The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

Noah had many friends, and in previous years, she used to stick close to him. Whenever Noah was roped into a new group chat, Ella was inevitably there as well.

Take, for instance, the old neighborhood crew—friends from way back when, the sort who grew up on the same block and trudged to school together. As time marched on, they’d all spun off in their own orbits, some landing in different cities, others hustling through the same ol’ town, but whenever a reunion cropped up, Ella would be there, mingling and melding with the crew as if she’d never been anything but one of the gang.

This particular group was a bit looser with their banter than most.

It was a Thursday night when Ella, fresh from a shower and cozied up in bed, noticed her phone buzzing with a barrage of messages from the gang. Amidst the chaos of notifications, her name was flashing in a bold, beckoning red.

Driven by curiosity, she tapped into the thread, only to be greeted by a chorus of congratulations for Noah.

She clicked on the message that had tagged her: [@PrincessElla, spill the beans! Who’s the lucky lady Noah’s snagged? Pics or it didn’t happen.]d2

Ella blinked in disbelief. Noah’s got a girlfriend?

Instinctively, she scrolled through the chat history and discovered that someone had shared their upcoming nuptials with a celebratory digital toast. After the initial wave of well-wishes, talk turned to the dwindling number of bachelors in the group, and naturally, all fingers pointed to Noah.

Bombarded with tags and probably fed up, Noah had blurted out a bombshell: [Not single. Don’t bother sending me wedding gifts under a hundred grand.]

[Damn!]

[Holy smokes!]

[The big shot at Visionary Productions keeping his love life under wraps?]

[Which girl has he charmed?]

[@PrincessElla, come on, give us the deets on your new auntie-in-law! Pics, please.]

The chat erupted with further tagging, congratulations, and a burning curiosity that only intensified with Ella’s cryptic response. Her fingers hovered over the screen for an eternity before she finally tapped out a message, forcing a smile through the digital divide, her fingertips trembling above the keys. [No comment, folks. But let’s just say she is quite the looker.]

Her playful deflection only stoked the group’s curiosity. In no time flat, Noah added someone new to the chat: [Any questions? Ask her yourself.]

A brief silence fell before the chat exploded again.

[Damn, the lady herself?]

[Really?]

[The Mrs.?]

[Hello everyone, I’m Rebecca.]

[Welcome to the family.]

[Pics or it didn’t happen.]

Ella quietly exited the chat, her mind replaying the image of the woman she’d seen at the mansion. Noah and Rebecca truly seemed well-matched.

The next day, Noah went public with the engagement.

P City’s largest private hospital, with their heiress Rebecca apparent holding a

start from the ground up. Her actions were beyond reproach. Even as

the woman Ella had encountered that fateful night. Apparently, Noah and Rebecca had known each other for ages—a fact that

even approached Ella with

into a seat in the multimedia classroom. Paul joined her shortly after. “You

on her lips, and nodded before diving into her book. “Is it

“What is?”

crush on my

Paul replied,

nodded, her

her for a moment.

wondering, if he is so smart, how did he never see my blatant attempts? And why did he let

Paul furrowed his brow.

*

Friday afternoon, Noah phoned Ella to pick her

outside the school, catching sight of Ella through the car window. She was dressed in a simple blue and white striped sundress that accentuated her delicate collarbone, adorned with a red pendant necklace

gate, Ella waved goodbye to her classmates with a smile, then turned her gaze to his car.

handle of the passenger seat, the beautiful familiar face revealed by the slowly retracting car window still made her smile stiff for a moment. She instinctively looked at the driver’s seat, but all she could see was the

adjusted her emotions, greeted Rebecca with a smile. “Hey,

returned the smile

chat. They talked about Ella’s major,

make Noah jealous, shook

time for romance—such a wonderful age. With your smarts and

modestly. “A few.” That was

surprised. “Then you have plenty

on her studies. Romance can wait,”

he suddenly cut Rebecca off with a

do you plan on dating if not in

love can’t withstand the test of time. When graduation comes, everyone would go their separate ways. It is a waste of

each other, the girl will follow the boy wherever he goes, isn’t that right,

and Noah who ended up in a heated debate, but

moment to

Noah. Noah’s expression, however, turned sharply grim, his lips pressed into a thin line. He remained silent for the rest of the journey. Ella, too, just passively chatted

heads-up because they showed no

the car, trailing behind Rebecca, who had already looped her arm through Noah’s,

slower pace, Ella couldn’t help but admire

robust laughter of Jon filled her ears. “Have a seat. Make

you, Jon,” Rebecca said, her ease

seat on the couch

her gaze away and stepped through the foyer

smile, gesturing her over. “Met your future

“Yep, I have.”

fixed on Ella’s face, searching for any sign of distress before pulling her to sit next to him. “I saw in the news, the engagement

“Yeah, during the summer break. Ella will be free then, and she can even

a smile, wondering just how many times they intended to remind her of this event, even timing it with her