The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride
Chapter 1995

Chapter 1995

Cicely looked up at him, her voice tinged with frustration and pain. "My feet are practically done for, and you're telling me I can't even cry about it?"

"So you knew they were done for? Usually, you make a fuss over a tiny blister, but here you are running around like a madwoman for three days, and suddenly you're having the time of your life."

Her gaze dropped, and her voice was muffled as she admitted, "Yeah, it was kinda fun."

Seth stared intensely at her.

Cicely clutched the quilt and slipped beneath it. "I'm fine for now. You can go."

But Seth didn’t move from her bed.d2

After watching her for a moment, his eyes landed on the smartphone on her nightstand. It’s the latest model, different from what he had seen her with before. He picked it up, noting that she hadn't bothered to set a passcode, and found only two contacts in her address book.

One was Issac. The other, Claud.

And there was a call history with the Ellis family's landline number.

Without a flicker of emotion, Seth blocked and deleted Claud's number. He wouldn't be able to call in, nor she out.

After doing this, he lowered his head to look at the woman peacefully observing him. He dialed his own number from her phone and then handed it to her.

"Add my number to your contacts."

"Why don't you do it yourself? You've got the phone," Cicely retorted, eyebrows knitting together.

"I don't know how," Seth stated firmly, leaving no room for argument. "Do it."

Cicely snatched the phone from him, a mix of irritation and challenge in her tone. "Are you looking for trouble?"

He simply watched her silently, his gaze fixed on the phone as she begrudgingly saved his number.

"Did you delete my contacts?" Cicely's voice was cold as ice.

"What's the point of me admitting it?" Seth's tone was equally chilly.

Cicely paused, a soft chuckle escaping her. "I guess I want to hear out loud why you'd delete my contacts."

She took a deep breath, resignation in her voice. "Never mind, I don't care to hear it. Can you leave now? These next few days, maybe even weeks, are going to be hell for me, so I don't want to see you. Even if you call, I won't answer. You seem to have your hands full with your victories, so I won't trouble you further, and I'd appreciate the same courtesy."

Seth watched her quietly as she finished speaking. Her pale, delicate face, though sickly, still held an undeniable beauty and life.

"So, you don't want to see me for a few weeks, and you won't answer my calls. Do you plan to stay home alone, or do you need someone else to keep you company?" His voice was devoid of emotion.

Lying in bed, Cicely stared at his stoic, handsome face. Her nose tingled, a prelude to the swell of emotion rising in her chest, threatening to spill from her eyes.

"After all these years, a few weeks shouldn't matter. Seth, you don't need to concern yourself with who I want to be with. As long as it's not you, it is fine. Right?"

The depth of Seth's gazes seemed to conceal untold thoughts, a flicker of emotion passing through them, subtle as the ripple of an unseen creature stirring in the deep sea.

"Do you want Claud to keep you company? You seemed to enjoy his company these past few days," he said flatly.

Cicely didn't deny it. "Can we not talk about this anymore?"

"Cicely," Seth's voice was suddenly sharp and cold, "are you trying to break up with me?"

Her lips twisted into a weary smile. "I don't want to talk about this right now."

"Even if you're thinking of breaking up, you can't get too close to other men. It's a matter of principle."

Silence stretched between them, heavy and prolonged.

Finally, Cicely clenched the quilt, looked Seth in the eyes, and after a moment of hesitation, she closed her eyes tightly. "Fine, I can get through a few weeks on my own without anyone's company."

A warm touch landed on her brow. Fluttering her lashes, she opened her eyes to find Seth's hand gently caressing her face, fingers tangled in her hair as he leaned in close. His voice was a low, husky whisper, "Did you hurt yourself just to avoid seeing me?"

Cicely's eyes flickered, trying to turn away from his intense gaze, but his hand brought her back, fingers gently stroking her hair. "If we broke up, would you be with another man?"

The words 'broke up' stung Cicely like needles to her heart. "Didn't you say some things should wait until I'm fully recovered? Or did you come here today determined to discuss this? If we broke up, of course, I'd be with other men. What, am I supposed to stay single forever?"

"I don't have lofty ambitions, nor the desire to be a strong, independent woman, and I certainly don't want to be alone. I want to date, to marry, to have children, and to have a complete home as a dependable refuge for the rest of my life.

“That's what I want, and it's also my father's greatest wish. I always have to fulfill it; I can't keep him worrying. There's not much I can do for him, but the least is to ensure my own happiness. So if not you, it would definitely be someone else. Your questions are pointless."

Every word she spoke seemed to darken Seth's expression further. With someone else. To date, to marry, to have children... Each word tightened his grip on her hair.

"Don't you love me? How can you love me, while getting married and having kids with another man?" He spat the last words out as if they left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Cicely felt a chill run down her spine.

"Don't provoke me on purpose," Seth warned, his forehead pressed against hers, his voice laced with restrained anger. "Did you intentionally get yourself hurt just to upset me?"

Intentionally...

It took a few seconds for the implication to hit Cicely, and her eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean intentionally? You... mmm..."

Before she could finish her denial, Seth's lips captured hers in a deep, silencing kiss. Cicely didn't even close her eyes, completely taken aback by the sudden move from this man.

In the warmth of the moment, his chiseled face hovered just inches from hers, his dark eyes locked on hers in a silent exchange. As their gazes met, there was no hint of him stopping the passionate kiss. Instead, he deepened it, claiming her lips with an intensity that left her breathless.

Cicely, coming to her senses, tried to push him away, but he caught her wrists and pinned them above her head. She could feel the firmness of his body pressing against hers, the heat of him seeping through the blankets. She was no stranger to his kisses, yet she couldn't claim to be familiar with them either.

Pinned down on the bed, under the weight of his desire and the fervor of his kiss, she recalled a recent encounter in the hospital that had her heart racing at the mere thought. Perhaps it was her attempt to interrupt the kiss that provoked him to start all over again, with no sign of stopping.

The temperature between the two continued to rise, and Cicely's already frail body softened under the kisses. She found herself pressed into the bed, in a daze, just hoping he would stop at an appropriate moment.

His lips, however, had other plans, trailing down to her neck, somehow managing to undo the buttons of her blouse and sending shivers down her spine when his tongue brushed against her earlobe. Almost reflexively, she pushed against his shoulders.

Panting softly, she found herself lost in his dark, enigmatic eyes, her heart skipping a beat. She tried to avert her gaze, but he forced her to face him, his voice low and husky, carrying a rasp she'd never heard before.

"You never let yourself suffer," he stared intensely at her. "You did it on purpose, deliberately subjecting yourself to this. To say you're heartless is not accurate. In fact, you're the one who knows how to play with people's hearts the best."

She made him feel double the heartache, intensifying his guilt, and made him care about her future plans with another man. When it came to manipulating people, no one could surpass her.

Biting her lip, she retorted, "Am I the master of hearts? Have I captured yours? If so, I wouldn't choose such a foolish way. You're the smartest, and you know everything. So, you can't wait even a

fortnight to confront me now?"

"What would you do in these next few days if I didn't?"

"That's none of your business."

"Cicely."

Seth's voice cut through her words. His dark eyes continued to study her beautiful, flushed face, his fingers gently caressing her soft skin. As she met his gaze, he spoke again, slowly: "Let's get married."

Cicely froze. After what seemed an eternity, she managed to ask, "What did you say?"

Seth gave a slight smile, straightened up, and withdrew his hand. "Because you don't want to leave me. You're using this method to escape, and perhaps next time, you might use the same method to hurt yourself. If we get married, you probably won't have these wild thoughts anymore."

Cicely was still in shock but clung to a thread of reason, "Is it really just my wild thoughts?"

"No. This decision was impulsive, and I might regret it in the next moment. So, I need your answer now. Will you marry me?"

"And what sparked this impulse? Pity? Guilt for your recent actions? Or guilt towards me?"

"If I said all of the above, would you refuse to marry me?"

Cicely was silent for a moment, "Marriage is a serious matter. If I respond now, will you take full responsibility for this decision?"

Seth didn't answer immediately, pondering as he gazed at her.

Cicely panicked, "Don't tell me you're already regretting it."

"Being married to me might not be the best thing for you."

"Are you trying to make me say no?"

He simply watched her, their silent battle of wills culminating in his concession. "No. I'm proposing. Your 'yes' is what I want to hear."

Cicely nodded, "We can't predict the future; I only know what I want now. Seth, I believe you wouldn't say this lightly, and you don't need to make any promises. I never even asked if you loved me; promises seem too pretentious."

In the end, promises were the most ironic and worthless of things. Only betrayal could highlight their value - a value steeped in irony.

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