The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

Creighton couldn’t help but chuckle and shake his head as the maid informed him that his

daughter Cicely had followed Seth to the office. He knew all too well that it was his darling

girl who insisted on tagging along.

Creighton always wanted to shield his daughter from any hardship and had envisioned her

future partner to be someone exceptional and loving. However, he had never anticipated

that it would be Cicely chasing after her betrothed.

There was a twinge of frustration in his heart, but since his daughter liked it, there was

nothing he could do. Besides, he mused, if any other lad had pursued her, she likely

wouldn’t have given them the time of day.

With Cicely’s temperament, the only possibility for her was to fall for the guy first before

she took the initiative.

Just, of all people, she had to set her sights on the aloof Seth.

When Cicely arrived, Seb naturally spared no effort in making her feel welcome.d2

Cicely shared an office with Seth, a space that Creighton had specifically instructed Seb to

set aside for Seth. Lounging casually on a leather couch, Cicely munched on a fruit platter

that Seb had arranged to be brought in. Nestled by the floor-to-ceiling windows, she could

gaze out at the distant blue sea and clear skies.

Seth sat at his desk, discussing work matters with Seb, while Cicely paid little attention to

the conversation, content to just listen to Seth’s deep and steady voice, which inexplicably

filled her with a sense of accomplishment—more so than acing an exam. Oddly enough.

Popping a piece of cantaloupe into her mouth, Cicely knelt on the couch, resting her chin

on the backrest as she watched Seth. Next to Seb, he looked so young. Yet, without a hint

of panic, his composure spoke of someone both grounded and dependable.

If this was him at the beginning, how much more dashing would he be once he grew into

his role, confident and adept?

Cicely’s unabashed gaze was intense enough to finally draw Seth’s attention. “Can you

learn by staring at my face?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Cicely blinked and then burst into laughter. “That’s exactly what my teacher used to say.”

Seth’s expression darkened slightly as Seb, sharing a similar memory, chuckled along.

“If you don’t do your homework, then leave.” Seth said, a hint of irritation in his voice.

Sensing that Seth was genuinely annoyed, Cicely pouted and turned back to the couch,

pulling out her textbooks and pen from her backpack.

Once Seb left and the office quieted down, Cicely studied on the couch while Seth worked

at his desk.

Time passed until Seth got up to get some water, his gaze inadvertently falling on the too-

quiet corner of the room.

The so-called studious young lady was now sprawled on the couch, a book pressed to her

chest and a pen in her hand, already soundly asleep, resting her head on the armrest.

Seth smirked in a hint of mockery, but his feet carried him toward her nonetheless. Her

appearance was devoid of any image-consciousness, yet her sleeping form was orderly.

She was dressed in a plain long dress, with a hint of disarray to be seen. Her skirt was

neat, her legs modestly placed together, revealing just her shapely calves. Her head tilted

slightly to the side, her dark hair cascading over the armrest.

He could understand why Danielle always talked about her. It wasn’t just her; any woman

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would likely feel jealous in Cicely’s presence.

Flawless beauty, born with a silver spoon, the cherished princess of the Ellis family in P

City…

Danielle’s sensitivity, from being around her constantly, was certainly justifiable.

Seth’s gaze lifted from her face, pausing midway to rest on her hand resting on her

stomach. After a moment, he stepped forward, gently removed the pen still loosely

clutched in her hand, and thoughtfully twirled it between his fingers before snapping it in

half with a decisive flick.

The sound stirred Cicely, her body shifting slightly on the couch.

Seth glanced at her once more before tossing the pen into the wastebasket and returning

to his desk.

The sound of a book falling to the floor was followed by rustling from the couch, then a

tousled head of hair emerged, along with two raised arms stretching along with a yawn.

Was this studying? It looked more like the epitome of comfort.

Placing the book on the coffee table, she peeked from the side of the couch and looked

straight at Seth.

“Seth, aren’t you hungry?” Her voice was drowsy and tinged with a hint of softness. She

almost draped her entire body over the armrest of the sofa.

“Are you a pig?” Seth retorted. She just woke up and went straight to eating.

Cicely sighed, stood up from the couch, and walked over to him, leaning lazily against the

edge of the desk with her phone in hand, held out to him.

“Look, it’s almost noon.”

Seth closed the file he was working on and stood up, stepping around her toward the door.

“You can keep your lunch plans with someone else,” he said tersely.

“Why would I invite someone else? I’m inviting you. Are you coming or not?”

Seth opened the door, looked down at the girl who had caught up with him, and coldly

said, “No.”

He left, and Cicely followed. “Then I’ll just go to the cafeteria with you.”

Her tone was a mix of resignation and compromise. The Ellis family princess graced the

cafeteria, and the atmosphere was unlike any other day.

Cicely and Seth ordered completely different dishes. Seth preferred lighter fare, while

Cicely went for the meaty options.

As they sat down, Cicely immediately served Seth a rib without waiting for his consent.

“You’re not exactly a herbivore, Seth.”

Seth glanced at the contents of her plate. Cicely seemed to catch his gaze and smiled

knowingly, “It’s all your favorites, as requested.”

“I can order for myself, you know.”

“My dad’s the same with health food. Everyone knows those overpriced goods are

supposed to be beneficial but I doubt he’d ever willingly reach for them.”

Cicely picked up a piece of braised beef and placed it on his plate. “So, don’t go thinking

you’re all that, Seth. Sometimes you need someone to nudge you in the right direction.

You take care of work, and I’ll take care of your diet. Sounds like a fair division of labor,

right?”

Seth looked down, his expression unreadable, “I can’t eat all of this.”

“No worries, I can help you out with that.”

Their interactions were not lost on the surrounding crowd.

It was obvious Cicely was smitten with Seth. She never hid it, and everyone could see it.

Whispers and curious glances surrounded them.

Cicely took a sip of the soup, her face betraying a hint of dissatisfaction with the taste.

Seth, however, continued eating his vegetables without a hint of displeasure. She picked

up her fork and tried some of his salad. It’s… well, it’s just salad. That was the thing about

vegetables – they couldn’t be overcomplicated. Meat dishes, on the other hand, required a

variety of seasonings and not everyone’s palate was the same.

She began to understand why he opted for a vegetarian dish, but since he also ate the

beef and ribs she gave him without complaint, it seemed he wasn’t entirely opposed to

the taste. She gave him another piece of beef, sneakily snagging a green bean from his

plate.

Seth looked up, “Cicely?”

She was chewing and managed a muffled, “Hmm?”

“With so many eyes on us, could you tone it down a bit?”

She paused her chewing and scanned the room. Although everyone quickly averted their

eyes, she caught a few stares. Raising an eyebrow, she swallowed her food and fixed her

gaze directly on Seth. “Do you even know I like you?”

Seth was silent.

Cicely leaned back in her chair, “Seems like you don’t. Guess I’ll have to be even more

obvious.”

“Cicely.”

“What?”

He stared at her, his lips parting slightly but no words came out.

Cicely scooped up a few grains of rice, her face carefree with a mischievous smile. She

never thought Seth was slow on the uptake. If others could see it, how could he not?

She’d been upfront about her feelings plenty of times. Speaking and acting on it, she’d

done it all. Rather than call him oblivious, she figured he just wasn’t ready to face the

issue. If he wasn’t ready, she’d wait until he was.

Time was on her side. After all, she wouldn’t allow him to fall for someone else. Sooner or

later, he would be hers.

“What if I said I know?” Seth’s voice cut through her thoughts.

She stopped playing with her food and looked up in surprise, finding an unexpected hint of

teasing in his eyes.

She straightened up, resting her chin in her hands, and smiled at him, “Since you know,

how about you consider being my boyfriend?”

Seth tugged at his lip, harboring a faint hope to see her flustered. A hope he realized

probably wouldn’t come to pass.

“I’ll pass.”

Cicely didn’t seem upset, “Alright, then I’ll keep trying.”

“Can’t you just drop this?”

“Let’s talk when you’re ready to be the father of my children.”

Seth said no more. There was a limit to how much he could handle.

Eventually, Cicely couldn’t finish her meal. Only when the two left the cafeteria did the

others breathe a sigh of relief.

“Who’s that guy getting chased by our princess?”

“No clue, he looks tough to crack.”

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“Right? The Ellis girl has it all—looks, body, and that family name. Marry her and you’re

set for life, not just for yourself but for generations.”

“You think just anyone gets noticed by Cicely? Look at that guy’s looks and demeanor. I’ve

seen him at the company two days in a row now. Which department is he from?”

“That’s no ordinary employee. That’s the chairman’s personal protégé. Looks like they’re

grooming him to be the future son-in-law.”

“Makes sense. Not the type to mingle much, but he’s always with Cicely. So, a live-in son-

in-law, huh?”

“Shh, you trying to get whacked? Better watch your back.”

—

Despite the talk, terms like ‘live-in son-in-law’ and ‘living off a woman’ became well-known

gossip in the company.

—

After the encounter in Seth’s car that left Danielle wounded, she kept her distance from

him for a while.

Cicely, as always, continued to flit in and out of Seth’s life without needing a reason.

Seth’s time was divided between school and company training. Eventually, Creighton

began to involve him in meetings, both big and small. Within a year, Seth was ready to

take over the Diaz family business, which he did in his senior year of college.

Over those two years, many things changed.

Danielle, due to skipping grades and some academic struggles, managed to get into

Summit Ridge University on an arts scholarship.

Cicely clung to Seth for tutoring, and to everyone’s surprise, she also got into Summit

Ridge University.

Creighton was astounded. His daughter was never this academically inclined. The secret

to Cicely’s success was a deal she struck with Seth before exams. If she got into Summit

Ridge University, Seth had to grant her a wish.

She hadn’t been too hopeful about him agreeing. Yet, when he did, she was stunned. With

the stress of exams looming, her emotions had teetered on the edge, but she didn’t think

Seth would agree just to placate her.

She confirmed with him, time and again, “Are you sure? Whatever the wish, you’ll grant

it?”

He was hunched over his desk, poring over documents, when she approached. Without

lifting his head, his voice cut through the air, chilly and brusque, “It looks like my previous

answer wasn’t what you were hoping for.”

This remark, casually made, was enough to pose a significant threat to her. She raised her

hand to stop him, her voice firm. “Enough, you can shut it now. Your last answer was

exactly what I needed.”

Her tone was laced with fear, fear that he might say another word, backtrack on his word.

For once, he had acted so nice to her, inadvertently granting her an enormous boon. Of

course, she couldn’t let his sudden change of heart dissipate into thin air just because of a

careless remark from her.

So, for the sake of that promise, Cicely performed exceptionally for the second time in her

life, and she finally got accepted into college.

That year, Cicely turned eighteen.

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