The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride
Chapter 1974

Chapter 1974

Even with her veil of pretense, Rose saw right through her.

Rose cracked a smile, "The truth is, you're the envy of most people. You know what you want, you go after it boldly, and you've succeeded. Better to have loved and lost. You're right, let's worry about the future later."

Cicely turned to look at her for a few seconds, her lips curving slightly in a small, meaningful smile. "I did have a bit of a tiff with Seth. I came here to clear my head and ran into you. I really did want to chat. But now, it seems you've got more on your plate than I do."

Rose cocked her head, "This afternoon..." As the words left her mouth, she was already certain of her own resolve and paused before adding, "Why me?"

Cicely pondered for a moment, then shook her head, "I don't know. But I'm pretty sure not just anyone would do."

Rose raised an eyebrow.d2

Kane honked the horn, signaling it was time to move on. Rose looked back at Ollie and caught a glimpse of Joel hustling out of the hotel lobby. "We should get going," she gestured towards the back.

Cicely glanced over and gave a brief nod, smiling.

Joel approached with a grin, "Ever been to a night market? There's a little resort village about fifteen minutes up the road, with a whole street turned into a night market. Wanna check it out?"

"I haven't," Cicely said honestly.

"Feel like taking a stroll through it?"

It seemed that Joel hadn't planned dinner yet, and she guessed that the night market was his idea of where to eat. She nodded, "Sure."

*

As dusk settled, the stalls were already buzzing with activity, swarming with people almost shoulder to shoulder, most clutching boxes of food, eating, talking, and walking.

The air was heavy with the scent of a festival, a fusion of grilled, fried, sautéed, and baked delicacies filling the atmosphere. The potpourri of aromas wove through the dense crowd, leaving Cicely feeling somewhat overwhelmed.

When Joel returned with two small boxes in hand, he handed one to her. Taking it, Cicely remembered seeing many others with similar boxes. "Everyone seems to love this, give it a try."

Cicely had genuinely never seen such things before. She felt a mix of curiosity, a slight resistance, and a burgeoning desire to give it a try. The look of innocent perplexity didn't escape Joel's notice. He subtly stepped back, creating some space between them without making a sound.

Cicely finally picked up a fork and took a bite, while Joel watched her reaction closely. "How is it?"

Cicely paused, "It's alright..." After speaking, she went for another bite.

To Joel, her response was a tad disappointing, but seeing her take a second bite lifted his spirits a bit.

He had observed her eating habits. If she didn't like something, she wouldn't go for a second taste.

Joel continued to guide Cicely through the food street, buying her almost every popular snack available.

Initially resistant, Cicely soon let go of her inhibitions. Whatever Joel offered, she ate, sometimes even stepping forward to buy something herself. Of course, there were tastes that didn't agree with her, and after one bite, she'd hand it back to Joel. If he liked it, he'd eat more; if not, he'd discard it.

Cicely seemed to have unlocked a new world of flavors, eating her way through the street until her feet were tired, the end still nowhere in sight.

By the time they decided to leave, night had already fallen. They'd been wandering for over two hours.

Joel hailed a couple of rickshaws to take them back to the entrance of the alley.

Cicely still clutched a portion of fried chicken nuggets, her mood noticeably brighter and more lively than usual. "I did a lot of things today I've never done or even thought about before. I had a great time, thanks."

She slipped the photo into her pocket.

Joel smiled, "I was worried you might not enjoy it. I'm glad you did. This is just a tiny bit of what the world has to offer. There's so much more you haven't seen."

Cicely took another bite of her chicken. Her gaze lowered, a faint but ambiguous smile graced her lips. "Indeed."

*

They got back to the base around 8:30 PM. The temperature in the suburbs fluctuated greatly between day and night, and it had already cooled down considerably. The rest of the crew had finished their rounds and, seeing them arrive so late, couldn't hide their knowing smirks.

Kane was close to losing his patience. He regretted bringing two girls to such a place, waiting so long just for a fleeting glimpse of a blooming flower.

Cicely arrived still holding a half-bag of fried chicken nuggets. Kane stood up and snatched the bag from her hand, "Hmm, these are really good. Where'd you get them? Why didn't you buy more?"

Having filled up on snacks, Cicely didn't mind and teasingly said:

"Don't you know? There's a resort ahead with a whole street turned into a night market, full of delicious stuff. This is nothing."

Suddenly, the chicken nugget in Kane's mouth lost its appeal. "What? A night market? You mean that famous night market?"

Seeing his clueless yet longing expression, Cicely's playful side emerged. She pulled out her phone and showed Kane a few pictures she had taken at the night market. The endless street was lined with colorful food stalls, and some pictures even showed Cicely posing with her snacks.

"Damn!" Kane tossed the phone back to Cicely in frustration, "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"How was I supposed to know you didn't know?"

Kane stood up, holding the chicken bag, "No way, I've got to check this out now."

Ollie jumped to her feet, "Me too."

"Let's go!"

Kane took off with Ollie, who pulled Rose along.

Joel found a quiet spot with a good view for Cicely. She sat on a wooden bench, watching Joel set up the camera, adjusting the angle and focus.

"Cicely, could you come here for a second?" Joel suddenly called out to her, and she got up, walking over.

Joel smiled at her, "Cicely."

Cicely offered a faint smile and approached the camera, "Where should I stand? Is here okay?"

Joel snapped out of his reverie, leaned slightly to peek at the camera's viewfinder, "Just take two steps back. Perfect, right there."

*

It was Kane's first encounter with the legendary night market, and his excitement was palpable. Ollie was even more thrilled, bossily instructing Kane to grab some grub while she was busy snapping pics and shooting videos to post on her social media.

Kane was all in on the excitement, though his stamina was another story. Barely an hour had passed since they'd left, and they returned with arms full of goodies.

Kane collapsed into a chair, exhausted. "This is more draining than a shopping marathon with a girlfriend."

Buying wasn't the only task. The lines were a killer.

The ladies were too busy savoring the treats to pay him any mind. But Kane's presence didn't go unnoticed. It had already caught the eye of many a girl. Handsome and wealthy, especially with that carefree, bad-boy vibe, he was irresistibly attractive to them.

A few girls gathered around, inviting Joel and Kane to hang out after enjoying the night-blooming cereus show.

Joel glanced at Cicely before declining the invitation. Kane, slouched on a bench with an arm draped over the backrest, lazily surveyed the group of girls before happily accepting.

*

At 1 a.m., the crowd was thick but silent, punctuated only by the occasional yawn and whispers of boredom and fatigue.

The temperature dropped. Cicely, dressed lightly, curled up on the bench, her face sickly pale in the dim light of the Shadow Studio.

When Joel returned from the camera, he draped his jacket over her shoulders and asked in a low voice, "You don’t look so good. Are you feeling alright?"

She was indeed feeling cold, so she didn't refuse. She wrapped her clothes tightly, shook her head, and asked in a low voice. "I'm fine, just a bit chilly. How's it going? Will it be much longer?"

"Not long now, though we may still have to wait. You sure you're okay? I can take you back to the hotel first."

Cicely shook her head again, stood up, and walked over to Joel's set-up camera, bending over to check the view. "Don't forget the close-up shots. These need to be treasured for a lifetime to make up for all the waiting tonight."

"Yeah, this is a one-time deal."

Kane, out of boredom, had already taken a nap, only to be shaken awake by Rose. He shrugged off his jacket to cover Ollie, who had fallen asleep in Rose’s arms.

Without his jacket, Kane lost all sleepiness and started scrolling through social media on his phone. Seeing Ollie's updates, he clicked his tongue, lifted his phone, and took a random photo. The poor lighting and the shaky quality made the image blur.

He posted it without any edits, captioning—

[Been there, done that. Never again.]

Another hour or so passed before someone finally shouted, "It's happening. They're blooming!"

Instantly, everyone sprang into action, rushing toward the fields.

Kane leaped up, not out of eagerness to witness the grandeur of the night-blooming cereus but rather to get it over with, follow the procedure, and get out of there as soon as possible.

The sight under the lights, petals unfurling visibly to the naked eye, was undeniably stunning, especially the process of blooming. Flowers opened in silence, yet the moment felt loud.

Admiration filled the air. Cicely suddenly thought that, all in all, it was quite interesting. The long drive, the heat, the cold, the drowsiness, all endured for this moment, seemed worth it.

After all, the journey began with this goal in mind, and now it was accomplished.

A beginning and an end, a cause and a result.

*

As the crowd gradually dispersed, Cicely's group also started to leave. Kane went ahead to fetch the car, while Joel was on the phone with the driver.

Cicely walked alongside Rose in a slow pace. Rose kept glancing back at her. The streetlights were bright, casting an unnatural pallor on everyone's face. After the third glance, Rose halted, stepped

toward Cicely, who suddenly grasped her wrist.

Then, with a smile and a hand clutching her stomach, Cicely's face turned alarmingly pale. "I hate to be a buzzkill, but I'm sorry, I..." Before she could finish, she slumped to the ground.

Rose, startled, tried to catch her, but was unprepared and fell to the ground with Cicely.

A gasp went through the onlookers. Hearing the commotion, Joel turned and rushed over. Just as he bent down to lift Cicely, a strong force gripped his shoulder and flung him aside.

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