The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride
Chapter 2009

The director was a well-known figure internationally, with the kind of pride you'd expect, but having been a player in the industry for so long, he wasn't one to easily offend any of the big-money backers. He wouldn't personally dole out the flattery, but he tacitly allowed his team to do the schmoozing. He was well aware of Cicely Ellis, the heiress of the affluent Ellis family of P City.

She breezed through to the inner sanctum of the shoot, greeted with a smile by the director's assistant. "Ms. Cicely, what a surprise! What brings you to our set today?"

It was news to him that besides that young master from the Diaz family, she had an interest to acting too.

Cicely wore a pair of black fleece-lined jeans, a pure white down jacket on the upper body, and a scarf around her neck. In winter, because of static, she tied her hair up in a bun.

A simple and neat outfit might have looked ordinary, but on her, there was always a unique charm shining through. It was as if this plain and uncomplicated style in the world was specially tailored just for her.d2 She had the delicate beauty of a rich heiress, an ethereal presence that seemed almost too pure for this world, a delicate creation shaped by wealth.

"I've always adored this story, and when I heard about the adaptation, I just had to see what you'd turn my favorite character into."

As they walked, Cicely said, "Of course, I know with a director as talented as yours and the hefty investment behind this project, it's bound to be well-handled. My main concern is the casting. Will the looks, the aura, and the acting chops satisfy us hardcore fans?"

The assistant director chuckled. "Rest assured, Cicely, we've been very thorough in our casting process. Three months of auditions under the director's watchful eye. We've made every effort to please the fans."

He was confident on that front. After all, they weren't short on funds and were free to make the movie as they saw fit.

"Then I assume there won't be any last-minute cast changes due to investors meddling?"

"Absolutely not."

Cicely's lips curled into a smirk. "Then how come I've heard rumors that your carefully chosen cast had a last-minute substitution?"

In the past, they encountered situations like this too often during filming. For a drama, they had to cram in at least five or six amateur or internet influencers, to the extent that this particular drama became an exception with only one special case, which he subconsciously ignored.

Glancing at his somewhat awkward expression, Cicely stood outside the filming scene, where the staff were setting up the scene. The shoot took place indoors, with a backdrop of lush green surroundings. "There was one change. A newcomer recommended by the president of C&P Entertainment. But the director had her audition, and since she had stage experience and a striking presence—superior to the previous choice-she got the part."

His voice trailed off as Cicely's piercing gaze turned to him, her eyes narrowing with a chill. "She has stage experience, you say?"

As he was about to elaborate, a shout interrupted him. The director was ready to shoot.

Cicely turned to see the actors taking their places. A man in a dark blue robe embroidered with gold threads was likely the male lead, followed by two women in men's garb, one in a richly embroidered waistcoat and the other in a green tunic.

She knew that face all too well.

"Who's playing Claudia?" Cicely's voice cut through the air, her tone icy.

Claudia-the role Emiliana had fought for and then lost to someone else.

The assistant director stated plainly, "Claudia? That's Danielle, your cousin."

At the end of the day, the usurper was still an Ellis, Cicely's own cousin. A happy coincidence for the family.

Despite her plain attire, Cicely stood out in the crowd. Danielle, preparing to get into character, caught sight of her and paused, a flicker of annoyance crossing her face before returning her focus to the scene. A special favor. An actor handpicked by Seth himself.

How predictable.

She had suspected foul play the moment the original actor was replaced, but seeing it firsthand was almost laughable.

In Seth's eyes, just how naive did she have to be to let Danielle benefit from such nepotism without a word?

Theater was one thing, but acting was another. Even if Danielle was considered talented, the fact that she had caused six takes due to mistakes proved her inexperience in front of the camera.

She was just following the female lead as an attendant, simply standing there with few lines, and just putting on a poker face could get her so flustered. Was this considered good acting?

Everyone knew that Seth's recommendation wasn't based on pure talent. The director's hands were tied.

The set was tense after Danielle's sixth blunder, the director's patience wearing thin. He nearly exploded in anger but held back, mindful of her connections.

"Take five!" he finally yelled.

The director knew that Danielle was not someone to offend, but those around didn't know that she was the investor's protégé. They openly complained about Danielle causing delays and slowing down progress without any restraint.

Danielle was always someone who cared deeply about her reputation, and the whispers that reached her ears turned her face from red to pale in rapid succession. Since she knew Cicely was there to witness it all, the shame was even more unbearable. Looking up, she indeed saw Cicely smirking at her, oozing sarcasm.

Danielle turned to leave, but Cicely raised her voice to stop her. "Danielle, I came to check out the set. Am I some kind of monster you need to avoid?" Cicely called out. The director, in the midst of regaining his composure, turned to see Cicely and his eyes first flashed with admiration before quickly shifting to confusion and astonishment. Was this the rumored girlfriend of Mr. Diaz, the Ellis family's darling?

He glanced toward the assistant director by Cicely's side and after a brief, inconclusive exchange of looks, the assistant director walked over to him. "What's going on?"

Assistant Director: "Not sure, she's been asking non-stop about the recasting of the Claudia role."

Hearing this, the director looked over to where the two women stood, their tense standoff clear for all to see, and his face turned ashen. He stepped aside to call Seth. The phone rang for several seconds before Seth's calm voice answered, "What's up?"

"Mr. Diaz, did you know your girlfriend is on set?"

Girlfriend?

Seth was still not used to that term, but the next second his eyes narrowed sharply.

The director went on, "She's the Ellis family darling, so the assistant director didn't dare neglect her. She's been probing about the Claudia role being recast."

"Where is she now?"

"She's here on set, having stopped Claudia, it looks like they're about to talk."

Seth stood up, grabbed his coat, hung up, and immediately dialed Cicely's number.

Cicely had stopped Danielle, and whatever she said had caught everyone's attention. Danielle didn't want to become a subject of gossip, so she reluctantly approached Cicely. "Why are you here?"

Cicely, hands tucked in her down jacket pockets, smirked. "This isn't your time to show off your acting chops. Struggling to keep a straight face without flubbing takes after take, seems like you don't really 'get' the character."

Danielle, flushed with anger, "It's my first acting gig, and I just got the role. Is it so strange that I don't get it yet? Have you finally found some reason to mock me? Go ahead, laugh all you want in private, but with all these people around, can you keep it down a bit?"

Cicely's smile widened, colder now. "So you want me to protect your dignity now?"

Danielle glared at her, her gaze filled with warning. "You want the crowd to gossip about the Ellis sisters' feud?"

Cicely let out a laugh, "So you think I'll keep quiet for the sake of the Ellis family's reputation even if you're playing me behind my back?"

She paused, then with a single lifted glance, unleashed a world of scorn without saying a word. "Do you really think I'm that kind of person?" Danielle instinctively stepped back.

Her phone in her pocket suddenly rang. Cicely pulled it out, glanced at the caller ID- the screen was large and the text clear.

Danielle could see it was Seth calling. She exhaled in relief, "If it's nothing important, I'll be going."

But before she could turn away, Cicely hung up the call and, with a swift motion, slapped Danielle hard across the face.

The "slap" echoed sharply, drawing the stunned attention of everyone present. Their faces were a mix of natural curiosity and anticipation for the drama unfolding before them.

It was utterly unexpected. Danielle couldn't fathom that Cicely would actually slap her in front of so many people, especially in the entertainment industry. Flushed with humiliation and anger, she cried out, "Cicely!"

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