The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride
Chapter 2022

Charlie stopped mid-sentence and glanced at Seth.

Seth, lips pressed tightly together, made his way over.

Patty stepped aside with a frosty look as he opened the office door and followed him in.

Charlie faintly heard Patty ask Seth, "Do you know why I came today?"

That question... He scratched his temple and shifted to the side.

Just then, the elevator dinged at their floor, making Charlie's heart skip a beat. He knew this was trouble. Before he could think of what to do, he saw Cicely stepping out with two bags in her hands.d2 He hurried forward, reaching to take the bags from her. "Ms. Cicely, you might need to wait a bit longer. Mr. Diaz is still in a meeting."

Cicely gave him an extra look, "Charlie, you feeling okay today?"

With a sheepish grin and a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead, Charlie replied, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Cicely rarely invested her thoughts in others and didn't take much notice of Charlie's odd behavior today. She headed straight for Seth's office. "It's fine. I can wait for him in his office, I'm not in a hurry." Charlie tried several times to stand in her way, not keen on her nearing the office, but each attempt faltered before action. Such an obvious refusal would make the problem too apparent. "Ms. Cicely..."

"Seth!"

Cicely's silhouette paused at the office door.

The former was Charlie's final, helpless plea. The latter, a sharp rebuke, came from Patty inside the office.

Charlie closed his eyes, especially embarrassed when Cicely silently glanced his way.

"What are you trying to do? Warning Danielle to not talk too much in front of me? If you don't want to worry me, then why don't you just agree to her? She's not without merit. Numerous talent agencies are vying for her. Now she wants to sign with you, and you treat her like this? Rejected her several times? She can't even get an appointment with you? Is that reasonable?!"

"This is my company's business. I can judge whether she's qualified."

"What kind of judgment do you have? Don't think I don't know what you're up to. Is it because of Cicely again? How much more are you going to cater to her?"

"If you know I'm trying to please her, then stop bringing up Danielle's issues and causing me trouble."

Cicely frowned from outside the door.

Pleasing? Talking about pleasing her in front of Patty? She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, subconsciously wanting to hear more.

"So, how much does Danielle have to suffer? If wasn't Danielle's identity, signing her would be the obvious choice, right? You said Cicely is nice and understanding. If you explain it to her, she shouldn't object." "If everyone is so keen on Danielle, she'll get better treatment elsewhere than from signing with me. Are you sure you want me to bring up Danielle's case in front of Cicely, who has harbored resentment for her?"

Patty took a deep breath, "But Danielle joining your company is just a matter of time."

"Definitely not now."

Seth's tone finally broke through his restraint, showing a hint of impatience.

Cicely's hands at her sides clenched tightly, her gaze shadowed by a faint gloom.

Silence fell in the office for a moment, and Patty's next words were less heated. "What about Danielle then? Seth, I'm warning you, Danielle is set on acting now. When you weren't the same circle, it's all good, but now that you're in the same industry, you must look after her. Don't use Cicely as a shield. If you really care, you'll manage it."

Still hopeful, she added, "If you directly sign Danielle and look after her, that's only right. Even if Cicely finds out, she can't complain."

"If she truly encounters a problem, I'll consider helping. But for now, when I say I won't sign her, I mean it."

"Fine. I'll talk to Danielle, but remember, by next year, after you've married her and, as you said, secured the Ellis family's influence and shares, you better sort this out. I must be crazy to actually agree to let you marry her."

Cicely's heart skipped a beat, and suddenly her legs felt weak. She stepped back, feeling lightheaded.

Charlie, who was too far from the office to hear the exchange, approached Cicely with concern, "Ms. Cicely, are you alright?"

Cicely's hands trembled slightly as she looked up at Charlie, her beautiful face expressionless, her voice as calm as water. "I need to use the restroom."

Not two minutes after she left, Patty emerged from the office.

Charlie entered next. He placed the two paper bags on the coffee table. Seth was sitting in his chair, his face a mask of brooding darkness. "Mr. Diaz, Ms. Cicely brought these from the Lucky Spoon." Seth's gaze lifted slowly, the storm in his eyes yet to dissipate, his voice low and strained, "Where is she?"

Startled by Seth's demeanor, Charlie replied hesitantly, "She's in the restroom."

Seth's attention finally shifted to the paper bags on the coffee table. "Did you get the cake?"

"I just sent someone to pick it up; it should be back soon."

"Alright." Seth pinched the bridge of his nose and stood from his chair, moving towards the door.

Charlie quickly stepped out, "I'll check if the cake has arrived."

Shortly after Charlie left, Cicely returned. Seth was now seated on the couch, having laid out the soup and a few side dishes, the coffee table half-covered.

Seth caught Cicely's entrance from the corner of his eye, his features indifferent as he glanced her way. "Don't tell me you skipped lunch."

Cicely locked eyes with him for a couple of seconds, offering a half-hearted smile before approaching. "I did, actually."

Seth furrowed his brows. "What on earth were you doing that you missed lunch?"

"I dropped by the wedding planner's office, then window-shopped at a couple of bridal boutiques."

She settled beside Seth, her gaze fixed on his face as she approached, searching for any hint of a reaction. But whether she was too naive or Seth was too good at hiding his feelings, Cicely couldn't read anything out of the ordinary. His smile was measured, and when he spoke, smile tinged his voice. "Spot any dresses that caught your eye?"

"Well, I only hit three shops. Saw some pretty ones, but I think there might be something better out there."

"Did you try any on?"

"Isn't trying on dresses something you're supposed to do with me?"

Seth cradled a bowl of porridge, spooning a taste and offering it to Cicely's lips, which she accepted with an open mouth.

"Yeah, maybe this weekend I'll have some time." He spoke only after seeing her obediently swallow.

Cicely picked up a fork, spearing a bite of side salad and popping it into her mouth with a satisfied squint. "Sounds good."

Seth fed her another spoonful. "Eat up, okay?"

Taking the spoon from him, Cicely responded, "You should look at tuxedos too."

Seth just chuckled noncommittally, reaching for another bowl of soup.

As they neared the end of the meal, there was a knock at the office door. Setting down his bowl, Seth called out, and Charlie came in bearing a cake.

"Ms. Cicely, this is a sugar-free cake Mr. Diaz specifically asked me to pick up for you."

"Thank you."

Cicely turned towards Seth with a beaming smile. "So nice. What do you want as a reward?"

"Any reward I want?"

She nodded. "Of course."

Seth raised an eyebrow, looked at her and said, "How about you throw some of your shares my way?"

"Sure." Cicely pulled the cake closer without a hint of hesitation.

Seth gave her a longer look, his smile fading a touch. "A cake for a company?"

"What's mine is yours, isn't it? In the end, I'm up one cake, right?"

Seth fell silent, leaning back on the couch, watching as she casually forked cake into her mouth. "Do you even know what owning even one percent of the Ellis Group's shares means?" Cicely tilted her head in thought. "Lots and lots of money?"

Seth pursed his lips. "Not wrong. One percent of a huge sum could equal the profits of a five-star hotel for at least a decade, not counting future appreciation."

"Well, that's the Ellis Group."

Her expression wasn't particularly surprised; she'd known the Ellis family was wealthy since she was a child.

"But that's my dad's, and it will be yours in the future. If you're counting on me, a hundred five-star hotels wouldn't be enough for my adventures."

After saying this, Cicely looked at Seth with a smile. "So, I guess you'll be taking care of things, hubby?"

Seth's eyes narrowed slightly. "What did you call me?"

"Hubby? Isn't that right?" Cicely's face was the picture of innocence.

Seth eyed the cake in her hand. "Is the cake good?"

"Delicious."

"You've had quite a bit. Aren't you tired of it?"

"I'll stop after this piece. If you didn't want me to have so much, why buy a whole cake?"

"I wanted to make sure you had enough, not that you'd eat it all. The room's got toiletries if you need them." He gestured towards the hidden lounge. Cicely popped the last bite of cake into her mouth, then sighed contentedly, patting her belly gently. "Looks like I might have to hit the gym later."

Seth's gaze flickered over her flat stomach, his lips tightening.

As Cicely opened the lounge door and stepped inside, a warm pressure suddenly pressed against her from behind. She was nudged into the room, instinctively turning her head in confusion. A force encircled her waist, and before she could react, she found herself pinned against the wall.

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