The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

Noah instinctively stepped back, his shoulder pressing against the nearby digital billboard.

Shock flickered through his dark eyes as he reached out to push her away, but Ella leaned in again, nibbling at

his lips.

A tremor ran through Noah's heart as he lowered his eyelashes, shock mingling with the sight of the girl's

delicate face. Her eyes were tightly shut, but her long lashes quivered.

She was nervous and scared. The moment her lips touched his, her heart ached fiercely. She truly loved him.

She yearned for more of this touch, but sadly, he could never be hers.

Her kiss was clumsy, retreating one moment and pressing harder the next. Finally, she slowly lifted her eyelids,

her dazed eyes glistening with tears.d2

“Uncle Noah, I like you. But this is enough. Let's pretend | had you just this once. When we meet again, you'll

just be my uncle and I'll be your niece for the rest of our lives.”

After she spoke, she pushed him away forcefully, as if afraid he'd lose his temper, and then she hurried toward

the security checkpoint.

Noah, coming back to his senses, could still feel the lingering warmth and softness on his lips. After the initial

shock, he shoved aside the hint of longing in his heart, his brows furrowing deeply as he turned to look at the girl

who had already reached the security area.

She had just passed through the manual check, grabbed her bag without looking back, and ran off.

Her figure and her actions, especially those resolute eyes and words, tightened his heart suddenly. The emotions

he had been holding back these days surged once again.

He detested this persistent feeling, his face cold as he walked out of the airport terminal.

Outside, the chauffeur stood by the car, chatting with another driver. Seeing Noah, the chauffeur quickly ended

the conversation and opened the car door for him.

As the chauffeur circled to the driver's side, he bid the other driver farewell.

“I guess I'll have an easier twithout having to chauffeur him around; we should grab a beer sometime.” The

other chauffeur patted the chauffeur on the shoulder, “Hitup with a call.”

“Sure thing!” The chauffeur agreed cheerfully, smiling as he hopped into the car.

“Sir, shall we head straight to the office?”

It was still early to head to the office, and he could easily go hor leisurely enjoy a breakfast instead, but

Noah simply hummed in affirmation. The chauffeur wasn’t surprised.

Noah looked unwell, his mind replaying Ella’s words and gaze at the airport, and that unexpected kiss.

“Sir, are you concerned for the young lady's safety traveling alone?” The chauffeur hesitated before speaking.

The entire Tretton family, even the whole of P City, knew how Noah doted on his niece. And Miss Ella was indeed

smart and lively, endearing to all.

Noah didn’t respond, his eyes closed, his slender fingers pressing against his forehead, his ring finger brushing

his lips, feeling again that tender sweetness.

Unaware of what had transpired between them, the chauffeur thought Noah was just worried about Ella’s safety.

So he continued, “You don’t have to worry too much, sir. We've arranged bodyguards, haven't we? If you're really

concerned, why not call Mr. Paul? | heard from his driver that he’s also heading to Western Europe.”

Noah's fingers stiffened, and he suddenly looked up at the rearview mirror, his voice cold and ominous. “What

did you say?”

The driver flinched at Noah's tone and his intimidating look. “I just said not to worry too much.”

Noah cut him off, “Which Paul?”

“Well, Mr. Paul from the Reeves family. If | remember correctly, he’s quite close with Miss Ella.”

In a flash, Noah's eyes flickered with numerous thoughts, and then a tide of rage surged in his chest.

She deceived him?

She wasn’t going on a trip alone. She had planned to go with Paul. They had kept their overseas trip a secret

from him?!

“Turn back.”

The chauffeur’s hand trembled, “What?”

“Back to the airport!” He nearly roared those three words.

The chauffeur fell silent.

When the car continued on straight for a while longer, Noah took a deep breath, his voice now seemingly calmer

than before, but even more chilling. “Didn’t you hearsay back to the airport?”

“Sir, we are on the overpass...”

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A vein throbbed on Noah's forehead.

Noah pulled out his phone and dialed Ella’s number. The call was met with a cold female voice indicating the

phone was switched off.

At this point, Ella's attitude these past few days, her actions at the airport today, the oversized, heavy suitcase,

her demeanor with Jon, and even the looks and actions of his father, all seemed out of the ordinary.

But why? After all, it was just a trip abroad for a few days. Even if she went with Paul, she would have to return

eventually, so why such attitudes?

The familiar, loathsfeeling in his chest suddenly surged, doubling in intensity.

He had never wanted to admit, and thought it impossible, that the unnamed emotion plaguing him was—unease.

Finally, after exiting the overpass, the car turned around. Noah then dialed Paul's number. The mechanical voice

that answered was no different from Ella’s.

Noah's expression darkened, as if a storm was brewing. He then made another call, “Delay the next flight to the

Netherlands by half an hour.”

“Sir,” the driver interjected nervously, “I believe Miss Ella’s flight might have already taken off.”

Noah glanced at the ton his phone; it had been more than ten minutes since the flight's scheduled

departure. Ella seemed to have timed her security check to perfection.

He then called the two bodyguards he had arranged, only to find their phones off as well. It seemed she had

indeed gone.

After a long moment, he let out a low chuckle, “Ella, you've got quite the nerve.”

The sinister tone sent a shiver down the chauffeur’s spine.

“Proceed to the office.”

The chauffeur: “Yes.”

“Once you're back, I'll deal with you properly.” He murmured lowly, as if only meant for himself to hear.

He pressed his fingers against his throbbing temples, his hand clutching the phone trembling slightly.

Seven days. That was all the liberty he had given her. He'd let her gallivant abroad with Paul for a week.

Jon had been waiting at hfor Noah to discover something, and he had even prepared himself for the

possibility that Noah might question him. However, Jon waited for a whole morning, and Noah didn’t show up.

Noah was too smart not to notice something. The chauffeur had also already given Jon the lowdown on the day's

events. From the driver's shaky voice, Jon could imagine the rage that must have seized his son.

Noah had even considered pulling strings to delay an international flight. What was he even thinking?

In the following days, Noah behaved as if nothing had happened.

He made his daily pilgrimage back to the family home, wined and dined, even stayed the night, but never once

mentioned to his father that Ella had snuck off with Paul. Noah didn’t bring it up, and Jon didn’t mention it either.

This little escapade of Ella’s was likely to dilute more than just her own feelings. Jon had a hunch that it was his

seemingly indifferent son who was in dire need of time.

“Why are you always hthese days? You shouldn't leave all the engagement party planning to Rebecca.

Women are sensitive creatures, especially insecure at times like this. You should be spending more twith

her.”

Noah's eyelids lifted, his gaze piercing as he stared down his father before retracting his eyes just as discontent

appeared on his father’s face. “Once the theme's settled, there's little to fuss over. I'll be there for her when it

matters. Our affairs are in order.”

Jon's face darkened with displeasure. “Noah, nobody forced you into marriage. Now, whatever's on your mind,

you must ensure there are no hiccups at this engagement party.”

“What's there to worry about? Why would you think something might go wrong with the engagement party?”

Leaning back on the couch, Noah's gaze once again settled on his father, his eyes calm yet penetrating.

Jon squinted back, “Before asking me, you ought to ask yourself that question.”

Noah rose from his seat, “The engagement party will go off without a hitch, and it will be a splendid affair. Ella

wants to have fun, right? After her little jaunt, she can continue to enjoy herself at the party. To ensure her

enjoyment, perhaps we should upscale the event even further.”

Jon sipped his tea nonchalantly, unfazed. “The engagement party is for your future wife, not for Ella’s

amusement.”

“Isn't pleasing both a better outcome?”

With a loud “crash,” a fine cup shattered at Noah's feet. “What do you mean by ‘pleasing both’? What nonsense

are you spouting? What does Ella have to do with your engagement party? You think she'd be keen to attend?”

The last sentence made Noah suddenly clench his fists. “So what?”

Jon's breathing hitched as he realized he’d been baited into this conversation.

Such a convoluted ruse...

He closed his eyes tightly, weariness washing over him, and then he shut his eyes. “Get out. I'm tired and not in

the mood to discuss this now.”

Noah's gaze lingered on Jon before he turned and left, his face taut.

Upon arriving in the Netherlands, Ella and Paul didn't check into the hotel arranged by Noah. They bought new

SIM cards and checked into a different hotel. The bodyguards assigned by Noah were replaced by those

dispatched by Jon as soon as they landed.

After catching up on sleep, they contacted the travel agency set up by Noah.

Ella had dicussed this with Paul, so he decided to go with the sagency. The reason was to avoid Noah

catching on too soon. If his agency reported they couldn't see her, she wasn’t sure if Noah would cstorming

after her.

She knew her grandfather had been pressuring him at work, but she needed to keep him at bay.

In fact, Noah had indeed kept tabs through the agency back home, and hearing that Ella was dutifully

participating did indeed settle him.

He was waiting, gambling. He was sure that Ella would return as promised and when she did, he wouldn't let her

off lightly.

Noah had suppressed his unease, outwardly calm as he dealt with an unexpected pile of work and prepared for

his engagement party with Rebecca.

Everything continued smoothly.

On the 13th, he arrived at the airport early in the morning.

He had sat in the villa’s living room all night, not sleeping. At dawn, he grabbed his jacket and drove straight to

the airport. The return ticket he had booked for Ella was for a flight that afternoon at five.

As he sat in his car, his bloodshot eyes were fixed on the watch on his wrist. He waited in the underground

parking lot all day, and as the hand struck four, he stepped out and stood at the arrivals gate, his gaze heavy

and fixed on the exit.

Tall and imposing, he stood motionless, an aura of intensity surrounding him.

Wave after wave of people left the terminal, and as the plane’s landing tapproached, Noah's expression

turned even more steely.

After ten, twenty, thirty minutes, Noah's fist clenched white in his pocket. He waited stubbornly for forty minutes,

fifty minutes, an hour.

From five in the evening until midnight, he waited through every incoming flight, but the one person he sought,

the disobedient niece, never appeared.

For seven days, he hadn't thought or asked about anything, just gambled that Ella was merely hiding her travels

with Paul.

As long as she cback, he would simply give her a good scolding. All the suspicions that had unsettled him

before were deliberately pushed aside. He believed that teaching her a lesson about deceiving him on this

matter would be sufficient.

He had wagered that she wouldn't deceive him again, that she didn’t have the guts, but it seemed her audacity

had grown.

Jon's call cat that moment, Noah answered, and Jon's words were direct, “Chome. Ella isn’t coming

back.”

“What do you mean she isn’t coming back?” Noah's voice was ice as he turned and strode towards the airport's

main entrance.

“Is it the Reeves family?” His tone was heavy, resonating with an ominous chill.

Jon's angry voice followed, “What are you planning to do?!”

“Paul had sweet-talked Ella away, hadn't he? I'll make the Reeves cough her up. And as for your little

matchmaking plans with Ella and Paul, you can forget it. | won't agree to Ella marrying him.”

Jon took a deep breath, his voice raspy with exertion. “Noah...”

Noah hung up the phone abruptly, and drove straight to the Reeves’ estate.

Staring at the disconnected call, Jon's face was a mask of shock. Had his son lost his mind?

“Sir.” The butler stood by, equally shaken by the confrontation.

Jon, trembling, handed his phone over and, with a heavy heart, ordered, “Get the car ready. We're heading to the

Reeves’ estate.”

“Yes, sir.”

Noah's car was stopped right at the gates of the Reeves’ mansion by Jon's arriving vehicle. Unable to drive

through, Noah stepped out of his car.

Jon stood there, immovable as an ancient pine, his presence alone blocking the way. Seeing Noah, he shook with

barely contained rage. “You actually chere?!”

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“Move aside, Dad.”

Jon's chest heaved with fury. “Noah, what are you thinking? You do realize you're engaged to be married?!”

“What does that have anything to do withfinding Ella?” Noah spoke calmly, but the chill in his eyes under

the dim streetlights was unmistakable.

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Noah's cold, intense gaze was fixed on Jon's face. He even took two steps toward Jon, and the icy pressure

emanating from him was so intense that Jon felt a palpable oppression. “Where did she go?”

Jon snorted coldly. “I had thought to tell you later, but now, I can’t think of a single reason why I should.”

“Dad, I'm Ella's uncle.”

“I hope you remember that forever. You're Ella’s uncle!” Jon roared with anger. “I won't tell you where Ella is. She

won't be coming back! Don’t go looking for her. Don’t disturb her life anymore. You have no right to interfere in

her life, much less dictate it.”

Noah's face twitched fiercely. “Not coming back?” He paused, then chuckled bitterly. “So to avoid me, she’s even

willing to leave you? Who's she supposed to live with that | can’t disturb? Paul?”

“Anyone but you!” Jon’s words hung in the air, leaving a profound silence.

Paul's father, Gilbert, who had been standing behind Jon, was visibly shocked by these revelations. Jon and Noah

had been at odds the moment they stepped out of their cars, and he hadn't even had the chance to speak.

When Jon had cearlier, mentioning not to disclose Paul's study abroad, Gilbert had been surprised.

They knew that Ella had gone with Paul. They thought it was good news, and there was no need to hide it from

Noah. But seeing the Jon's grave expression, Gilbert had complied.

Little did Gilbert know, Noah would cstorming over, demanding to take Ella away.

It wasn’t until Jon's declaration that Gilbert realized everything. Noah had feelings for his own niece.

What if this got out...

Moreover, wasn’t Noah supposed to be getting engaged?

Deep down, Noah knew his father was right, and he had thought the sway. He'd never considered a future

for Ella, not even any relationship beyond uncle and niece. Noah just knew she was supposed to live with him,

within his sight.

Others wouldn't accept any relationship beyond uncle and niece. Ella couldn’t bear the gossip and criticism from

all sides. He just thought Ella should live with him for life.

However, his father’s words shattered the belief he had held so confidently, the one thing he thought would

never change.

What was left for him and Ella?

In that moment, it was as if he awoke. Their living together was the only meaning of their relationship as uncle

and niece. So what was the point of the relationship he had worked so hard to maintain? Why break this delicate

balance?

At this point, Jon also realized his own lapse. Family secrets had spilled out

“I gave you both a chance, especially you. If you don’t want Ella to get hurt, then stay away from her. You are my

son, and | can’t do much to you, but with Ella, | can. If you can’t see that, then she will bear the consequences.”

Noah's breath hitched, his heart felt as if it was being squeezed tightly, and the air in his chest seemed to be

drawn out slowly. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and when he spoke again, he seemed much calmer. “You don’t need

to threaten me.”

“Don’t believe me? Just wait and see if I'm really threatening you.”

Jon's expression and eyes didn’t show the slightest trace of being moved.

Noah pressed his lips together, glanced at Gilbert standing awkwardly behind Jon, who could only respond with a

forced half-smile.

Finally, Noah turned and got back into his car without a word.

It was only after the car turned and disappeared into the distance that Jon exhaled, his tense body suddenly

relaxed, and he staggered, supported by the quick reflexes of Gilbert.

Jon had never imagined he would one day confront his son like this, and it had drained him of so much strength.

Steadying himself, Jon gave a reluctant wave in Gilbert's direction and finally managed to utter an apologetic

“Sorry.”

Noah drove a considerable distance before he suddenly slammed on the brakes. The sound of screeching tires

echoed through the early morning stillness on the deserted mountain road.

His mind raced back to every move Ella made when she left. He had sensed something was off but had been

lying to himself all along.

She wasn’t saying goodbye for a mere seven-day road trip. She was bidding farewell for good, leaving him

behind.

Noah thought to himself. “Ella, if you've got the nerve, then make sure | never see you again.”