The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride
Chapter 2032

Chapter 2032

Seth had barely settled into his office when Charlie's call came through.

Issac dismissed the caregiver Seth had arranged for Danielle and replaced them with someonehired by the Ellis family. Every aspect of Danielle's care, even the unexpected ones, had beenmeticulously arranged.

Striding into the elevator, Seth's tall, imposing figure came to a rest. He ended the call and dialedCicely's number.

— Powered off.

His brow furrowed, and he then called the apartment.

Carly answered, "The missus, she left around noon and hasn't come back yet."d2

"Alright," Seth replied coolly.

Seizing the moment, Carly added, "Sir, will you and the missus be dining at home tonight? Is thereanything specific you'd like to eat? It seems you've both been dining out quite often lately."

After a brief silence, Seth said, "We'll eat in. Prepare some of her favorites."

"Sure thing."

*

An up-and-coming media outlet had been gaining popularity rapidly over the past two years.

They interviewed only the heavy hitters in show business, and they certainly didn't skimp onexpenses.

Stepping into the interview studio was like entering a realm of luxury—the lighting and the soundquality were top-notch.

First, there was a soundcheck, followed by a visit to the make-up room. There, refreshments andsnacks were ready, and the heating was more than sufficient.

As Santino was getting his makeup done and touched up, Cicely watched with interest.

She was curious to see the transformation makeup could achieve on a man, but in the end, helooked pretty much the same as usual—just with an extra layer of foundation, a touch-up on thebrows and eyes, and a setting spray.

Boring.

She had been hoping to witness a makeup miracle akin to plastic surgery.

The makeup artists probably mistook Cicely for Santino's assistant given no one recognized her.

But with her demeanor, she seemed even more high-profile than Santino himself, making them allhesitant to give her any orders.

In reality, Santino's actual assistant was busy coordinating interview questions with the staff.

"How long will your interview take?" Cicely asked.

Santino glanced up, catching her reflection in the mirror. "Around an hour or so."

Cicely raised an eyebrow, "Are they expecting you to recite your life story in excruciating detail?"

"Not quite."

Cicely sighed. "Sounds dull."

"Sorry to bore you. I'll make it up to you with dinner afterward," Santino offered.

"It better be the best meal ever."

The makeup artists exchanged glances—her boredom wasn't their fault, was it?

Santino and Cicely were a pair bold in speech and even bolder in audacity.

During the interview, Cicely sat outside the camera's view on a nearby couch. Santino's demeanorwas relaxed, no different from his usual self. He spoke coherently, without giving any openings forcriticism—a flawless image personified.

The host was naturally fishing for more juicy details, and Cicely had already caught their attention.

The makeup artists had been gossiping from the start, and now the entire crew responsible forSantino's interview was curious about her.

From the moment she arrived until now, she seemed inseparable from Santino.

Santino's assistant stayed close to Cicely, nervously trying to clarify at every opportunity that theywere just friends.

In the entertainment industry, the slightest spark could cause a thunderstorm. Even if Santino andMs. Cicely were innocent, any hint of a romance could stir up a frenzy.

Their plans did not include a love affair for Santino.

Fortunately, the host didn't press further and simply asked the assistant who Cicely was after theinterview.

The assistant sincerely replied that she was a friend of Santino's.

As winter days are short and the nights are long, when the interview ended, it was already darkoutside.

At the entrance, Santino's fans held up support signs, eagerly waiting. Upon seeing him, theyerupted into excited screams.

Santino waved back with a smile.

However, when the fans noticed the unfamiliar woman by his side, they became anxious.

"Santino, who is she?"

"Is she your new assistant?"

The assistant and other staff quickly ushered them into the car amidst the chaos, explaining thatthey were just friends.

But the term "friends" seemed too dismissive and almost incriminating at that moment.

Some fans even started crying on the spot.

Cicely sat comfortably in Santino's car, watching the chaotic scene outside with detachedamusement.

"What a spectacle," she remarked.

Santino gave a wry smile. "Are you mocking me?"

"Why would it be mocking? So many people out there like you, love you. Do you replace themridiculous?"

Santino shook his head. "Not ridiculous. But some forms of affection can be suffocating."

Cicely narrowed her eyes, "How so?"

"What if I announced I had a girlfriend today? How would they react?"

Cicely pondered for a moment. "The fan at the bridal shop hoped you would be happy."

"That's the majority. But there are some who, if they can't have something, they don't want others tohave it either. They'd rather destroy it. The same people who adore and idolize me now would bethe ones trampling and vilifying me later."

Cicely understood; such people did exist.

"That does sound suffocating."

Santino couldn't tell what Cicely was thinking at that moment, or if she was even interested in thetopic at all.

He shifted his gaze back inside the car. "Give your car keys to my assistant; they'll be returned toyou shortly."

Cicely did as instructed.

Santino had booked a table at the newest themed restaurant in town, which specialized in dishesfeatured in movies and TV shows from around the world.

Cicely was genuinely intrigued.

She had seen her fair share of films and had often been curious about the meals portrayed in them.She had even flown to Paris on a whim just to try a dish she had seen in a movie.

*

When Seth returned to the apartment, Carly greeted him with a warm smile, her apron wrappedaround her waist as she emerged from the kitchen.

Noticing Seth alone at the entrance, removing his shoes, her smile faltered, and she glancedtowards the door.

"Sir, you're back."

"Yes. Where is she?"

Carly wiped her hands on her apron. "The missus hasn't returned yet."

She had thought the couple would come home together.

Seth's thin lips pressed into a tight line, his jaw clenched as he pulled out his phone and continuedto call Cicely.

Voicemail.

It had been voicemail all afternoon.

He turned and dialed Charlie's number instead.

This morning, Cicely had a spat with him over Charlie and Shane. Since she valued Charlie's workethic, Charlie was the person to ask.

"Can you replace out where she is right now?"

There was a brief pause on the line. "Ms. Cicely? She should be at this new Hollywood-themeddiner."

Charlie's crisp answer caught Seth off guard, leaving him momentarily speechless.

Charlie, guessing Seth's mood, continued, "There's something about Ms. Cicely online. You'll see."

Online.

Seth opened his browser, and the news about Santino and Cicely was overwhelming.

From the two having lunch together, to visiting a bridal shop, then accompanying Santino during aninterview and later entering a diner together.

The spark that ignited the flame was their joint appearance in front of fans after the interview,particularly Santino and a fan's photo in the bridal shop.

No one mentioned that the woman in the photos or videos was Cicely, but those who knew hercould recognize her without a doubt.

Seth's eyes were cold and terrifying.

Carly shivered from where she stood.

Seth pocketed his phone and glanced at the shoes he had just taken off before turning to walk intothe living room.

"Carly, you can head home."

Seth's voice was calm as he accepted a glass of water and gave his instructions.

"But there are a few dishes left to make."

"I'll take care of it."

Carly didn't dare linger. She removed her apron, grabbed her purse, and left.

After finishing his water, Seth set the glass down and walked into the kitchen. The ingredients wereready; all that was left was the cooking. A pot of soup was still simmering on the stove.

*

Cicely's meal came with red wine, which Santino didn't touch, his eyes frequently on his watch.

"Is dining with me that excruciating?" she teased. "You're counting the minutes."

Santino took a sip of water, "I'm just worried that the later it gets, the more uncomfortable it will befor you."

Cicely blinked, "Well, I think I didn't finish my homework."

Santino fell silent.

Texts kept coming in for Santino; from his assistant and his agent.

He was trending.

No need to guess it was about the woman sitting across from him.

His agent was checking in about a romantic relationship, but upon hearing they were just friends,his agent advised him not to worry about it further.

Santino didn't make much of it.

After dinner, Santino handed her a scarf.

"Wrap this around you. You'll need it soon. It'll be troublesome if your face is recognized."

Cicely didn't understand but took it at the mention of trouble.

Journalists and fans had gathered at the diner's entrance.

When they stepped out, Santino shielded Cicely behind him.

The fans cried out, and the journalists bombarded them with questions.

Who was she?

Was Santino in love?

Cicely wrapped herself in the scarf, wore a mask, and bundled up tightly.

The assistant tried to explain, to no avail.

Finally, Santino stopped, protecting Cicely with his arm behind him, standing tall and calm, hisdemeanor sober. For someone usually so mild-mannered, his displeasure was clear.

\ "If I were in love, I wouldn't hide it. It's about respect, for my future partner, for myself, and for ourrelationship. She's just a friend, and there's no need for you to know who."

The fans calmed down, regained their senses, and even helped deal with the persistent journalists.

Santino pulled Cicely away.

*

At eight o'clock, Seth stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, his gaze piercingthe dark night sky, fixated on the familiar car slowly pulling up to the apartment building.

Despite the high floor, he immediately recognized the slight figure of Cicely.

Too distant to see her expression, he couldn't tell what she said to the man who emerged from thedriver's seat to open the car door for her.

Then she unwound the scarf from her neck and handed it to the tall, well-built man opposite her.

After a few more words, Cicely turned and walked toward the apartment building.

Santino watched her leave, glanced at the scarf in his hands, and wrapped it around his neck.

Seth's eyes narrowed instantly, his hands clenched in his pockets, his jaw tightened as he turnedaway from the window.

Cicely punched in the code, opened the door, and the living room lights were the brightest theycould be, immediately revealing the dark figure sitting on the sofa with his back to her.

She didn't start the conversation, placing her keys on the cabinet, taking off her coat, then bendingdown to change her shoes.

Then she walked into the living room. Seth had already stood up, watching her with a detachedgaze.

Cicely glanced at him and gathered her statically charged hair.

"Did you come back early today?"

"I'm usually back by this time on weekdays."

Cicely gave a half-smile, "I see," she said, gathering her hair and heading toward the bedroom whiletying it up.

"You can wash your hands outside too."

From the moment she entered, aside from that initial glance, her eyes hadn't lingered on him foreven a second.

Seth's carefully maintained composure was being swallowed by the rising fury within him, his voicetense and cold.

Cicely could feel it too, "I'm going to take a shower."

Seth's voice was eerily calm, "Dinner first."

"I've already eaten. Haven't you? You better eat quickly."

As she spoke, her attitude was as normal as could be, and she continued toward the bedroom.

After a few steps, she suddenly found herself pinned against the wall at the bedroom entrance.

The force wasn't strong, but she still winced in pain, frowning.

"What are you doing?"

Cicely inhaled sharply, her voice almost a growl with anger.

Seth held her waist with one hand, his usually serene face now dark with brewing storms, his voicestrained and hoarse, his grip tightening.

"Drinking again?"

"I did," Cicely didn't bother to hide it; there was no point. "Can you let me go? I'm tired and want torest early."

Seth leaned in closer, his nose grazing her cheek as he bent down, burying his face in her neck.

"I made your favorite dishes. Join me for dinner."

Cicely felt a tingling sensation on her scalp from his touch, but his words were like a bucket of ice-cold water, drenching her from head to toe.

She pushed him away, saying, "If you can smell the alcohol on my breath, then you should knowthat when I said I've already eaten, I wasn't just making conversation. You're not a child, nor are youincapacitated. Surely you're not so helpless that you need someone to sit with you to make sure youeat."

Seth had never been treated like this before.

The tension in the air snapped like a taut string breaking.

In a swift motion, he grabbed her arm, pulled her into the bedroom, and flung her onto the bed.

As Cicely was still reeling, he leaned over her, pinning her struggling shoulders to the mattress.

The cold fury on his face was now bare, stripped of any pretense or restraint.

"When are you going to stop this charade with me, huh?" he demanded, his breath a chilling mix ofanger and frost.

"Ever since the car accident and my stay at the hospital, you've been distant and indifferent. Whatexactly are you trying to tell me?"