The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

Chloe had a way about her, an undeniable magnetism. Nathan trusted her implicitly, enough to leave his own kin in her care without a second thought. Rose was on the horn every other day, fussing about coming to see her. Cicely didn’t even bother heading home after Seth took off. She picked up Hugo from school and made a beeline for the Harper household.

The house was bustling with activity. Hugo and Anya, in their soft and clean pajamas, were playing around with Little Sun and Little Moon.

Cicely, hugging a throw pillow, lounged comfortably on the plush sofa in the home theater, with a half-eaten fruit bowl nestled in her lap.

“All in all, not too shabby.” After finishing the movie, Cicely lazily gave Chloe the long-awaited review.

Chloe chuckled, “This flick’s been pegged for a few awards. Crysti’s likely to nab Best Supporting Actress.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem. Crysti’s performance really sparkles. But the lead actress is a bit off the mark.”d2

While Cicely wasn’t a film buff, she had an audience’s intuition for when empathy fell short, turning scenes cringe-worthy and breaking the spell.

Chloe pursed her lips, “We did cut some key scenes from the lead. You’re spot on. The footage just didn’t work.”

Cicely glanced at the lead actress on the screen and snorted softly, “Compared to other flicks this year, she’s riding her luck. Dodged a bullet there.”

Chloe glanced at Cicely strangely, hesitating as if she wanted to say something but held back.

Cicely arched an eyebrow, “What’s that look?”

“The entertainment biz thrives on gossip and journalists stirring the pot. If you’ve got doubts, best clear them up with Seth directly. Don’t let outsiders brew unnecessary misunderstandings.”

Cicely let out a soft chuckle, “What misunderstandings could possibly be unnecessary?”

Chloe watched Cicely for a moment, her fingers brushing her brow, then pointed to the woman on the screen, “Xenia, Wave Entertainment’s rising star from last year.”

“Mhm,” Cicely hummed lazily, a veil of lethargy in her gaze, “Danielle’s heir in many ways.”

Chloe’s delicate brow twitched subtly, a fleeting glint in her eyes.

Yulia, observing this, quietly turned away her gaze. Though brief, Yulia sensed that Chloe had something on her mind.

The next day.

Cicely, descending the stairs after waking up, paused at the sight of another woman in the living room. She leaned on the banister with a lazy smirk, “Am I mistaken about your hubby, Mr. Harper? He’s quite the host, isn’t he?” The man seemed jealous to the point of not distinguishing between genders. Could he really allow Chloe to be so welcoming?

The visitors were indeed a constant stream.

Crysti coughed discreetly, “As if you’re not the one squatting here while he’s away.”

Cicely tilted her head, pondering. Yeah, fair point.

A maid swiftly prepared breakfast, and Cicely took a seat on the sofa. “Aren’t you busy skyrocketing? What brings you here?”

Crysti inhaled deeply, then suppressed it, “I was up for a role recently but got sniped midway. I’m here to see if Chloe might have some wiggle room for me.”

Cicely laughed softly, “Who’s bold enough to compete with our mighty CEO Chloe for resources?”

Crysti’s good temper frayed, “Xenia,

lips curling into a subtle smile as she sipped

continued, incensed, “I barely interacted with her on set, and now she’s clearly targeting me. The

we’re slated for

your husband’s taste? There were plenty of gorgeous, talented

on “another” was

“Who knows? Maybe he

shivered discreetly and snuck a glance at Chloe. Crysti wondered if she had

I’ll call Noah and

Crysti’s eyes brightened.

produced by Noah’s HC Television, was a major draw. With Noah’s clout and connections, his favors were sought after

family for a casual cookout and chat, aiming for authenticity and virality. HC Television

titan. Her presence would be a

excited for the air

at

locked eyes with Chloe for a

financial news buzzed with

lined up, each with

shadows of black umbrellas or the hulking figures of their bodyguards. Clad in crisply tailored suits, their perfect proportions

the talk of the town. Every capitalist worth their salt knew the

the news had taken to hyping up the usually low-key Seth, painting

stable of artists, his once-favored sweetheart, and now Xenia, the company’s rising star, rumored to have had a fling with

times better than their own, fiercely defending her from any perceived rival seeking to leech off her fame. They were blatant in their desire to see Xenia “marry for love,” with P City’s golden boy Seth becoming

person involved never came forward to clarify the matter. Even when the topic about Seth arose, a post closely followed shortly after. It was a photo of Xenia and Seth outside a

Seth’s jacket hung casually over his arm. His black shirt, with the top two buttons undone, revealed a skin slightly paler than that of other men, made even more striking by the visible marks that adorned it. It wasn’t hard to imagine the intimate night that might have

were

at the screen with a hint of disgust at the sight of the

had seen the notification Cicely was looking at. Seeing Cicely’s reaction, she teased, “Jealous

“If only it had a different ship name, I

familiar with that ship

a loose-fitting white suit, towered over most, her stride creating a stir wherever

dress with a cinched waist, her voluminous hair framing a beautiful,

dare to neglect them and led them straight to

and Crysti take a tour of the set. Chloe thought it wise to greet the

the dressing

recognize her. Assuming Cicely was Crysti’s assistant, the woman barely gave her a glance before turning to the staff behind her, “The lights

staff member hesitated, “But

we’ll have to switch dressing rooms. The mirror

was dismissive, belying the courtesy

a familiar figure appeared

closely at Xenia through her large sunglasses, and when Xenia’s smile began to falter, Cicely’s lips curled into a smirk, her

and tone were

she maintained a polite smile, “Thank you for your generosity. Please thank Crysti

But you—make sure your foundation is flawless. If it creases or cakes during the show, it’d be embarrassing for you. It would also spoil

Xenia’s expression turned stormy.

Chloe and Crysti arrived to find her casually browsing her phone. They had heard about the incident from the staff, and Crysti was trying to contain her laughter. “It’s annoying to give up the room, but well done. Just