Chapter 1961


    The car pulled up in front of the already ajar gates of the Ellis family estate. Seth didn''t even bother


    to engage the parking brake. He slouched in the seat, his gaze fixed on the closed doors of the Ellis


    family mansion, some distance ahead, his long fingers drumming slowly on the steering wheel.


    After a while, he finally retracted his gaze, turning to look at Danielle. His expression was cool, his


    voice icy. "Who told you that hating one person necessarily means you like another?"


    Danielle''s eyes were red-rimmed. "Can I take that to mean you don''t like Cicely?"


    Seth pursed his lips, his gazes bing darker with emotions. "But do you really not think I''m


    annoying because of Cicely?" It was a mix of suspicion and usation.


    Suddenly, Seth''s mouth twisted into a smirk, and he let out a low chuckle. That chuckle stopped


    Danielle cold. As far as she could recall, she had never heard himugh before. Yet thisugh was


    laced with sarcasm, a cool elegance with an undertone of rebelliousness.


    He rested his hand casually on the steering wheel, half-turned to her with a faint smile. "Don''t tter


    yourself too much."d2


    Danielle''s face flushed, then paled, her pride wounded by his contempt, yet she had nowhere to


    hide. "You..." Danielle''s lips trembled with her heart, her voice catching, "Are you trying to sever ties


    with me with those words?"


    Tears streamed down her face.


    "Patty just left less than an hour ago, and you''re in such a rush?"


    Seth''s expression didn''t change. "What is our rtionship, exactly?"


    Danielle was at a loss for words.


    "To me, you are simply the daughter of my mother''s best friend. Is that a rtionship you think I


    need to spend time rifying?"


    A negligible, unimportant tie. To him, it meant nothing.


    Danielle bit her lip hard enough to leave a mark. After a moment, she also let out a bitterugh. "If


    that''s the case, why waste your time talking to me? Seth, do you really have no other intentions?"


    Seth frowned.


    A slender figure appeared at the front door of the mansion, walking towards them as Seth''s phone


    beside him also began to ring. It was Cicely''s call.


    His gaze shifted to the iing call disy on the screen, and he pulled up the handbrake before


    picking up the phone.


    Danielle tried to smile but failed. She sat beside him, and he didn''t bother to make more


    conversation, but Cicely''s call was worth applying the parking brake for. Was this a cue for a long


    phone chat?


    Seth answered, his eyes on Cicely as she closed the distance. "What''s up?"


    Cicely walked towards him, speaking into the phone, "Come on in, why are you just sitting out


    here?"


    Only two people were in the car, and Danielle could hear the voice on the phone crystal clear. That


    bright and cheerful voice filled Danielle with resentment.


    She unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the car door, got out, and mmed it shut with force.


    Seeing Danielle emerge from Seth''s car, Cicely paused in her steps. She had heard from the maids


    that Danielle had left early in the morning, but she never bothered to track her whereabouts and had


    not asked. It was unexpected to find her with Seth.


    Her gaze drifted to the man in the driver''s seat, arching an eyebrow, she asked, "What''s going on?"


    Secondster, Seth stepped out of the car, ending the call.


    Cicely pocketed her phone and approached him. With an air of nonchnce, she asked, "What''s


    the deal with you two?"


    Danielle watched her coldly, "What''s your rtionship with him that he has to exin his


    whereabouts to you?"


    Cicely almost rolled her eyes before closing them briefly, then nced over dismissively, "What my


    rtionship with him is and whether he needs to exin himself to me, what''s that got to do with


    you? Also, you really are full of annoying habits. Could you have a little self-awareness and not take


    yourself so seriously? Why are you seeking validation from me?"


    "Don''t take yourself too seriously." Those words might as well have been Seth''s echo. Danielle''s


    grip on her purse distorted its shape.


    Just having been humiliated by Seth and now by Cicely, her annoyance surged. Sensing Seth


    showing no intention of defending her, she bit her lip and walked away.


    Cicely nced at her, then gave Seth''s car a once-over before dialing another number.


    "Miss."


    "Bring me the disinfectant spray."


    --


    After having Seth''s car thoroughly disinfected to her satisfaction, she asked, "Patty''s back to M


    Country?"


    Seth leaned against an oak tree outside the gate, responding with a nomittal "Hmm."


    Cicely nodded, "I''ll take that as your excuse to me."


    Seth''s lips twitched slightly.


    Cicely fiddled with the car door, opening and closing it. The scent of the disinfectant was off-putting.


    Seth watched her y for a while before standing up straight, taking the car door from her hands,


    and forcefully shutting it. "If you want to y, go to your own garage and y all you want."


    With that, he walked around to the driver''s side.


    Cicely opened the door again and, as Seth turned to look at her from the driver''s seat, she settled


    into the passenger seat. He pursed his lips, "Cicely."


    Cicely buckled herself in and turned toward Seth. Her face was striking, her beauty bold and


    unapologetic.


    "Seth, remember this too, from now on, don''t let any woman other than me sit in the passenger seat


    of your car."


    Seth unbuckled his seatbelt.


    Cicely continued, "Did you find your first day at work challenging? I might not know much about


    running apany, but it''s tough, I guess. Although, I think you might enjoy the challenge. Running


    apany all on your own, wielding all that power, it sounds pretty impressive. Kind of like those


    kings in the TV shows, leading the troops, all gant andmanding."


    A thin smile yed on Seth''s lips. Was she naive or just childish?


    "Can''t wait to see you rockin'' the king crown one day, Seth. You''ll look even more dashing than you


    do now, if that''s possible."


    With a yful pat on Seth''s shoulder, she grinned, "Keep at it, tough guy. The kiddo and I are


    counting on you."


    His gaze swept over her t belly, momentarily locking eyes with her before breaking away. Silence


    hung in the air for a few seconds before he started the car.


    "Where were you off to yesterday?"


    "Hmm?" Cicely flipped down the visor to primp her hair, not breaking her rhythm at the sound of his


    voice. Realizing he''d asked her a question, she responded without looking up, "Coffee shop, diner."


    Her bright eyes danced as she turned towards him, a teasing smile on her lips. "Since when are you


    keeping tabs on me?"


    Seth''s expression was far from amused, and he didn''t answer her question, simply stating in a


    frosty tone, "Get out."


    Leaning back into the seat, Cicely pouted, "No way, take me for a spin."


    "I''ve got to head to the office."


    "Then take me with you."


    "Cicely."


    "Right here. I won''t bug you. Oh, wait a sec," she said, dialing a number on her phone. "I''ll have


    someone bring out my homework. You work, and I''ll study."


    In no time, a maid swiftly ced her backpack on the back seat.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    "Tell my dad I''m heading to the office with you," she instructed.


    "Of course, Miss."


    Cicely turned back to Seth, "All set, let''s hit the road."


    Despite his frosty demeanor, Seth reluctantly put the car into drive.