The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

Seth didn’t react.

Danielle glanced at Patty with a hint of panic, aware that she might not know as much as

her, having been abroad. She then looked at Creighton. Her lips quivered before she

spoke, “Since when?”

Creighton’s gaze was icy as he watched her for a few seconds. “Just now. While you were

out quietly fetching Patty, planning to surprise us with her return.”

Creighton admitted to himself that his words carried a deliberate sting. For years, this girl,

no matter what he did, never seemed to warm up to him.

He never judged the pursuit of love as right or wrong, but if from the beginning, Cicely had

not expressed her love for Seth, had held back, and had concealed her feelings for Seth,

then what kind of role would Seth be in Danielle’s eyes? Would Danielle realize that there

might be romantic feelings between her and Seth?

It was just because Cicely wanted him.d2

From the moment Danielle stepped through the doors of the Ellis family home, she had

been competing with Cicely in the shadows. Over the years, she seemed to have used

Cicely as a yardstick to measure the meaning of her own life.

Creighton’s dissatisfaction and sarcasm were evident in his tone.

Danielle took a small step back.

Patty, who had been smiling all along, silently watched everything unfold before turning

her gaze to Seth. “You said yes?”

Seth calmly hummed in affirmation.

Patty was still smiling, “I had no idea.”

“It’s not too late to know,” Seth said coolly.

“Hmm.” Patty hummed thoughtfully, “How is it not too late? You’ve missed your chance to

say no. Now all you have left is regret, which can hurt a girl’s heart even more.”

Creighton’s expression darkened instantly. “Patty.”

“Hmm?” Guests had started to leave, and the spacious living room was left to the butler

and servants cleaning up.

Patty’s eyes twinkled with mirth as she turned to Creighton, her hands tensing slightly in

the shadows at the sight of the coldness in his eyes.

“That look…” she muttered with a soft laugh, “Why does it always seem like I’m the one

who has done wrong, no matter the circumstance? Seth is my son, and I have the right to

an opinion. Your precious daughter is so delicate and fragile, I worry she won’t be handled

with care. If she feels slighted, how am I supposed to explain that to you?”

Creighton’s voice was stern, “I don’t need your explanations, nor do you owe me any. This

is between Cicely and Seth.”

Patty watched him quietly for a moment before speaking with a light chuckle. “True, young

people in love, why should I take it seriously?”

Her eyes flicked to Seth, who stood with furrowed brow and a cold expression. “As a man,

keep your boundaries. Don’t get in too deep.” Her implication was crystal clear.

“Patty, what exactly are you trying to do?”

Patty’s smile gradually faded, and her gaze, along with her voice, turned cold. “Am I wrong

again? It’s not okay for him to back out, and you’re not happy if he dates your precious

daughter. Tell me, what would be right?”

“Is this how you view a relationship?”

“And how do I view it? I know your daughter likes Seth, and I don’t want her to get hurt.

Plenty of people get hurt in love. The person you love doesn’t always have to be an

exception. Perhaps you still don’t understand that to others, love isn’t about fulfillment,

but destruction.”

Creighton frowned. “Patty, your words make me doubt whether you ever truly loved Tod.”

For a moment, Patty’s face twisted. Then she smiled warmly, gazing directly at Creighton,

and said slowly, “What do you think?”

Creighton’s frown deepened, and he was silent for a moment.

The atmosphere became tense, and even Danielle felt something was amiss. She

harbored a full heart of doubts, suspecting some entanglement among the elders of their

generation and perhaps… Her gaze lingered on Patty and Creighton, lips pursed, not

daring to continue her thoughts.

If Danielle could sense the tension, Seth most certainly did. His eyes narrowed slightly as

he watched Patty, but Patty did not let the atmosphere linger long, soon covering her

mouth with a chuckle. “I’ve had a son with him, and you question whether I loved him?”

The mood lightened somewhat.

“I was just preparing for the worst. They’re young, who knows how long their romance will

last, and how long the ty will stay fresh? Love should be approached with caution, as

in the end, it is the girl who suffers. I’d hate to see the relationship between our two

families, years in the making, affected by their youthful love.”

Creighton composed himself, considering Patty’s words reasonable. Despite that, no one

believed Patty’s words were without underlying meanings.

After seeing Patty and Seth off, Cicely’s coming-of-age celebration came to an end. Cicely

was now in her room, elated with the evening’s events. She was particularly satisfied with

this celebration

After all these years, her relationship with Seth had finally been confirmed.

—

The night hadn’t even ended when the internet exploded with news of Cicely’s lavish

celebration and the confirmation of her relationship with Seth. From then on, nearly

everyone knew that the little princess of P City was no longer available.

Seth thought Patty might say something, but she remained silent.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were back?

“Now I regret it. If I had told you, maybe tonight you wouldn’t have ended up making your

affair with Cicely the talk of the town.”

The car slowed to a stop in front of the Diaz family mansion. Seth unfastened his seatbelt,

his voice detached, “There’s no escaping it.”

“Is that so?” Patty scoffed, her voice laced with a mocking chill. “Seth, that sounds like

you’re making excuses, like it’s got nothing to do with real feelings. Is that it?”

Seth swung the car door open and stepped out onto the curb.

Patty was quick on his heels. “Answer me!”

Seth circled the front of the car, his tall frame coming to a halt before her.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“Yes, I really hope so.” Patty’s lips twisted into a bitter smile, “But I also hope that she

really loves you, more than I can see, more than I can imagine.”

A crease formed between Seth’s brows as his eyes locked onto hers, the light from the

yard unable to penetrate the dark shadow of his gaze. After a few seconds, a low chuckle

escaped him.

Patty’s face darkened. “What’s so funny?”

“If you’d just spill the beans about your beef with the Ellis family, maybe I’d consider

getting even on your behalf. But why should I hurt a woman who only has eyes for me,

without a good reason? Do you really think I’m that heartless?”

Patty’s eyes flickered, and she stepped back. “So, you like this woman who only has eyes

for you, huh?”

Seth stood tall, his expression unreadable. “What if I do?”

Patty’s face darkened in an instant. “You can date all you want, but don’t even think about

marrying her. I won’t have it.”

Without giving Seth a chance to respond, Patty turned on her heel and strode into the

mansion. Seth remained rooted to the spot, his dark eyes tracking Patty’s retreating

figure, his expression unreadable.

Instead of following her inside, he took out a slim cigarette, lit it, and leaned against the

car. The wispy smoke veiled his already shadowed eyes. His gaze, which usually betrayed

no emotion, was now obscured even in its outline, dark, brooding, tinged with a touch of

arrogance and solitude.

Patty had said a lot tonight, but most of what she had told him was of this nature. It

seemed like their conversations revolved solely around Danielle and Cicely.

No, not seemed. In truth, their so-called mother-son relationship had little overlap. The

amount she spoke with Danielle in a day probably matched the sum of their yearly

interactions.

These past two years, their interactions had increased, yet they were all about influencing

his future.

The cigarette glowed and faded in the night, and in his mind, his heart, his taste, his body,

Patty’s words from tonight replayed unconsciously, over and over.

“I hope she truly loves you, more than I can see, more than I can imagine.”

Patty had said so much that was worth delving into, pondering, even agonizing over, but it

was this sentence alone that seemed to echo in his being, looping endlessly.

She truly loves you. More than one can see, more than one can imagine…

What would that be like?

Drawing the last drag deeply, Seth crushed the cigarette butt beneath his foot. Why

bother pondering? He wasn’t likely to find out anyway.

*

One day, Cicely couldn’t help it and went to the company to find Seth.

Having grown up under Creighton’s wing, she knew that being at the helm of a company

meant managing a myriad of employees and layers of hierarchy. Still, she barely saw him.

He must be very busy. Busy with what, she had no idea.

Cicely arrived at the company and found Seth’s office. There he was, sitting at his desk,

his handsome, aloof face staring at the computer screen, the light reflected on his silver-

framed glasses.

Hearing her approach, he glanced at her, his reaction as still as a pond, as if her presence

was fully expected.

He looked at her briefly before returning his focus to the screen, his long fingers tapping

rapidly on the keyboard, the only sound in the office the rhythmic “tap tap tap” of keys

being struck.

Watching him work with such focus, Cicely felt a twinge of resentment at his apparent

disregard for her, but she obediently took a seat on the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window.

The sound of the keyboard continued uninterrupted, yet Seth’s gaze had followed her

movement, lingering momentarily on her feet before returning to his work.

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