Chapter 1975


    Joel,nded hard on the ground, taken by surprise. When Joel’s vision cleared, he saw someone


    holding Cicely in their arms, striding away swiftly. That tall, cold silhouette was oddly familiar to him.


    Rose got to her feet and jogged after him, but she couldn''t catch up to the man.


    Kane pulled up in his car, only managing to catch a glimpse of Seth''s license te as he sped


    away. He honked his horn but got no response, just watched as the car became a fleeting shadow


    melting into the night. Lowering the window, he looked over at Rose, confused, "Was that Seth just


    now?"


    Rose nced at him and climbed into the car with Ollie. "Let''s head to the nearest hospital."


    Kane frowned, "What’s wrong? You feeling ill?"


    It was Cicely’s sudden copse that had scared Ollie, and the appearance of that particrly


    terrifying man had her still shaken. "It''s Cicely. She just passed out."d2


    Kane blinked, turning to see a disheveled Joel running out. "Damn!" he cursed under his breath,


    "She was fine just a moment ago. How could she faint?"


    Ollie nestled into Rose''s arms, "That man just now, he looked so scary."


    Kane revved the engine and took off. "That son of a gun, can he predict the future or something?


    He drove all this way in the dead of night, and he arrives the minute Cicely faints?"


    At this, Rose raised an eyebrow, "How did he know Cicely was here?"


    "How would I know?" Kane was puzzled himself. He''d only chatted with Seth for a bit at noon and


    never mentioned Cicely''s whereabouts.


    Though Kane was driving fast, he couldn''t catch up to Seth''s car. He followed and, sure enough,


    ended up at the nearest hospital. Joel was right behind him.


    When they arrived, Cicely had already been taken into emergency. Seth was standing outside the


    emergency room, his expression grim and fearsome.


    Having known Seth for years, Kane had never seen this side of him. Seth, usually so detached and


    impassive, was now emanating a strange and fierce energy.


    "How''s Cicely?"


    Seth stood at the door to the emergency room, seemingly calm, but everyone present could feel the


    barely contained storm under thatposure.


    Seth slowly lifted his eyes, his gaze icy and unfeeling, looking past Kane and straight at Joel, who


    had just caught up.


    At that look, Joel stopped in his tracks. His eyes fell on the emergency room door behind Seth. Was


    it just his imagination, or did Seth seem like an insurmountable barrier, denying anyone else


    ess?


    The aura emanating from Seth at that moment stunned him.


    Outside the emergency room door, their corner of space was still and silent, without a word spoken,


    yet there was an indescribable tension in the air.


    After what felt like an eternity, the emergency room door opened, and a doctor stepped out. Seth


    turned to look at him calmly.


    "Acute gastroenteritis. She has already received intravenous fluids. Just keep an eye on her."


    The tone suggested it wasn''t serious. Joel breathed a sigh of relief, but he was filled with regret.


    The acute gastroenteritis was probably the result of their night market adventure earlier.


    As the doctor finished speaking, the emergency room doors opened again, and two nurses wheeled


    Cicely out.


    Cicely, originally with a delicateplexion, now had an almost translucent pale face. Her brow was


    tightly furrowed, eyes shut, lips pale, and a fineyer of sweat adorned her forehead and the tip of


    her nose.


    Seth''s brows furrowed slightly, and he reached out to hold the handle of the transport bed.


    The nurses looked at him, puzzled, but he asked, "Did you give her something for the pain?"


    They nodded, "Yes, we did."


    Seth shot them a cold nce, "Does she look like she''s relieved of pain to you?"


    The nurses shifted their gaze to the doctor nearby.


    "We''ve administered the pain relief. We don''t rmend using more potent drugs, as they can be


    harmful to the body. She should feel better soon."


    Seth looked down at Cicely for a moment before releasing the handle of the transport bed.


    Kane stood against the wall, ncing at Cicely, her slender body devoid of its usual vitality, her


    pallid beauty still evident despite her condition.


    As the transport bed passed Joel, he hurried forward, gripping its rail, leaning in with a face full of


    concern and guilt. "I''m sorry, Cicely. This is all my fault."


    Seth''s brow twitched violently.


    Joel followed the transport bed, his apology cut short as his cor was suddenly gripped tightly, and


    he was dragged almost helplessly toward the hospital exit.


    Kane watched as Seth, without saying a word, forcefully dragged Joel away. A loud rm bell rang


    in his mind, and amidst his astonishment, he muttered a curse under his breath, quickly following


    suit. "Damn, Seth, what the hell are you doing?"


    Had he lost his mind?


    Joel was the sole heir to a prominent family in P City, a family deeply intertwined in the construction


    business. Even if they had no business dealings, if Joel was hurt, his family wouldn''t easily let it go.


    Seth was not known for physical confrontation; his methods were usually more cerebral and


    effective, with the added benefit of leaving no loose ends. To physically assault someone was to


    invite a host of troubles. It was hard to believe that someone like Seth would actually go out of his


    way to bring about such a petty trouble to himself.


    Kane''s words fell on deaf ears. As he caught up with them, Seth had alreadynded a heavy punch


    that sent Joel tumbling down the hospital steps.


    Joel staggered to the ground, looking utterly disgraced, but Seth was already upon him, his hand


    again seizing Joel''s cor, lifting him off the ground. "You take her out from the Ellis house in the


    morning just fine, and by evening, she''s in emergency."


    Joel felt a searing pain at the corner of his lips and red coldly at Seth, "Yeah, I''m sorry fornding


    her in the hospital. It''s my fault, and I should apologize. But this is between Cicely and me."


    Before he could finish, Seth''s brows furrowed deeply, and Joel was abruptly cut off by another solid


    punch from Seth.


    "Damn it, Seth, have you lost your mind?” Kane hadn''t expected Seth to hit Joel again. Shocked, he


    rushed forward, trying to pull Joel away from Seth''s grip.


    Seth just wasn''t letting go. Even with all his strength, Kane couldn''t pry Joel from Seth''s grasp.


    Frustrated and baffled, Kane turned to Seth, but just one look at Seth’s face, and Kane was taken


    aback. Seth''s visage was dark and foreboding, his shirt sleeves had ridden up from the scuffle,


    revealing tensed forearms with veins standing out like road maps, the fabric stretched to its limit,


    looking like it might tear at any moment.


    Seth looked like a man ready to kill.


    Ignoring Kane''s interference, Seth yanked Joel in front of him, his eyes sharp as ice-edged des,


    voice as deep and cold as a subcial current. "You think you can step into someone else''s territory


    without weighing your own weight, huh?"


    It was only then that Joel realized what Seth''s ungentlemanly punches were really about. With a


    painful smirk that aggravated the cut on his lip, Joel retorted, "Even if I did want to step into


    someone''s territory, it''s because they''ve left the door wide open. My weight doesn''t matter. If I can


    show her just a fraction more care than someone else, then my chances double."


    Joel didn''t beat around the bush any further, stating bluntly, "So, please, continue to ignore her or


    neglect her deliberately. I don''t believe her heart is an impregnable fortress—imprable to you,


    inessible to me."


    Seth''s expression faltered, his narrow eyes suddenly narrowing further. He lifted his hand, and with


    a swift, fierce motion, Joel was sent sprawling onto the concrete several meters away.


    Kane was also thrown to the side by the force, stumbling a few steps before steadying himself. He


    watched helplessly as Joel added fuel to the fire just now, and hurriedly, Kane went forward to


    restrain Seth, who was about to approach again.


    "Enough, have you freaking had enough? Seth, where''s your brain? Ever think about how you''re


    going to exin this to Cicely when she wakes up?"


    Seth halted and looked down at Kane, "Exin?"


    Kane bit his tongue, knowing any further words might earn him the next punch.


    "Indeed, there should be an exnation. He took her out with good intentions to cheer her up, and


    no matter what, the initial motive was pure. Everyone knows the hospital visit was unexpected. Do


    you think Cicely will me him?" The voice came from Rose, standing on the steps with an


    indifferent tone, "Rather than resent someone who genuinely wanted to make her happy, I think the


    real unforgivable culprit is the one who made her unhappy."


    Seth shoved Kane aside and turned to face Rose, his gaze icy.


    Rose, unfazed, sneered, "The victim is still unconscious in the hospital, and here you two are, the


    ''direct culprit'' and ''indirect culprit,'' bickering endlessly. What''s the point? If you''re still unsatisfied,


    then finish him off. But when your mind clears, go back and stay by her side."


    As Kane let out a sigh of relief, Rose withdrew her gaze and stepped towards him. "This has


    nothing to do with you. Dawn is breaking, and you need to take us back to the hotel to rest."


    Kane had no intention of sticking around with Seth in his current, unhinged state.


    Joel’s family driver had already helped him off the ground and into the hospital for a check-up. Joel,


    battered and bruised, his face a mess and his body dust-covered, seemed to have sustained more


    than a few knocks.


    Ollie made a wide detour to avoid Seth and approached Kane, taking his arm with a hint of fear.


    Rose watched Joel enter the hospital and then turned to Seth. "Actually, what Joel said at the end


    wasn''t wrong either." She ushered Kane and the rest towards their car.


    As the chaos subsided, Seth stood in ce, fists still clenched.


    What Joel said was right? That he wanted to enter Cicely''s heart?


    Leaning against the hospital''s outer pir, Seth pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and watched the smoke


    drift away in the dim light.


    Joel wanted to enter Cicely''s heart?


    *


    Kane cursed all the way to the hotel. Even after stepping inside, he was still fuming.


    "Damn it, wasn''t he talking about breaking up? Now he''s nearly killed a man over jealousy. I almost


    got dragged into it too, that maniac..."


    Rose was always calm, "Are you sure he said they were breaking up? If not, Kane, you definitely


    deserved it."


    Kane clenched his teeth and handed his phone to Rose, "As if I''d make up rumors."


    Cicely briefly scanned the chat history between him and Seth. Kane said they were breaking up,


    and Seth hadn''t denied it, but he hadn''t confirmed it either.


    She furrowed her brows, "I didn''t expect Seth to be so indecisive and ambiguous."


    Kane thought he''d misheard, "What?"


    Rose smiled, noticing notifications for likes andments on Kane''s social media feed, and she


    casually clicked in.


    "He’s uncertain about whether he likes her or not, and the breakup seems to be something he''s


    hesitant to admit. What''s his deal? Is he caught in the middle, torn between two sides?"


    Kane had plenty of rowdy friends, a flurry of ''likes'' andments on his feed.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Rose opened the photo he had posted, which, despite its abstract, blurry quality—typical of a


    clueless guy''s photography—clearly showed two figures almost leaning on each other under the


    dim streetlights. Cicely was wrapped in a man''s jacket, their proximity unavoidable as they posed


    for the camera.


    Raising an eyebrow, she handed the phone back to Kane. "I can''t decide whether to hit you or


    praise you."


    Kane was confused by herment, looking down at the phone. The photo Rose had opened was


    still there. He nced at it and muttered, "Huh?" then brought the phone closer, inspecting it


    carefully. After a moment, he eximed, "Holy crap, when did I capture them together?"


    Rose pinched the bridge of her nose. She was at a loss for words with this guy. He was the cause of


    both the problem and the solution.


    Kane clicked his tongue in frustration, "Figures why he popped up out of the blue. It''s because of


    this. But it doesn''t add up. Didn''t he want to break it off? What''s gotten into him? Damn, I can''t make


    heads or tails of the guy. Total nut job!"


    Rose remained silent. Who could really tell? But with Seth carrying on like this, he wasn''t just acting


    crazy. He was practically asking for a one-way ticket to the madhouse.


    *


    Seth sat on the edge of the bed, his gaze lingering on Cicely, whoy quietly, her usually rosy


    cheeks now a sickly pallor.


    Creighton had always pampered her, and the worst pain Seth had ever seen her endure was the


    time she got a blister from her first pair of stilettos. Her face had turned ghostly pale then, as if she''d


    suffered the greatest injustice in the world. Now, he wondered what she''d look like when she woke


    up.


    Gently, he brushed a stray lock of hair from her cheek. The distress that had marred her features


    when she was wheeled out of the ER was gone, reced by a peaceful slumber.


    The restlessness that a cigarette couldn''t quell seemed to dissolve at the sight of her tranquil face.


    He was used to her drama; the slightest bump or scrape would set her off as if it were life-


    threatening. Now, paradoxically, he found himself wishing she''d throw one of her notorious


    tantrums, just to show how much she was really hurting, how much she felt wronged.