The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride
Chapter 2014

"You know, I didn't expect you'd let things go so easily. I just couldn't stop thinking about the other night, how I got a real taste of you. Didn't realize this mug of mine had so many uses."

Cicely's eyelid twitched, "Have you got no self-control when it comes to women?"

"Depends on the woman."

The last word was barely out before Seth's lips claimed hers.

Cicely turned her head to escape, but his lips accurately followed. "Get lost! I'm still mad at you."

"I can't wait, Mrs. Diaz."d2

At that moniker, Cicely froze, each nerve in her body seemed to be struck, leaving her unsettled for a long time. By the time she came to her senses, she found herself pressed into the soft embrace of the bed. Anger surged within her, but the more she struggled, the easier it was for Seth to peel away her clothes.

"I seriously wonder if you'll stray someday because you can't control your urges."

Her voice was soft, trying to sound fierce, but it wasn't quite effective.

"Don't trust me?" Seth's fingers caressed the nape of her neck, his voice deep and lazy, especially sultry in the post-intimacy atmosphere.

"Does your trust depend on control?"

Seth's hand, massaging her neck, moved into the strands of her hair, rubbing against her scalp. Cicely's eyelashes trembled gently, and she comfortably shifted her shoulders. "So, can we call it even this time?"

Cicely frowned, looked up at him, "What do you mean 'call it even"?"

"You questioned me, right?" Seth said calmly, "I apologize for doubting you before. Can we let this go and not bring it up again?"

Cicely watched him for a long while, feeling drained, managing only a faint smile, "You can turn any word I say to your advantage. If I was really questioning you seriously, and you, before any investigation, would you choose to let it go?"

Seth paused, "There's nothing we can't get past."

"Seth," Cicely said, "What I want is not for you to trust me only after you've calmed down and found out I'm not to blame. That's not trust; that's just accepting the facts. In your eyes, I'm no different from anyone else. If you think it doesn't matter and don't care if I treat you like any other man, then go ahead, do as you please, and let everything slide easily."

It took a while for Seth to respond, "So, how can we make this not so easy to get past?"

Cicely bit her lip, silent.

She didn't know. She didn't want things to be easy, but once they happened, she could only let them go. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to move on. And that wasn't what she wanted. The silence filled the bedroom, dispelling the earlier intimacy completely.

After a while, Seth chuckled without an answer. "Don't know how to answer, huh? You don't want to forgive me easily, but you don't really want to stay mad at me."

Cicely, with a cold expression, felt exposed by his straightforwardness. She couldn't help but feel truly humble, as if she had reached the lowest point.

"You're right, I should have chosen to trust you from the start, not question you by default. I was wrong, okay?"

She was at a loss with this man. He had made amends and apologized. If she remained aloof, wouldn't she be ungrateful?

Seth leaned in, his forehead against hers, his voice low and seductive, "Mrs. Diaz, I was wrong, and I'm willing to be punished. Whatever you decide."

Cicely pursed her lips, looked up at him, her expression a mix of hurt and pity. "I don't even know what you care about. What kind of punishment is it if I can't hit where it hurts?" Seth smirked, "So no punishment?"

Cicely glared at him, "Dream on. This will be on your tab. When I figure out what matters to you, we'll settle both new and old scores."

Seth nodded, "Okay, I'll wait. But I think you might never get to punish me."

Cicely frowned, "Why?"

Seth didn't answer, just smiled and rolled, pinning her beneath him again.

Cicely held her breath, "You... it's never-ending with you."

A lifetime without punishment?

Seth was mistaken. He thought Cicely might never discover what he truly cared about. He also believed that even if she did, the punishment would never come.

Yet, it happened and it took half a lifetime, nearly fatal.

Cicely felt like she had died several times, only to be brought back each time by this man in his own way.

Completely drained, Cicely pushed Seth to go down for dinner before surrendering to sleep.

The exposed skin of her arms and shoulders was delicate, with a scatter of faint blush marks. He had kissed nearly every inch of her body. The aftermath left traces that made one's heart race just by looking. She had refused even a shower, yet she didn't forget that he hadn't eaten lunch.

She had too many labels as the pampered princess of the Ellis family in P City, but with him, she was just so understanding.

Her concern moved Seth deeply. He kissed her flushed, warm face, a soft, fragrant caress.

Exhausted Cicely barely opened her eyes, snuggled deeper into the bed, and murmured "go eat," dodging his kiss to bury her face in the pillow, overtaken by fatigue.

Seth let her be, turning to leave the bed. He hadn't stayed over at the Ellis residence before, but nobody seemed surprised by his presence.

The staff was always around, and upon seeing him come down, they immediately went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. The Ellis family treated Seth, their son-in-law, with the utmost respect and hospitality.

Cicely missed breakfast with Seth, lying in bed staring at the ceiling for a long time. She texted Issac, managed to get ready, and arrived at school just in time for the second period.

The buzz around the school about yesterday's trending topic had cooled down just as quickly as it had faded from the internet. But for Cicely, although she wasn't holding a grudge against Seth, she couldn't just let go of the person who had steered the winds of gossip her way behind the scenes. She was determined to find out who else was playing these petty games behind her back.

The hype around the drama belonged to the drama itself, but Seth remained quite low-key, including his company, which was a small media firm with a registered capital of five million.

It was unlikely that someone was targeting him personally. The only thing she could think of was that the over-promotion of the drama from the start had stepped on someone else's toes. Such a scenario was plausible, but the replacement of an actor was an internal matter of the production crew. Even when Cicely had made a scene that day, there were no outsiders on set.

The crew had signed confidentiality agreements and wouldn't leak information without permission, risking trouble.

After much thought, Cicely felt that it wasn't a move against Seth or the drama, but possibly someone targeting her.

But who had she offended? Aside from Danielle, she couldn't think of anyone else. However, in the recent storm of public opinion, Danielle was at the center, followed by the negative impact on the drama. After a moment's thought, the least likely person seemed to be Danielle. So, who could it be?

She waited for a message from Issac.

In the afternoon, Issac delivered the results of his investigation.

Cicely couldn't believe it and confirmed with Issac repeatedly, "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Cicely's expression turned icy and, with a burst of anger, she let out a scornful laugh.

"Miss," Issac sensed Cicely's emotions teetering on the edge and couldn't help but add, "Don't act hastily. I'm at home."

Her expression faltered, "My dad knows too?"

"He asked, and I couldn't lie. Also, he wants you to come home immediately."

Cicely took a deep breath, on the verge of refusal, but then she heard Creighton's deep, almost commanding voice through the phone. "Come home. I need to talk to you." "Dad."

"Cicely, be a good girl, and listen to me. Cough, cough, cough."

A series of violent coughs came through the receiver. Cicely furrowed her brows, and as the coughing stopped abruptly, the phone call was cut off.

She opened her email to review the message Issac had sent her. Cicely managed to suppress the raging fury within her, stepped out of the school, and dialed Seth's number. "I want to know, regarding the incident that trended yesterday, what are the findings of your investigation? Do you know who did it?"

Seth paused for a moment before replying, "I do."

"Who?"

"Ray."

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