The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

What the heck was he babbling about!

“I’m stiff as a board, can’t dance a step.”

Azriel would have none of it. “Just do the Bunny Hop.”

Phoebe froze for a moment, then her entire face suddenly turned beet red. “I… I don’t know how.”

Azriel reached over, grabbed his phone, and after a few taps, the familiar yet foreign tune filled the hospital room. The moment the intro hit, Phoebe wished the earth would swallow her whole.

“You… you…” She glared at Azriel, her face so hot she could probably cook an egg on it.d2

Out of all the songs in the world, why on earth did it have to be this one? She had been the butt of the joke in her family for years because of that dance.

Back in the day, she had performed it at a school event, showing off to her grandparents the day before. Everyone had clapped and praised her, except for one good-looking boy who had dismissively said, “It’s alright.”

To a child, there’s only pretty or ugly. She couldn’t accept such a lukewarm review, so her confidence took a nosedive, and on the following day, she was pushed on stage unwillingly and ended up crying through the entire routine.

She remembered the intermittent laughter from the audience and couldn’t understand why they found joy in her misery.

Little did she know, the performance was recorded and her grandparents had shamelessly flaunted it every chance they got. People would bring it up even now, years later. She wouldn’t be surprised if the video was still floating around online.

Why was this embarrassing memory resurfacing here and now?

“You really can’t dance?”

Azriel was undeniably bored and just looking for a laugh at her expense. Seeing her blush with mortification, he persisted, phone in hand, “Let me find you a tutorial video. You’ll pick it up after one watch.”

“No!” Phoebe shot out her hand in a stop sign, “No, no, no, no! I… I can do it, I just can’t do it well, but that doesn’t mean I can’t dance.”

Azriel arched an eyebrow, nodded, and after swiping on his phone for a bit, he said, “Alright, let’s see it then.”

The music from the phone started again. Phoebe, with her eyes closed, took deep breaths until the crucial moment when, resigned to her fate, she opened her eyes and started her stiff, awkward dance moves.

The sight was cringeworthy, and it made Azriel look like he had a twisted sense of humor. Once wasn’t enough; he had her do it a second time, and Phoebe was grinding her teeth.

You build up a tolerance for embarrassment, she thought. If at first, the prospect of dancing your most embarrassing dance alone in a hospital room made you want to vanish into thin air, by the second round, it felt like no big deal.

the door to

blankly

was frozen at the entrance, hand still on the doorknob, equally

ears atop her head, knees bent as if ready to bounce. Dressed in simple jeans and a knit burnt orange sweater with a delicate white lace collar, she really did

her and Azriel, who typically wore an air of aloof

message he had received not long ago, Jace

glaring through the clear glass at the man on the bed who seemed to be asking for a slap, her palms itching

had just entered, and his face slowly became more

intense gaze, Azriel’s cool eyes

and shook her head, “Nothing. Since you

some documents, Azriel gave a

to escape, Azriel’s

breath, then turned with a forced smile, “Okay,” she said before slipping out and softly shutting

Azriel out, and the embarrassment from earlier came flooding back. Her cheeks burned with shame as she grimaced, covering her face as she

briefed Azriel on the Alonso family’s latest antics and the mishap at the Bowles’ dim-witted heir’s

he mentioned that the Alonsos had been plotting to “sell” Phoebe off, especially during their

Harper family a lot lately. Someone must’ve tipped

without that tip-off, she would

narrowed, and Jace felt a chill

and seeing Phoebe enjoying ice cream despite the

waved him off, “I’ve got too much fire inside. This is

it slightly amusing. He paused before adding, “Anyway, Ms. Alonso, it might be better to eat a bit less. Do you have plans for lunch, or are you going to use the hospital cafeteria?

Phoebe paused and looked up at the hospital

Reminded like this, she suddenly felt

she was keeping vigil by Azriel’s side, and had missed breakfast altogether. Thinking about it now, she must be

brown eyes, she grinned at Jace and said, “I might need to take

couldn’t help but ask, his gaze sweeping across the hospital lobby before settling on Phoebe with

looked a bit embarrassed, “Cooking isn’t really that hard, you know. The incident was just an accident. It’s not about my cooking

thought to himself. “Poor instant noodles, taking the

guessed he might as well do as she asked. “Alright, I’ll have someone bring

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