The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride

Chapter 2066

The curve of Cicely's lips widened slightly, her reddened eyes holding Seth captive, unable to look away.

"Maybe I haven't lost enough for you to understand, but there's no one left around me to lose. Perhaps if I spend a few more years behind bars, you'll finally remember that the you from back then and the you now are doing the exact same thing," she said.

A sudden tension seized Seth's brow, as if stung by an unseen force. Abruptly, he let go of Cicely.

Silence descended upon the room. The icy chill and hostility that had filled the space began to dissipate.

Seth stood behind her, staring at the reflection in the mirror for a long while. He probably should have said something, but the sight of her red-rimmed eyes silenced him. It felt like no matter what he said, it would be wrong. NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.

The ring of the phone came as a lifeline to him. It was Colorado—someone he hadn't been in touch with for a long while.d2

Clutching the phone, he turned and left the bedroom. "I've got things to do. You should get some rest."

The door to the room opened and closed, and only after the room had been completely quiet for quite some time did Cicely close her eyes and be still for a moment before slowly walking over to the bed and sitting down. The hands resting on her lap were still vaguely shaking.

After what felt like an eternity, there was a knock at the door. Her body tensed instantly, she grabbed a nearby throw blanket and wrapped herself tightly, eyes fixed on the door, silent.

Seconds stretched on, each one fraying her nerves to a thread.

"Ms. Cicely, your milk is ready."

Cicely relaxed once more. She didn't respond, but the maid entered anyway. Placing the milk on the nightstand, she took a swift glance at Cicely. "Ms. Cicely, Mr. Diaz will be traveling abroad for business and won't return for several days. If you need anything, please tell us."

Cicely breathed a sigh of relief. Going abroad meant he wouldn't be back for a while, and she certainly didn't want to see him anytime soon.

＊

Emerald Valley Estates was one of P City's most prestigious addresses, where owning a home wasn't just a matter of money. For some people, it's merely a step down. However, for Cicely, who had nothing and had just been released from prison, this place was her recent best, absolutely splendid dwelling.

Seth was right; not many could provide what he had given her. Except, she'd rather not live here, not accept anything from him.

After breakfast, Cicely received a call from Crysti. "Girl, I'm off for a day, not out of the business. You better pick me up and take me to the set, or the director might just fire me."

Cicely was nonchalant, "What are you worried about? With your last name, who'd dare give you trouble?"

"This is show business. Even before I make it big, I'm already being accused of throwing tantrums. How am I supposed to survive? Hurry up, there's an evening fight scene I need to rehearse."

Cicely took a deep breath and put down her fork, "I thought you'd be the least of my worries, but you're the biggest hassle. Is making money supposed to be this hard?"

Crysti: "or maybe you should consider letting my brother keep you. It's quicker money."

"Am I supposed to cater to his whims? If that's the case, it wouldn't be so bad."

The idea of that germophobe sponsoring a woman seemed less like getting money and more like risking her life.

"In your dreams."

Cicely laughed lazily, "I'm heading out now."

Crysti, frustrated, snapped, "You haven't left yet?! You…"

Cicely hung up without giving Crysti a chance to go hysterical.

"I won't be back for a few days if nothing unexpected comes up." She said indifferently, changed her shoes, and left.

She thought she'd finally get some peace, but seeing Charlie downstairs, her face turned dark.

"Ms. Cicely, Mr. Diaz has gone abroad on business and left me to attend to you."

Cicely laughed in anger, "Are you his personal assistant or his personal servant?"

Charlie offered an awkward smile, "It's primarily because Mr. Diaz is concerned about you. Where would you like to go, Ms. Cicely? I'll drive you."

Straing at the car door Charlie had opened for her, Cicely took a deep breath.

"What if I say I don't need 'attending'?"

"That might not be possible."

With a scoff, Cicely slid into the car.

After closing the door, Charlie let out a breath, wiped the sweat from his brow, and hurried into the vehicle.

They picked up Crysti and headed to the set.

After practicing the upcoming fight scene with the stunt coordinator and waiting endlessly for Danielle, who was late for her scene with Crysti, the atmosphere on set grew tense. The director was visibly impatient, and the understudies naturally bore the brunt of his irritation.

Cicely sat next to her, sipping her juice and shaking her head as she watched Crysti sweat profusely.

Why did a fine young lady have to subject to such hardship?

Checking her bank account on her phone, she took a deep breath. Crysti wasn't like her, who was so desperately in need of money.

As the sun was about to set, Danielle finally arrived, apologizing profusely to everyone, "I'm so sorry, everyone. I was at the airport sending someone off, and I got stuck in traffic on the way back. I'll treat everyone to dinner tonight as an apology. Please don't be too angry."

She bowed continuously, her hands clasped in a pleading and apologetic gesture, making it hard for anyone to continue being upset with her. Besides, she didn't ask anyone to forgive her, she just tried to quell their anger.

And truly, whether they forgave her or not didn't matter to her, nor did their anger affect her, because she had Seth backing her, the biggest investor of the production. Even if the schedule was delayed, it was his money being wasted, not theirs.

Somebody schmoozed, "Who's so important that our big star has to personally drop them off at the airport?"

Danielle smiled, glancing over at Cicely, who was sitting there, idly chewing on a straw with a look of utter boredom. "It's Seth. He's off on a business trip abroad, won't be back for a few days."

"Well, that explains it."

A few in the group started to tease, while others cast glances at Cicely, who was once the renowned Ellis family's darling, the petite princess of P City. And now, what exactly was her relationship with Mr. Diaz?

Cicely, phone in hand, tormented by the balance in her bank account, was now flipping through her contacts, looking for a sucker to lure into splurging at the No. 8 Mansion. She was both aware and oblivious to the surrounding stares.

Danielle glance at Cicely and then spoke up, "Can we push back the action scene scheduled for today? By the time I'm done with makeup, the sun will probably have set. Can we shoot something else first?"

The director furrowed his brow and glanced instinctively at Crysti. The kid had been practicing here all afternoon.

It was a tough spot; he couldn't afford to upset either party. His gaze then landed on Cicely, hoping to use her as a mediator. After all, she was the one who hated hassle the most and would love nothing more than to wrap up early every day.