Chapter 2014
"You know, I didn''t expect you''d let things go so easily. I just couldn''t stop thinking about the other
night, how I got a real taste of you. Didn''t realize this mug of mine had so many uses."
Cicely''s eyelid twitched, "Have you got no self-control when ites to women?"
"Depends on the woman."
Thest word was barely out before Seth''s lips imed hers.
Cicely turned her head to escape, but his lips urately followed. "Get lost! I''m still mad at you."
"I can''t wait, Mrs. Diaz."d2
At that moniker, Cicely froze, each nerve in her body seemed to be struck, leaving her unsettled for
a long time. By the time she came to her senses, she found herself pressed into the soft embrace of
the bed. Anger surged within her, but the more she struggled, the easier it was for Seth to peel
away her clothes.
*
"I seriously wonder if you''ll stray someday because you can''t control your urges."
Her voice was soft, trying to sound fierce, but it wasn''t quite effective.
"Don''t trust me?" Seth''s fingers caressed the nape of her neck, his voice deep andzy, especially
sultry in the post-intimacy atmosphere.
"Does your trust depend on control?"
Seth''s hand, massaging her neck, moved into the strands of her hair, rubbing against her scalp.
Cicely''s eyshes trembled gently, and shefortably shifted her shoulders. "So, can we call it
even this time?"
Cicely frowned, looked up at him, "What do you mean ''call it even''?"
"You questioned me, right?" Seth said calmly, "I apologize for doubting you before. Can we let this
go and not bring it up again?"
Cicely watched him for a long while, feeling drained, managing only a faint smile, "You can turn any
word I say to your advantage. If I was really questioning you seriously, and you, before any
investigation, would you choose to let it go?"
Seth paused, "There''s nothing we can''t get past."
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"Seth," Cicely said, "What I want is not for you to trust me only after you''ve calmed down and found
out I''m not to me. That''s not trust; that''s just epting the facts. In your eyes, I''m no different
from anyone else. If you think it doesn''t matter and don''t care if I treat you like any other man, then
go ahead, do as you please, and let everything slide easily."
It took a while for Seth to respond, "So, how can we make this not so easy to get past?"
Cicely bit her lip, silent.
She didn''t know. She didn''t want things to be easy, but once they happened, she could only let them
go. Otherwise, they wouldn''t be able to move on. And that wasn''t what she wanted.
The silence filled the bedroom, dispelling the earlier intimacypletely.
After a while, Seth chuckled without an answer. "Don''t know how to answer, huh? You don''t want to
forgive me easily, but you don''t really want to stay mad at me."
Cicely, with a cold expression, felt exposed by his straightforwardness. She couldn''t help but feel
truly humble, as if she had reached the lowest point.
"You''re right, I should have chosen to trust you from the start, not question you by default. I was
wrong, okay?"
She was at a loss with this man. He had made amends and apologized. If she remained aloof,
wouldn''t she be ungrateful?
Seth leaned in, his forehead against hers, his voice low and seductive, "Mrs. Diaz, I was wrong, and
I''m willing to be punished. Whatever you decide."
Cicely pursed her lips, looked up at him, her expression a mix of hurt and pity. "I don''t even know
what you care about. What kind of punishment is it if I can''t hit where it hurts?"
Seth smirked, "So no punishment?"
Cicely red at him, "Dream on. This will be on your tab. When I figure out what matters to you,
we''ll settle both new and old scores."
Seth nodded, "Okay, I''ll wait. But I think you might never get to punish me."
Cicely frowned, "Why?"
Seth didn''t answer, just smiled and rolled, pinning her beneath him again.
Cicely held her breath, "You... it''s never-ending with you."
*
A lifetime without punishment?
Seth was mistaken. He thought Cicely might never discover what he truly cared about. He also
believed that even if she did, the punishment would nevere.
Yet, it happened and it took half a lifetime, nearly fatal.
*
Cicely felt like she had died several times, only to be brought back each time by this man in his own
way.
Completely drained, Cicely pushed Seth to go down for dinner before surrendering to sleep.
The exposed skin of her arms and shoulders was delicate, with a scatter of faint blush marks. He
had kissed nearly every inch of her body. The aftermath left traces that made one''s heart race just
by looking.
She had refused even a shower, yet she didn''t forget that he hadn''t eaten lunch.
She had too manybels as the pampered princess of the Ellis family in P City, but with him, she
was just so understanding.
Her concern moved Seth deeply. He kissed her flushed, warm face, a soft, fragrant caress.
Exhausted Cicely barely opened her eyes, snuggled deeper into the bed, and murmured "go eat,"
dodging his kiss to bury her face in the pillow, overtaken by fatigue.
Seth let her be, turning to leave the bed. He hadn''t stayed over at the Ellis residence before, but
nobody seemed surprised by his presence.
The staff was always around, and upon seeing hime down, they immediately went to the
kitchen to prepare dinner. The Ellis family treated Seth, their son-inw, with the utmost respect and
hospitality.
*
Cicely missed breakfast with Seth, lying in bed staring at the ceiling for a long time. She texted
Issac, managed to get ready, and arrived at school just in time for the second period.
The buzz around the school about yesterday''s trending topic had cooled down just as quickly as it
had faded from the inte. But for Cicely, although she wasn''t holding a grudge against Seth, she
couldn''t just let go of the person who had steered the winds of gossip her way behind the scenes.
She was determined to find out who else was ying these petty games behind her back.
The hype around the drama belonged to the drama itself, but Seth remained quite low-key, including
hispany, which was a small media firm with a registered capital of five million.
It was unlikely that someone was targeting him personally. The only thing she could think of was
that the over-promotion of the drama from the start had stepped on someone else’s toes. Such a
scenario was usible, but the recement of an actor was an internal matter of the production
crew. Even when Cicely had made a scene that day, there were no outsiders on set.
The crew had signed confidentiality agreements and wouldn''t leak information without permission,
risking trouble.
After much thought, Cicely felt that it wasn''t a move against Seth or the drama, but possibly
someone targeting her.
But who had she offended? Aside from Danielle, she couldn''t think of anyone else. However, in the
recent storm of public opinion, Danielle was at the center, followed by the negative impact on the
drama.
After a moment’s thought, the least likely person seemed to be Danielle. So, who could it be?
She waited for a message from Issac.
In the afternoon, Issac delivered the results of his investigation.
Cicely couldn’t believe it and confirmed with Issac repeatedly, "Are you sure?"
"Positive."
Cicely''s expression turned icy and, with a burst of anger, she let out a scornfulugh.
"Miss," Issac sensed Cicely''s emotions teetering on the edge and couldn''t help but add, "Don''t act
hastily. I''m at home."
Her expression faltered, "My dad knows too?"
"He asked, and I couldn''t lie. Also, he wants you toe home immediately."
Cicely took a deep breath, on the verge of refusal, but then she heard Creighton''s deep, almost
commanding voice through the phone. "Come home. I need to talk to you."
"Dad."
"Cicely, be a good girl, and listen to me. Cough, cough, cough."
A series of violent coughs came through the receiver. Cicely furrowed her brows, and as the
coughing stopped abruptly, the phone call was cut off.
She opened her email to review the message Issac had sent her. Cicely managed to suppress the
raging fury within her, stepped out of the school, and dialed Seth''s number. "I want to know,
regarding the incident that trended yesterday, what are the findings of your investigation? Do you
know who did it?"
Seth paused for a moment before replying, "I do."
"Who?"
"Ray."