Chapter 2016


    "What are you doing?"


    Cicely furrowed her brows at him, but Seth just started the car, made a U-turn, and headed off.


    She panicked, "Where the heck are you taking me?"


    "Settling scores."


    His answer was characteristically terse. Cicely got it, her gaze turned gloomy, yet all she said was,


    "Pull over."


    Seth acted as if he hadn''t heard.d2


    "I''m not going."


    "So, you''d rather stew in silence and then silently chalk up another one against me? I''m not siding


    with Danielle, and if I''m covering for anyone, it''s not for her. I''ve got a clear conscience, but I don''t


    want you thinking there''s something going on between us. Let''s clear the air, so you don''t pin any


    false charges on me."


    Cicely took a deep breath, "I know, and that''s why you need to pull over. I''m not going."


    Seth didn''t reply and didn’t stop the car either.


    "Seth, I don''t know anything at all. I can''t help with your work. The best I can do is probably try not


    to cause you trouble or hold you back.


    “I am indeed angry and feel wronged, but I''ve swallowed that now. You probably don''t get it, but do


    you have any idea how much effort that takes? So don''t waste my energy. Just because I don''t want


    to go now, doesn''t mean this issue will just vanish.


    “I''m not using you of anything, but I''ve calmed down because of you. If you are so kind, consider


    it a debt to me. Just think of ways to make it up to me, to cheer me up."


    Seth eventually pulled over to the side of the road. Silence filled the car, his hands gripping the


    steering wheel ever tighter.


    Didn''t he understand?


    "No one understands it better than I do."


    Cicely breathed a sigh of relief because he pulled over the car, but his non-sequitur made her


    instinctively turn to look at him. "What?"


    The steering wheel cover bore the clear imprint of his fingers. He turned to her, his handsome face


    contorted slightly in restraint.


    "Fine, we won''t settle scores."


    It took him a while to say that, and Cicely felt that his words didn’t match the expression he wore.


    "What are you trying to say?"


    Seth steered the car back onto the road. "I’ll warn Danielle again. You just focus on your studies for


    now. Even if you don’t intend to manage the Ellis family business, you should be able to understand


    what’s going on, to not be cheated or swindled."


    Cicely was pleased by his word "again," and her furrowed brow rxed a bit. "Don’t I have you?"


    Seth intentionally changed the subject. Cicely looked at the side of his face and noticed a subtle


    smile at the corner of his tightly drawn lips.


    "Aren''t you afraid that one day it might be me selling you out?"


    Cicely blinked naturally, her smile extending, "My dad says you have a natural talent for business,


    smart and savvy with a unique touch."


    Seth nced at her, "Isn''t it awkward to say such things to the person''s face?"


    Cicely chuckled. Was he embarrassed to beplimented?


    "You have a knack for business, got an early start, and now you can stand on your own two feet. I''m


    just not cut out for it. Even if I study now, I can''t catch up to you. Ick the talent and started too


    late. If you decided to sell me out one day, what good would my learning do? When have you ever


    failed to do what you decide upon?"


    Seth pursed his lips, "My point is to get you involved, to understand the documents, to grasp the


    overall situation of thepany, and to be prepared. If something happens, you should know what’s


    going on."


    "How could anything happen with you around? If there is an issue, it would only be because you


    wanted it to. If I knew too much and that day came, I’d have to watch everything you did to me.


    Wouldn’t that be more heartbreaking?"


    His expression seemed unchanged, yet it was different somehow.


    Cicely smiled, "I''m just saying. After all, the Ellis family will be mine, and it will be yours. It''s ours, so


    how could anything ridiculous happen?"


    "Ours." Seth murmured, as if savoring the meaning of the word.


    "Yeah, ours." Cicely replied casually, noticing the car''s smooth drive, she asked, "So, where are we


    going?"


    "Home. There''s something I want to show you."


    Cicely raised an eyebrow but said no more.


    The car sped up, cruising down the broad, tree-lined avenue. Back at the apartment, it seemed as


    though nothing had changed.


    Cicely scanned the room multiple times, and Seth, observing her do so, asked, "What are you


    looking for?"


    Cicely shook her head, "Just feels strange. I didn’t sleep herest night, and now it feels a little


    unfamiliar."


    She said this, turning to Seth with a smile, "Am I as fickle as you? This ce holds so many special


    memories, yet I can forget it just like that. At least this time I didn’t think about it at all."


    Seth bent down to fetch her fuzzy slippers and ced them under her feet.


    Cicely kicked off her shoes and slipped her feet into the slippers, casually asking, "Did you think I


    wouldn''te back here, so you put away the slippers I usually wear?"


    "They''d just gather dust otherwise."


    Cicely pulled a face, her eyes ncing at the spare slippers in the corner. "Did someone visit?" She


    took off her down jacket and hung it on the coat rack by the door.


    Following her gaze, Seth responded with a nonchnt "Hmm," "My mother stopped by."


    Cicely paused. Her beautiful eyes flickered, and she scoffed. "She was looking for me, right?"


    She suddenly stood still, looking up at the man, "Is it because I pped Danielle on the set, so she


    came here either to hold me ountable or to teach me a lesson on Danielle''s behalf?"


    Seth''s expression was indifferent, "No."


    Cicely stared at him with a smile, "I''d rather you said yes."


    "It''s not true."


    "I''ve known from day one that your mother prefers Danielle. It’s easier for me to ept that she


    came to confront me for Danielle’s sake than to think that you sent me away from our home


    because you misunderstood me because of Danielle, don''t you think?"


    Seth looked down at her smiling face, "Would that make you happy?"


    "How could it not?"


    He had sent her home to keep her away from Patty, clearing up misunderstandings and letting her


    know he was protecting her. She couldn''t be happier.


    "Then believe that."


    "Is it so hard for you to be honest?"


    Despite saying this, she knew Seth''s nature all too well. He could did so much for her, but he would


    never say it loud.


    "With your temperament, if it weren''t for me, there wouldn''t be any woman who could put up with


    you."


    Seth sidestepped past her, "Naive. As long as I''ve got enough charm, there''ll be a line of women


    waiting."


    Did she actually think that women these days were still simple-minded, selfless kids?


    Cicely didn''t like hearing that and followed him. "You really know how to tick off ady."


    Seth opened the door to the study, "Upset?"


    Cicely frowned, her meaning clear.


    Seth''s lips curved up slightly, "Perfect, I''ve got something here to cheer you up." With that, he


    stepped into the study.


    Driven by curiosity, Cicely followed.


    Seth sat down, fired up hisputer, and after a few smooth clicks, an image popped up on the


    screen, prompting Cicely to lean in closer.


    "What''s this?"


    "Architectural floor ns."


    "Why are you showing me this?"


    Seth watched her bent over and hunched, so he scooted back his chair and pulled her into his


    arms.


    In a daze, Cicely snapped back to reality. With a swift kick of his long legs, Seth, still holding the


    chair, smoothly glided back to theputer. His well-defined fingers gripped the mouse, scrolling


    down the images bit by bit.


    "Here''s the front yard, a fountain, the garden, over here''s a man-madeke. This space could turn


    into a yground.


    "The backyard has an orchard, a greenhouse, and a veggie patch.


    "There are two guest houses on each side.


    "This one''s the interior design. If there''s anything you don''t understand or want to change, just let


    me know."


    "Hold on, hold on." Cicely cut him off, blinking rapidly. "So what is this, exactly? What kind of


    ns?"


    "Can''t you tell? It''s pretty obvious. It''s our bridal suite design."


    Cicely''s eyes trembled uncontrobly, "The design is already done?"


    That was fast.


    Her face could barely contain the thrill and excitement.


    "Happy?"


    Cicely didn''t speak, but her hand left the mouse and she leaned closer to theputer screen, a


    clear sign to Seth that she might be more than just happy.


    But all this,pared to the manor that Creighton prepared for her, which could easily be called a


    castle, wasn''t much of an improvement.


    "This is the basement. And we gotta have one of those home theaters.


    "An elevator straight to the rooftop? Smart ss roof, no worries about rainy days.


    "Swimming pool and multipurpose room, very nice.


    "Our bedroom. Let''s see, study, guest room, guest room, guest room, toy room, and children''s


    room..."


    Cicely''s excited voice slowed as she focused on thest two rooms, then zoomed in on the screen


    to see the details more clearly. After a while, she turned to Seth, her eyes sparkling. "Can I


    supervise the decoration myself?"


    Seth raised an eyebrow, "It''s not out of the question, but I wouldn''t rmend it."


    Cicely immediately frowned and pouted, twisting ny degrees on hisp, her face full of


    usation. "Why not?"


    Seth''s expression softened as he adjusted her position on his knees. "It''s a dirty and tiring job that


    people wouldn''t do even for money, and you''re eager to take it on?"


    "It''s my bridal suite. How could I entrust it to someone else?"


    "Sweetheart, leave it to the pros. You can rest easy."


    Cicely stopped arguing. After all, when the time came, if she insisted on going, he couldn''t stop her.


    She nced back at the screen, her expression subtly shifting, tinted with a touch of


    embarrassment. "One children''s room. Is that enough?"


    At her words, Seth''s eyebrows lifted, his dark eyes softening with amusement. "How many do you


    think we''ll need?"


    Cicely fiddled with the hems of their clothes, trying to tie a knot. Her head was lowered, her cheeks


    blushing. "How about two?"


    His dark eyes carried a hint of teasing, a light smile ying on his lips. His hand, hooked in the long


    strands of her hair over her shoulder, trailed down to the nape of her neck. Naturally, he pinched her


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


    "Maybe we should have a few more since you''re so good?"


    Cicely squirmed at his touch, tilting her head to nuzzle. "How many is that? We can''t have too


    many; childbirth takes a toll on a woman''s vitality. I still want to look good for a few more years."


    Seth chuckled, "You are only eighteen, and childbirth is a long way off for you. For now, your job is


    to hit the books."