Chapter 1962
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 otherd 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 wee.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 tter 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 aplishment—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 intoughter. "That''s exactly what my teacher used to say."
Seth''s expression darkened slightly as Seb, sharing a simr 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 youngdy 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 nheless. Her appearance
was devoid of any image-consciousness, yet her sleeping form was orderly.
She was dressed in a in long dress, with a hint of disarray to be seen. Her skirt was neat, her
legs modestly ced 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 would
likely feel jealous in Cicely''s presence.
wless 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 nced 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 offort.
cing 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, leaningzily 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 ns with someone else," he said tersely.
"Why would I invite someone else? I''m inviting you. Are youing 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 andpromise. The Ellis family princess graced the cafeteria,
and the atmosphere was unlike any other day.
Cicely and Seth orderedpletely 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 nced at the contents of her te. 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 ced it on his te. "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 ofbor, 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 nces 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 sd. It’s... well, it’s just sd. That was the thing about vegetables – they
couldn''t be oveplicated. Meat dishes, on the other hand, required a variety of seasonings and
not everyone''s pte 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 withoutint, it seemed he wasn''t entirely opposed to the taste. She gave
him another piece of beef, sneakily snagging a green bean from his te.
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 orter, he
would be hers.
"What if I said I know?" Seth''s voice cut through her thoughts.
She stopped ying 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''te to pass.
"I''ll pass."
ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .
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."
"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 thepany 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-inw."
"Makes sense. Not the type to mingle much, but he''s always with Cicely. So, a live-in son-inw,
huh?"
"Shh, you trying to get whacked? Better watch your back."
--
Despite the talk, terms like ''live-in son-inw'' and ''living off a woman'' became well-known gossip in
thepany.
--
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 andpany 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 schrship.
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
sess 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 cate 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. Yourst answer was exactly what I
needed."
Her tone wasced 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 epted into college.
That year, Cicely turned eighteen.