Seven days later, Seth came to and was moved to a regular room. Cicely, along with Hugo, visited him. Her expression was neutral, revealing no emotion.

Fourteen days later, Seth was off medical support. Cicely still showed little emotion, visiting at the same time every day, just before noon, always with Hugo. They never brought lunch; it was always Charlie who brought it, and the three of them ate together. Seth ate his share, Cicely sat on the sofa feeding Hugo, and occasionally herself.

Nathan and Kane were daily fixtures, their banter often ending with Seth sending them away with a cold glance. Yet the next day, they were back again.

One month later, Seth was planning his discharge, and the hospital had given the green light.

In that month, Cicely had scarcely spoken a few words to him. She came every day, ate lunch with Hugo in his room, and then went upstairs to see Erik.

On the day of Seth’s discharge, Cicely arrived early. Hugo had been restless all night and woke up at the crack of dawn. Cicely, roused by his fussing and unable to vent on Hugo, bottled up her frustration.

At 8:30 AM she was at the hospital, Seth no longer in bed. He stood by the window, already dressed, and despite the severity of his injuries, he never once appeared disheveled. Seth was standing upright at this point, cell phone in his right hand, talking on the phone.

As Hugo entered, he joyously called out to his father. Seth turned his head, his gaze shifting from Hugo to Cicely, unblinking, his thin lips suddenly uttering a few emotionless words. “I’ve got to go. Something’s come up.”

Cicely had just overheard him say “Don’t press it.,” but before she could ponder it, Seth was by her side. He grabbed her wrist. “Up with the birds today?”

Cicely looked at him, her tone detached. “Thanks to him.”

She pushed Hugo toward Seth, feeling jealous.

Seth looked down as Hugo gazed up at him adoringly, sandwiched between his father and Cicely. Seth smiled faintly, ruffled Hugo’s hair, and gently nudged him aside. Taking a few steps forward, he enveloped Cicely in his embrace.

Hugo stood to the side, suddenly feeling superfluous, his little lips pouting. He wandered out to the adjoining room, familiar with the place after a month of visits. On the coffee table lay his unfinished coloring book.

As Seth inhaled the subtle scent of her neck, he spoke, his voice a low murmur in her ear. “You haven’t paid much attention to me this month.” There was a hint of accusation and hurt in his tone.

Cicely pressed her lips together, her eyes cold as they fell upon the neatly made hospital bed. “Does it still hurt?” she asked, her voice frosty.

Seth hugged her tighter. “Not anymore.”

Silence filled the room.

Eventually, she pushed him away and looked up into his handsome face, towering over her by a good margin. She smiled slyly and then slapped his cheek with a swift motion.

Seth’s face turned with the force of the slap, a clear handprint appearing on his chiseled features. Yet, there was no other sign of emotion; he remained as composed and aristocratic as if the slap had landed on someone else’s cheek.

Seconds later, he turned his head back to face Cicely’s sardonic smile. He took her hand, his fingers spreading hers, gently kneading her palm. “Doesn’t hurt?”

Cicely’s fingertips trembled.

brought her hand to his

again, his expression

her voice quivering. “Do you feel relieved now? Like you’ve

at her, he saw the fear, the aftershock, the anger, and even more emotions that made it clear to him. Her indifference and calm of the past days had been nothing but a façade to suppress and control

outlet had suddenly been forced open,

suddenly pulling back her hand from his grip, she clenched it into a fist and

utterly infuriated in the past, she would never have expended her energy on blind rage, let alone display the hysterical outburst she was showing

let her beat on him, but as he heard Cicely’s words, he was momentarily stunned. His chest roiled, but he couldn’t hide the surge of elation in his heart. He grabbed her hands, pulling her tightly

sting to Cicely, fueling

“You’re worried about me.”

down Cicely’s cheeks, a relentless torrent as day after day, the haunting image of him plunging a knife into his own heart played on repeat whenever she closed her eyes. The shimmering silver of the blade seemed to shorten inch by inch before her, a cruel mimicry of how her own

if death itself were upon her. As

his deep and husky voice a soothing balm

I don’t want to

“I apologize.”

Cicely’s breath hitched.

be okay. I do everything with the sole

the naive girl you could easily comfort? Everyone related to you was there that day, even

to you. I can’t bear the thought of you with another man. You love me the most, and I can’t

blurred by tears. After a while, she suddenly let out a cold, mocking laugh, tears streaming down her face. “You say you have to live, and

her tears away, kissing the tip

it’s always been you. Ever since you first said you liked me,

at him, her

thought, you’d leave me without hesitation.

never heard him open up like this

her love was just a whim,

She thought she was

all too familiar.

it’s that

born

about now?”

“I still don’t understand.”

chin, his dark eyes seeming to pierce hers, “So you need to teach

was erratic, but her frown deepened, “I’m not

then we’ll learn and explore

who gave you the impression that everything is just like

to.” His

down to claim the lips he’d longed

short, not wanting to hurt his wounds. Her hands hovered in mid-air, uncertain. She was backed up against the nearby wall, and her retreat instinctively made her grip the fabric of Seth’s shirt

his chest. It happened in the instant Cicely slapped him. Rather than the shock and anger, he found comfort in her

calm. Her

addicted, his kisses becoming uncontrollable, Cicely reeling but still clinging

would come to visit, and she hadn’t planned on anything happening

at her earlobe, his deep, throaty voice seeping into her ear. “How about we move

through her as she turned her head slightly away.

silent for a moment, “The doctor says I need three

her hair, with a wry smile on her face, “Aren’t you good at freeloading? It’s not

knocked, ending their

to their marital home upon

Seth timed his visit perfectly to freeload a meal. And in the end, he also ended up sharing half of Cicely’s

*

the news about Danielle never

the media, the internet was ablaze. All the background and consequences were dug up

disapproved of Seth’s years of emotional deceit, mocking him disdainfully, and

princess had been sent to prison years ago based on Danielle’s false testimony in court. Even Seth’s Mother killing herself and blaming Cicely for doing that was orchestrated by Danielle.

artist of C&P Entertainment, but she also reigned supreme as the queen bee of the entire western showbiz industry. Every imaginable advantage was handed to her on a silver platter, a path so smooth

of how sensational the news or how heated the gossip. Yet, after a month or so, the storm would always

name was in everyone’s mouth again these days, and for a notorious reason. Danielle had been diagnosed with a mental

is found to have a mental disorder, they could be exempt from