The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

Noah’s body jolted, his gaze froze in an instant.

“Come on, Noah, don’t let Ella’s sacrifices be in vain. She wanted you and the Trettons to be okay. Just do it for her.”

“Where did she go?” Noah spoke as if Jon’s words had never reached his ears.

Jon silently stared at him.

Noah clenched his fists, his thin lips quivered, a ring of red encircling his eyes. He persistently repeated those few words. “Where did she go?”

No response came, his hoarse voice repeating the unchanged phrase. “Where did she go?”d2

Jon’s eyes shut almost in resolution.

Noah’s adam’s apple bobbed, “Dad, I’m begging you.”

Jon suddenly shuddered, his eyelids fluttering before snapping open.

“Ella did nothing wrong, it’s all on me. I’ve let things spiral into this mess. How can I live with myself using her life as a stepping stone?

“I can’t do what you call letting go, that’s not letting go. Dad, I can’t let Ella leave. There’s no one else in this world who’ll love me like she does.

“I know I messed up, but letting her go is an even bigger mistake. I need to make it right. I need to take care of her. I can’t stand the thought of her being with anyone else. What if someone breaks her heart?”

Considering the possibility, Noah’s throat worked violently, his voice ragged beyond recognition. “She loves me. She must be heartbroken without me. Dad, she must be crying right now. I have to find her. Dad, please.”

Jon slowly opened his eyes, wincing as if stabbed by the thought. His son, once proud and strong, now knelt before him, a picture of desolation and desperate pleading.

Ella was crying. Yes, she was crying.

Despite her calm expression during their last encounter, her eyes were red, her voice trembled, and every word she spoke seemed to exhaust all the strength in her body to restrain the emotions on the verge of collapse. So, he left just to give her space to vent her emotions.

She must be crying now.

He still couldn’t forget the profound sadness seeping through her stubborn gaze. Nor could he erase the image of her bending over in pain, clutching her chest, as he looked back after walking away. Tears, unstoppable, slid from his eyes.

“It’s all your fault… all your fault…” Jon gripped his cane with all his might, his trembling voice breaking into sobs.

“If only you had shown half of this resolve from the start, Ella wouldn’t have suffered so much. It’s all your fault. You hurt my Ella, forcing her away from me time and time again. You don’t deserve Ella, Noah. You just don’t.”

Tears streamed down Jon’s face, and the butler rushed to his side for support.

Only now did everyone understand that Jon had been holding up all this while.

Worried about the Trettons, concerned for Noah, but even more for Ella, Jon didn’t want anyone to be hurt, yet in the end, that was exactly what happened.

Jon was torn. Back then, he didn’t object to their relationship, yet not optimistic about it either.

Putting aside their familial connection, Jon didn’t think Ella being with his son, a man cold and calculated, concerned only with profit, was a good thing. But who knew Ella would harbor such deep feelings for Noah?

Moreover, the current situation was crafted by his own son, deemed clever by everyone.

“You’re the last person who deserves forgiveness. It’s all on you.” In a sudden motion, Jon raised his cane, striking Noah again and again with unforgiving force.

Noah’s eyes shut tight, teeth clenched, silently bearing the relentless beating.

The commotion drew airport staff, who, after failing to intervene, could only watch as the cane fell repeatedly on the man kneeling on the ground.

The onlookers grew in number, but Jon showed no sign of stopping. It wasn’t until the butler saw blood oozing from the corners of Noah’s mouth, his dark shirt gradually soaked, that he anxiously grabbed Jon’s hand. “That’s enough, sir. If you keep this up, he won’t last.”

Jon thrust away the butler’s hand with a forceful swing, the finely carved boxwood cane snapping in two.

A collective gasp rose from the crowd.

Noah, unable to hold back, groaned, a cough bringing up more blood.

“It’s because of you. All the hurt is because of you. You’re the least deserving to be with her. My Ella, so kind and sweet.”

Jon tossed aside the broken cane, the butler steadying him, his arm trembling uncontrollably. “Get out. Just get out.”

Noah’s throat worked, the metallic taste suppressed, as he staggered to his feet, gripping his knee, his search relentless and nearly obsessive. “Where did she go?”

“I won’t tell you. If you can find her, do it. If not, it just proves your bond was never meant to be.” With those words, Jon had finally spoken his piece.

Noah nodded, silently moving past his father, weaving through the crowd, and entering the airport lobby. His steps went from shaky to erratic, then purposefully striding, searching desperately for something in the vast hall.

His assistant caught up from behind, and Noah grabbed his arm like a lifeline, his voice tinged with urgency. “Help me find her, quick. Help me find her.”

The assistant was inwardly shaken; today’s Noah was something he couldn’t have fathomed. “Mr. Noah, please, take it easy. I’ll check the counter for Ms. Ella’s flight. Just please calm down.”

words, Noah paused, a moment of clarity returning. “Thanks, I

no interest in Noah’s rare moment of panic, his focus solely on finding Ms. Ella’s whereabouts. “Mr. Noah, please have a seat. I’ll go check now and

assistant noticed a bloody imprint where

wrath of a tempest. The dark fabric of Mr. Noah’s shirt was stained with the blood that had blossomed

one thing was crystal clear to him. Ms. Ella’s

close to beating his son, his pride and joy, to death for someone with the heart of

man, who supposedly fell victim to her calculations, would rather be beaten to death upon learning everything and still kneel on the ground begging Jon to

Ella had likely taken on the mantle of guilt to shield everyone

assistant requested information on Ella’s flight. The country she was headed to was nowhere near where she had been studying. She was

upon landing, switch to different means of travel, or perhaps even end up in some godforsaken corner of the earth? Might she even contemplate something as drastic as taking her own

Noah’s frantic panic was not

ten minutes ago. The assistant relayed this to Noah, who shot up and commanded, “Book the next flight

Noah’s face, the pool of crimson below, and the blood still dripping from his arm, the assistant hesitated before saying, “Mr. Noah,

His expression was

pulled out his phone

*

a tizzy. In the era of instant digital news, it was impossible to ignore the headlines screaming across every

a sordid affair with her uncle and announced she was leaving the

father confronted him outside the terminal, leading to the kneeling, begging scene that nearly

captured it all on video, adding fuel to

looks like the Tretton family’s adopted grand-daughter wasn’t

surfaced, this one of Ella’s conversation with Paul at a diner before

she acted at the coffee shop with Rebecca. Was she pretending to be

provoking

to take all the blame to protect the Tretton family and

the adopted grand-daughter isn’t the heartless traitor she was made out

*

propped her chin on her hand,

his feet, Cicely’s gaze swept over his bleeding arm and settled on the calm, handsome man opposite

glanced down casually before returning to Cicely’s delicate face. His lips parted, his voice

lips twitched imperceptibly before looking down at her cup and pushing it away with distaste. “I’m

wanted to try the airport coffee? All this way for just a

more for the

holding it gently in his, a soft

exactly has Chloe been feeding

just thought you’d prefer being bothered by

curled into a half-smile. “In truth, her antics barely affect me. It makes your sisterly bond seem all

within his, her fingers brushing his palm playfully. “You think we’re close? Then perhaps you should do her more

this the world’s most unsuccessful attempt at stirring

even need

brandished an unpublished expose to coerce him into meddling in the Tretton family affair, even dragging Cicely into the mix to increase the pressure, Seth’s

the Tretton family,

darken, Cicely tugged at the corner of her mouth. “I see you look troubled. You

“Is that so wrong?”

if I said I didn’t believe you’d stand by

broadened. “I’d be

was more than enough to make him

“And?”

a plane to B Country, but he might die in

say anything

*

Country was fully booked, and not even Noah, with all his

from a pale, sweaty pallor to a flushed,

assistant mustered the courage to touch his forehead that the scorching heat transferred to the

an eye on the departure board. Make sure they keep looking.

strength was waning, his voice barely audible and his lips, cracked and pale,

loomed closer and no news of a canceled ticket came, Noah, against his assistant’s advice, took matters

matter how outrageous the

in B Country to monitor Ella’s movements. Once

at night. Noah hadn’t reached the car when his tall figure suddenly collapsed. The assistant cried out

*

whisked from the terminal to the emergency room, Rebecca had reached out to

of Ella and Paul in the restaurant, Rebecca investigated another matter—perhaps seeking an answer for herself, or

the media that afternoon, Rebecca addressed the

no love between us. I was escaping a failed romance, and he was avoiding

me the right to initiate the annulment.

with his young niece. For someone as outstanding as him, marriage was never a necessity. He feared the consequences of his feelings

someone else. He simply found his love before me. If it wasn’t him today, it might have been me tomorrow or next year. It was just a matter of