The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

Phoebe had a knack for being unreliable in front of Azriel, but when it counted, she showed she cared.

Twenty-four hours later, a bowl of soup and an assortment of delicate side dishes were placed before him right on time.

After unwrapping the cutlery and handing him the spoon and fork with both hands, she beamed with a grin: “Starving, aren’t you? This is from The Lucky Spoon, the soup everyone’s dying to try. It’s tough just to get a reservation. It’s delicious, give it a try.”

Azriel glanced at her coolly, taking the cutlery from her expectant gaze. “Scared now?”

The smile Phoebe was trying to keep up on her face stiffened, and eventually, her shoulders slumped as she hung her head and averted her eyes, her apology coming out straightforward and sincere. “I’m sorry. I made a mistake.”

“Better think of how to make amends.”d2

Phoebe shivered involuntarily, for some reason that sentence sounded to her more like “Better think of how to face your doom.”

But then again, it was her fault he was in the hospital. She could at least own up to that.

Watching Azriel begin to eat, his movements slow and refined, he hardly looked like someone who had starved for a full day.

*

When Azriel finished eating, he turned to see the girl on the couch had curled up and fallen asleep.

The room was set to a comfortable temperature, but it was winter after all. Frowning slightly, he got up, cleared the food containers off the table, opened the closet near the door, and took out a blanket. Walking over to her, he gently covered her with it.

The lights in the room were bright, and perhaps it was the rarity of being this close to a girl, or maybe it was just how peaceful and well-behaved she seemed in her sleep, or maybe he was curious about how much that quirky, lively child had changed over the years, but with a mere glance at her face, his brow furrowed sharply.

Her skin was glowing, her features fine, her sleeping form attractive, but beneath her eyes were faint shadows, and her forehead bore the clear signs of fatigue.

What caught his attention even more were the reddened corners of her eyes, a few long lashes clumped together from moisture, glistening under the light.

They had been together all day. She had been playing pranks heartily just hours ago, and had just admitted her faults to him with feigned obedience. And yet, in such a short time, she had cried herself to sleep.

He had been completely unaware.

Jace had said about her running off to a villa that no longer housed her grandparents, after Abelard’s birthday party. If he hadn’t just returned to the country, cleaned up the villa, arranged for heating and paid the electricity bill, she would have spent the night alone, curled up on the couch.

Then she was startled by him, the unexpected “intruder,” and all the hassle that led to the police station and then the hospital.

Through all this time, he hadn’t heard a peep from the Alonso family about looking for her.

With this thought, his expression grew darker. A young lady of good standing was nearly violated by a fool in a calculated scheme, and now, there was not even a pretense of concern from anyone.

No wonder, Damon had suddenly decided to take action against the Alonso family.

He hadn’t understood the decision at first, but now it seemed necessary and entirely correct.

*

Waking up the next morning, her first instinct was to glance towards the hospital bed. It was empty. She frowned, sitting up from the couch, the blanket falling to the floor.

She paused, then picked the blanket up.

Azriel emerged from the bathroom, having changed out of his hospital gown into a crisp, black suit. His tall, lean figure, impeccably dressed, his handsome face expressionless, detached yet commanding. Merely standing there, he exuded an aura of authority that demanded respect.

This was the first time Phoebe had seen Azriel in formal wear. Their first encounter had been in his pajamas at the police station, the second in his hospital gown. Now, confronted with this imposing version of Azriel, she was struck by how outrageous her actions the day before must have seemed to him.

Azriel, adjusting his cuffs, glanced at her briefly and said in a detached tone, “Awake?”

then added, “Are

response was cool, yet

came out just as

“Ms. Alonso, good morning.”

“Good morning.”

strands of hair by her temples and forehead were still

makeup, but now, fresh-faced without even the basics of skincare, she looked like a flower just emerged

and Jace’s gaze lingered on Phoebe’s face for

shiver down Jace’s spine, prompting him

sat down on the couch, watching indifferently as

up, but

and sat down a

to the villa. You should rest at

paused, “Since you’re fine

forget, you’re my maid

Phoebe was speechless.

butler and two maids, learn from

to

you at the villa 24/7, just make sure you’re there for dinner and

a smirk. Was Azriel courting disaster? After a near-death experience,

maid thing…

finally

*

Azriel had apparently informed the butler in advance, and the man

to Phoebe, before sending her upstairs to rest . And he told her to feel free to ask if she needed anything. It was hardly the welcome you’d expect

noses high in the clouds, especially since they were related to some distant royal cousin in Y Country. Most of the servants had been browbeaten by Wendy and her mother into a state resembling

the attitude of the butler and the staff here was a far cry from

a collection of skincare

hadn’t brought any herself, so someone here

efficiency of butlers nowadays become so

opened the wardrobe to find it filled with clothes

She wasn’t

thought of evading her responsibilities

she’d better spend the afternoon perfecting a

*

in the evening, the

said with a smile before Azriel could even

and headed to the kitchen. As he approached, he saw faint

in one hand and a pot lid as a shield in the other, squinting and occasionally coughing as she bravely attempted to stir the contents of

watched her silently for a moment, as she gritted her teeth, resolved herself, and dumped a

let out a sigh of relief, then went on to playfully

stirred the mixture with the spatula, dusted off her

Azriel was speechless.

could she say

noodle fiasco was a fluke, but was he wrong? Could anything in that pan even

lid as a shield and cautiously turned on the

but Phoebe caught a glimpse of him. “Azriel, you’re back! Come and try

pause in

mind, go wash up and

first time,

upon the smoky battlefield that was the kitchen, and was at a loss for words. Watching Phoebe humming tunefully as she plated her creation, the housekeeper quickly whipped up several

*

hour to come downstairs. He recognized the dish on the

with her plate in hand, eagerly picking up a bite of the dish with her fork and placing it onto